Binge-watching Bond part 16: 'License to Kill'

Timothy Dalton in License to Kill

The one rule you can't break with a James Bond film is that they have to be fun.

That doesn't mean it can't be dark at times and it doesn't mean it needs to be riotously funny. But the few that outright miss for me lack a certain sense of style and wit that set the character and series apart from the typical action spectacle.

Although License to Kill has many ardent fans, I actually think it's one of the worst Bond pictures. While it's impossible for me to hate it -- and I actually admire its intention to shake up the 007 routine -- I dislike its tone, which is humorless and its plot, which feels totally inappropriate for a James Bond movie.

This time Timothy Dalton's performance doesn't work as well for me. He looks too disheveled and haggard this time around. He doesn't have much chemistry with his female leads and stalks through the movie in a way that works fine in some action scenes, but is off-putting in others.

The score and pacing seems like something out of a Lethal Weapon movie. The action is more gory, merciless and mean-spirited -- and I'm not sure that's such a good thing. It doesn't help that the villain, played with over-the-top gusto by Robert Davi, is more scummy and scary, as is the movie's drug plot which feels more dated than Bond films from decades earlier.

The Bond girls are beautiful but poorly written and the lack of irony in the script only underlines how absurd so much of the movie is. That said, I do quite like the concept of Bond quitting her majesty's secret service to pursue revenge against bad guys who target his longtime CIA ally Felix Leiter.

This is an idea that would be explored later and more effectively in future Bond films, but in many ways this film marked a real break with a more classic take on 007 and a transition to  a more modern, hyper-active version.

This film also marks the end -- mostly -- of Bond's unabashed philandering. Sadly, Dalton may go down in history as the most chaste 007 of all time.

There are some terrific sequences in the film -- the opening in particular is exciting. But it's not enough to save the License to Kill, which was the first true flop in the history of series and left it in limbo for what felt like a decade -- although it was really only six years.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) You Only Live Twice
11) Diamonds Are Forever
12) Thunderball
13) Moonraker
14) The Man with the Golden Gun
15) A View to a Kill
16) License to Kill

Liz's take: It was cool to see James Bond go rogue a little bit -- but it all feels so forced. The Felix Leiter character here is now cast as his best friend, and they really lay it on thick. And it's strange to have so much of the narrative stakes hanging on that relationship.

I feel like this one promised more than it actually delivered in the sense that it presented the opportunity for an interesting story -- 007 quitting to pursue a personal vendetta -- but it seems like the broader plot got far too muddled towards the end, especially with a sort of faux guru storyline featuring Wayne Newton.

I don't love the Bond films (with the exception of Live and Let Die) that are set primarily in the U.S., they don't feel as exotic and epic as the other films which feature beautiful scenery in far flung locales. 

The young Benicio Del Toro popped up in this one, he was handsome but psychotic. I didn't love the whole pitting the Bond girls against each other vibe. Carey Lowell was fun and feisty but ultimately pretty vanilla to me. Timothy Dalton deserved a better movie. He's the coldest Bond I've seen but also strangely the softest and most emotional. It would have been nice to see that put into effect in a better project.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service

2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) Moonraker
11) A View to a Kill
12) License to Kill
13) You Only Live Twice
14) From Russia With Love
15) Diamonds Are Forever
16) Thunderball

'Tomorrowland': A movie I support despite its myriad of flaws

Tomorrowland is a particularly frustrating kind of movie to review.

It's far from terrible, in fact, it's nearly great -- but its imperfections are glaring and will probably taint public perception of its success.

I might enjoy the movie more on a second viewing -- its bursting with ideas (some albeit heavy-handed) and vitality that's sorely missing from most summer movies.

Unfortunately because it's such an expensive venture with an A-list star and pedigree, it's lack of mind-blowing box office will probably leave it labeled a flop.

And I think this is unfair. Although Tomorrowland is far from a perfect movie, I absolutely love its message and I want it to do well because Hollywood shouldn't shy away from trying to make earnestly inspirational movies.

I was drawn to the movie for two reasons: Brad Bird and George Clooney. And after the movie was over my faith in both men hasn't been shaken in the slightest.

After The Incredibles and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Bird has become a favorite of film geeks because he brings both a clarity and ingenuity to his action set pieces. That aspect of Tomorrowland works quite well, it's when the script (which he co-wrote) tries to underline its themes and overcomplicates itself that the movie really falters.

Clooney is simply my favorite movie star working today, and while his role here doesn't rank among his greatest work, he invests his role with great charm and gravitas. Even when the movie eventually went off the rails, he kept me invested and he lends this whole project substance that it might not have had with a lesser actor.

George Clooney, Brit Robertson and Raffey Cassidy in Tomorrowland

The problem is, his character and the whole story itself are all over the map. The plot whips back and forth in time and dimensions, leading to a muddled last act which left the audience I saw the film with (largely kids) baffled. I still don't quite understand the motivations of the film's villain, played by Hugh Laurie, and a particularly long winded speech he delivers towards the film's end didn't help matters either.

To sum up the plot is virtually impossible -- what I will say is that it is vaguely about our best and brightest being recruited to venture to an alternative world (a.k.a. Tomorrowland) where they will invent things to make the world a better place. For reasons that I don't full understand, that world and our own are in dire trouble, and it's up to a plucky heroine -- played decently but with sadly not enough quirk by Britt Robertson -- to "fix" everything.

Now, I love the conceit of inspiring young people to dedicate their energies to solving the world's problems, instead of just trying to make a quick buck (although the irony is not lost on me that the vessel for this message is a theme park tie-in for the Disney conglomerate).

Clooney being such an unabashed liberal icon probably will turn off some people. But I myself was very moved by the film's final moments, which serve as something of a call to arms. If only the rest of the film had that kind of clarity.

It kicks off on an odd note and zigzags from 1964 to 2009 to present day and back with abandon. On the one hand I admired Bird's experimentation and on the other I thought, what a wacky, weirdly-paced movie for Disney to finance and then drop in the middle of a competitive summer season.

The film also has the misfortune to debut in the aftermath of a game changer like Mad Max: Fury Road, which audiences are still just catching on to. Tomorrowland is a noble, nice effort, that deserves to be something of a hit. It'll maybe get rediscovered someday and be re-evaluated. In the meantime I will be curious to see what Bird does next. He is, if nothing else, a distinct directorial voice.

Binge-watching Bond part 15: 'The Living Daylights'

Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton is arguably one of the most polarizing James Bonds.

On the one hand there are many fans who think his brooding take on 007 is the definitive one, while others find him stiff and sexless.

I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I think he was hampered by only appearing in two Bond films, it would have been interesting to see him develop his take over several films like Connery and Moore did.

Alas, with a very small sample, I do think he made a striking Bond, particularly in his first outing: The Living Daylights.

He gives a dynamite performance here -- this is probably the most emoting a 007 has done since George Lazenby -- with few one liners and winks at the camera. He makes probably the most dramatic shift in tones between Bonds ever, taking over for the charming, but less serious Roger Moore.

Dalton feels like more of a real spy and the movie feels like more of a traditional espionage thriller in the vein of From Russia With Love, but it definitely has its glaring flaws -- the plot gets a little muddled in its last act; the Bond girl is unexceptional (and, at times, rather irritatingly inept); there are two many villains and climaxes.

Still, the film feels like a refreshing return to what made the character of Bond so initially fascinating -- he has a bit of a mean streak.

Dalton plays the darkness inherent in Bond very well, although his more tender moments feel, to me, slightly more out of place. Although, if nothing else, his take on the character is undeniably sincere and committed.

However, he is the best thing about The Living Daylights, a very fast paced and satisfying action movie with a sensational opening and several other knockout sequences along the way. Like Dalton's other Bond outing License to Kill, it has its ardent fanbase, but outside of 007 diehards it's probably not well known and ripe for rediscovery.

I think it's fair to say that Dalton's interpretation of the character was ahead of its time. Daniel Craig would perfect the moody version of 007 nearly 10 years later. But this was his shining moment. He gave the series a jolt and imbued the character with some soul and sort of a tortured quality that holds up really well.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) You Only Live Twice
11) Diamonds Are Forever
12) Thunderball
13) Moonraker
14) The Man with the Golden Gun
15) A View to a Kill

Liz's take: This one felt like a modern, very sharp break from the previous Bond films. You have very little of the camp factor that runs throughout almost all of the Roger Moore 007 movies. In this one I can't think of any moments that are consciously silly. I really liked Timothy Dalton, he's the first Bond that comes across as a really effective spy -- in the sense that he seems willing to do the dirty work that the job calls for. Also, while Moore's Bond was always eager to have sex, Dalton's version seems like he's looking to make love.

The Afghani storyline is weird given current circumstances, but this movie did do the best job of portraying a different culture without making it cartoonish. This Bond girl is one of the most frustrating to me because she's the most inconsistent. You have moments where she seems very accomplished and assertive and others where she is a bumbling idiot.

I did like the plot of this movie but felt that it suffered from not having one central villain to focus on. Bond is such a cool character that you want to see him have a stand off with a compelling bad guy -- and neither of the two villains are interesting enough to stand toe-to-toe with 007 in a satisfying climax. Still, it's exciting to see Bond move into a more contemporary milieu, although I must say I hated the name of the movie.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) Moonraker
11) A View to a Kill
12) You Only Live Twice
13) From Russia With Love
14) Diamonds Are Forever
15) Thunderball

Binge-watching Bond part 14: 'A View to a Kill'

Grace Jones, under-utilized as May Day

Even though I wouldn't go so far as to say I dislike it -- 1985's A View to a Kill is full of missed opportunities.

Despite having Christopher Walken and Grace Jones ideally cast in villain roles, the movie strips him of his eccentricity and doesn't showcase her remotely enough. Meanwhile, Roger Moore, while still handsome at 58, is clearly way too old to be playing this role.

Throughout the film, it's absurdly obvious how little of the action he's actually in. Stunt doubles are barely disguised and in far too many cases blatantly seen. This takes you out of the movie almost from the beginning and it never quite recovers.

The plot is a rip-off of Goldfinger, except this time the villain, Max Zorin (played by Walken) wants a monopoly on the world's microchips instead of a gold -- a very 1985 conceit to say the least.

Bond is saddled with a gorgeous but not particularly compelling leading lady in Tanya Roberts, and some action scenes that seem really out of place in a 007 film.

Take for instance a car chase involving a firetruck down the streets of San Francisco. At one point Bond climbs out on to the fire engine's ladder, which is loose. Is he trying to reattach it? It's unclear. From the looks of it he simply goes out there because the audience wants to see him flail about.

There are fun elements in this movie. An early sequence where Moore poses as a pompous horse investor while infiltrating Zorin's mansion is amusing enough, and Jones has a spectacular presence as a most unconventional "Bond girl." But the slack pacing and tonal miscues -- a random Beach Boys musical reverie in the middle of a tense chase -- doom the movie to be at the bottom of most Bond fans' lists.

Moore himself has been very vocal that he regrets making the film and didn't appreciate it's nastier edge and tone. The film has more abrupt, less stylized violence than its predecessors and I think that it would suit the darker Bond that was about to come along -- Timothy Dalton -- but with an aging Moore, it feels out of place and a little pathetic.

As a swan song, it's a bit of a letdown for Moore, although there is something sort of poignant and classy about his performance here. There's one moment in particular that speaks to the charm of his version of 007. He goes to Roberts' bedroom with the goal of seducing her, but finds her -- albeit scantily clad -- asleep. Instead of attempt to rouse her for some routine Bond romance, he tenderly covers her in a blanket and exits.

He deserved a better film after 12 years as 007, but his legacy as a delightful and debonair James Bond was already secure.

Still, after viewing this sort of hit-or-miss movie, it's clear the series needed to take a totally new turn with its next star and story. Coming up next -- the divisive Dalton era.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) Octopussy
9) You Only Live Twice
10) Diamonds Are Forever
11) Thunderball
12) Moonraker
13) The Man with the Golden Gun
14) A View to a Kill

Liz's take: This is the first Bond film that for me felt quintessentially '80s. From the title song and casting to the credits -- it's a really interesting time capsule in that way. I had a hard time with this one, because unlike the other Roger Moore films it's not quite totally campy or totally legit, it's a little bit of both.

I did not like that this one's action sequences weren't as impressive as some of the others. I love Grace Jones as a Bond girl, but I found Tanya Roberts disappointing. It was sort of the "Denise Richards syndrome" that we'll see later in The World Is Not Enough, where you have an actress trying to play smarter and savvier than they really are and it's kind of painful. Jones on the other hand is effortlessly cool and badass. It was nice to see a female henchwoman for once.

One of the things I really liked about the movie was Christopher Walken, he's just so good at playing a charming crazy person. Roger Moore shows his age, but I am really sad to see his tenure in the role come to an end. Even in his older years, he's still very handsome, suave and very Bond.

I liked it but I didn't love. There were enough individual elements I liked but they didn't coalesce in the way I thought that they should. An ideal 007 film should have great action, a great villain, a great Bond girl, epic scale -- and personal stakes too. My favorite Bond films have been the ones where either he or the heroine has a personal investment in the story and this didn't have that.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) Octopussy
9) Moonraker
10) A View to a Kill
11) You Only Live Twice
12) From Russia With Love
13) Diamonds Are Forever
14) Thunderball

Binge-watching Bond part 13: 'Octopussy'

If you can past the ridiculous title -- and few can -- Octopussy is a very fun and entertaining Bond movie. Perhaps not an all-time classic, but one of the better entries of the Roger Moore era. It's fast-paced, inventive and a lively 007 adventure.

The movie kicks off with an excellent opening where Bond narrowly escapes in a miniature jet plane. Although at 56, it's becoming increasingly obvious that Moore isn't performing some of the higher risk stunts here, he's so game and engaging in the role that's hard to quibble.

In fact revisiting the 007 series has given me a renewed appreciation for his gifts and the charm he brought to the character.

I think Daniel Craig, for instance, is superior in the part. But I wouldn't mind him employing a little bit of Moore's witty take from time to time. This was one of the Bond movies I really fell for as a kid, the poster on the VHS really caught me eye and its exotic locales and gorgeous (but lethal women) made me a fan of the series for life.

This one has more spectacle than substance -- although a sequence where Bond must disguise himself as a clown to diffuse a bomb has real tension, as does a confrontation with a knife wielding pair of twins. In a way it's apt that much of the film takes place in and around a circus aesthetic because the film is a bit of a circus -- there are cartwheeling female assassins, tigers, elephants, snakes and more.

It doesn't have the gravitas on For Your Eyes Only and the villains are not the most unforgettable -- although Steven Berkoff is fun as a strutting Russian general. Maud Adams is stunning but Octopussy isn't as dynamic a character as one would hope, considering that she shares the title of the movie.

Bond and Q

The best thing about the movie is probably its stunts -- which are amazing even by today's standards and Moore, who despite his advanced age, really throws himself into the part with verve. This probably should have been is swan song in the part -- it would have been a terrific send-off for his light, charming take on the character.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) Octopussy
9) You Only Live Twice
10) Diamonds Are Forever
11) Thunderball
12) Moonraker
13) The Man with the Golden Gun

Liz's take: This one falls into the campy Bond canon for me. While it was a lot of fun I definitely prefer my Bond movies to be more serious. I think it suffered from not having a clear bad guy -- there's the Russian general and the other villain Kamal Khan, but I think it's ultimately better to have one main adversary for 007. Octopussy was a decent Bond girl but I never felt that invested in her.

The last sequence with the plane was insane -- that may rank as one of the most, if not the most, spectacular stunts in the whole series up to this point. The movie avoiding being too culturally insensitive considering the fact that it was set in India. That said, the fight scene in the bazaar involving sword-swallowing and snake charmers was a bit too over-the-top. And worst costume changes for Bond ever, he looked to silly too take seriously at time.

Don't get me wrong -- it was fun -- but it was lesser Bond for me. I am sad that the Roger Moore ones are coming to an end, I really like him in the role, he's very charming and suave. And even though he's getting older I will be sad to see him go.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) Octopussy
9) Moonraker
10) You Only Live Twice
11) From Russia With Love
12) Diamonds Are Forever
13) Thunderball

'Mad Max: Fury Road' a breathtaking event film to remember

I quite enjoyed the latest Avengers film but now, just a couple weeks after seeing it, very little of it sticks with me. I will never be able to say the same about Mad Max: Fury Road, which I saw on its opening day last night. It's a visually stunning and inventive action masterpiece that stands out as a real original.

In this cynical age where every great movie eventually suffers a backlash, I am sure this film too will have its detractors.

The critics adore it -- but I have no clue if audiences will, it demands that its audience not only pay attention but immerse itself in a world that is not spoonfed to you.

It's a product meant to make money, of course, but it's also clearly the work of an artistic genius -- director George Miller -- who is bursting with insane ideas, and who has imbued a non stop chase movie with some rich themes and acting gravitas.

I can't recommend this movie more -- and can already say with great confidence that it will likely go down as one of the best films of the year. Save for The Force Awakens, there might not be a film I was anticipating more and this delivered beyond my wildest dreams.

If you've never seen the original trilogy, take a weekend afternoon and treat yourself, but that said, not having seen those films will not detract from your enjoyment of this new one. Tom Hardy plays the title character with the same minimalist bravado Mel Gibson did and the visual aesthetic is much the same, if albeit enhanced by modern technology.

Tom Hardy

It you think you're not an action person -- trust me -- there is much to appreciate about this film. Miller shoots action unlike any other filmmaker -- it's gorgeous to look at but also brutally frank and even witty. There are sequences where I genuinely couldn't believe my eyes because I knew what I was watching was done for real, without the aid of CGI and as far as I know, no one died.

The plot is gratefully simple -- too many modern summer blockbusters, and yes Marvel movies, make the mistake of making their movies needlessly complicated and bloated with too many characters.

Fury Road has Max, a drifter/fugitive who reluctantly teams up with Furiosa (a striking and memorable heroine played wonderfully by Charlize Theron) in an escape plan from a very creepy gang of bad guys. The film has a very nice, subtle feminist streak and and a general concept about rising up against corrupt leaders.

That's it. Now, again, some audiences just aren't going to get it. The film is moody and has very little exposition or character development. The dialogue -- a throwback to the originals -- seems almost foreign at times, with it's odd turns of phrase and interior logic.

Still, I hope this film is the hit it's supposed to be. Although it's essentially a reboot of the post apocalyptic series that ended thirty years ago, Mad Max: Fury Road is one of the freshest, most original movies of its kind I've seen in years and I'd love to see more.

Engaged: Five films that defined my relationship with my fiancée

The proposal

If the social media barrage hasn't already informed you, I got engaged this past weekend to attorney-at-law and the unofficial editor of this movie blog, Elizabeth Rosado.

Movie-watching has been a huge part of our relationship, and thank God, she is a film buff just like I am. I thought as an homage to this huge life step I would take a look back at the five films that, for me, sort of defined us as a couple -- at least so far.

These aren't necessarily her favorite movies or mine, although some do make both of our lists.

It's more about the context in which we watched them, although the content being awesome matters a great deal as well.

For instance, there's Coming to America. Now, this is one of my favorite comedies of all time. And on one of the first of many unofficial dates, we decided to watch this Eddie Murphy classic on Instant Netflix on a whim. This was incredibly impressive to me on a great many number of levels.

First off, it was nearly 3 a.m. when we decided to embark on this journey to Zmunda and beyond -- so I'm thinking to myself, this girl's a badass. Second, I knew that if she appreciated this film as much as I did we were definitely going to connect on a cosmic level. Not only did we complete the film but we found ourselves relishing our favorite one liners at the same time.

On what I believe was our third "official" date we attending a Rocky Horror-style midnight screening of one of the greatest bad movies ever made -- Tommy Wiseau's epic The Room. Now, I can't express enough our mutual obsession with this film, we reference and imitate it constantly and are pretty cultish about getting our friends to see it and become part of the fun.

This midnight showing was a raucous good time, people dressed up (we didn't, we weren't 'there' yet), spoons and footballs were thrown (if you've seen the film you'd understand), and watching this bizarre monstrosity with an audience really enhanced the experience. Little did I know that midnight movie watching was going to become a staple of our two-plus years and counting together.

The Nitehawk Cinema in Williamsburg has long been one of our favorite spots. They play a great selection of films, especially late at night and sometimes early in the day for brunch. We've had so many interesting visits there, some terrific (Three Amigos, with an all-female mariachi band), some disappointing (drunken hecklers ruined one of my all-time favorites, Repo Man, for Liz) -- but always memorable.

It's hard for me to think of a favorite screening but I do remember being so excited and relieved that Liz appreciated the charms of Caddyshack, one of my favorite movies and comedies of all time. The movie is unapologetically crude and sophomoric, and some could, in a derogatory way, call it a "boy's movie" but Liz totally got it, and while I don't believe one should place too much stock in "liking the same things" when it comes to a relationship, this is one instance where I'll make an exception.

Which leads me to my next pick: Rocky. I'm not exactly sure why, but for some reason this sentimental, but still moving, Oscar winner just sort of became "our movie." Obviously the romance between Rocky Balboa and the mousy Adrian is sweet -- but there is also just a lot of genuine heart and determination in this movie. I think it speaks to Liz and I because deep down we're both very emotional people who resent unbridled cynicism.

This movie dares to be corny in the best way and it kicked off our habit of marathon watching movie series. For the record Liz actually liked Rocky II better than any of the others. Hey, no one will ever accuse her of not having a singular sensibility.

Scarlett Johansson in Under the Skin

And that leads me to my fifth selection, Under the Skin. Liz and I saw this kind of on the fly. We heard it was supposed to be weird and interesting -- and it was. We saw it in a Times Square theater with a sparse audience we suspect were seeing this sci-fi mind-bender because they heard Scarlett Johansson gets naked in it. She does, but the film is far more interesting than that.

Still, we noticed people walking out and seemingly turned off by the film. I had no idea how Liz would react, I was enthralled. When it was over we both immediately started gushing about how fantastic it was. And Liz being Liz, she found all sorts of feminist messages within the narrative that I had never even thought of. Watching movies with her is often an intellectual experience as well as an act of escapism, and I appreciate that so much.

The best part of all this is I get to keep experiencing this and so much more for the rest of my life. Thank you Liz for all your patience, good humor and spunk. You've managed to reignite both my passion for film and romance.

Binge-watching Bond part 12: 'For Your Eyes Only'

For Your Eyes Only may be the most underrated James Bond film of all time -- and it's one of my favorites.

After The Spy Who Loved Me, it's Roger Moore's best 007 outing and it's a real throwback to the more espionage-influenced style of the early Sean Connery pictures.

From the very opening sequence it's clear that the silliness of Moonraker is long behind us. A solemn Bond is seen placing flowers at the gravesite of his dead wife Tracy. It's a subtle and powerful moment.

The more serious tone permeates throughout, especially when it comes to the backstory of one the most stunning and soulful Bond girls, the crossbow-bearing Carole Bouquet. Other than Barbara Bach, no Bond girl has more agency in this era and her presence helps Moore up his game.

The movie, paring down on gadget and one liners, has more of a realistic story and tone. The stunts are phenomenal -- from a breathtaking ski chase to a truly scary climb up the side of a mountain. As always, the sets and locales are stunning, but the story here is the strongest element, which is simple and direct in the best way. There are no supervillains trying to take over the world here, just a smuggler trying to sell a valuable piece of military hardware to the highest bidder.

Carole Bouquet

This was Bond's first foray into the '80s, not always remembered as his best decade, but the film's start to get a little harder-edged from here on out which is ultimately a great thing for the series. The pace of this film is also better than its predecessor, instead of a last act that drags -- the film builds to a peak and a surprisingly ambiguous pay-off.

Moore's Bond films are often dismissed as too silly and slapstick, to those critics I see and raise you For Your Eyes Only, a strong thriller with real heart and wit.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) You Only Live Twice
9) Diamonds Are Forever
10) Thunderball
11) Moonraker
12) The Man with the Golden Gun

Liz's take: I do feel like this one was a distinct change heralding the advent of the 1980s, whereas the transition from the 1960s Bond films to the 1970s ones wasn't as noticeable. That may because you had Lazenby in the middle. I like that the film was a more realistic portrayal of 007. The characters aren't as campy. There's still humor but never crosses the line.

If you're going to do camp -- do The Man with the Golden Gun -- but if you want a serious Bond, this is the one for you. The Bond girl was awesome. My three favorites so far are Tracy Bond, Agent XXX and this one. They're my favorites because the film actually bothers to give them all a backstory with real weight and they're not just a sidekick for 007. The best Bond girls can hold their weight against him, can contribute to the plot and the action. Carolina Bouquet was stunning and just may be my favorite Bond girl to date.

The villain (played by Julian Glover) was interesting because you honestly don't see it coming that he is the bad guy, which is a cool twist. Meanwhile, the character initially set up to be Bond's enemy, turns out to be a charming ally, a kind of Greek 007 -- played by Topol.

I like that the villain's motivations are more realistic -- he's just a bad person looking to make money and he was really scary in a chilling sort of way. I especially thought the scene where he dragged Bond and the heroine under water was really cold and he was very menacing in that.

This one is very high up there on the list for me. This is a really strong Bond film.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) Moonraker
9) You Only Live Twice
10) From Russia With Love
11) Diamonds Are Forever
12) Thunderball

The first 'Death Wish' is definitely a misunderstood classic

The 1974 melodrama Death Wish is easy to dismiss and even easier to misunderstand. It can be, and often has been, read as purely a right wing screed, a massive overreaction to rising crime in urban eras during the decade in which it was released.

It is an extraordinary time capsule of New York City and its most foreboding, but I believe the film is more complex than just an endorsement of might-makes-right vigilantism.

The film stars a terrific Charles Bronson as a relatively mild mannered architectural designer, who is a liberal pacifist until his wife and daughter are brutally assaulted by thugs who break into his home while he is away at work.

Bronson, long one of my favorite action stars of all time, does so much with so little. No histrionics, no one liners, he's all slow burn here and his advanced age (he was a very fit 53 at the time) actually helps make him plausible as someone who could be perceived as a pushover.

Infamously he starts confronting would-be assailants on every street corner, but the movie is ambiguous about this -- is he seeking out criminals or are they chasing him? The film tries to sidestep the sticky racial problems this concept presents by casting a diverse away of creeps as bad guys (including a young Jeff Goldblum) but Bronson's character is clearly prejudiced, if not against any particular race, then against weakness and ineffectualness.

He chafes at the bureaucracy that makes it virtually impossible to find the men who victimized his family and in a deeply ironic twist -- those men are never actually penalized by the film. Essentially Bronson's taking out his fury on random people who simply represent his true enemies.

That said, there is an intentionally kinetic and cathartic charge in watching Bronson coldly dispatch the grimy hoodlums who confront him, which was probably why this film was such a breakout hit when it came out. Coming on the heels of Dirty Harry and The French Connection, the public was hungry for heroes who shot first and asked questions later.

Charles Bronson in Death Wish

But just as those film's protagonists were darker and more insidious than they initially appear, so is Bronson's Paul Kersey. As the film enters its third act it becomes increasingly a satire, with government officials looking to utilize the media frenzy around his actions for his benefit and a purposely unremarkable police investigator who is more comic relief than a real threat to Bronson.

It's the film's creepy funny ending -- and final eerie shot -- that make it more than just an amusing B-movie. I can't speak for the endless sequels, which I have yet to see. But the original Death Wish wants us to really consider its provocative premise.

There is a lot of dialogue about what is and isn't civilized, even in the opening scene. As Bronson and his wife snuggle on the beach, his character muses about how they used to be more reckless and uncivilized, even then the seed of a certain kind of madness and superiority is within him.

Bronson's character makes a conscious decision that he should determine who lives or dies -- and I find that fascinating. This is character who is a Korean War veteran who served as a conscientious objector. It's an absurd conceit on one level but also, if you buy into the horror he experiences, his descent could be viewed as an intriguing psychotic break.

You can watch Death Wish and just cheer on the killing of "bad guys" but you could also view Bronson as the "bad guy" -- and he is the creation of a world gone mad with violence. If you can get past some of the more dated elements (the audience I watched it with at a midnight showing couldn't help but snicker at some of the dialogue) and watch the film in that context, I think it can be considered a classic.

Binge-watching Bond part 11: 'Moonraker'

Unjustly maligned as "James Bond goes to space," Moonraker is a campy but fun entry in the 007 lexicon.

After a stellar opening, featuring a miraculous skydiving stunt for the ages (only somewhat diminished by a few shots where it's painfully obvious it's not the real actors) the film eventually gets a little overlong and silly, but it has all the hallmarks of Moore era -- fun jokes, over-the-top effects and beautiful locales.

Moore, the horniest Bond of them all, is starting to show his age a little bit here, and he's sort of coasting in a way he doesn't in The Spy Who Loved Me and the excellent follow-up to this movie, For Your Eyes Only.

But I still get a kick out of him in the role. I think the moment where he rides a gondola with an inflatable bottom down the streets of Venice is one of his most iconic moments as 007.

The plot to this film is pretty incomprehensible to me. The villain, Drax, well played by Michael Lonsdale, is looking to create some sort of alternative society in space. That makes him not too different from Stromberg in the previous film, a bizarre bad guy who wants to blow up the world the create a new one.

That's part of why I think the next Bond film is superior, the plot is not quite as labyrinthian. But let me not dwell on what doesn't work in this film, since I did enjoy watching it. Besides Moore, the movie looks great. Following the breakout success of The Spy Who Loved Me, this was, believe it or not, the most successful 007 film at the box office until the Pierce Brosnan era kicked off with Goldeneye.

Roger Moore in Moonraker

Still, it takes a little long to get focused, and the Jaws character, such a great villain in the last film, becomes a sillier, more cuddly addition this time around and I don't think his send-off, with a girl who looks remarkably like an in-character Amy Poehler, is right for a Bond film.

The movie is often ranked as one of the worst Bond films, but I don't think that's entirely fair.

Sure, it was clearly cashing in on the recent success of Star Wars but it does have enough genuine thrills and tension to be effective when it needs to be.

I think Moonraker might be a lot of fun for kids getting their first exposure to 007, although the pace and the kissing might be a turn off. It's delightfully silly and attractive but not especially memorable. And it suffers from a problem that increasingly plagues this series, overstuffed last acts. At this point we've come to expect a drawn-out finale, but they are the elements of these films that hold up the least well.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) Live and Let Die
5) Dr. No
6) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7) You Only Live Twice
8) Diamonds Are Forever
9) Thunderball
10) Moonraker
11) The Man with the Golden Gun

Liz's take: I think what the Moore Bond films have going for them is that they're always pretty solid. They hit certain key 007 points -- the villain has a cool lair, there's going to be a cool chase sequence (preferably by boat) which is fun and exciting. That said, the Bond girl in this one was fine, the villain wasn't particularly exceptional. The film clearly came out post-Star Wars, and it shows.

I think the Moore Bond movies as a whole make the Connery ones seem kind of quaint, they have consistently gotten more extravagant and they're truly action films as opposed to espionage thrillers. The Connery films, yes they have action, but they don't feel quite as modern.

In fact I think I might prefer Moore as Bond to Connery. Maybe if Lazenby had more turns I might have appreciated him more than Connery too. But Moore's actually kicking butt for me so far. This one I feel like though didn't have quite as silly, it seemed more serious,

I don't really find Jaws that compelling as a character, he's just a giant hunk of a dude and I found him tiresome after a second go-round. Still, even if it's not a great film, it's certainly not bad.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) Goldfinger
3) Dr. No
4) Live and Let Die
5) The Man with the Golden Gun
6) The Spy Who Loved Me
7) Moonraker
8) You Only Live Twice
9) From Russia With Love
10) Diamonds Are Forever
11) Thunderball

Binge-watching Bond part 10: 'The Spy Who Loved Me'

Agent XXX and Jaws

Now we're talking! The Spy Who Loved Me is not just one of my all-time favorite 007 adventures, it's the best Bond film of the 1970s, the best one with Roger Moore in the lead and it's the movie that kept the franchise alive and relevant for several more years.

As a kid this, along with Live and Let Die, was probably my personal favorite. My tastes have evolved since then, but the movie really holds up as an action classic. It's on par with Goldfinger, the movie has a go big or go home flavor from the stunts to the spectacular sets.

Moore gets to do what he does best, be charming and funny with just a hint of cold-hearted cruelty lurking beneath the surface.

He's aided tremendously by one of the most beautiful and resourceful Bond girls of all time, Barbara Bach, who plays his equal in many ways, KGB agent XXX.

What a contrast with Britt Eckland's bumbling Goodnight in The Man with the Golden Gun. Even though XXX does succumb to Bond's charms, she's much more his equal than any previous woman in the series and that makes this film a little more special.

Roger Moore and Barbara Bach

Also, in this film, we get perhaps the most memorable villain of the Moore era -- the terrifying Jaws. This character, which owes quite a lot to the Spielberg film from which he gets his name, was perfect for a Bond film. He's stronger than Bond and seemingly indestructible, which means 007 must constantly use his superior intellect to outsmart him. Although the character becomes more cartoonish in Moonraker, he is genuinely menacing here.

The main bad guy, Stromberg, isn't quite as strong and his grand scheme of some sort of underwater Utopia, is silly even by Bond standards, but these are minor quibbles for a film that has a great pace, does an incredible job of using its exotic locales (particularly Egypt) and never stops remembering to be fun.

The Spy Who Love Me also has sneaky depth though. There is a brief mention of Bond's dead wife, which forces Moore to drop his customary grin and a later scene where he and Bach have a confrontation over the murder of her former lover, also a spy, could have come straight out of a Daniel Craig film.

And I haven't even mentioned the car! The Lotus has to be the next greatest car in 007 history, after the iconic Aston Martin. It's neck and neck for me, but I think this one ranks right in between Connery's two greatest Bond outings, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger.

My rankings:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) Live and Let Die
5) Dr. No
6) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
7) You Only Live Twice
8) Diamonds Are Forever
9) Thunderball
10) The Man with the Golden Gun

Liz's take: The Spy Who Love Me is really good and the budget shows. The main villain is pretty forgettable though. I don't remember his name. Jaws is cool but he's ultimately more of a henchman than a true bad guy. As much as the sets and certain sequences are impressive, the last act was a little bloated with too many pyrotechnics.

Agent XXX's reveal in the opening and overall storyline is very cool and they did effectively merge elements from On Her Majesty's Secret Service in this one, with the reference to the death of Tracy Bond and it was nice to see Roger Moore show more emotion than usual on that front.

I like a lot of the individual pieces in the movie but it didn't quite come together as a whole for me as well as some of the others.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) Goldfinger
3) Dr. No
4) Live and Let Die
5) The Man with the Golden Gun
6) The Spy Who Loved Me
7) You Only Live Twice
8) From Russia With Love
9) Diamonds Are Forever
10) Thunderball

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' is a lot of fun, but also overwhelming

More superheroes, more explosions, more CGI -- everything in Avengers: Age of Ultron is bigger and more elaborate than probably every comic book movie that's proceeded it.

While that's not always a good thing -- I was still impressed with this surefire blockbuster.

I think I am getting a little too old for these types of movies, the audience I saw it with was largely peppered with children so young that their chatter during the movie was more adorable than annoying. But there were some literate lines of dialogue that made me laugh out loud and the actors' commitment to playing real characters instead of cartoons works wonders.

The reason this film is a step above Guardians of the Galaxy for me is that the villain of the piece is just as strong as it's larger-than-life heroes. The first film had Loki, played with cocksure wit by Tom Hiddleston, and the sequel has an ace up its sleeve -- the performance of James Spader as Ultron.

He brings his delightfully devious voice to this legitimately scary bad guy and his physical performance was digitally mapped to imbue his computer-generated character with life-like qualities.

Although the plot is overstuffed and overly complicated, Ultron manages to cut through with genuine menace and swagger. He's aided by the film's considerable sense of humor, employed to great effect by Joss Whedon's screenplay. I am no Whedon expert. I've never seen Buffy or Firefly. But I can see that he is great at making monolithic mainstream entertainment accessible and endearing.

James Spader as Ultron

This is a film about people -- the people just happen to be exceptional. I like that the film goes through great pains to further develop the Hulk character and Black Widow; Ruffalo and Johansson get to do some real nice work together.

And Jeremy Renner gets several moments to shine as the previously most under-valued Avenger, Hawkeye. I also like that the film seems aware that it's patently absurd which is a welcome thing for the adults trying to make heads or tails of its story.

It didn't feel like quite as fun a ride as the first Avengers movie, which provided the pleasure of watching this odd batch of heroes clash at first and then become friends. This film lacks the same element of surprise than the 2012 original did. We've been so inundated with these kinds of movies they occasionally become numbing.

Don't get me wrong -- this is great summer entertainment, and there are few things at the movies more pleasurable these days than Robert Downey, Jr. making quips as Tony Stark. But I do find myself wondering when this Marvel madness is ever going to stop.

Three of the trailers that proceeded Avengers: Age of Ultron were for superhero films. Some looked better than others, but they ultimately all feel the same. in the meantime, I can't deny that this film is a little overwhelming.