With the looming James Bond 25th film coming in 2020, we just can't help to review the first ever film of the franchise, Dr. No.
Since we love JB, we have to forgive the film for its infancy stage problems like story line, special effects. We would like to point out however the following items for which why we love this film none the less.
1. Sean Connery
He is by far the best James Bond that ever played the role and he was smoking hot in this film. His acting is top notch and although he lacks the gorgeous muscles as epitomized by Daniel Craig, he did swayed us with how he looked in a tuxedo. In an era of womanizing culture, it was easy to see why women were falling head over heels for him and the next scene is the bed scene. Although fast forward to the 2019 era, those days of sexuality has been reduced in the franchise but it was nice watch Sean Connery win over his lady loves in this film.
2. Joseph Wiseman
As the very first ever Bond villain on film, his strong character shows how he was very much on screen. Although coming out only nearing the end of the film, his enigmatic look suggests how it was difficult for Bond to defeat his intelligence and ruthlessness as the villain. Although he was subdued easily in the end, yet prior, he was a very nasty arch enemy to our James Bond.
3. Ursula Andress
Coming on screen just minutes before Dr. No, her beach bikini scene was really to die for. Then I forgot about her. Prepare to pause that play button when you see her on the island for the first time.
4. Story line
During the 1960s, the atomic age was still new and nuclear technology was in rage then. So having James Bond tackle the issue of radiation was something of a high tech. This alone we were already happy, sadly, the whole story line could have been worked over to make it better but hey, its 1962 and story telling then was very much different to that we know of today. It was a breakthrough already and this was one the things that made this film a blockbuster in the 1960s.
Watch the film for these 4 things and forgive them for the bygone era of special effects. In addition, since it was the very first Bond film, this was produced with a low budget yet was a financial success so there's another excuse for you if ever you might want to rant about it.
Plot wise, it starts off with a British MI6 Station Chief in Jamaica being dead. As true spy agency would deduce, they would then send Agent 007 James Bond to investigate. Finding clues in the dead Station Chief's residence, slowly JB stitches the clues that would lead him to an island owned by Dr. No, where he accidentally or conveniently meets Honey Ryder (played by Ursula Andress - remember that bikini scene, this where you push that pause button). Their adventures on the island gets them contaminated with radiation which they were later "cured" by the technology of Dr. NO, don't ask us how but somehow they were de contaminated. If I was Dr. NO, I would have let them die since he is a British spy and would affect my plans to disrupt the Project Mercury space program by the United States of America. Saving him and letting him live escapes me, but hey, I am not the story teller here so I will let it slide or else there would not be a great ending to this.
In the end James Bond foils the evil doer's plans, survives the mayhem that follows and gets to kiss the beautiful girl Honey Ryder on the boat.
Remember guys, this is a 1962 film and story telling was simple. Boy gets lots of girls, kills lots of bad guys, meets a girl of his dreams and not beds her (only in the end), boy then gets tortured and survives, fights off the minions then kills the big boss near the end, destroys the evil lair, escapes and survives with the girl in tow, and boy finally gets rescued but would not like to be rescued as the boy is with that lovely girl.
That's Dr. No for you. If you are a James Bond fan, just watch it and don't be so critical. Enjoy the kisses and see him shaken not stirred.
