Review of Dr. No (1962) by Franz M — 25 Mar 2016

This is about as perfect a franchise-starter as you could imagine and certainly accomplishes the task of leaving you eagerly anticipating Bond's next adventure. What stands out most is, even in his debut, Connery commands the role like he's been playing Bond for years. From the moment he shows up on screen, he's James Bond: and Connery is the perfect center to base this 007 world around, with a cool presence that makes him just as relatable when he's checking out a hot girl on a beach, irritating his boss or going nuts with a shoe to make sure a spider is dead. Connery's Bond isn't the most brilliant guy around and just simply seems like a regular guy that every guy aspires to be in a way that few of his successors accomplish. The scene that best epitomizes the character involves Bond and the devious Miss Taro (Zena Marshall). Bond's already figured she's no good, but she's hot enough for him to sleep with her twice, kick her out and then kill her would-be-assassin partner.

Similar to Daniel Craig in his debut in Casino Royale, Connery's Bond isn't spoiled by souped-up secret gadgets - his most exotic upgrade is a Walther PPK with a silencer - but some of the more lasting trademarks of the franchise are already in place. Like a strictly business commanding officer, M (Bernard Lee), the flirtatious banter with Miss Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) and a staggeringly gorgeous Bond Girl in Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress, who sets a ridiculously high standard for future Bond girls).

The low-key mystery plot (where Bond is dispatched to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a fellow agent and finds himself in the middle of a plot to disrupt the U.S. space shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral) and the resolutely human-sized drama of it all makes this one of the sanest of all Bond pictures. Although somewhat rough around its edges, every series has to start somewhere, and this low and tame adventure is, again, the perfect franchise-starter. it is astonishing how well this film holds up and is every bit as engaging, suspenseful and entertaining as any of the more recent editions to the Bond mythos with bigger budgets, more expansive sets and exhilarating stunts.