Dr. No (1962) Review

 

Dr. No (1962)

Dr. No follows agent 007, as he is sent to Jamaica to to uncover the truth behind a missing agent and stop the nefarious Dr. No, an evil scientist hellbent on destroying the U.S. space program. 

The grandaddy of them all, the one that kicked off a series now about to span 25 movies! For his first outing on the big screen, I like that, for budgetary and decade restraints, this is a toned down Bond, that focuses more on how cunning of an agent he is, instead of the all-out Rambo style of warpath he’s taken since. It’s a simple, yet effective story that sees attempts on his life from the moment he sets foot in Jamaica. This constant danger and his unique detective abilities give him a bearish quality with a gentle touch. 

And while lots of the action, let the rear projected car chase scene can feel a little dated, you have to think that for the time, this was the peak of action movies, raising the bar as to just how exciting movies can be, all with that signature touch of class that only Bond is really capable of. It set the standards for everything to come; action, pretty girls, one-liners and impossibly cashed-up enemies like Dr. No (whom, I’m sorry, but is definitely not Chinese). 

We get a solid cast, one that would set the formula for future films, starring John Kitzmiller, Jack Lord, Anthony Dawson, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, and Sean Connery. From the moment he appears on screen, Connery IS Bond. He understands who and what Bond is and makes the role he is own; suave, always collected, and always the coolest man in the room. Also Wiseman, though he gets little screen time, makes a great impact from afar and his dinner battle of wits with Connery is superb. 

Dr. No, directed by Terence Young and based off the novels by Ian Flemming, acts as sort of a dry run for future Bond films, not sporting as much of the action or explosions, but frankly, it’s a better movie for it, excellently setting up the Bond we know and love almost 60 years later. 

8.1/10