Goldfinger (1964)

To the Summary!
Sean Connery returns for the third installment of Bond's cinema adventures.  This time, he hunts Auric Goldfinger.

To the Cast!
Sean Connery - James Bond
Honor Blackman - Pussy Galore
Gert Frobe - Auric Goldfinger
Shirey Eaton - Jill Masterson
Tania Mallet - Tilly Masterson
Harold Sakata - Oddjob
Bernard Lee - 'M'
Cec Linder - Felix Leiter
Lois Maxwell - Moneypenny


To the Deeper Thoughts!
I'm fairly certain that this was the first Bond movie I saw.  I know for certain it was the first Connery Bond that I saw.

Third film in, and I dare say that  this one is near perfect.  I'd even argue that its one of the best Bond's ever.  This is the one where we see the elements that we came to know and love through the years.  The flirting with Moneypenny.  The banter with Q.  *sigh*  What a great movie.

I'm really breaking down into fanboy mode here.  Classic Bond is always the best.  And by classic I mean Connery.  True, the others have their moments.  And Craig is the best Bond in my opinion.  But there is something to be said for these classic movies.

Dr. No (1962)

To the Summary!
James Bond undertakes his first (well, first filmed) adventure.  He heads to Jamaica to investigate Dr. No, a bat guano magnate and seriously creepy dude.

To the Cast!
Sean Connery - James Bond
Ursula Andress - Honey Ryder
Joseph Wiseman - Dr. No
Jack Lord - Felix Leiter
Bernard Lee - M
John Kitzmiller - Quarrel
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny
Peter Burton - Major Boothroyd

To the Deeper Thoughts!
Here we have it folks, the first of a long and (mostly) illustrious film library.  And what a way to start off.  There is pretty much nothing I can find wrong about this movie.  Every time I watch it, I enjoy it that much more.  Its simple in its execution and style.  Not very flashy, but subtle.  This is the movie that launched a fandom.  One I can't wait to share with my son.  I don't really have too much else to say about this.  Its a great place to start in on the Bond series.

From Russia With Love (1963)

To the Summary!
James Bond is back!  This time, he's on the hook with SPECTRE for the killing of Dr. No (see Dr. No).  With a mad dog killer hot on his heels, Bond takes the Orient Express to adventure!

To the Cast!
Sean Connery - James Bond
Daniela Bianchi - Tatiana Romanova
Pedro Armendariz - Kerim Bey
Lotte Lenya - Rosa Klepp
Robert Shaw - Grant
Bernard Lee - M
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny




To the Deeper Thoughts!
And here we have Bond movie number two.  Another faithful adaptation of the source material, well to an extent.  There are some differences.  Example: we see the introduction of Blofeld here.  Books; not until Thunderball.  We do have Q, but he's know instead as Major Boothroyd.  So, small differences, but nothing painful (see Moonraker for pain).

I really like this one.  Number two in, and going strong.  Its weird to see Robert Shaw so young and, well evil.  Given my only other exposure to him is Jaws.  We see a quick introduction of Bond's eventual nemesis, Blofeld.

Eh, what else can I say.  Its good, classic Bond.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

To the Summary!
James Bond goes after some hot ice (that's stolen diamonds).  Along the way he runs into an odd pair of assassins   Oh, and Blofeld makes a return.

To the Cast!
Sean Connery - James Bond
Jill St. John - Tiffany Case
Charles Grey - Blofeld
Putter Smith - Mr. Kidd
Bruce Glover - Mr. Wint
Norman Burton - Leiter
Bernard Lee - 'M'
Desmond Llewelyn - 'Q'
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny

To the Deeper Thoughts!
Here we have the triumphant (?) return of Sean Connery to the Bond franchise.  Turns out this will truly be his last outing, but I digress.

Ahh, hell.  Back to digressing.  After a much publicized departure, Sean Connery returns to the role that made him famous.  We also have the return of Bond's nemesis Bloefeld.  Oddly, there was no reference to the previous film where Blofeld is involved in the murder of Bond's wife, but that's for another review.

I like this one.  Even though Connery was basically bribed back to the role, he still put out a pretty good turn.  A bit on the silly side (Bond girl named Pleanty O'toole for one), its still not as bad as some of the later Moore ones.

So, a fitting end for Connery's run as Bond.  Unless you count Never Say Never Again... which I don't.