The production of Thunderball, the fourth film in the James Bond canon is one riddled with conflict, disagreement and indirectly led to the creation of Never Say Never Again, the Bond film that wasn't quite Bond. Author Ian Fleming and co-writer Kevin McClory fell into dispute in 1961 over whom owned the rights to the Thunderball script. McClory insisted that he had co-written … [Read more...]
Goldfinger (1964) review by That Film Guy
No James Bond film better epitomises the mass appeal of Britain's coolest spy than the third instalment in the franchise, Goldfinger. A huge critical and commercial juggernaut, Goldfinger would create the template from which most future films would draw their inspiration and it marked the characters transition from simple thriller to iconic blockbuster draw. Based on a novel by … [Read more...]
From Russia with Love (1963) review by That Film Guy
Following on from the success of Dr. No, director Terence Young returned to Ian Fleming's legendary British secret agent James Bond in an adaptation of From Russia with Love. Sticking with Sean Connery as 007 and maintaining the same supporting cast of Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, From Russia with Love is the first Bond film to include most of the … [Read more...]
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002) review by That Film Guy
After the critical and commercial success of Austin Powers and the Spy Who Shagged Me, it was inevitable that a sequel followed and in 2002 Austin Powers in Goldmember was released. Acting as a direct parody of the James Bond films You Only Live Twice and Goldfinger, Austin Powers in Golmember continues to satirize 1960s and 70s spy films, while even going as far as to satirize … [Read more...]
Dr. No (1962) review by That Film Guy
The James Bond films are the longest running franchise in film history. The first ever Bond film, Dr. No was released in 1962 to mixed reviews, but despite its low budget of $1m it recouped a massive $56m at the box office, launched the 1960s spy thriller sub-genre and made lead star Sean Connery a household name. Since then there have been over 20 sequels which have dominated … [Read more...]
The Bourne Legacy (2012) review by That Film Guy
After a solid start the Bourne franchise has grown with each instalment, culminating in The Bourne Ultimatum, the epitome of sleek spy action film. The increasing success both commercially and critically can largely be placed at the feet of director Paul Greengrass, who stepped in for the last two films. His obvious chemistry with the character of Jason Bourne, played … [Read more...]
The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) review by That Film Guy
Reuniting star Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass, The Bourne Ultimatum ties up the original Bourne trilogy and sends off its lead character in a blistering blaze of quick-cut action and hyper-tense intrigue. The most expensive film in the franchise, The Bourne Ultimatum is also the most commercially successful having taken $440m from a budget of $100m. Loosely based on an … [Read more...]
The Bourne Supremacy (2004) review by That Film Guy
Following on from the surprise success of The Bourne Identity, writer Tony Gilroy returns to pen The Bourne Supremacy. This time at the director's helm is Paul Greengrass, while Matt Damon returns as lead character Jason Bourne. The Bourne Supremacy roughly matched its predecessor at the box office taking $288m from a modest budget of $75m. … [Read more...]
The Bourne Identity (2002) review by That Film Guy
Released at a time when the James Bond franchise was faltering in quality and believability, The Bourne Identity become a commercial success that further solidified Matt Damon's place as Hollywood A-Lister and created a franchise to challenge the British secret agent. Based on a novel by Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity was adapted to screen by Tony Gilroy and William Blake … [Read more...]
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) review by That Film Guy
Following the moderate success of Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, star Mike Myers and director Jay Roach return with Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. Much like the James Bond films that it gently satirises, this sequel plays against the law of diminishing returns, offering a funnier, bolder and groovier story about the super-spy and became a box office smash … [Read more...]