204. Dr No; movie review

 

DR. NO

Cert PG

110 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild action violence

Dr. No was released in 1962, the year before I was born, so it can be of little surprise that it jars against today's high-tech, politically correct presentation of James Bond.

The free and easy sex and treatment of people of colour as either servants or villains do not pass the test of time.

The dialogue is a tad stilted and the fight scenes are comical.

However, Dr. No was a ground-breaker. In cinemas after the Second World War, only Alfred Hitchcock had come close to creating the same exciting vibe.

And, just as The Beatles were emerging from their Cavern, Brits were able to hail a different type of hero in 007.

Sean Connery, a little-known actor who had been well down the list of initial suggestions but he made the role so much his own that Connery is Bond to many fans.

In Terence Young's Dr. No, Bond is sent to Jamaica following the disappearance of the M16 station chief.

Soon, he finds he is fishing in dangerous waters as a reclusive member of SPECTRE (Joseph Wiseman) plots a seismic event.

Inevitably, this would not be Bond without a pretty girl or five and luscious lady-in-chief here is Honey Ryder, played by Ursula A(U)ndress.

Beautiful people play out a world crisis to a beautiful Caribbean backdrop, Bond saves the planet and ends up being found in a boat with his arms around a woman.

The scene was set for decades of fun and we should all thank Dr. No and its makers for changing cinema forever even though it took the Bond franchise a while to be more socially responsible.

Reasons to watch: The first Bond

Reasons to avoid: Looks so tame by today's standards

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The producers’ first choice for the role of James Bond was Cary Grant. However, Grant turned down the role because many considered him to be too old and he was hesitant to sign a contract for three movies. Plus, the salary he could command was equal to Dr. No’s entire budget.

The final word. Production designer Sir Ken Adam: "It’s a very important film in my career. Because it was the first time I made a film in which I expressed our period and a little bigger than life. And also it influenced Stanley Kubrick in giving me Dr Strangelove to do. So it was a very, very important progression in my career as a designer. Even though when you look at it today, they seem - oh my God, it was made 45 years ago – old-fashioned, but it was the first one." From Sweden With Love

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