Bond 50: Roger Moore (1973–1985)

Rejuvenated with the success of Diamonds Are Forever, Broccoli and Saltzman began a third hunt to cast James Bond. They were searching for a Bond who would best represent the 1970s -- suave and progressive. Jeremy Brett, Michael Billington, and Julian Glover were all considered but Roger Moore landed the spot. His previous TV roles in The Saint and The Persuaders gained him nation-wide attention and respect in the UK.

 Moore signed and respected his 7-film contract, making him the longest-tenured Bond in cinematic history. He first appeared in 1973's Live and Let Die and appeared in 1974's The Man with the Golden Gun, 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me, 1979's Moonraker, 1981's For Your Eyes Only and 1983's Octopussy before hanging up his holster with 1985's A View to a Kill at age 57.

Live and Let Die (1973)

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, David Hedison, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 6 July 1973

Running time: 121 minutes

Budget: $7 million

Box office: $161.8 million

Synopsis:

Roger Moore makes his first appearance as "Bond...James Bond" in 1973's Live and Let Die. Bond is dispatched to the States to stem the activities of Mr. Big (Yaphet Kotto), who plans to take over the Western Hemisphere by converting everyone into heroin addicts. The woman in the case is Solitaire (Jane Seymour in her movie debut), an enigmatic interpreter of tarot cards. The obligatory destructive-chase sequence occurs at the film's midpoint, with Bond being chased in a motorboat by Mr. Big's henchmen, slashing his way through the marshlands and smashing up a wedding party. Clifton James makes the first of several Bond appearances as redneck sheriff Pepper, while Geoffrey Holder is an enthusiastic secondary villain. 

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, James Cossins, Clifton James, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 19 December 1974

Running time: 125 minutes

Budget: $7 million

Box office: $97.6 million

Synopsis:

The Man With the Golden Gun, Roger Moore's second outing as James Bond (Live and Let Die was the first), whisks our hero off to Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand, and then the South China Sea in search of a solar energy weapon. His opponent is Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), who rules the roost on a well-fortified island. Scaramanga's aide-de-camp is Nick Nack, played by future Fantasy Island co-star Herve Villechaize. Britt Ekland plays the bikinied Mary Goodnight, whose clumsy efforts to help Bond thwart Scaramanga are almost as destructive as the elusive solar device.

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Directed by: Lewis Gilbert

Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 7 July 1977

Running time: 125 minutes

Budget: $14 million

Box office: $185.4 million

Synopsis:

Though not Ian Fleming's most famous James Bond novel, 1962's The Spy Who Loved Me was distinguished by the unique device of telling the story from the heroine's point of view; in fact, Bond doesn't make an appearance until the book is two-thirds over. This would hardly work in the film world's Bond franchise, so the original austere plotline of the novel was eschewed altogether in favor of a labyrinthine story involving outer-space extortion. The leading lady, a "hard-luck kid" in the original, is now sexy Russian secret agent Barbara Bach, who joins forces with Bond (Roger Moore, making his third appearance as 007) to foil yet another megalomaniac villain (Curt Jurgens), who plans to threaten New York City with nuclear weaponry. 

Moonraker (1979)

Directed by: Lewis Gilbert

Starring: Roger Moore, Michael Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Richard Kiel, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 26 June 1979

Running time: 126 minutes

Budget: $34 million

Box office: $210.3 million

Synopsis:

In this adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1955 novel, James Bond (Roger Moore) must thwart Sir Hugo Drax (Michel Lonsdale), who plans to wipe out all of humankind and replace it with a super race that he has cultivated in a massive space station. The girl in the case is American secret agent Holly Goodhead, intelligently played by Lois Chiles. "Jaws," the steel-mouthed henchman played by Richard Kiel in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), makes a return appearance in Moonraker, turning good guy (complete with a girlfriend of his own) in the process. 

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Directed by: John Glen

Starring: Roger Moore, Julian Glover, Carole Bouquet, Chaim Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 24 June 1981

Running time: 127 minutes

Budget: $28 million

Box office: $195.3 million

Synopsis:

For Your Eyes Only eschews the gimmickry and campiness of earlier James Bond films, concentrating instead on telling the story and maintaining suspense. Roger Moore is back as Secret Agent 007, this time on the trail of Soviet spies while he romances the beautiful Melina, played by Carole Bouquet. Richard Maibaum's screenplay has very little to do with the collection of short stories that made up Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, save for the plotline involving Melina's seeking vengeance for the death of her father. 

Octopussy (1983)

Directed by: John Glen

Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Steven Berkoff, Desmond Llewelyn, Kristina Wayborn

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: MGM/UA Entertainment Co.

Release date: 6 June 1983

Running time: 131 minutes

Budget: $27.5 million

Box office: $187.5 million

Synopsis:

007 receives the usual call to come and visit "Mother" when another agent drops off a fake Faberge jeweled egg at the British embassy in East Berlin and is later killed at a traveling circus. Suspicions mount when the assistant manager of the circus Kamal (Louis Jourdan), outbids Bond for the real Faberge piece at Sotheby's. Bond follows Kamal to India where the superspy thwarts many an ingenious attack and encounters the antiheroine of the title (Maud Adams), an international smuggler who runs the circus as a cover for her illegal operations. It does not take long to figure out that Orlov (Steven Berkoff), a decidedly rank Russian general is planning to raise enough money with the fake Faberges to detonate a nuclear bomb in Europe and then defeat NATO forces once and for all in conventional warfare.

A View to a Kill (1985)

Directed by: John Glen

Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Robert Brown

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: MGM/UA Distribution, UIP

Release date: 12 June 1985

Running time: 131 minutes

Budget: $30 million

Box office: $152.4 million

Synopsis:

Secret Agent 007 must stop a megalomaniacal technology mogul from destroying Silicon Valley in this unexceptional entry in the James Bond series. Computer baron Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) is planning to trigger a major California earthquake in order to wipe out his competitors. Bond is assigned to stop him, but first he must do battle with Zorin's statuesque partner in crime, May Day (Grace Jones). The expected high-wire confrontations ensue, as Bond battles the villains at international landmarks like the Eiffel Tower and takes the occasional break to romance an attractive geologist. Unfortunately, nothing fresh is brought to the familiar formula, and even the well-staged action sequences prove less than exciting. Indeed, this otherwise by-the-numbers production is most notable for the fact that it marked the final appearance of Roger Moore as the dashing Bond.

Next Page >>> Timothy Dalton

Previous Page <<< George Lazenby

Bond 50: George Lazenby (1969)

Broccoli and Saltzman began another search for Bond and decided on Timothy Dalton who turned the role down because he believed he was too young for the role. The producers eventually discovered George Lazenby in an action-themed Fry's Chocolate Cream commercial. 

His Australian nationality caused something of a stir in the Bond community but his 1969 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service turned out to be a decent critical and commercial success. Lazenby's talent agent urged him to move on from Bond and use his press to launch his acting career. He heeded his advice and dropped his 7-film contract.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Directed by: Peter R. Hunt

Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 18 December 1969

Running time: 140 minutes

Budget: $7 million

Box office: $82 million

Synopsis:

James Bond, portrayed here by George Lazenby (in his only performance in the role) has spent nearly two years trying to track down Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas), the head of SPECTRE. He has been taken off the case by his chief (Bernard Lee), an action the pushes him to the point of considering resigning from Her Majesty's Secret Service, just as he opens a possible new avenue of attack on his quarry. Whilst in the field, Bond has chanced to cross paths with the Contessa Teresa Di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), a beautiful but desperately unhappy woman, whom he rescues from one apparent suicide attempt and an embarrassing moment at a casino gaming table -- the Contessa, who prefers to be called Tracy ("Teresa was a saint"), is the daughter of Marc Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), an industrial and construction magnate and also a crime boss, who is impressed with Bond personally as well as professionally, and would like to see him marry his daughter. Bond is, at first, unwilling to involve himself with a woman -- any woman -- on that level, but Draco's underworld contacts give Bond a vital clue to Blofeld's whereabouts that get him back on the case and hot on the man's trail. Journeying incognito to Blofeld's mountaintop retreat in the Swiss Alps, Bond finds the criminal mastermind posing as a would-be nobleman and also as a philanthropist, running a clinic devoted to the treatment and eradication of allergies. It's all a front for a surprisingly sinister (and scientifically valid) plot for international blackmail that would make any previous Bond villain quake in fear. And in the process of staying alive long enough to have a chance of stopping Blofeld, Bond discovers the Tracy is truly like no woman he's ever known before -- one special enough that he finds himself willing to give up his life as a free-living, free-loving bachelor. 

Next Page >>> Roger Moore

Previous Page <<< Sean Connery

Bond 50: Sean Connery (1962–1967, return in 1971)

Broccoli and Saltzman began a UK-wide search to cast Bond and held a "Find James Bond" contest to encourage auditions.  Sean Connery won out in the end and having proven himself to the producers in his roles in On the Fiddle and Darby O'Gill and the Little People. Connery appeared in five Bond films; 1962's Dr. No, 1963's From Russia with Love, 1964's Goldfinger, 1965's Thunderball, and 1967's You Only Live Twice; before announcing that he was leaving the series at the end of his contract. He was burnt out due to the rapid schedule and wanted to branch his carrer out.

Frustrated with Lazenby's departure, Broccoli and Saltzman wanted to reassure audiences of EON's steadfastness and the franchise's future by delivering another crowd-pleaser. The tried to recreate the magic of Goldfinger by getting director Guy Hamilton and star Sean Connery back together for another United States based Bond film.

Dr. No (1962)

Directed by: Terence Young

Starring: Sean Connery, Joseph Wiseman, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, John Kitzmiller

Studio: Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 5 October 1962

Running time: 109 minutes

Budget: $1 million

Box office: $59.6 million

Synopsis:

Terence Young directed this first of a long line of screen adventures with Ian Fleming's unflappable British Secret Service Agent 007 in a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek style that set the tone for the rest of the popular series. Sean Connery sets the standard by which all future takers must measure themselves as the insouciant and devil-may-care James Bond. The story concerns Bond being sent to Jamaica to investigate the murders of a British agent and his secretary. During his investigation, he comes into contact with the evil and unscrupulous Chinese scientist Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) who, living on an island called Crab Key, is hard at work in a nuclear laboratory. Dr. No's scheme is to divert rockets being fired from Cape Canaveral off their charted course and to blackmail the United States to get their rocket launches restored to normal. Helping Bond is Ursula Andress (mostly undressed in a bikini throughout most of the film), as well as bad gals like Zena Marshall, who almost leads Bond to his death in her bedroom, and Eunice Gayson, a Bond pickup in a London gambling house who proves herself a greater adversary than even James Bond can handle.

From Russia with Love (1963)

Directed by: Terence Young

Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Pedro Armendáriz

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 11 October 1963

Running time: 115 minutes

Budget: $2 million

Box office: $78.9 million

Synopsis:

From Russia With Love, the second in the series of James Bond films, is the film that solidifies all the Bond film elements into a formula -- the action sequences are intensified and lend greater tension to the proceedings; John Barry's inimitable score makes its first appearance; and Sean Connery as Bond has nailed down his role as 007 -- accentuating Bond's stylishness and sophistication, while toning down his cold-bloodedness. In From Russia With Love, the bad guys don't want to take over the world. They want something more mundane -- a Russian decoding device. Assigned to the mission of stealing the decoding device are No. 3, former KGB agent Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), and No. 5, Kronsteen (Vladek Sheybal), an expert chess player who has plotted every move of the mission. Kronsteen's plan requires using Bond's weakness for women as an element in acquiring the decoding device. Once Bond obtains the decoding device from Russian cipher clerk Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), SPECTRE muscleman Red Grant (Robert Shaw) is to forcibly take it from Bond and kill him. But Bond suspects a trap. Being Bond, however, he can't resist the lure of a beautiful woman. So, flaunting danger, Bond travels to Istanbul to meet Tatiana. The centerpiece of this 007 feature is the thrilling fight to the death between Bond and enemy agent Red Grant aboard the Orient Express.

Goldfinger (1964)

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman, Harold Sakata, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 17 September 1964

Running time: 110 minutes

Budget: $3 million

Box office: $124.9 million

Synopsis:

With Goldfinger, the James Bond series took a turn away from relatively straightforward spy thrillers and toward campy gadgetry, extravagant sets, and kitschy jokes. Bond (Sean Connery) has to prevent a notorious gold smuggler, appropriately named Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), from robbing Fort Knox. Goldfinger is surrounded by evil henchmen such as the sexy female pilot Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and Oddjob (Harold Sakata), who kills with his steel-rimmed bowler hats. In order to stop Goldfinger, Bond has to survive several perilous situations, including a huge, deadly laser.

Thunderball (1965)

Directed by: Terence Young

Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rik Van Nutter, Desmond Llewelyn, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 29 December 1965

Running time: 130 minutes

Budget: $9 million

Box office: $141.2 million

Synopsis:

Thunderball finds James Bond matching wits with the sinister espionage organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E, (which stands for Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion). This time, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. hijacks a NATO nuclear bomber, hiding the bombs under the ocean depths and threatening to detonate the weapons unless a ransom of 100,000,000 pounds is paid. The mastermind behind this scheme is international business executive Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), who maintains a pool full of sharks for the purpose of eliminating enemies and those henchmen who fail to come up to standard. Dispatched to the Bahamas, lucky Mr. Bond enjoys the attentions of three nubile ladies: Largo's mistress Domino Derval (Claudine Auger), British spy Paula Caplan (Martine Beswick, previously seen as a gypsy girl in the 1962 Bond epic From Russia With Love) and enemy agent Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi).

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Directed by: Lewis Gilbert

Starring: Sean Connery, Mie Hama, Donald Pleasence, Akiko Wakabayashi

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 12 June 1967

Running time: 117 minutes

Budget: $9.5 million

Box office: $111.6 million

Synopsis:

James Bond heads East to save the world (and to learn how to serve saki properly) in this action-packed espionage adventure. When an American spacecraft disappears during a mission, it's widely believed to have been intercepted by the Soviet Union, and after a Russian space capsule similarly goes missing, most consider it to be an act of American retaliation. Soon the two nations are at the brink of war, but British intelligence discovers that some sort of UFO has crashed into the Sea of Japan. Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent in to investigate. After staging his own death to avoid being followed, Bond, disguised as a Japanese civilian, teams up with agent Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and his beautiful associate Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi). With their help, Bond learns that both the American and Russian space missions were actually scuttled by supercriminal Ernst Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) in yet another bid by his evil empire SPECTRE to take over the world. As he battles the bad guys, Bond finds time to romance both Kissy Suziki (Mie Hama) and Helga Brandt (Karin Dor).

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Directed by: Guy Hamilton

Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Bernard Lee

Studio: Danjaq, Eon Productions

Distributed by: United Artists

Release date: 30 December 1971

Running time: 120 minutes

Budget: $7.2 million

Box office: $116 million

Synopsis:

After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret Agent 007 in his penultimate Bond outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Fragments of Ian Fleming's original 1954 novel remain, including the characters of the alluring Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and fey hitmen Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith). The remainder of Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz's script diverges dramatically from the novel, involving Bond in a scheme by the insidious Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) to force the world powers to disarm so that he can take over the globe. Folksinger Jimmy Dean shows up briefly as a Howard Hughes-like reclusive billionaire, while Lana Wood (Natalie's sister) participates in one of the film's edgiest cliffhangers.

Next Page >>> George Lazenby

50 Years of 007: James Bond

Designing 007 – 50 Years Of Bond Style is a unique, multi-sensory experience covering five decades, six actors and a legion of highly skilled adversaries that takes Bond fans through a 50 year journey covering some of cinema’s most iconic artefacts.

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis, Christopher Wood, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Sebastian Faulks and Jeffery Deaver; a new novel, written by William Boyd, is planned for release in 2013. Additionally, Charlie Higson wrote a series on a young James Bond and Kate Westbrook wrote three novels based on the diaries of a recurring series character, Moneypenny.

The fictional British Secret Service agent has also been adapted for television, radio, comic strip and video game formats as well as being used in the longest continually running and the second-highest grossing film franchise to date, which started in 1962 with Dr. No, starring Sean Connery as Bond. As of 2012, there have been twenty three films in the Eon Productions series. The most recent Bond film, Skyfall, stars Daniel Craig in his third portrayal of Bond: he is the sixth actor to play Bond in the Eon series. There have also been two independent productions of Bond films, Casino Royale, a 1967 spoof, and Never Say Never Again, a 1983 remake of an earlier Eon-produced film, Thunderball.

Background

In Fleming's stories James Bond is an ageless character in his mid-to-late thirties. In Moonraker, he admits to being eight years shy of mandatory retirement. James Bond's birth year is unknown because Fleming changed the dates and times of events. Most researchers and biographers conclude that he was born either in 1917, 1920, 1921, or 1924 (see more). Fleming never said where James Bond was born, although people have speculated based on derivative works. You Only Live Twice reveals Bond is the son of a Scottish father, Andrew Bond, of Glencoe, and a Swiss mother, Monique Delacroix, of the Canton de Vaud. The boy James Bond spends much of his early life abroad, becoming multilingual in German and French because of his father's work as a Vickers armaments company representative. When his parents are killed in a mountain climbing accident in the Aiguilles Rouges near Chamonix, eleven-year-old James is orphaned. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the Bond family motto might be Orbis non sufficit (Latin for "The world is not enough"). The coat of arms and motto belonged to the historical Sir Thomas Bond; his relation to James Bond is unclear and neglected by the latter. In fact, he is indifferent to his potential genealogical relationship to Sir Thomas Bond, demonstrated by his abrupt response to Griffin Or on being told of the motto: Griffin Or broke in excitedly, 'And this charming motto of the line, "The World Is Not Enough". You do not wish to have the right to it?' 'It is an excellent motto which I shall certainly adopt,' said Bond curtly. He looked pointedly at his watch. 'Now I'm afraid we really must get down to business. I have to report back to my Ministry.'

After the death of his parents, he goes to live with his aunt, Miss Charmian Bond, in Pett Bottom village, where he completes his early education. Later, he briefly attends Eton College at "12 or thereabouts" (13 in Young Bond), but is removed after four halves because of girl trouble with a maid. He reminisces about losing his virginity at sixteen, on a first visit to Paris, in the short story "From a View to a Kill". Bond is removed from Eton and sent to Fettes College in Edinburgh, Scotland, his father's school. Per Pearson's James Bond: The Authorised Biography and an allusion in From Russia, with Love, Bond briefly attended the University of Geneva. Some of Bond's education is based on Fleming's own, both having attended Eton, and the University of Geneva.

Bond's Life

In the novels (notably From Russia, with Love), Bond's physical description has generally been consistent: slim build; a three-inch long, thin vertical scar on his right cheek; blue-grey eyes; a "cruel" mouth; short, black hair, a comma of which falls on his forehead (greying at the temples in Gardner's novels); and (after Casino Royale) the faint scar of the Russian cyrillic letter "" (SH) (for Shpion: "Spy") on the back of one of his hands (carved by a SMERSH agent). In From Russia, With Love, he is also described as 183 centimetres (6 feet) in height and 76 kilograms (167 lb) in weight.

Bond engages in frequent and numerous short-term affairs with several women he encounters, ending them as quickly as he begins them. Fleming himself had a tempestuous love life; he had numerous affairs even though he was married, and there were frequent accusations of sado-masochistic acts in his relationships with women. This has led critics to speculate over how much Fleming projected his own character into the figure of James Bond as Bond. For instance, Bond does not desist from hitting women and his rough-handed treatment of women has been noted. His suave, chauvinistic charm even seduces women who initially find him repellent, like the spa nurse Patricia Fearing in Thunderball and the criminal Pussy Galore in Goldfinger, the novel version of which described Galore as a lesbian. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, James Bond marries, but his bride, Teresa "Tracy" di Vicenzo, is killed on their wedding day by a long-standing enemy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. In the novels, a devastated Bond gets revenge in the following novel, You Only Live Twice when, by chance, he comes across Blofeld in Japan and kills him there. Owing to events in that novel, Bond and Kissy Suzuki bear a child, although Fleming's novels do not state his existence. Bond is obviously aware of his son's existence by the time of Raymond Benson's short story "Blast From the Past," in which his son asks him to come to New York City as a matter of urgency before being killed by Irma Bunt.

The Movie

The James Bond film series is a British series of spy films based on the fictional character of MI6 agent James Bond (code designation "007"), who originally appeared in a series of books by Ian Fleming. Earlier films were based on Fleming's novels and short stories, followed later by films with original storylines. It is one of the longest continually-running film series in history, having been in ongoing production from 1962 to the present (with a six-year hiatus between 1989 and 1995).

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The films have been awarded two Academy Awards: for Sound Effects (now Sound Editing) in Goldfinger (1964) and for Visual Effects in Thunderball (1965). In 1982, Albert R. Broccoli received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. Additionally, several of the songs, including Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better", and Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", have been nominated for Academy Awards for Original Song.

The Music

The James Bond series of films from Eon Productions has had numerous signature tracks over the years, many of which are now considered classic pieces of cinematic music. The best known of these pieces of music is the ubiquitous "James Bond Theme." Many other pieces of instrumental music have also become identified with the series, such as "The 007 Theme", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" theme, and various songs such as Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger", "Diamonds Are Forever", and "Moonraker", Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill", Nancy Sinatra's "You Only Live Twice", Paul McCartney's "Live and Let Die", Tina Turner's "GoldenEye", Carly Simon's "Nobody Does it Better", a-ha's "The Living Daylights", Sheena Easton's "For Your Eyes Only", Madonna's "Die Another Day" and, most recently, Adele's "Skyfall".

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The briefest of "James Bond themes", this composition started off the "Opening Titles" music of From Russia with Love. It was heard on the On Her Majesty's Secret Service film trailer. WLS (AM) used the theme in the mid 1960s for their secret agent radio serial "The Wild Adventures of Peter Fugitive" that appeared on "The Art Roberts Show".

"007 Theme" (not to be confused with the "James Bond Theme"), is an adventure theme composed by John Barry in 1963 for the Bond film, From Russia with Love. "The John Barry Seven" had pop chart hit with a cover version of Elmer Bernstein's theme to The Magnificent Seven that featured seven beats repeated throughout the theme. Barry used seven beats throughout the 007 theme.

The theme has not been featured in its entirety in a Bond movie since its use in Moonraker.

This piece of music was also used by Al Primo, the news director at KYW-TV in Philadelphia for its long-time theme to Eyewitness News, and was adopted by other Group W stations in Balitmore, Pittsburgh, Boston and San Francisco as well as other non-Group W stations, most notably WLS-TV in Chicago.

NEXT >>> BOND 50

NEXT >>> BOND GIRL

NEXT >>> BOND VILLAIN

Review: Alex Cross ~ Tyler Perry Failed to Cross

Genre: Action, Crime, Drama

Directed By: Rob Cohen

Casts: Tyler Perry, Matthew Fox, Edward Burns, Rachel Nichols, Jean Reno

Studio/Distributor: Summit Entertainment

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for violence including disturbing images, sexual content, language, drug references, and nudity

Running Times: 101 Minutes

Synopsis

Tyler Perry berperan sebagai Dr. Alex Cross, detektif dari kepolisian yang menangani kasus-kasus pembunuhan misteri. Pada saat muncul seorang pembunuh psikopat (Matthew Fox), permainan psikologi pun dimulai. Alex kini harus memutar otak untuk memburu sang psikopat sebelum tindakan berikutnya berlanjut.

Review

Kiss The Girls (1997) dan Along Came Spider (2001) adalah kedua film yang menampilkan sosok Alex Cross sebagai detektif yang diperankan oleh Morgan Freeman. Hasilnya memang kurang memuaskan, tapi jika dibandingkan dengan Alex Cross karya Rob Cohen tahun 2012 ini, maka harus saya katakan ini adalah penurunan drastis.

Jalan cerita yang ditampilkan terlalu biasa, walau ini adaptasi dari novel, tapi Cohen gagal memaksimalkan cerita yang ada menjadi sebuah cerita pembunuhan misteri. Alur dari film yang dijalankan terlihat seperti polisi-maling. Di mana sang polisi harus mengalami kegagalan terlebih dahulu baru kemudian bangkit dan mengalahkan malingnya. Polisi-maling memang sudah biasa dalam film-film detektif seperti ini, tapi Cohen sepertinya beranggapan lain. Anggapan polisi-maling hanya terpampang judulnya saja di film ini, tidak seperti beberapa film lainnya yang mengembangkan inti cerita dengan kreatif.

Pemilihan para pemain menurut saya adalah masalah besar. Mengapa harus Tyler Perry? Itu adalah hal pertama yang ada di benak saya. Tyler Perry yang sudah kita kenal lewat film-film drama/komedi, bermain di film detektif. Terasa sangat janggal. Hal ini mengingatkan saya pada Jim Carrey ketika bermain pada film Number 23 yang ternyata mengalami kegagalan. Sejujurnya saya lebih setuju nama Idris Elba yang diplot menjadi Alex Cross. Kharisma Alex Cross tidak ada sama sekali di dalam diri Tyler Perry. Sedang untuk Matthew Fox, menurut saya cukup menyelamatkan film walau hanya bersifat minim. Perannya sebagai penjahat psikopat cukup meyakinkan walau tidak menyelamatkan keseluruhan film.

Secara keseluruhan, Alex Cross bisa dibilang salah satu film mengecewakan tahun ini. Andai saja Cohen mampu meracik matang-matang film ini secara detail dan juga memilih para pemainnya dengan lebih teliti, mungkin hasilnya akan lebih baik lagi untuk disaksikan. Dan yang terakhir, ternyata salah satu tempat di Indonesia cukup populer bagi para bintang Hollywood untuk dijadikan set lokasi. Just watch the ending! ;)

Rating

Cerita: 4/10

Pemain: 4/10

Ending: 4/10

Overall: 4/10

~ HT ~

Review: Frankenweenie ~ Halloween's Night with Trick 'R Treat [Not] for Children

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Horror

Directed By: Tim Burton

Cast (Voice): Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Winona Ryder, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell, James Hiroyuki Liao, Charlie Tahan

Studio/Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures

MPAA Rating: PG for thematic elements, scary images and action.

Running Time: 87 minutes

Synopsis

Frankenweenie, sebuah kisah tentang seorang anak laki-laki dan anjingnya. Setelah  kehilangan anjing kesayangannya Sparky, seorang anak laki-laki muda Victor memanfaatkan ilmu pengetahuan yang diketahuinya untuk membawa anjingnya kembali hidupb dengan sedikit penyesuaian. Dan ketika percobaannya berhasil, Victor mencoba untuk menyembunyikan anjingnya yang telah dihidupkan kembali. Tetapi ketika Sparky berhasil keluar dari rumah, teman-teman Victor, para guru dan seluruh penduduku kota New Holland mendapatkan pelajaran bahwa menghidupkan yang telah tiada merupakan sebuah masalah besar.

Review

Tim Burton berhasil membayar lunas performanya yang kurang baiknya atas film Dark Shadow musim panas lalu dengan film animasi hitam-putih, Frankenweenie. Meski diambil dengan gambar hitam-putih, Frankenweenie menjanjikan jalan cerita dan visual grafis yang cukup menarik dan menawan untuk disaksikan. Meski Frankenweenie merupakan sebuah film animasi, bukan berarti film ini ditujukan untuk kalangan semua umur.

Jalan cerita Frankenweenie untuk sebuah film animasi saya akui bagus dan menarik untuk disaksikan. Tapi jika membayangkan kalau ini adalah bukan film animasi maka hasilnya akan sedikit aneh. Plot yang diusung sedikit mengandung unsur Horor dan Sci-Fi. Saya katakan film ini tidak ditujukan untuk kalangan semua umur karena ada beberapa adegan dalam film ini yang menurut saya horor dan spooky untuk kalangan anak-anak. Ada juga beberapa adegan yang tidak sewajarnya untuk disaksikan oleh anak-anak. Beberapa dialog yang muncul juga cukup berat untuk ditanggap. Namun demikian, Frankenweenie adalah sebuah imbalan yang pas bagi seorang Tim Burton yang sudah kita kenal lewat film-film gelapnya. Dark Shadow boleh jadi kurang memuaskan para penontonnya, tapi Frankenweenie akhirnya yang membangkitkan namanya kembali.

Para pengisi suaranya harus saya katakan bagus. Martin Short dan Catherine O'Hara mendapat perhatian khusus di sini karena mengisi suara untuk 3 hingga 5 karakter yang berbeda. Dan juga para pengisi suara pendukung lainnya juga tampil baik. Visual grafis yang ditampilkan cukup baik. Jika Coraline terlihat masih agak sedikit kaku, maka grafis dari Frankenweenie lebih baik dan lebih baik untuk disaksikan walau meski saya masih memilih Corpse Bride dan Nightmare Before Christmas. Scoring music yang ditampilkan sebagai background song juga mendukung adegan-adegan dalam film ini yang hampir keseluruhan bersifat horor.

Secara keseluruhan Frankenweenie menyenangkan untuk disaksikan. Tapi sekali lagi, film ini tidak ditujukan untuk kalangan anak-anak. Walau saya masih bisa melihat beberapa anak-anak di dalam studio, rasanya beberapa adegan yang ada di film ini akan berdampak buruk bagi anak-anak.

Rating

Cerita: 7/10

Pengisi Suara: 8/10

Grafis: 7/10

Ending: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

~ HT ~

Review: End of Watch ~ True Meaning of a Police

Genre: Crime, Documentary, Drama

Directed By: David Ayer

Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, Natalie Martinez, David Harbour

Distributed By: Open Road Films

Produced By: Crave Films

MPAA Rating: R for strong violence, some disturbing images, pervasive language including sexual references, and some drug use.

Running Times: 109 Mintues

Synopsis

End of Watch adalah film semi dokumenter yang berkisah tentang dua orang polisi muda dari Los Angeles, Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) dan Mike Zavala (Michael Pena) yang selalu bertugas dan berpatroli di jalanan di bagian selatan Los Angeles. Perjuangan mereka dalam menegakkan hukum dan memberantas tindak kejahatan dan kriminal seperti pencurian, kekerasan, dan bahkan berseteru dengan geng-geng kriminal mencerminkan arti dari seorang polisi yang sesungguhnya yang selalu siap mengawasi masyarakat dan siap mengorbankan dirinya demi kepentingan dan keselamatan para penduduk.

Review

"Terima kasih, Pak Polisi."

Saya benar-benar berharap kalau suatu saat kata-kata itu akan terucap dari mulut saya sendiri. Tapi tidak sekarang. End of Watch dirilis di Indonesia dengan waktu yang sangat tepat. Di saat hukum negeri ini sudah bisa dipermainkan dan bahkan diperjualbelikan, rakyatlah yang menjadi korbannya. Kasus narkoba dan korupsi bisa dipermainkan hingga memungkinkan bagi para pelaku untuk terus melakukannya karena hukum negeri ini sudah ibarat kata pakaian yang dijual di toko-toko dan bisa ditawar.

End of Watch menggambarkan sosok dan arti sesungguhnya seorang polisi sebagai pengaman, pengawas dan penegak hukum. Di awal film Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) mengucapkan kalimat yang benar-benar sudah bisa menggambarkan seluruh isi film.

"Jika kamu berlari, kami akan mengejar. Jika kamu melawan, kami akan melawan. 

Jika kamu menembak ke arah kami, kami akan menembak balik. 

Semua itu karena hukum. Kami tidak tahu siapa yang membuatnya. 

Tapi kami akan menegakkannya di sini. 

Karena kami adalah pengawas kalian yang siap berkorban untuk kalian."

Sudah seharusnya negeri ini berkaca pada apa yang sudah diperbuat oleh penegak-penegak hukum dan oknum-oknum yang berkait dengan hukum yang ada. Film ini bukan saja ditujukan untuk para polisi, tapi untuk para penegak hukum dan keadilan serta kita semua sebagai rakyat. Jika saja para polisi dan penegak hukum bisa seperti dua orang polisi Taylor dan Zavana, maka kami sebagai rakyat tidak akan lari dari hukum, kami akan menegakkannya dan melaksanakannya. Jake dan Michael berhasil memerankan sosok polisi yang seharusnya ada dimana-mana. Banyak sekali polisi yang terlalu lemah terhadap sogokan-sogokan sehingga hukum pun akhirnya dilupakan begitu saja.

Cukup sekian dari saya, saya harap film ini dapat merubah pandangan kita semua terhadap hukum. Hukum bukanlah seperti pakaian yang bisa ditawar. Kita memang tidak tahu siapa yang membuatnya, tapi jika kita menegakkan hukum, negeri ini tidak akan berhadapan dengan situasi yang ada sekarang ini.

Rating

Cerita: 8/10

Pemain: 7/10

Ending: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

~ HT ~