The first of the James Bond films (I trust there will be others) has the air of knowing exactly what it is up to, and that has not been common in British thrillers since the day when Hitchcock took himself off to America.

Full Review | Aug 8, 2022

The first movie to feature Ian Fleming's iconic secret agent seems almost quaint when compared to the pictures that followed, but that's hardly meant as a knock.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Sep 25, 2021

It's like a prototype requiring polishing; and more than twenty subsequent films would keep reshaping and perfecting that template.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Aug 24, 2020

This is the birth of Bond and the beginning of something special.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jul 16, 2020

Stylish, armed with handsome production values, and sporting a confident lead actor, Dr. No is a strong entry point, elemental in kickstarting the global phenomenon we know and love.

Full Review | Mar 27, 2020

This is the first of lan Fleming's droll, nasty and absorbing spy thrillers to reach the screen. It augurs well for the future of the series.

Full Review | Oct 7, 2019

The first half hour I took to be a fairly good spoof on sex-espionage films in general... Then James Bond lands on Dr. No's atomic island and science fiction takes over with lethal results in every sense of the word.

Full Review | Aug 12, 2019

Brilliant lead actor and villain hold the film together, despite a few flaws. The fact that it got so much right from the start is a real testament to the film series.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jan 27, 2019

Dr. No is a solid, if unspectacular, start to the longest-lived movie series of all time

Full Review | Nov 2, 2018

If you've given up on the many iterations of the Bond franchise, it's worth shaking off all that adaptation decay and going back to the original, which is more fun and less sexist than many of the later films.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 9, 2018

It reads like a serial and plays the same way, quite as if it were several chapters of genuine cliff-hanger compressed into one feature picture. The action is there, as rapid as the movement of a flapping window blind in a hurricane.

Full Review | Dec 30, 2017

Of course, it's dated -- a Sunbean Alpine isn't exactly cutting edge transport -- but the elegant playboy spy with just a whiff of danger was clearly here to stay.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 9, 2015

The James Bond series started in great style with this cleverly conceived dose of sheer escapism that, unlike later episodes, remained true to the essence of Ian Fleming's super-spy novels.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 9, 2015

About as perfect a franchise-starter as you could imagine and certainly accomplishes the task of leaving you eagerly anticipating Bond's next adventure.

Full Review | Original Score: 9/10 | Mar 18, 2013

The first James Bond cast a relatively unknown actor, Sean Connery, who forever defined 007 as a cool, suave, womanizing agent, adept at delivering witty one liners.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jan 13, 2013

The film geek in me wants to praise it, but the film critic in me wants to expose its flaws. I still have a soft spot for it, but if I'm being truly honest, it's kind of lackluster.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Oct 16, 2012

In the end, it's more gumshoe mystery than action-adventure and, comparative to almost everything that followed, very low-key. But legends must start somewhere, and looking back at its reminders of how Bond wasn't always "Bond" are fascinating.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 11, 2012

The low-key mystery plot and the resolutely human-sized drama of it all makes this one of the sanest of all Bond pictures.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | May 27, 2012

007's silver screen debut. Not for young kids.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 1, 2011

It's terrific entertainment, to be sure, but its unevenness keeps up from being a great film.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 7, 2010