I thought it was quite boring in comparison to Connery's Goldfinger which had memorable action and dialogue throughout. From Russia With Love has many dull stretches without any action, the dialogue was somewhat dull, and the villain barely memorable. Overall I rated this Bond a 7 and Goldfinger a 9.
shareThe plot makes sense and the characters are carefully developed instead of being cardboard cutouts. Robert Shaw's Red Grant is a genuinely menacing baddie, Pedro Armendariz a truly lovable ally, and Daniela Bianchi the hottest Bond girl ever. And Sean Connery is at the peak of his expressive powers as Bond. And the story unfolds with careful foreboding and the setting beautifully expressed so that by the time the action pops up the viewer is really invested in what is going on. I love this film. It's, I think, the best of all the Bonds.
share@Aaustrin10. You said everything that i would had said about this movie. From Russia with love is a Timeless classic.
shareIts funny how the same movie gets different reactions. Genuinly menacing villian whereas I wont say terrible but I felt he was a pretty weak villian
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Goldfinger starts strong, but Bond takes on a rather passive role in the second half, which I don't particularly care for. I mean, it's great and all, but I've never understood the passion of the "Goldfinger is the best Bond ever!" camp. Repeated viewings have stripped away much of its effectiveness.
From Russia With Love is quite the other thing. The tension builds gradually. Memorable characters are introduced, they make significant contributions to the movement of the plot, and by the time Bond and Tania board the train, I always find myself thinking, "Already?"
No, it's not a thrill-a-minute film, but I've never found it particularly slow. And, unlike Goldfinger, I can watch it over and over and over and be completely entertained.
I really think people love the Aston Martin so much that's why Goldfinger does so well.
Goldfinger is also one crazy villain, smart, ruthless, and he has a total badass henchman in Oddjob.
Was it over the top? Yes. But it was a very entertaining film. My only beef was that they couldn't get Jack Lord to play Felix again. (Probably because Jack Lord asked for too much money, this is the same guy who got rejected in Star Trek because he wanted part ownership of the show. Maybe Jack Lord knew a money making series when he saw it!)
I've never understood the passion for Goldfinger either. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid Bond film, but not the best. From Russia with Love is a more conventional spy thriller, which some people might find boring, but I actually think it's more exciting than most over-the-top Bond films because it's comparative realism allows you to become more involved in the action.
shareI agree. This is a more realistic movie, and I did enjoy it. But I like the over-the-top unrealistic Bond movies like Goldfinger, You Only Live Once, or Moonraker.
shareYou realize you are proclaiming confusion that a different person than you might deviate from your personal taste based ratings by merely 2 points out of 10?
Many like this film because they find FRWL not dull and they do find it memorable.
This is because entertainment of an person varies individually based on perspective, prior experience, expectation, preference, and other factors.
Therefore, some others rate FRWL 9 and GF 7.
Then there are those who rate FRWL a 9 and GF a 9. And those who would rate FRWL a 7 and GF a 7.
But the ones that you really have to look out for are those that might rate either movie an 8; they are not to be trusted.
Because many people feel differently than you. Don't worry about it.
The book is not always better.
I prefer Goldfinger myself, but From Russia with Love is an outstanding film that isn't like other Bond films - and that's a great thing.
Do NOT Accept Rides From This Man
://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2009/04/27/arts/licenseAB.jpg
From Russia With Love is a thinking man's (or woman's) Bond movie.
shareExactly. While no Bond film is really "realistic" (and we wouldn't want them to be), this is the one that comes closest. And that gives it an extra intensity & believability, I think.
share^^^This says it best!^^^
Also perfectly captures early-1960s Cold War tensions.
Ian Fleming gave this film his endorsement shortly before he died.
It's fairly boring until the train scenes, but then it becomes quite good.
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Gypsy knife fight is one major reason.
share^This. It annoys me this TreeShaman thinks s/he has a handle on James Bond.
Red Grant’s training, and testing by Klebb: boring.
Escapades in Istanbul: boring.
Sex: boring.
Making a sex movie: boring.
Jack Jones title song: boring.
Shooting a would-be assassin trying to escape by exiting out of a poster of Anita Ekberg’s MOUTH: boring?!
I got my own ideas about boring. Stick with hugging trees.