Dr. No Review
In my time toiling in quarantine and unemployment, I’ve had to find many different interests to pass my endless free time. Chief among the most recent ones is my developing interest in James Bond films. Of late I find myself watching a Bond film every week in order to broaden my scope and knowledge of the franchise and formulate my own opinions on every film, every actor. What better way to start off my reviews of the 007 Franchise than with the film that started it all off, Dr. No.
I will try to keep things as spoiler-free as possible.
In Dr. No, James Bond (Sean Connery) investigates the disappearance of MI6 agents stationed in Jamaica. The leads and investigation eventually uncover a plot by the titular Dr. Julius No (Joseph Wiseman) to exemplify the might and resources of the secret organization he works for. Aided by allies such as CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jack Lord), the original Bond Girl Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) and others to thwart No.
The plot, for the first Bond film, is solid. Albeit, nothing that really impressive, but solid. As it unfolds it remains simple to understand yet entertaining. It also has those legendary moments that set the Bond franchise on its way. One such moment was the timeless introduction of 007.
Where I did have issues is in some moments of execution. Often times the film slows down and dwells too long on some particular scenes and the details in them. While the meticulous attention which often displays Bonds competence is a nice touch, it does considerably slow the pace. It becomes more problematic when the scenes are on a single wide shot. Aside from those gripes, there is enough action and humor to compensate, though I would have preferred more which could have better set the pacing.
Acting wise is the element of the film that is best. Sean Connery is brilliant in the first ever outing of an actor as 007, displaying every reason why he is the greatest to ever play the role. Also, taking Connery’s being 32 years old at the film’s release, he displays a fresher look and energy than many of the other Bond actors I’ve seen so far.
Supporting Connery are strong performances by Joseph Wiseman as the titular villain. Stone cold, competent and with a menacing glare, Wiseman makes Dr. No a memorable villain and among the best in the Bond franchise. Another highlight is Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder, who dazzles in her time on screen. Though, I will say the English dubbing for the character by Nikki van der Zyl, was less than impressive. The lip sync done is obvious and peeving to look at.
As for the music and sound of the movie, it lines up with as much as can be expected from a 60s movie. The background music works out for much of the movie. I will make a comment on when the Bond theme overture is used. For a scenes the theme is featured, it doesn’t seem to fit at all. While it’s understandable if this is a result of technological limitations of the era, nonetheless it is something which doesn’t sit well.
Overall, Dr. No is a solid, yet flawed film. Carried by the performances of the actors, with iconic moments sprinkled in, the movie is an entertaining watch. It has a more details oriented approach which is a nice touch. But it suffers from too much focus on them and slows the pace and takes away from some excitement.
RATING: 3.5/5
