Above Average Joe Blogs

With OHMSS proving to be a divisive entry in the series, at the time of its release at least, EON were keen to get Bond back on his best behaviour. And in their minds, the only way of doing this was to pay a record breaking $1.25 million to Connery to return to the role (that amount should really give a good indication at the animosity producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, and the returning Connery). Diamonds are Forever, on the surface at least, seems like a return to the more bombastic Bond films, with director Guy Hamiliton wanting to strike gold again, reportedly taking inspiration from his own time directing Goldfinger (Bassey even returns for her second Bond theme). However, for me, this is easily one of the worst in the series, with a lead actor on cruise control, wreaking havoc in a cartoon world full of nonsensical ne'er-do-wells. The story again takes its basic premise from the Fleming's book of the same name, with Bond investigating a diamond-smuggl...

On Her Majesty's Secret Service Of all the films in the series, this is probably the most controversial of the lot. Starring Australian George Lazenby, in his one and only Bond film, with the unenviable task on taking on the role after Connery briefly departs, initial audience reactions was muted. Although it raked it plenty at the box office, it was still less than its predecessors, and so it was followed up with Connery being lured back in once more for Diamonds are Forever, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (henceforth OHMSS) was relegated to the back room of the series, an unfortunate blip, best forgotten about. And yet, this is the film in the series that Christopher Nolan ranks as his favourite (one only needs to look at the snow-bound finale of Inception and compare it to OHMSS to see the inspiration). Putting aside some slightly wooden acting from Lazenby, this easily ranks as one of the best in the series, mixing some of the more flamboyant aspects of Connery...

With You Only Live Twice (henceforth "YOLT" as opposed to "YOLO") the world had reached peak Bond mania (with Connery hounded by throngs of fans during filming in Japan) and also peak camp. This is the film in the series that gifts us with the full reveal of the original Dr Evil - the head of SPECTRE, bald, scarred, and cat stroking Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a volcano lair, tricked out attack helicopter ( named Little Nellie), a ninja training academy, and another denouement involving Bond and Bond girl #34582 ensconced in some sort of life raft, declining to be rescued. Whilst this film certainly feels like one of the more archetypal Bond films, the original book couldn't be further from what made it to screen. In the novel, Bond is recovering after a personal tragedy (that will serve as the end of the next film in the series), and is sent to Japan to assassinate the absurdly named Dr Shatterhand. Shatterhand is running a "Garden of Death" in an an...

I'd say (and in fact have said in the past 3 reviews) that the first three Bond films stand as some of the best in the series. Each ones giving a slightly different flavour of Bond (underground lairs, low key sleuthing, and finally a megalomaniac industrialist [they come up a lot in the world of Bond]). So it is somewhat disappointing that upon reaching Thunderball, it feels like the series is simply treading water (pun very much intended in this waterlogged sequel). Perversely, the long fought saga over the rights to the characters in Thunderball is vastly more interesting that the conflict at the heart of the movie. You see, before the Bond films were even a thing, Fleming had his eye on translating Bond from page to silver screen. In doing so, he collaborated with writers Jack Whittingham and Kevin McClory. McClory devised many of the key elements of the plot of Thunderball, including that the vast majority of the action would take place underwater. However, most crucially...

A Plague of Darkness  Considering how quickly the darkness enveloped the world, I feel it is necessary to work backwards from when the blight started to infect our globe to date. If humanity emerges from this cataclysm one day, it is important that there is some form of text, record, or evidence of what humanity was before it fell. Looking back now, I can see the signs clear as day. People started to disappear overnight. More frequently that one would expect. And in more gruesome fashion than your run of the mill kidnapping. The news would report a missing person, be it man, woman, or child, and delve into the gory details, ravenous for views and clicks of their latest grotesque display. A carpet of blood trailing down a car park stairwell. A car filled with viscera. A child's ear and arm found on a playground slide. Of course if all these atrocities occurred in one city in a short space of time, the resultant public and government panic would be swift and decisive. But no,...