Review of Dr. No (1962) by Russ B — 10 Feb 2016

Though not the best of the early Bonds, Dr. No, the franchise's maiden voyage, still feels the most fresh. Connery is male virility personified. His charisma is so unmistakable that, more than 50 years of social progress later, we somehow forgive his brutish misogyny.

It's all terrible of course, but you can't say man doesn't make it look good. Though something of a ground zero for action movies as we know them, Dr. No's pacing may not translate too well for today's viewers.

There is definitely an adjustment for historical period, and in more ways than one. Besides the sexism, we have the superstitious quasi-subjects of Britain's diminished imperialism, and the idea that casting a white Jewish guy as an Asian villain makes sense.

Through all that, Dr. No still stands as sleek, brutal entertainment. Joseph Wiseman is ice cold pleasure as the prototypical Bond super villain. Ursula Andress's Honey Ryder does a better job at showing the dangerous self-sufficiency behind her character's beach bimbo exterior than she is normally given credit for.

And Jack Lord, weird sunglasses and all, is the series's best Felix. There were better-paced, more exciting Bond movies to come, but Dr. No still holds up the mango tree.