Dr. No (1962)

Directed by Terence Young. Starring Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, John Kitzmiller, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Anthony Dawson, Zena Marshall, Eunice Gayson, Louis Blaazer, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Peter Burton. [PG]

First cinematic James Bond outing is one of the better efforts; more low-key and less fantastical than average, though not without its fair share of thrills. 007 travels to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British agent, uncovers the nefarious plot of a Chinese-German criminal mastermind named Dr. No (Wiseman). At its best during the first hour before Bond gets to the villain’s island, economically establishing the character’s intelligence, sophistication, womanizing and ruthlessness. A terrific showcase for Ken Adam’s trend-setting set design, specifically Dr. No’s lair, not to mention the introduction of the iconic “James Bond Theme” by John Barry and Monty Norman. Offscreen until the final twenty minutes, Wiseman sets the standard for supervillains to come; Andress’ Bond girl is a bit too bland and passive, only memorable for her looks, especially her striking entrance. Not the best place to start for those looking for the large-scale action, gimmicks and special effects the series eventually became known for, but it remains an above-average spy adventure regardless of its character’s legacy. Unlike most other Bond movies, this one actually follows the book fairly close (and is possibly the only time that the literary source was actually more outlandish than the version on screen—in the novel, 007 even battles a giant squid at one point!). M (Lee) and Moneypenny (Maxwell) both make brief appearances, but armorer Q is only referred to as Boothroyd (played by Burton instead of Desmond Llewelyn).

81/100