Review of Dr. No (1962) by Andy N — 09 Jun 2010

How did James Bond go from a serious spy flick grounded in reality with a splash of fantasy to being a pure fantasy film with no basis whatsoever in reality. It's hard to think of what I just watched as a James Bond film. There are no gadgets. Bond is actually a spy and not some super secret agent that lacks any flaws whatsoever. You could actually see this Bond doing paperwork on why he killed someone instead of pretending to be Superman. The parts about him loving his vodka drinks and women are still there. Puns after he kills people though aren't as bad as they become in later movies. They're not as out there or in your face. Connery has a cool in this film that makes the lines come out smooth and on the spot instead of seeming forced and being read off of the cue cards.

Dr. No is a man who owns an island off of Jamaica. He's doing some nuclear testing there, but for what purpose and why Bond and company don't know. Also, geologists and biologists are turning up dead in the area, so it's up to Bond to find out what's going on, infiltrate the island, and put an end to the nefarious plot of Dr. No.

I find it interesting that you go more than half of this film without having Bond meet Dr. No. It's an actual investigative process before Bond finally gets to the villain of the film and...villain he is when you finally get to see him. It's interesting that in this Bond, they actually build up to the moment of when Bond finally meets the mastermind behind everything. Bond goes through a lot of pain and getting shot at and beaten up, before he meets Dr. No. It's interesting because until the final showdown, there is suspense as to whether Bond can pull off stopping the plot.

One of the better spy films out there and definitely one of the best James Bond films out there. If you're looking for gadget porn, wacky car chases, and alligator fights-then you'd be best renting another film. If you want to see a classic spy film with action, suspense, and an investigative method-then you'll want to pick this up right away.