Dr. No

Compiling the macho anthology 'The Sins of Our Fathers' has finally put me at the starting line of the fifty year existence of this monstrous chauvinist who in his spare time cuts up casinos and livers in between slaughtering whatever crosses the street in front of him and in his work time shoots his enemies in the back, breakfasts on Smirnoff, flies first class, and sticks to the principle of shagging everything white in a black country. The colonial arrogance reeks more than the combination of tobacco and cologne that is practically palpable from every interior scene, and frankly I don't at all share the sentiment here about the casting of the uncharismatic lumberjack Connery as the central hunk. However, the adventurous naivety coupled with a charming chosen freedom and the goofiness of the times (the female and ethnic characters here have the mentalities of eight-year-olds, the male characters the mentality of twelve-year-olds) is still making my skin crawl. (06/15/2019)

007__#1__The Bond movie that "started it all" and served all the ingredients typical for it: a simple plot that doesn't need to much thinking, a distinctive villain with megalomaniac plans (in this case a member of the Spectre organisation that regularly accompanied the Connery Bond films), an attractive setting and a pretty babe (Ursulla Anders's exit from the sea is still one of the most quoted scenes). But Dr. No is different in a way. It's almost devoid of action, it lacks Q's typical gadgets, and most importantly, Connery is too serious, without his sarcastic wisecracks and wit. Yet it was Connery's considerable charisma that "made" this film, without it, it would have been very mediocre. Better times were yet to come. (10/02/2005)

After a while, I decided to give Bond movies another chance, so why not watch them all at once, gradually, one after another. And what better way to start than with the first Bond movie, "Dr. No". Surprisingly, it starts quite simply, no big extravagances, Sean Connery introduces himself effectively when you hear the line "Bond. James Bond." for the first time, it does give you goosebumps, at least if you have some connection to the movie. Sean is incredibly charismatic, he occasionally delivers a dry one-liner, shows off in quite sterile fight scenes, but all of it with a touch of mystery and subsequent scientific-technological breath, which I quite liked. The introduction to a series that managed to survive until today speaks for itself. It's quite straightforward, but that can be forgiven, just like a certain caution in what is depicted, but that's part of being Bond. It's still mainstream. (02/27/2014)

Dr. No is primarily a stylish crime drama where all the typical gadgets of Bond are still in the background at the expense of the dense atmosphere and strength of the main character. The film is essentially focused only on him and the side motives don't have much chance to develop. Fortunately, it is quite enjoyable, as Sean Connery is very charismatic and was not surpassed until Daniel Craig. And that's quite a few years and filmmaking styles. (11/17/2013)

Dr. No attacks the 80% popularity threshold with its ratings and has several satisfied comments in the style of "It's not quite there yet, but it has everything that makes Bond Bond, it's just not fully developed." From my perspective, Dr. No is a film that has only made its mark in film history as the beginning of a successful cult series about the unstoppable agent 007, rather than for its objective quality. Dr. No does not stand out from the contemporary genre productions, let alone the overall cinema of that time. Comparing it to the stylish action spectacle of later Bond films makes even less sense. It has many flaws. It is a clumsy and awkward film where many things happen by unintended magic. For example, the outrageously rushed finale, where the victory over the villain is so painfully easy and quick, is disappointing. Ursula's charms are undeniable, but many other bond girls have managed to combine physical attractiveness with a much greater dose of acting talent. Overall impression: 40%. (11/11/2013)