It is a fine start to a series which has provided the moviegoing public with some cinematic gems.
Dr. No (1963)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:41
Fresh:40
Rotten:1
Average Rating:7.6/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 2 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: With DR. NO, the first of the James Bond films, director Terence Young and leading man Sean Connery set the precedent for what would become one of the most popular, influential, and long-lasting... With DR. NO, the first of the James Bond films, director Terence Young and leading man Sean Connery set the precedent for what would become one of the most popular, influential, and long-lasting series ever made. Bond makes his first famous introduction, "Bond, James Bond," in an upscale casino, to a saucy brunette named Slyvia Trench (Eunice Gayson), who he promptly coaxes into a dinner date. Back at Secret Service Headquarters, M (Bernard Lee) assigns Bond to a mission in Jamaica. An agent who was investigating strange activity with nuclear weapons in Cape Canaveral has disappeared, and Bond is to take up where he left off. His contact, CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jack Lord) reminds Bond that his title, "007," means he has license to kill, not be killed. This advice comes in handy in Jamaica as assassins relentlessly emerge from the woodwork, desperately trying to bring Bond down. Bond makes his way to Crab Key Island to find evil scientist Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman), the primary suspect. There he is met with the obstacle of Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), a deadly beauty who emerges from the sea in a tiny bikini with a knife holster slung about her hips, in one of the most seductive Bond-girl moments of all time. With a striking lack of gadgets, DR. NO is a heartier mystery than subsequent films in the series, providing for some excellent adventures in which Bond must rely on his own clever spy skills to get out of sticky situations. [More]
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, Joseph Wiseman
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, Joseph Wiseman, John Kitzmiller, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell, Zena Marshall, Eunice Gayson, Anthony Dawson
Director: Terence Young
Director: Terence Young
Screenwriter: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkeley Mather
Producer: Harry Saltzman, Albert R. Broccoli
Composer: John Barry, Monty Norman
Reviews for Dr. No
The Bond formula is established in this first, arguably more credible Ian Fleming adaptation.
With a debut like this, it's no wonder that it spawned one of the biggest franchises ever.
The sweet scent of over-the-top Bond antics isn't evident in this tentative opening to the series.
All of the elements of the formula are there, but in pleasing moderation.
Capably brings together Caribbean travelogue, Gropius-type architecture, and cardboard computers with "danger level" plaques
...the next two installments improved the formula--but certainly Dr. No must be ranked among the best.
The first Bond is still one of the best Bonds, though modern audiences won't be wowed by the gadgetry that has become accelerated over the years.
A low budget and moments of unintentional camp can't derail Bond's irresistbly cool debut.
In an age where this genre of show often degenerates into a special effects extravaganza, it is refreshing to see one, like Dr. No, where brains can be characters' salvation.
Latest News for Dr. No
October 22, 2009:
Joseph Wiseman: 1918-2009 ![]()
Actor Joseph Wiseman, who famously portrayed the titular villain in the James Bond film "Dr. No," has passed away at the age of 91. More...
October 21, 2008:
Bonding with Bond, Day 1: Dr. No
Community Manager RT-Ryan has never seen a single James Bond film, except for 2006's Casino Royale. To rectify the situation, he decides to watch every Bond film and write... More...
July 24, 2008:
Further Reading: Dark Knight is Unforgettable, but Who Remembers James Batman?
The Dark Knight is setting cinemas alight all over the world, but, as Kim Newman discovers, there are other Batman movies that aren't quite so well known... James Batman - which... More...
October 01, 2007:
Goodbye, Ms. Moneypenny: Lois Maxwell Passes Away at 80
Lois Maxwell, best known for playing Miss Moneypenny in the James Bond franchise, passed away at Freemantle Hospital in Perth, Australia. She was 80. More...
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