Review 92: Dr. No

Dr. No is a classic spy film, it practically kick started one of biggest movie franchises ever made: The James Bond Films,

Based on the spy novel Dr. No by Ian Fleming, James Bond (007) (Sean Connery) is Britain's top agent and is on an exciting mission, to solve the mysterious murder of a fellow agent. The task sends him to Jamacia, where he joins forces with Quarrel (John Kitzmiller) and a loyal CIA agent, Felix Leiter (Jack Lord). While dodging tarantulas, "fire breathing dragons" and a trio of assassins, known as the three blind mice. Bond meets up with the beautiful Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) and goes face to face with the evil Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman).

The plot is brilliant, suspenseful  and pivots on the themes of the meaning of power and the concept of friendship and loyalty.
It was the perfect way for the series to start, it an intruiguing story and and feautures plenty of action, humor, thrills excitement. All the things the series would become known for.

Two main themes run through Dr. No: The meaning of power and the concept of friendship.

The meaning of power: Bond talks about the meaning of power with a number of villains in the series and his conversation with Dr. No shows that No believes that it can only be secured with privacy, quoting Clausewitz's first principle. Of lesser note, as academic Jeremy Black points out, although it is American assets that are under threat, it is British power, through the British agent that concludes the issue and a British warship, HMS Narvick, that is sent with British soldiers to the island at the end of the novel.

Friendship and Loyalty: The relationship between Bond and Quarrel, the Cayman Islander, is mutually felt. Quarrel proves to be an indispensable ally over the course of the film 

Direcotor Terence Young's directing is stylish, the, the cinematography is terrific and captures the warm, sunny and suspenseful environment of Jamaica. The production design is outstanding, the costume design is brilliant, the soundtrack by Monty Norman is catchy, the action scenes are thrilling, there are great moments of suspense, the locations are breathtaking, the James Bond theme by John Barry (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBQTPhCo4sI) is sensational and the ending was superb.

The acting is just fabulous, Sean Connery was just born to play James Bond, he effortlessly captures the suave
He also a bit of dry humour that never gets old.

Ursula Andress is luminous as his leading lady Honey Ryder

Joseph Kitzmiller is also very strong playing Quarrel, a

Joseph Wiseman is a scary titular villain.

Jack Lord as Bonds C.I.A counterpart Felix Leiter.

Also, you got a great supporting cast of the 007 regulars, you've Bernard Lee as 007's boss M, you've got Lois Maxwell as M's secretary Miss Moneypenny.

Dr No is a great start to a classic franchise and the Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark of the James Bond films, 5/5.

The Anonymous Critic