From Russia with Love (1963)

Director: Terence Young
Writer: Novel: Ian Fleming Adaptation: Johanna Harwood Screenplay: Richard Maibaum
Cast: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Pedro Armendariz, Bernard Lee
Genre: 007 James Bond, Action, Adventure, Thriller, Romance

From Russia with Love is the 2nd installment in the popular 007 James Bond franchise, and the first one, Dr. No, is obviously reviewed here at Motion Pictures on the Fly earlier. Sean Connery is again taking on the role as 007, Young is again directing and both Harwood and Maibaum are again writer credited, and I feel that ensemble here have made some progress from their first attempt. we're still far away from the legendary status the franchise have got, but overall it's quite the entertaining tale from the glory days of spy-stories.

The characters are getting more interesting, the plot better balanced and the Bond-babe might not have Andress' stunning step out of the ocean beauty, but she sure makes for a more interesting side kick. Sadly the final confrontations of the movie is amateur hour, but up until then it's quite a ride well worth taking.

Dr. No (1962)

Director: Terence Young
Writer: Screenplay: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather Uncredited: Terence Young Novel: Ian Fleming
Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson, Zena Marshall, John Kitzmiller, Eunice Gayson, Lois Maxwell
Genre: 007 James Bond, Action, Adventure, Thriller

Dr. No is the first James Bond movie, and little did they then know how much of a franchise they had started. It doesn't really stand up still, but there's several thing making it well worth a look. Not only is many still claiming Sean Connery is the best Bond there ever was, we've got a memorable Ursula Andress "Bond-babe"-scene stepping out of the ocean and there's the first cool Bond intro.

Then we can forgive Dr. No for being a quite boring villain, the action sequences being very outdated and the plot being thin at best. It's the beginning of an era still lasting, and its almost blasphemy to write it off on such reasons alone.