What with MGM's financial woes over the last year or so, the prospects for their two biggest properties (The James Bond series and The Hobbit) were looking bleak.
When plans were put into motion for the follow-up to 2008's Quantum of Solace, Daniel Craig was set to return as the titular hero and Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition) was set to direct. As MGM essentially collapsed into bankruptcy, all plans for the next Bond installment came to a screeching halt.
Well, finally some good news. http://www.latinoreview.com/news/-bond-23-goes-full-steam-ahead-scheduled-to-be-out-november-of-2012-11894
Mendes and Craig are still on board and we can expect Bond's return in 2012.
In honor of this wonderful news, I've put together a countdown of my favorite Bond films.
10. "The World Is Not Enough" (1999)
While often decried for Denise Richards' slightly less-than-believable turn as a nuclear physicist named Christmas Jones (a name that is just a set up for a closing sex-joke from Bond), Pierce Brosnan's third outing as Bond sported the only exciting boat chase in cinema history. If that doesn't deserve some action-movie kudos I don't know what does.
9. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969)
George Lazenby gets a bum rap as far as I'm concerned. Often laughed off as the worst Bond, Lazenby is the only actor in the franchise who never reprized the Bond role. From where I sit, the poor guy just never got a fair shake. He had a number of factors working against him, not the least of which was his status as the first actor to replace the iconic Sean Connery in the role. It's a shame, because the late sixties grooviness of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and Lazenby's more nuanced, feeling take on the character is surprisingly enjoyable to watch.
8. "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977)
Easily the strongest of Roger Moore's seven performances as Bond. Who can forget the awesome opening ski chase? If you have forgotten, it's the one where Bond skis off a cliff. The soundtrack stops. He freefalls in eerie silence. Then out comes the union jack parachute and the iconic Bond theme music. Brilliant I say!
7. "The Living Daylights" (1987)
After more than a decade of Moore's tounge-in-cheek antics, he was replaced by Timothy Dalton in "The Living Daylights." Dalton restored the hard-edged determination of the character from Ian Fleming's novels to great success in his debut.
6. "You Only Live Twice" (1967)
Though Connery's later films didn't quite have the same spark as his earlier run, "You Only Live Twice" remains one of those wonderful time capsules that gives us an idea of what was cool in the 60s. Oh, and the refrain from the Nancy Sinatra theme song is one of the most recognizable in popular music.
5. "Dr. No" (1962)
The first film in the series, "Dr. No" introduced moviegoers to a then-unknown Sean Connery and propelled James Bond from popular paperback hero to cultural icon.
4. "From Russia With Love" (1963)
The second installment in the Bond canon was perhaps its most sophisticated. Few gadgets or gimmicks, a complex plot and a subdued pace keep it from being remembered as an era-defining popcorn flick like some of the other entries in the series. It his, however, one of the finest examples of the spy genre ever committed to celluloid.
3. "Goldeneye" (1995)
Pierce Brosnan's debut marked the first Bond adventure to take place after the fall of the Berlin wall. Many wondered if Bond would be relevant in the post Cold-war, politically correct 1990's. The filmmakers addressed these problems beautifully with the introduction of Judi Dench as M and one of the greatest chase scenes ever filmed tearing through a post-soviet St. Petersburg. After all, why chase someone in a car when you can drive a tank?
2. "Casino Royale" (2006)
After the nauseatingly over-the-top "Die Another Day," Bond was due for a makeover. A steely Daniel Craig replaced the aging Pierce Brosnan and superflous gadgets and CGI were replaced with a compelling plot and well-written characters. This Bond updated the character for the twenty-first century as well as reverting to the rawness of Ian Fleming's original conception of Bond from the novels.
1. "Goldfinger" (1964)
Perhaps the most remembered incarnation of James Bond, Connery's third outing touts the majority of the franchises best-remembered images: The smart-looking, grey, three-piece suit. The silver, gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5, and, of course, the girl covered in gold.
