Review of From Russia with Love (1963) by Russell G — 26 Nov 2015

After an impressive introduction to the James Bond character, the second movie, From Russia with Love, builds on the strong start and takes the franchise to the next level. Connery is completely at ease here in playing the part; he is just simply Bond, James Bond.

The plot meanders and covers more ground than most 007 movies. It is more complex and has a larger set of developed characters, but it remains coherent and consistent throughout. A mysterious terrorist organization seeks revenge, and in the process attempts to provoke opposing world superpowers against one another.

Their plan aims to manipulate British and Russian spies into pursing a decoder while hunting each other and amplifying tension between their governments. Despite a bit of a slow start it picks up and turns into great action and fun.

The end of the movie is particularly exciting with big action scenes, chases, stunts, and fighting. His female companion played by Daniela Bianchi is one of the most interesting of the Bond Ladies. Of course, she and Eunice Gayson add plenty of sex appeal as a nice bonus, but Bianchi's character makes a meaningful impact.

The first four Bond movies are truly special. They helped define their time and raised the bar for all action movies. No matter what your favorite Bond era or actor may be, this is a safe bet to please fanboys and casual fans alike.