**REWATCHING ‘DR. NO’ TO THE MEMORY OF SIR SEAN CONNERY**



WRITING: 7
ATMOSPHERE: 7
CHARACTERS: 7
PRODUCTION: 5
INTRIGUE: 6
NOVELTY: 7
ENJOYMENT: 7


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**The Good:**

The classic opening sequence sets the standard for all the rest of the Bond films, even though it is slightly messier than the subsequent ones. That main theme is just as majestic now as it surely was back in 1962.

Sean Connery isn't my favourite Bond actor, but it's impossible to deny the charm and cultural impact his performance has gained over the decades. He looks good, he is suave and he feels like the handsome and calculative spy he is supposed to be.

Ursula Andress is suitably good-looking and tough as the very first Bond girl. Her acting is okay and her characterization might not completely work by today's standards, but she remains some of the better Connery era Bond girls.

Quarrel remains one of my favourite sidekicks of all time; he's such high-spirited that it's difficult not to like him.

The classic Bond film formula wasn’t established until Goldfinger (1964), but Dr No still contains many elements that are considered iconic nowadays and looking out for them as a Bond fan is just as entertaining as enjoying the film.

Joseph Wiseman sets the standard for a Bond villain performance with his cold and creepy demeanour.

As is usual for Bond movies, Dr No has an immensely quotable script and contains several memorable sequences.


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**The Bad:**

The one-off Q seen here is so dry and forgettable I always forget that it isn't Desmond Llewellyn who is in this one.

The performances, action and editing are very 60s at times, and not as high quality as in some of the later Connery Bonds. Some of the supporting acting is horrendous.

Dr No sets up the main mission, but takes a good while to turn interesting, which happens once Bond arrivers at Crab Key Island.

The main theme heard throughout the film is iconic, but the rest of the score is average at best.

The Crab Key dragon is one of the sillier and more laughable foes Bond has faced.

It's a shame Dr No doesn’t have a bigger presence in the film. One barely realizes he's the big baddie of the film because he only appears in person during the last 25 minutes.

The climax is one of the least exciting in the entire series and doesn’t feel like a climactic sequence at all. It’s over almost as soon as it started.


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**The Ugly:**

RIP Sean Connery. You are sorely missed.


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**WACPINE RATING: 6.57 / 10 = 3.5 stars**