(Note: Capsule version of the review is available here.)
Endless trailers for The Phantom Menace were telling us that every saga had a beginning. Such was the case with the most enduring and probably the longest-running movie franchise in history – James Bond films. That series, which had spawned eighteen (or nineteen, depending on the count) films over almost four decades of its existence, was famous for its successful and almost always winning formula – spectacular action, exotic locations, plenty of beautiful (and promiscuous) women, and impressive villains with megalomaniac ambitions. The formula didn't change through the years, but almost everything else did, including the actors playing the lead character. There were five of them, but almost everyone agrees that the original one, Sean Connery, represents the best incarnation of James Bond. The reputation of the lead actor followed the movies that introduced him – the first five James Bond films are regarded as classics. On the other hand, the first among those classics, Dr. No, directed by Terrence Young in 1962, has a relatively obscure reputation, being either ignored or not favourably compared with the other films of the series.
The relatively bad reputation of the film shouldn't be much of a surprise, although Dr. No happened to be a huge commercial hit in its time, big enough to launch both the series and the stellar career of Sean Connery. It was made on a relatively low budget, with producers very doubtful of its future potential. Ian Fleming, the creator of the character, wasn't too thrilled about the producers' choice for the lead role, preferring more established actors like David Niven, Cary Grant, or his own cousin Christopher Lee to a relatively unknown Scotsman like Connery. The movie wasn't even supposed to be based on the novel Dr. No; producers had been forced to abandon their original choice Thunderball because of legal entanglements (that novel was later adapted twice). The insecurity of its creators and the lack of budget (at least relative to all the latter films) mirrored itself in the film, although Young, as a capable director, managed to hide most of it.
The plot begins in Jamaica, when British secret agent Strangways and his secretary are killed by some mysterious assassins. The Chief of the Secret Service, the mysterious and grumpy M (played by Bernard Lee), summons one of his best men, agent James Bond (played by Connery), who is the perfect man for this job, equipped not only with superior training but also with the code name "007", where "00" indicates the licence to kill enemy agents without any legal procedures. As soon as Bond arrives in Jamaica, he becomes the target of various assassins. He survives all attempts on his life and begins discovering reasons why Strangways was killed. They all have something to do with the radio signals that sabotage the American space programme, and the source of these signals is most likely Crab Key, an isolated island owned by the mysterious Chinese character named Dr. No. After initial suspicions, he joins forces with CIA agent Felix Leiter (played by Jack Lord); Bond, along with Leiter's assistant Quarrel (played by John Kitzmiller), travels to the island to investigate. There they stumble upon Honey Ryder (played by Ursula Andress), a voluptuous shell hunter who would help them evade Dr. No's guards.
Dr. No has every obligatory element of the Bond formula (action, exotic women, locations, villains) and it is as entertaining as an average Bond film, but something is missing. First of all, the film lacks the spectacle usually associated with the Bond classics. Jamaican locations and characters seem somewhat too real, too ordinary, and many viewers, unaccustomed to Bond, would mistake this film for a conventional spy thriller. The realistic tone of the movie is also underlined by the use of local calypso music (which is also a nice opportunity to hear Jamaican sounds before that island became famous for its reggae). Realism is here partly due to a limited budget (legendary Pinewood Studios were used only for the last scenes of the film, with the sets rather lame compared to the latter Bond adventures), and partly due to Fleming being able to influence the film more than in all latter films. As a result, even the Bond character is closer to Fleming's original vision – he is cynical and ruthless when it comes to achieving his goals. Contemporary moralists (including the Vatican, which issued an official communiqué condemning the film) were outraged by scenes like Bond shooting a helpless enemy in cold blood or Bond having sex with a female enemy agent before turning her over to the authorities. On the other hand, Dr. No is more realistic than other Bond films because here 007 lacks his usual spy gadgets and must rely solely on his wits in order to survive. And the realism also works the other way around – Bond is perhaps meaner than in other films, but he also gets his comeuppance by being tortured, beaten, and humiliated more than usual.
Sean Connery was, of course, splendid in the role that clinched his career. His Bond is a classic Bond – a stone-cold, deadly killer, intelligent yet witty and loveable, able to bring every woman to his bed. The first time we hear those immortal words "Bond, James Bond", we hear the very same confident voice that would be a trademark of this character for decades to come. Connery's charm is unstoppable; because of it, we are able to enjoy his presence and take for granted lines that would otherwise sound ridiculous and trashy. And the script by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather was very suitable for Connery to show his acting abilities; the non-Superman Bond in Dr. No even has some opportunity to express fear, panic, and repulsion, something we don't see very often in the latter incarnations of the character.
The other two obligatory characters – Bond's partner and Bond's chief opponent – weren't that lucky. Many say that Ursula Andress, the Swiss actress who had the honour of being the very first Bond girl, actually happens to be the best of the bunch. It is true that the scene of a bikini-clad Honey Ryder coming out of the sea really belongs among the classic Bond scenes. It is also true that Ursula Andress had one of the shinier careers among all the Bond girls. But her character is ruined by the weak script and the writers' inability to decide whether to treat her as a tough woman and equal partner to Bond, or just an ordinary damsel in distress. Joseph Wiseman as the enigmatic Dr. No is also very good, but the script left too many plot holes concerning his intentions and didn't really explain some of his actions. The other characterisations are even worse – for example, Quarrel as Bond's sidekick has a role that borders on parody and even some racial stereotyping. The PC police of today probably wouldn't appreciate the fact that all the villains, except one, happen to be dark-skinned or Asian.
Dr. No, seen by itself, is still entertaining but rather inferior Bond film. However, since it was the first in the series, it established the character of Bond, his trademarks, the recognisable musical theme by John Barry and Monty Norman, and even some of the regular side characters (M, Miss Moneypenny). All that makes it essential for all those who want to be introduced to the series and for all those who are already fans of Bond films.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on October 1st 1999)
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Critic: AA