The first official cinematic adventure of James Bond, Dr. No, may seem a bit odd to modern audiences more accustomed to the film series' usual formulas and the advances it's made since its debut. Early-Installment Weirdness is prevalent here, but keeping an open mind will show exactly how well this debut has aged.
Connery avails himself well in his debut as the great secret agent, being suave and gentlemanly, but with a ruggedly masculine edge — a departure from his literary counterpart, but a welcome one (even Fleming himself thought so). The movie also sets up the strengths its successors would demonstrate later on: the cinematography and set designs are gorgeous, and the music is neatly eclectic (a mix of traditional brassy jazz and a fun reggae/ska vibe that meshes well with the tropical setting). Honey Rider is dynamic and sympathetic, setting the standard for Bond Gals in the future, and the titular villain does similarly for Bond’s enemies: suave, sophisticated, and domineering with an interesting plan and backstory — although his death scene was fairly anticlimactic.
Unfortunately, the film’s chief flaw is the slow pacing. The movie spends a bulk of its runtime establishing the setting and chain of events Bond is investigating, and we don’t even meet the main villain or learn about his plot until the last half-hour or so. Being a product of the 1960s, the film also has some icky racial implications that come off as cringeworthy by today’s standards, like Quarrel’s superstitious demeanor and unceremonious death, and the Asian Dr. No being played by a white actor in makeup.
In all, Dr. No gets a 7/10.. It definitely shows its age in spots, but there's a reason it kickstarted a global sensation that's still beloved 60 years later.
An Odd First Step, but a Necessary One
The first official cinematic adventure of James Bond, Dr. No, may seem a bit odd to modern audiences more accustomed to the film series' usual formulas and the advances it's made since its debut. Early-Installment Weirdness is prevalent here, but keeping an open mind will show exactly how well this debut has aged.
Connery avails himself well in his debut as the great secret agent, being suave and gentlemanly, but with a ruggedly masculine edge — a departure from his literary counterpart, but a welcome one (even Fleming himself thought so). The movie also sets up the strengths its successors would demonstrate later on: the cinematography and set designs are gorgeous, and the music is neatly eclectic (a mix of traditional brassy jazz and a fun reggae/ska vibe that meshes well with the tropical setting). Honey Rider is dynamic and sympathetic, setting the standard for Bond Gals in the future, and the titular villain does similarly for Bond’s enemies: suave, sophisticated, and domineering with an interesting plan and backstory — although his death scene was fairly anticlimactic.
Unfortunately, the film’s chief flaw is the slow pacing. The movie spends a bulk of its runtime establishing the setting and chain of events Bond is investigating, and we don’t even meet the main villain or learn about his plot until the last half-hour or so. Being a product of the 1960s, the film also has some icky racial implications that come off as cringeworthy by today’s standards, like Quarrel’s superstitious demeanor and unceremonious death, and the Asian Dr. No being played by a white actor in makeup.
In all, Dr. No gets a 7/10.. It definitely shows its age in spots, but there's a reason it kickstarted a global sensation that's still beloved 60 years later.