Dr. No (1962)

 

Bond: Sean Connery (From Russia with Love • Never Say Never Again)

Bond Girl: Honey Ryder  Played By: Ursula Andress (Casino Royale (1967) • Clash of the Titans)
Bond Villain: Dr. Julian No  Played By: Joseph Wiseman (Viva Zapata! • "Crime Story") 
.Villain's Goons: Three Blind Mice

Genre: Action Adventure Thriller (UK)

Directed By: Terence Young (From Russia with Love • Thunderball)

Overview: When the radio signal of a fellow agent goes dead, Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate his possible demise. Intelligence points to a private island owner, Doctor Julius No, who may have the capability of using radio waves to take down US rockets.

As premises go, it's quite simple. As the plot develops, leads follow an easy string of conclusion. And for as mainstream and simple a story Dr. No is, the first James Bond film made still begins as a powerhouse on the screen. Dr. No does certainly show signs of aging. Not in the near-misogynistic way every man he treats every woman like a piece of pork chop… that's expected, even endearing. What I refer to is the basic education we've picked up since 1962:

A.) Everybody knows that most tarantulas aren't so poisonous as to cause a superspy more than a 2-day swollen aggravation on the rare chance that it bites you.
B.) High speed car chases down dirt roads can't possibly cause your tires to squeal. See, that’s because dirt makes a DIRT sound, not a screeching CONCRETE sound - just a tip for you sound boys.
C.) Since we're on the sound work beef, repeatedly playing a kazoo in the water, no matter how many times you do it, never sounds like a chirping bird.

Still, there are certainly more enjoyable things of note than not, including these interesting observations:

1.) Bond floozies, you know, ones not even worthy of being dubbed ‘Girls’, when driven by sex, have absolutely no problem having a gun suddenly pointed at them. It actually makes them randy. 
     1b.) Making a 'Bond Girl' is as easy as finding a broad on the beach, asking her 3 personal questions then dragging her around with you.
2.) Dr. No - cold hands, warm heart
     2b.) For as much as his aquarium costs a million dollars, there's still no sharks with frikken laser beams on 'em.

3.) The LaSalle Hearse

4.) Wash your radiation cancer woes away with a three-tiered conveyor-belted shower!

5.) If you see a giant light-up "ABANDON BASE" sign above a door, odds are it's pretty frequently used. 

Yet, what I found most interesting about Dr. No is how many of the established conventions began from the first film: The musical score and use of that unforgettable 'Bond suspense music'; the opener of James Bond seen through the barrel of a gun; we also have Connery, tied for most prolific of the Bonds, sharing the #1 spot with Roger Moore at seven films. Though the nudity of the opening scene is not yet the norm, we do have silhouetted dancing Bond girls, and though I've heard that most Bonds begin with James completing a mission, this is not one of those. Instead we find James playing baccarat with his first ever lay. And I thought baccarat was a distinguished game...

Bond Cars: For a brief moment Bond is seen driving to bedded dame Number 2's place in a Sunbeam Alpine Series II Sports 

Bond Gadgets: Besides his new gun, James is assigned a portable Geiger Counter. Nothing too sci-fi crazy.

Another couple neat tidbits:
The gun that bond is assigned in this film becomes his mainstay pistol for the entire series, the Walther PPK.

In the scene where James meets Honey Ryder and tries to whisk her away from danger, she tells him that she needs to keep the seashells that she's gathered, adding that one in particular could fetch $50 dollars in Miami. $50 in 1962 had the same buying power as $356.54 dollars today. Yeah, get your seashells at Crab Key island, kiddies.

"Well you'll get to be my first lay ever, which is it's own reward..."
 

Performance: 8 Cinematography: 7 Script: 7 Plot: 8 Mood: 8

Overall Rating: 76% (Actually, Yes)

SuperSpyStats

Personal bodycount: 4 - 1 of which is with his bare hands!

Foiled Assassinations: 4

Near Misses: 1

Dames Bedded: 3

Martinis drank: 2

What's all this?