Ok, so here is why this is one of the best James Bond films ever made. It does a spy story in a pretty close to realistic way. Now, I'm not saying I don't like some of the more over the top things in other films that much. I just love that this feels like it could have happened around a pretty enjoyable agent. However, it is still pretty damn fun to watch unlike some "real" spy films I've seen. I think Connery is really high into his role at this point, and stays that way for a few more before he gets bored.

All the other actors are great in this too, especially the bad guy who goes on to fight a great white shark in a Spielberg film. And a lot of people underestimate the quality of cinematography. I love the entire train scene. It is so long but flies past me it is so good. Anyway, make sure you watch this one if you're interested in Bond a little bit.

When considering places to visit, the set locations from Bond films are always a hood place to start.

I have to get to see those underground waterways built by the Romans. Awesome.

This film is superb, great characters and story with a shock opening!

Very slow after a solid opening. That goes for most Bond movies though. They all pick up again in the middle.

From Russia With Love is definitely a must-see not only for Bond fans, but for every discerning film lover.A true classic.

This quite a joyride, if at times it's racy to the point of erotic hilarity. Some sections of the first half are a bit sluggish due to Bond's...easily distractible nature, yet once things pick up, they don't slow down. The plot can feel a bit monotonous and convoluted at times, with several different players who are more or less trying to do the same thing and using similar methods; yet once we get to the third act, things get a fair bit clearer and the plot becomes easier to follow. While I frankly do think it would have made for a more shocking ending if the primary plot twist wasn't revealed until the beginning of the third act, I don't mind it too much for clarity's sake, and Sean Connery's strong acting during the in-universe reveal more than makes up for the lack of surprise on the audience's end.

Very enjoyable and in some ways a stronger outing than Dr No given it has more action in it.

On the upside - the train carriage fight is still excellent. The arrival of Q. The start of lots of locations per movie.

On the downside - pacing is patchy and some parts drag unnecessarily. The finale is weak and underwhelming.

In many ways, this is the blueprint of Bond. It's certainly the blueprint of the current Bond films as Casino Royale has a lot to owe this film's approach.

Bond is still human here. Clever, cunning, yet not invincible.

(oh and the misogyny and sexism is there now. It is counterbalanced by all women in the film being two-dimensional sex kittens!)


7.75/10

"There's a saying in England: Where there's smoke, there's fire."

007: the James Bond Rewatch-a-thon.

Still one of my favorite Bond films. I love Daniela Bianchi as the beautiful Tatiana, the fight between Bond and Grant on the train, the boat chase, Sean Connery being more comfortable in the role of Bond, the scene with the Billboard, the beautiful shots of Istanbul, the Bond theme song, the Helicopter scene and I could go on for a long time.

It improves a lot from Dr. No and it is my favorite Connery Bond film. Lovely rewatch.

Not only do From Russia with Love have one of the most beautiful and charming Bond girls of all time in Daniela Bianchi, but it's also one of the Bond movies that adhere best to the rules of a spy-thriller. There's not a lot of gadgets and other stuff that James Bond is now known for, but that does not matter in the end. It's also a step up from the first one, which makes this a must see for the fans of Bond or a good spy thriller in general.

Despite continuing Dr. No's down to earth-ness, it is a much faster (ie: better) paced film. Not to mention, it actually develops it's villains rather than occasionally mention him and then have him appear in the final 20 mins. By gosh, does this film love playing the 007 theme song over and over again, especially in the first half-hour where James does some mundane things. Also what's with that glaring jump-cut in the last scene? But despite these nitpicks, From Russia With Love builds on the foundations Dr. No set up and heavily improves upon it. Better storytelling, better acting, better action. The true groundwork for what would become one of cinema's greatest franchises.

I was expecting the sequel to the original _James Bond_ movie to be at least a slight improvement; unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. The storyline seemed pretty weak, one-dimensional, and there didn't seem to be very in the way of "international espionage" or intrigue. I was also surprised at how the Bond character seemed to get "caught by surprise" multiple times in the story, even thinking _"You're not much of a spy if you can be duped that easily..."_ But it's just a movie, and on this particular occasion, I was underimpressed. It wasn't a "bad" movie; just not a lot of depth or intrigue, and certainly no reason to ever repeat watching this one.

James Bond Complete - Movie #2

After a rewatch, I'm still pretty much of the same opinion on "From Russia With Love". I should mention again that it isn't action-packed by any means, it's actually pretty slow. The title sequence isn't much. There's some shadowed close-ups of women's body parts and blurred credits that are tough to read. The music didn't stand out at all and the wild Ken Adam sets, like Dr. No's island base, aren't here.

I believe this is one of the most popular Bond films and although it's good, of the first two flicks I prefer "Dr. No". That said, Connery is a lean mean fightin' machine here. "From Russia With Love" is largely Q-gadget free except for a pretty cool briefcase.

There are no intimidating evil henchmen, only Red Grant who is almost an equal to Bond in a fist fight and is a pretty brutal thug. The scenery is stunning and it looks great on Blu-Ray.

I think what keeps this one down for me is that a large portion of the film takes place on a train. It makes for some claustrophobic moments when instead of seeing Bond fight the bad guys in the wide open spaces. Blofeld is here (petting his cat of course) and his presence adds to the laundry list of SPECTRE villains on hand.

Murders before, during and after the Orient Express. ;)