I just got back from Die Another Day, the 20th entry in the James Bond series. I went with Mary Belle, Erin, and Logan.
Now I've been a James Bond geek since I was around ten and I saw Diamonds are Forever on TV. Now while that was my introduction to 007. I didn't stop there. I saw as many of the movies as I could on broadcast television. In 1983 I started reading the Ian Fleming books (in order) starting with Casino Royale. I've seen all the movies of course. Including the silly Casino Royale The original Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again.
My personal favorite Bond film is
On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Not so much because of the actor playing Bond (George Lazenby) but more because Peter Hunt (editor of most of the Connery Bonds) directed it. I’m just assuming that he also was around for the editing of this one. It also came closest to the Bond I knew from the books story wise. Although Bond didn’t get to nail the bad guy (Blofeld) until Diamonds are Forever, well technically not until For Your Eyes Only.
Unlike most Bond fans I actually liked Timothy Dalton. I thought (once again) that he was quite like the Fleming Bond. So while Sean Connery (my namesake) will always be the definitive James Bond for me I continue to go the new movies when they come out. Die Another Day was easily the best of the Brosnan Bonds for me. Lots of inside geek stuff like the ornithology book that Fleming initially pinched the name “James Bond” from. A nice little sequence with John Cleese (“Q”) and a lot the old Bond gadgets from previous movies.
Also Halle Barry was really good. The least annoying Bond girl ever, in my opinion, and in many ways she stole the show. The plot was rather interesting as well, something of a departure from last 19 movies. Not to give anything away but there is this guy trying to take over the world and Bond has to stop him, it’s just that getting there was more fun this time. Were there lots of explosions and lots of witty repartee?
Indubitably, but it was a smashing good time.