Review of Dr. No (1962) by Russell G — 17 Nov 2015

The film that started it all: Dr. No. Dr. No, the very first James Bond film, is a solid little film despite the ridiculous amount of acclaim it has garnered. I'll give this movie credit however for kick-starting the series, but there isn't really anything special about it.

Only reason why Dr. No is met with such high regard is because it started the series, making it's deeming of being one of the best in the series more obligatory than genuine. But let's not forget: without this film, we wouldn't have the many great Bond films that have succeeded it.

Also, Dr. No was surprisingly revolutionary for its time and moviegoers had never seen anything quite like it before, easily imprinting itself in memories of many. And even though this film may have been extraordinary in its time, it's considered a bit slow by today's standards.

It seems that the producers had just chosen a more laidback and straightforward Bond novel to kick-start the series with due to budget constraints, making it easier both physically and financially for them so they could see if this series would really take off or not.

I can't really blame them for this, but due to it, the film can seem a bit lackluster at times. Overall, Dr. No is a solid, respectable, and straightforward espionage thriller that started the beloved Bond series and is a must-see for any fan of the franchise.