Thunderball (1965)

Meh.

I liked the first part of the film, but the more I got to the end, the more I lost interest. The fight scenes, especially those underwater, were just way too long and way too much the same and those constantly sped up scenes didn't work either.

The villain in this film, Largos, didn't really interest me as much as a character or acting. I also thought the Bond girl was one of the lesser so far, I just thought the acting was ridiculously bad. Even Connery couldn't convince me as 007 this time.

Step higher than Dr. No, but I can't get higher than 2.5* either.

1. Goldfinger 3.5*

2. From Russia With Love 3*

3. Thunderball 2.5*

4. dr. No 2.5*

Translated from Dutch · View original

By the general consensus one of Connery's minors, nevertheless in my book very entertaining, and next to Daniele Bianchi from From Russia With Love, one of the most beautiful Bond women in the form of Claudine Auger.

Bond gets off to a flying start with his jetpack and with the necessary humor in the clinic. The story is simple but adequate. Specter who, with a plan of doppelganger, hijacks a Vulcan with nuclear warheads. Largo Winch doesn't get much time to show himself as a bad guy, but is sufficient as an extension of Specter.

It's the great story about the nuclear warheads, the beautiful surroundings of the Bahamas, a great soundtrack, despite Tom Jones, who just got away with the film, and the presence of Auger that makes the film more than adequate for me. It's the underwater battles that are more than entertaining, here and there to be taken with a grain of salt, and especially the lascivious Fiona Volpe who gives the film something extra. It is especially Luciana Paluzzi who has become more and more noticeable to me over the years and actually starts to pose a threat to Auger who is the hottest woman in this Bond production. She perfectly fills in the role of playful and stimulating hitman/accomplice and therefore a woman and role that you almost have to like and enjoy.

Q is again slightly more present with gadgets, we see Bond for the first time at the Vodka-Martini and at the gambling table, which gives the overall image of Bond just that little bit more shape. This makes this Bond film one of the old ways, quite smooth and spectacular and very entertaining. Still, the style and quality of From Russia With Love, in my opinion still the best in the Connery series, is not achieved, which is slightly nicer than Goldfinger as far as I'm concerned.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Sean Connery's James Bond films are what you can expect from a real Bond, grand, action-packed (sometimes clumsy), a lot of badguys and Bond girls, what more could you want. With his charisma, Sean is of course the ultimate Bond and he always will be.

Translated from Dutch · View original