⭐️Sean Connery – James Bond – Movie Reviews!⭐️

Sean Connery leapt onto the movie screens as James Bond in 1962 movie DR NO. From there Connery went on to become the most recognisable British agent in the world, setting a legend and undefeatable position as the ultimate spy from British MI6. Nobody would ever beat him as 007.

Connery starred as James Bond in Dr No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967). We thought he was done for as George Lazenby graced us with his presence in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

However, Connery made a surprise return in super awesome Diamonds are Forever (1971), appearing slightly aged as he was now in his 40s. However this was the last film Connery would appear in as James Bond. The era that started the Bond franchise, the best movies ever made, the most underrated time for the franchise which later went on to be the biggest in the world. It was huge in the 60s, and thanks to the glorious novels that Ian Fleming gave us, the books provided a solid real grounding and likeable backstory for this icon. Fleming died in 1964 and did not see the success of the series as it was turned to film. He witnessed the beginning though, and probably knew what it would become. The James Bond novels which he wrote are great and I encourage you to read them even if you have seen the movies! He wrote them at his Goldeneye Estate in Jamaica!

Wait, there was a retelling of the story Thunderball in 1983’s movie Never Say Never Again! Sean Connery, despite saying he would never return to the role, came back 12 years after Diamonds are Forever at age 52 to reprise the role he essentially helped to create. Although the movie gets a bad reputation as being a rip off of actual Bond movies, it is in fact a James Bond movie, and a good one. It is enjoyable and thrilling, and Connery does not show any signs of slowing down in it. I do prefer the original Thunderball though, simply because it is the best James Bond ever made (Top 3 at least), but I will come on to that later.

Sean was young, following a brief stint as a bodybuilder he became the ultimate spy, a womanising secret agent who smoked, drank and gambled with no remorse, and he killed people. Who was this cool, laid back, 6 ft dark haired gent with thick accent? It was every mans fantasy, or how they might see themselves. Bond was how many men wanted to be, and at a time of great changes, it is understandable that he was very popular. The 60s movies don’t come across as offensive toward women either, they do objectify women slightly, being Bond’s sex and nothing more. But, many of them are villains, play strong characters and don’t just sit in the background. I think the films are still good, and still acceptable to watch.

The first 3 movies solidified his position and it paved the way for a high standard. Actors had to be in top physical condition and all Bond actors including Daniel Craig have complained at least once about the requirements for the role. I believe actors like Pierce Brosnan jogged on moving trains for the movies, jumping carriage to carriage. Sean Connery had the edge from the beginning, being a bodybuilder. He had that physical strength and in the movies you can see the muscles on his shoulders, particularly in Dr No, when he is captured and put into the cell, wearing a white t-shirt. What came after the first 4 movies was more about the character already being well-established. It gave fans nostalgia of the previous movies, and relied not so much on the original scripting and direction as it did stunts and ‘being cool fighting’.

One scene in You Only Live Twice, when Bond flies Little Nellie, a cool little copter, is a stand out scene. Alongside the jetpack in the opening to Thunderball. Or the scene where Bond swings from a skyscraper in Diamonds are Forever using 2 thin sets of strings. What about in Goldfinger, when Bond is driving his car down the alleyway directly at an oncoming vehicle, only to crash into the wall, and we discover it was a mirror? All memorable and tense moments from a series of movies which will always be the best. I say again, Sean Connery’s movies were the best. Yes, there were other great films to come, some of which are my favourite, but the originals really are special. They are nostalgic, magical, professional and extremely well made. I cannot imagine how excited they must have felt in the 60’s going to see one of these classics at the movie theatres.

My reasoning could go on, but the main winning point being the fantastic scripting, acting, direction, music scores, drama, storytelling, humour and wit and winning production crew making the most fantastic worthwhile movies in history. No expense spared in terms of quality, which is what makes them the best. You see, a fantastic line, delivered in the perfect setting can win a scene more than shooting and action ever could. The 60s was a decade of good movies, period. James Bond being born in that decade is no coincidence. An era of genius film makers and dedicated studios, including Pinewood studios where Eon Productions filmed the movies.

Dr No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Thunderball – to demonstrate my point it gets the full 5 stars. This is the high point for Sean Connery and the early Bond movies. You need to watch this to appreciate the scale of both the acting, script writing, direction, and overall production, being one of the best movies ever made, in film in general.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever – not that I don’t think they are great, just to prove that the peak resulted a inevitable decrease which would continue.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Never Say Never Again – the rogue Bond movie of 1983, and aged Connery but nonetheless a gripping retelling of Thunderball. What a hidden gem, and having the original Bond return for the role must have been a brilliant surprise.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

We said goodbye to a 90 year old Connery in 2020, but his legacy lived on for many years. He went on to star in so many famous movies after James Bond that to think he played the original is a little surreal. I really am grateful that I have had the joy of his movies since I was a child. Without him as Bond it would not be the same. I don’t want to discredit other actors playing the role, as they all brought unique qualities to the position. For me, Timothy Dalton was brilliant and so was Pierce Brosnan, both for the same reasons, their movies were high tech, multiple gadget action movies which had such thrilling action. I rate The Living Daylights and Goldeneye in my top 10.

It is time to end this post here. Thank you for reading. Which Bond actor is your favourite? Which Sean Connery movie was your favourite? Which Bond movie is your favourite? What do you get nostalgic about?


The Rock : Movie Review!

I thought I had reviewed this classic action movie from the 90s! I am now reviewing it!

Where the heck do I begin with another all time favourite of mine. I absolutely love The Rock, along with Face/Off and Con Air! All 90s action movies starring Nicolas Cage. I recently re-watched them all as they have all just been added to Amazon Prime! $%@& me!

“Hugely improbable and hugely entertaining action thriller about a mild-mannered scientist (Nicolas Cage) and a hardened ex-con (Sean Connery) who join Navy SEALs in an attempt to retake Alcatraz from terrorists.”

Release date: 1996 (United States)

Director: Michael Bay

Gross revenue: $335.10 million

Run time: 2 hours 16 minutes (finished about 2 hours 5 minutes)

Starring: Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Ed Harris

A blockbuster movie set in the heart of San Francisco on the infamous ex prison island Alcatraz. The Rock is one of the most well known movies to be set on this island, and the movie and the plot, the acting, action scenes and generally overall theme including music, lighting, tension and drama are enough to make this one of the greatest movies of all time. The other movie set on Alcatraz which I really find amazing is the Clint Eastwood movie Escape from Alcatraz. (https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/alcatraz-escape).

Let us begin. We are introduce immediately to a rogue unit of military men who are seemingly breaking into a secure facility and stealing some potent vx poison gas rockets. They are doing this so that they can get some type of compensation for the fallen men of the military who have gone without a proper military burial and whose families have been left with nothing. This is quite true and unfortunately is still happening, the sad reality is that many courageous men, women and young people are giving their lives for their countries and are being disgraced by a government who won’t acknowledge them. This film takes that to the extreme, although cases of rogue soldiers and hostage situations are real and are happening as we speak.

Enter Stanley Goodspeed (an FBI chemical weapons specialist with a love of the Beatles and other classic music, note a reference to Elton John’s Rocket Man later on toward the end of the movie). He has been prepping for this moment throughout his career, and is thrust from the lab to the frontline by the FBI and the USA government to assist a cutting edge marine core unit who are assigned with entering Alcatraz, and disabling the vx poison gas rockets. Little does he know that the FBI is also seeking the help of John Patrick Mason (Sean Connery), an ex Alcatraz inmate who previously escaped and knows the ins and outs of the island and is therefore the best person to assist the team. Mason has a history of being trained by British intelligence and knows a shed load of state secrets, and was held without trial for most of his life until he gave up intelligence that he had.

Goodspeed (God Speed) is soon getting acquainted with Mason in San Francisco as he is being lied to in order to assist the FBI. All the while Frank Hummel is leading the rogue soldiers on Alcatraz with Tom Baxter and giving the government 17 hours to pay up. Mason is cleaned up in a nice hotel and I must say this is the start of one hell of a big action sequence involving a car chase. Mason escapes said hotel after distracting the FBI agents by ordering room service (LOL) and is soon hijacking a Hummer and flooring it across that all so famous San Francisco landscape. Stanley Goodspeed, out of some kind of responsibility to do the right thing, and being aware of the serious threat from Alcatraz and the poison, is soon pursuing Mason in a yellow Ferrari. It’s literally all down hill and carnage and mayhem ensue as the FBI and police are in hot pursuit. They can’t exactly arrest Mason since they requested his help in the first place!

Mason ends up evading the law for a brief while to visit his daughter. Goodspeed however is still following and informs them of the location. I guess we can imagine how hard Mason had it being locked up away from his daughter for years, and Goodspeed does the honorable thing when the law turns up and tells Mason’s daugther that he is assisting with an important FBI matter. It’s got the humour in this movie that I love, as soon as Mason’s daughter has gone, Goodspeed is soon grilling Mason on his pain from the car chase.

It’s time for the team to start moving into Alcatraz. Informed of the mission. Mason soon learns Goodspeed is in fact a chemical weapons expert and remarks that he was lying about being a field agent, and that he shouldn’t get them fucking killed. Good writing. It’s an underwater start to enter the island. With an ex con to guide the team and Goodspeed to assist, things go wrong fairly quick. The rogue militants on the island have booby trapped every entrance and after triggering a sphere alarm system, whist trying to enter the bathroom/shower room of the island, the elite navy seal team are now at the mercy of the mercenaries. It’s a brutal massacre of every member of the team except Mason and Goodspeed, and from that point on, there is a cat and mouse pursuit and Hummel knows of their presence, yet cannot find them.

It is only when Mason tries to leave that Goodspeed is forced to explain the situation to Mason. Disappointed with the news and fearful for his daughter, Mason, maybe out of a some sort of moral righteousness, decides to stay and help. Given that it is over 2km back to shore, realistically how could he get back without being caught? Things are tense, things are dark and wet and the duo, although chalk and cheese, do make a good team. Acting is great and the pair have a chemistry that I found echoed that in Cages other movies like Con Air and Face/Off. It is not often that such pairings are found in modern movies, save for The Fast and the Furious. Although The Rock in an action movie, it is I believe about working together and forming friends for the greater good. So although they may not like each other, and this is evident to an extent, the two have to work together to defeat a threat greater than themselves. Without this cooperation, neither could survive.

Although the marines are determined to kill the innocent citizens of the city and are holding 81 hostages, they have a plan, and they expect that plan to be executed. So, when Mason and Goodspeed interrupt this plan, it starts to reveal cracks in General Hummels moral mindset. Mason understands that such a man would not kill the innocent, but Goodspeed is unsure. The marines themselves have doubts. Soon the pair are killing off the marines, derailing the plan and having an awesome shoot out in some old mine in the belly of Alcatraz. The vx gas rockets guidance chips are being destroyed and Hummel, short on time, is pressure to fire. He decides to launch, and at the last moment stops the rocket confirming that Mason was right about him. This leaves one rocket left, and plenty of crazy marines. It is also the time when Mason and Goodspeed witness the general being killed by his men as they attempt to overthrow him.

Left with no choice, the remaining marines are determined to launch the final rocket and our duo heroes are still battling to stop the rocket. Unfortunately due to the previous vx poison gas rocket launch, the president has now authorised a bombing strike on the island. Cage is fighting to disarm the rocket and counting down to the moment the jets are dropping bomb on him, it is pure anxiety. We want the hero to succeed and we want the world to be safer.

Cage disarms the rocket, and is blown into the water, Mason saves him. This is our ending, an unlikely pair who happen to save 81 hostages, after what seems to be a massive glorious action movie. All of this takes place within an hour in movie time, yet it feels like more, this is clever movie making. The crammed action does not give you chance for breath. There is not a dull moment. A bittersweet ending sees Mason leave and Goodspeed off with his wife and future child.

We all love that sort of feeling. A story worth telling, a movie worth watching, a feeling worth having.

This film made my childhood along with other Cage action classics. You have to watch this if you haven’t.

Rating : 5/5

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Day of the Dead (1985) : Movie Review

(SPOILERS)

Another long overdue movie review of yet another George A. Romero classic. Day of the Dead (1985), run time of 1 hour 36 mins and rated 18.

“Day of the Dead is a 1985 American post-apocalyptic zombie horror film written and directed by George A. Romero, and produced by Richard P. Rubinstein. The third film in Romero’s Night of the Living Dead series, it stars Lori Cardille, Terry Alexander, Joseph Pilato and Richard Liberty as members of a group of survivors of a zombie apocalypse sheltering in an underground bunker in Florida, where they must determine the outcome of humanity’s conflict with the undead horde.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Dead_(1985_film)).

This film like Dawn of the Dead, places emphasis on strong female lead characters. Lori is a scientist working alongside her other scientific buddies John and Dr. Matthew “Frankenstein” Logan. Their mission, to find a reason for the zombie apocalypse and find a cure so to speak. Governed, protected and bullied by notorious military man Captain Rhodes and his band of angry and aggressive soldiers. The outlook for her is bleak, as we start by seeing her crossing off the days on her calender.

The opening scene in Day of the Dead sees our heroes flying over a deserted city where they land in hope of finding other survivors. Queue, camera pans to the jawless, balding and thin white haired zombie. The title fades in and we are left wondering how bad the world has gotten. Showcasing an increasingly gory creativity from legend Tom Savini, also known for his work on the other “of the dead” films.

This opening scene is iconic and also fed future apocalyptic and zombie movies. “Hello, is there anybody there?” The relaxing music contrasted with the dark and dreary set is perfect. “Hello, can anybody hear me? Hello!” Shouting only brings out a few shambling dead, a large crocodile and fear. This iconic scene was replicated in Danny Boyles 28 Days Later. This is the one of the best scenes in movie history, although I have only seen it in standard definition so far, as the blu-ray version is difficult to get hold of!

Our group lands back in a fences off area, on the top of an underground bunker. The fences surrounded by the undead. Fans will notice the increase in zombies compared to the predecessor. Lori is soon down in the underground base, and hear is where the claustrophobic terror begins.

The experiments are being carried out and Dr. “Frankenstien” is becoming increasingly obsessed with the idea that you can reason with the zombies and that the dead are capable of reasoning. Bub, his favourite zombie and experiment, brilliantly acted by Howard Sherman, is portrayed as a friendly and yet somehow frightening monster that reflects society well. The whole concept is terrifying. Society the groups of undead, and the bunker of arguing and increasingly stressed survivors looking to somehow cure this disease and live alongside the dead. We soon learn that humans are outnumbered 400,000 to 1.

The bunker itself comprises two main sections: the labs, sleeping areas, canteen etc and the caves, where two of our survivors, pilot John and his friend McDermott are living in a caravan with extensive relaxing set up. The soldiers have barricaded the caves so that they can reel in the zombies into this makeshift undead pen, where they literally use a stick which grabs the necks of the zombies, like the ones they use on animals. This allows them to take their specimens to the labs where experiments are conducted. Another groundbreaking scene, and one which has been replicated in famous films and television. The Walking Dead took this idea as Hershel and Rick do the same on Hershel’s farm, and store the dead in a barn. Romero actually reimagined the idea in Survival of the Dead when the survivors would heard undead to try and get them to eat something other than the living.

See the source image

Soon our soldiers and Captain Rhodes are becoming increasingly frustrated with the scientists futile attempts to discover a cure. Another iconic scene in the canteen sees Rhodes argue with Sarah (Lori) in which the scientists are trying to ask for more undead and more time. Rhodes orders his man Private Steele to shoot her, and we as an audience realise how serious he is and just how miserable this situation is. Steele is Rhodes muscle and followers orders pretty unquestionably.

So things have heated up, tensions are high and communication is failing. Sarah pays John and Bill McDermott a visit.

This is an important scene. John and Bill already know where things are going and are conscious of where they are now. Things are bleak and the experiments are a waste of time. There is no explaining the dead. Reminiscent of Dawn of the Dead when the group are surrounded by excess and luxury items yet have no goals other than to survive. This is the same, the groups has what it needs and yet, is still determined to find something that they cannot find. John explains that all those records and throughout history the records have become useless as there is no human left to read them or care about them and that they should live their lives instead and begin to procreate and rebuild society. A very real goal.

Soon the soldiers lose more men and have discovered Frankenstein experimenting on them. Rhodes kills the Dr. and Bub, his zombie experiment, is left abandoned. Sarah’s boyfriend Miguel and increasingly insane soldier, left a mess from stress and the apocalypse, left with one arm, makes a break for it, heading to the lift shaft where the survivors come and go. He sees no hope at this point and selfishly, decided to let the zombies in for the gore fest finale. On everything that has happened at this point, this has been a tense, insane build up to the inevitable. There is no hope and the scientists and soldiers have wasted their time trying to cure the undead than actually make a break for it and go live – or survive. I know what I’d choose. I’d take that chopper and go live on a tasty beach somewhere.

So, Tom Savini has a blast with the effects in the final scene in which hundreds of zombies swarm the caves and labs and begin to eat the soldiers one by one. Rhodes, showing his real loyalty, leaves his men and makes a run for it. Sarah and John make for the cave exit and intend to escape in the chopper with McDermott. There journey through the caves is extremely frightening. You wonder whether they can escape. Of course, Rhodes meets his gruesome and silent end as Bub, seeking revenge, shoots Rhodes multiple times, and then Rhodes is devoured and torn in half by the undead. The most brilliantly disgusting scene in any zombie film ever made.

Sarah, John and Bill reach the chopper and escape. A cut here and then they are on a beach, and she is again, crossing off the days on the calender.

(Bonus content – as seen on the Arrow dvd 2 disk special edition of Day of the Dead – Lori became unwell during the filming and afterwards was awfully sick alongside a few other crew. George Romero also stated that a lot had to be cut to attain an R rating and that this was his favourite film in the franchise.)

Rating: 5 out of 5.