What's most striking about Dr. No is its relative simplicity compared to its successors. There's no pre-credits sequence or title song, the story takes place almost entirely in Jamaica, the villain is understated, his plan and henchmen are rather mundane, and Bond comes across more like a detective than a super-spy.
Despite this, the beginnings of what the franchise would become known for are there. Sean Connery establishes himself as the King of Cool from the very first shot of him, Joseph Wiseman does a good job of portraying Dr. No's restrained megalomania, and Ursula Andress sets the bar for beautiful women in the series. Jack Lord and John Kitzmiller are enjoyable sidekicks in different ways. Lord plays Felix Leiter as the quintessential cigar-chomping tough guy, while Kitzmiller breathes a lovely energy into Quarrel.
The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Location shooting is easily one of director Terrence Young’s greatest strengths, as all his Bond films bring out the beauty in their locales. Dr. No’s hideout, while not Ken Adams’ greatest set in the series, is nevertheless impressive for its era and a clear foretelling of the size and scope that will come.
And that’s true of the film as a whole. It’s not the best by any stretch, but it is a solid film that clearly shows potential for the series to capitalize on in the future.
Humble Beginnings
What's most striking about Dr. No is its relative simplicity compared to its successors. There's no pre-credits sequence or title song, the story takes place almost entirely in Jamaica, the villain is understated, his plan and henchmen are rather mundane, and Bond comes across more like a detective than a super-spy.
Despite this, the beginnings of what the franchise would become known for are there. Sean Connery establishes himself as the King of Cool from the very first shot of him, Joseph Wiseman does a good job of portraying Dr. No's restrained megalomania, and Ursula Andress sets the bar for beautiful women in the series. Jack Lord and John Kitzmiller are enjoyable sidekicks in different ways. Lord plays Felix Leiter as the quintessential cigar-chomping tough guy, while Kitzmiller breathes a lovely energy into Quarrel.
The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Location shooting is easily one of director Terrence Young’s greatest strengths, as all his Bond films bring out the beauty in their locales. Dr. No’s hideout, while not Ken Adams’ greatest set in the series, is nevertheless impressive for its era and a clear foretelling of the size and scope that will come.
And that’s true of the film as a whole. It’s not the best by any stretch, but it is a solid film that clearly shows potential for the series to capitalize on in the future.