Directed by: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Desmond Llewelyn, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Robert Shaw, Daniela Bianchi, Lotte Lenya
(12 votes)
I watched this movie on Amazon Prime.
So... I had seen some of the older Bond movies, including this one, a long long time ago. Like about 20 years ago, renting them from the Library as a kid. Most of them I hardly remembered but I wanted to finally start my journey of going back and watching all the old Bond movies again. Some a long over due re watch, others seeing for the first time.
From Russia with Love, in my opinion, is easily the best one of Connery era of Bond and most of the old classic era. Most people point to Goldfinger... and I'll get to my thoughts on that film once I review it, but for me that movie is overhyped and this one is Connery's best. A pure awesome spy thriller with a great villain and ever looming presence.
I put this as my 5th favorite Bond movie under the 4 Brosnan movies. At least so far. At the time of me writing this review, in my quest watching all the Bond movies I'm currently at Live and Let Die as my next one, going to start the Moore era.
I love the calculating, cold war era thriller this is with an amazing equal for Bond that I actually felt could beat him if Bond didn't outsmart him. Something a lot of the movies tend to fail at. It's been a few months since I actually watched it so writing this review a little after the fact I'm fuzzy on the details to do more in depth. But this is easily my favorite of the old era of Bond. And I think Connery's best.
Mistake Status: I have no plans to do the Bond movies outside of the Brosnan 4 films.
9.5/10. A solid follow up sequel to Dr No. Sean Connery still delivers here as you'd expect with a good script and a solid cast behind him.
Visible crew/equipment: When James Bond shoots down the helicopter, then it crashes. He emerges from the rocks to run from the crash site to the right of the picture, just as you see Sean Connery emerge from behind rocks from the right in the same scene. So, for about a second, there are two James Bonds in the picture. One is the stuntman, and the other is Sean Connery. (01:38:05)
Blofeld: Siamese fighting fish, fascinating creatures. Brave but of the whole stupid. Yes they're stupid. Except for the occasional one such as we have here who lets the other two fight. While he waits. Waits until the survivor is so exhausted that he cannot defend himself, and then like SPECTRE... he strikes.
Rosa Klebb: I find the parallel... amusing.
Blofeld: Our organization did not arrange for you to come over from the Russians just for amusement, Number 3.
Trivia: The actor intended to play Captain Nash, whose place Grant takes at the Zagreb train station, didn't actually show up for filming. Location manager Bill Hill performed the role instead.
Question: When Bond hands Moneypenny the photo before he leaves, he writes "From Russia With Love" on it. Would this be another in a series of Bond sight gags, similar to stopping the bomb timer at "007" seconds in "Goldfinger"?
Chosen answer: It would, yes. Also I am to understand that it's his sense of humour.
Alan Keddie