I am taking a bit of a break from the usual review format today and going to hit reflection mode. I have always understood that the statement in the title of this post is very true, yet I still find myself a victim of expectations. True, it happens a lot less regularly than it once did, and I can often find something in most films such that I spend an enjoyable 90-180 minutes. Yet anyone who read my Skyfall review would be aware, my biggest complaint is that the film did not feel like a James Bond film.
Tag Archives: James Bond
007 Legends – A Review by Film Nerd
Developer: Eurocom, Activision
Consoles: PS3, 360, Wii U, PS Vita, PC
Cast: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, Carey Lowell, Toby Stephens
Synopsis: This game was released specifically as a celebration of 50 years of James Bond. As such, it includes 6 missions, each representing one film of each man to have played Ian Fleming’s super-spy. Bond and M are played by Craig and Dench respectively throughout.
Skyfall – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Sam Mendes
Cast: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Berenice Marlohe, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Rory Kinnear
Film matched beverage: Silver Balloon Cocktail
Synopsis: Bond is wounded, presumed dead, whilst pursuing a hard drive featuring the identities of every international secret agent. He remains undercover, until MI6 itself is attacked, and returns to active service, facing more than one demon at the same time.
Quantum of Solace – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Marc Forster
Cast: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Giancarlo Giannini, Gemma Arterton, Jesper Christensen, Rory Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench
Film matched beverage: Choc-mint martini (for Dominic Greene)
Synopsis: Following directly from the events of Casino Royale, Bond attempts to extract mission from Mr. White on the mysterious organisation Quantum. As he continues to follow the links in the chain, it is unclear whether his motives are professional, or if they are fueled by his hurt and anger over Vesper’s betrayal.
Casino Royale – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Jesper Christensen, Judi Dench
Film matched beverage: Vesper Martini
Synopsis: Finally, after years of legal wrangling, Eon got to make Casino Royale, the very first Bond novel that Ian Fleming ever wrote. Being a beginning for Bond in popular culture, they made this film a new beginning for the franchise. Indeed, they went full reboot mode, and to great effect. New film, new start, new Bond. And Daniel Craig made the role his own….
Continue reading
Die Another Day – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Lee Tamahori
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese, Madonna, Michael Madsen, Samantha Bond, Judi Dench
Film matched beverage: Mojito
Synopsis: After being betrayed by a colleague, Bond is imprisoned and tortured for 14 months in a North Korean holding facility. When MI6 is led to believe he is hemorrhaging information, they arrange a trade, but put him out to pasture as washed up. Bond must track down the person who betrayed him to clear his name and exact revenge.
The World is Not Enough – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, John Cleese, Samantha Bond, Desmond Llewelyn, Judi Dench
Film matched beverage: Christmas Cookie Cocktail
Synopsis: MI6 is fooled into returning money to industrialist Robert King, money which ends up being the device used to murder the recipient, Bond gets injured in pursuit of the henchman observing the hit, an injury which affects him while he attempts to protect Elektra King, whom he believes will be the next target of the terrorist behind the attack. After all, she was formerly the kidnap victim of the same man, Renard.
Tomorrow Never Dies – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathon Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Joe Don Baker, Vincent Schiavelli, Samantha Bond, Desmond Llewelyn, Judi Dench
Film matched beverage: White chocolate martini (as everything in the news is black and white!!)
Synopsis: A media mogul has plans for world-wide broadcast privileges but China refuses to allow him broadcast rights. So he does what any sane entrepreneur would do and attempts to start a war between Britain and China, using stealth ships and stolen GPS encoding devices. Naturally.
GoldenEye – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane, Alan Cumming, Samantha Bond, Desmond Llewelyn
Film matched beverage: Golden Cocktail
Synopsis: After the longest gap between Bond films since the franchise started, Brosnan begins his tenure as the ultra-cool British agent. Bond tails the mysterious Xenia Onatopp following a chance encounter. In doing so he stumbles upon a much larger plot. A few twists later, and it turns out our new villain is not unfamiliar to Bond…
Continue reading
Licence to Kill – A Review by Film Nerd
Director: John Glen
Cast: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Anthony Zerbe, Frank McRae, David Hedison, Wayne Newton, Benicio del Toro, Robert Brown, Caroline Bliss, Desmond Llewelyn
Film matched beverage: The Cocaine
Synopsis: An escaped drug lord goes after the man who put him in custody… Felix Leiter. He leaves Leiter horribly maimed, and his just married wife murdered. M does not sanction Bond in seeking retribution for this murder, so he resigns from MI6 and pursues Leiter’s killer.







