Review of From Russia with Love (1963) by Ben B — 23 Oct 2012

Much like "Dr. No" in that the early years of Bond didn't feature the gadgets and huge stunts the series would later become known for. This is still Bond in his lower-key, spying best, featuring suspense, a solid story and Connery with another iconic performance.

This film does introduce his famous briefcase, which provides some of the best moments and led to more gadgets being introduced in later entries. The multiple villains are very effective and make up for the lack of big action, including a scene that blatantly rips off "North by Northwest" (but oh well).

This is still a great Bond film and a strong picture for its era, and the performances are mostly excellent.