From Russia With Love Reviews

'From Russia with Love's bigger budget provides a slightly grander film than the franchise's first installment, but it still suffers from minor flaws. The film is more quicky paced and with a better plot, but does not have an enticing enough villain to compete with Connery's character. However, a few good action set pieces and a well shot film imply that the franchise is making good strides, and who better to keep in the driver seat than Sean Connery.

This was the second entry in the series of James Bond films, and it definitely ranks right up at the top as one of the best. Dr. No introduced most of the series trademarks, and this one brought in the rest, most notably Q.

It also is a more polished film than its predecessor, and one heck of an enjoyable spy thriller.

The shadowy organization SPECTRE are usually bent on world domination. This time, they team up with the KGB, and it seems as if all they just want a Russian decoding device. Bond steps in to stop them,. but, as good of an agent as he is, he can't help but get sidetracked by a lovely lady.

Connery really comes into his own here, and he's great. The villains, mainly Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb and Robert Shaw's Red Grant, are likewise quite excellent and memorable. The action and adventure are thrilling, the music is wonderful, and this goes down as one cool, suave, and awesome romp that is not to be missed.

This film has everything that was great about the first bond film, and more. The plot is wiser, the characters have more to do, the action is much more developed, and the character-to-character dialogue scenes are some of the most intense scenes I have ever seen in a movie. This film does everything to perfection, and what I love so much about these films is how easily each cast member can work with each other. They all feel so comfortable. I have no complaints about this film, besides a few characters that were brought up, but left out until then end of the film, but every movie can be poked at. "From Russia With Love" is a stunning Bond feature!

A film that contains nothing but the goods. A blisteringly entertaining and furiously fun action-packed thrill-ride. Connery is still in top form delivering more confidence and charm. Robert Shaw is terrific as the films villain giving him and Connery a great fight sequence together. A wonderfully enjoyable blast from start to finish.

An improvement on Dr. No with a more intriguing (although a little confusing) plot and better action sequences. Sean Connery is even better here than he was in the debut, showing just how cool he really is as James Bond. The villains are also memorable (especially Lotte Lenya as Rosa). The film definitely feels more like the traditional Bond formula than Dr. No and although it is not as tame as that movie, compared to later entries in the series, it's still pretty low-key. It would also be the last of its kind before the formula kicks in and takes these films in the more campy direction, therefore making it probably the best of the Connery era.

Shadowy criminal organisation SPECTRE plan to play the Russians and British secret service off against each other to obtain a strategically important decoding machine. The recent "reinvention" of Bond was really more of a process of going back to the roots of the franchise. The gritty, no-nonsense almost amoral tone of Bond was already in place at a very early stage and this is one of the best examples. Connery had eased nicely into the part and here shows the easy charm and tough guy charisma that enabled him to make the part his own and he shares a charming relationship with the lovely Daniela Bianchi rather than the cynical misogyny of the later films. There are also great turns from Pedro Armendariz as his Turkish sidekick and especially Robert Shaw as a sociopathic hired killer; he occupies all the best scenes, in particular the brutal showdown between he and Bond on a train. It does have its weaknesses; SPECTRE's head honchos with their clumsy exposition, silly accents and insistence on telling their entire plan to the audience are straight out of Austin Powers and the final scene is corny as hell. But if you can get past the awkward opening scenes, Bond's (eventual) appearance is well worth waiting for. One of the best of the original Bond series.

Solid second offering in the Bond series, but not quite as good as "Dr. no". I think that's because this is an incomplete film, more of a setup for what is still to come. The reason I say that is we never see Ernst Stavro Blofeld's face(head of Spectre), so we know he and Bond will have to face off eventually, just not here. Having said that, it is bigger, more action, more women, and just more Bond in general. Connery as Bond is pitch perfect. He's the true definition of "men want to be him, and want want to be with him". Here, Spectre is after a decoding device, and one Bond has it they set out to trap and kill him. There's a fantastic fight scene on a train towards the end between Bond and Red Grant(one of the villains). I also love the introduction of the gadgets, as it doesn't go overboard like other films, but it sets things up pretty nice. Great movie, in a great series.

10/06/2012 (DVD)

BOND IS BACK! Still charming the women, still escaping in the nick of time and as usual, still saving the day! More cool gadgets to aid in his missions and of course more witty liners after a punch-up and still damn suave with a kick-ass grin!

This is number 2 on my "James Bond" marathon and so far I'm having a good time. It's the 1960's so I'm not anticipating any over the top action but all in all the action is still quite amazing with the time considered. It's quite a heavy theme with governmental issues that I have no doubt is possibly existing.

Sean Connery as 007 is such a smooth player! This marathon is going to be interesting as the time changes also with the actors so I'm looking forward to the rest of this franchise. Can't wait for Skyfall? Then do the "James Bond" marathon!

In comparison to the first film (DR. NO), this second 007 film was a huge jump. In fact, as I was watching DR. NO, I kept wondering if it was every going to get more interesting, as well as why Albert R. Broccoli decided to continue the series (and why a surprising number of audiences went to see it) when the suspense seemed like that of a 1940s film and every gunshot sounded like an audible skin puncturing. I thought FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE was going to be just about the same, maybe with a year's worth of improvement. It wasn't. It was very thrilling, very well-produced (though not very well-acted, in my opinion, because of Connery), and by the end, I had decided it was one of the best Bond films.

From Russia with Love is old school Bond fun.

Villains carefully explaining their future plans instead of killing Bond while they can, and subsequently allowing him to escape and foil their plots? Check!

Hot women, both friend and foe, ready to leap into bed with the super spy? Check!

Tricky gadgetry that just happens to be exactly what's needed to get out of a life or death situation? Check!

Globe trotting adventures to thwart shadowy organizations and sinister villains? Check!

From Russia with Love is a fun, solid Bond movie. The action and fight scenes are entertaining (grenades and helicopters don't mix well, apparently). Daniela Bianchi is a sexy Bond Girl, though her role is basically just plot device/eye candy, as opposed to some of the other women who have had bigger roles in the story and action of their respective Bond films. And those gypsy girls...well, I wouldn't have minded if the entire movie would have been about them.

Anyway, good villains, gritty fights, the introduction of many of the trademarks of the series, and Connery in his groove, all make this a Bond film that any fan will enjoy.

A rare Bond film that has lots of action without ever getting too silly.

I liked this Bond movie a bit better than the first, it's a little less confusing story wise, but I'm still not a big fan of the series.

There's something quite special about movies from the 1960's. Especially the James Bond ones, which are always a delight to the eyes. Even if they aren't as exciting action-wise as today's 007 features, they do offer something that's always worth returning to: namely stunning cinematography and sophisticated directing. It's quite a rare thing these days, as most contemporary film-makers just wanna cram in as much action as possible, and find it immensely difficult to keep their cameras steady. As if audiences today have such a low attention-span, that we can't enjoy a movie unless there's a thousand things going on at once. That's why it's so nice to have films like this to escape to. Because altough it may not be a favourite of mine in the Bond series, at least it doesn't insult my intelligence. So if you should ever feel the need for a break from 21th century Hollywood, this sure makes for a good alternative. No shaky cams, no cheesy dialogue. Just pure old-fashioned A-grade entertainment.

Another phenomenal Bond film, the second in the series is just as good as the first one. But with the added fact that the budget is bigger and the story is even bigger. From Russia With Love is an even more exhilarating film than Dr No. In this film the audience is introduced to an unforgettable Bond Villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld., one of the best and greatest of all Bond villains. From Russian With Love also has some memorable villains besides Blofeld, Red Grant and Rosa Klebb (who actually "killed" James Bond at the end of the book version) With every Bond film, the stories get better, and the villains more deadly, From Russia With Love is a great example of that, and definitely remains a classic of the series.

Too complicated story...why not just say "the baguy's in there!" And I can't remember...did they ever solve the problem? I just remember the movie ending. But Bond is such a bully. That saved this movie from a 2 ½ star rating

The second of the instalments of the James Bond Series. Another mission and the introduction of the secret agent gadges, another love interest and of course not forgetting the trademark cheesy one liners.

Not a particularly exciting film, but if like me you are working your way through the list in order then of course it?s a film that must be seen.

The second in the series of James Bond Movies. And finally we get to see some neat secret agent gear, a brief case with a talcum powder can that explodes if case is open wrong, the explosion is tear gas. Also case contains 50 Gold Solverns (Wish I had Them). And it holds a knife, ohh wow secret agent gear of the sixties, would interest anyone today. But James works with a female Russian agent who he falls in love with and is simply beautiful. The object is to get a code machine back to England. Far better then Dr No, have to give it 4 stars.

James Bond Movies are just Awesome.

Could be the best Bond film ever, it?s neck and neck with Goldfinger for me. It does have the best song though!

This is what a perfect Bond film is. The sequel to Dr. No finds Bond in Turkey at the behest of a Soviet stenographer (Daniela Bianachi) who is offering the superspy a decoding device. What is actually happening is a well planned operation by SPECTRE to get the east and the west in a conflict that will allow them to take over. Robert Shaw also stars as SPECTE's secret weapon.From Russia with Love further developed the Bond film. Dr. No was the foundation and this film was built upon the basic scenario of Bond having a mission to save the world. Connery further develops the Bond role that would be the standard for the next forty years.