Ringing in the New Year with 'Dr. No'!

Dr. No (1962) at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Tonight (Monday, January 1), I went to the Shin Bungeiza to catch a screening of Dr. No (1962) in 4K. I'd seen the film once before -- sometime in 2015 when I decided to watch all the Bond films I hadn't yet seen, which was most of them. I remember more or less liking the movie at the time, but it didn't leave a big impression on me.

So I was enthusiastic about seeing the picture the way it was meant to be seen. It looked excellent in 4K, which was never in doubt. 

Dr. No at the Shin Bungeiza in Ikebukuro. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Overall, I liked the movie, but I will confess that the first half of the movie is far superior to the second. The first half contains many lush Jamaican locations and fun action set pieces. The second half? Well, they're either stuck on Crab Key or Dr. No's lair. I wouldn't say the second half is bad, but it just can't hold a candle to the excitement of the first. 

Kaiju figures on display at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Dr. No himself may not be the series' best villain, but he's certainly a cut above the forgettable baddies of the late '70s and beyond. The last great Bond villain I can remember is Christopher Lee as Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974). After that, even if I remember the actor who played a particular bad guy, I can't for the life of me recall anything about what he actually did in the movie. As the series went on, the bad guys seemed to get more bland and generic. 

More kaiju figures on display at the Shin Bungeiza. Photo by Brett Homenick.

As for Bond himself, nobody is in the same building as Sean Connery. He is by far the best Bond. Based on my 2015 viewings, I'd say From Russia with Love (1963) and Diamonds Are Forever (1971) were my favorite Bond outings.  

Gamera flies at the Shin Bungeiza! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Despite the criticism he gets (and he certainly overstayed his welcome in the role), I'd name Roger Moore my second-favorite Bond. I do remember enjoying The Man with the Golden Gun and For Your Eyes Only (1981) quite a bit, though the two movies he made after that were indeed pretty bad, as I recall.

Manda and King Ghidorah guard the soda machine. Photo by Brett Homenick.

I went a bit off-topic, I suppose, but I really don't have much else to say about Dr. No. It was good, but I just wish it maintained its original level of energy into the second half. What a nice way to kick off the New Year!