From Russia With Love Film Review

The James Bond franchise is perhaps one of if not the most famous spy franchise in the whole entire world. With there being over twenty films in this still on going franchise and yet even so every single franchise has to start somewhere with alot of the thigs that we know and love about the James Bonds films oddly enough starting in this very film and so then join me as I review the film that sees the introduction of an iconic James Bond actor and an iconic James Bond villain with the film in question being called simply just "From Russia With Love" enjoy.

The plot of the film is when a Soviet consulate clerk wants to defect James Bond is sent to assist her and he has to stop SPECTRE from getting there revenge on him for the death of a fellow SPECTRE agent. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt about the actual plot that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film was in all honesty not that bad as the plot of this film was indeed really intriguing and it did a good job of setting up SPECTRE as a true threat to Bond and his allies simply by having them be this unstoppable killing machine that could quite literally come from anywhere as anyone could be a SPECTRE agent and the fact that they were the ones to lie out this very complicated plot for Bond in the first place does make them seem like they really know what there doing and while it could be seen as being tiring watching Bond essentially play catch up to what we already know is happening in the films plot it still doesn't change the fact that it makes for a rather story as well as we get to see Bond actually be a spy and work things out for the vast majority of the films plot with the plot of this film also being really rather entertaining and as well as being really rather engaging as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Of course this film does indeed star Sir Sean Connery as James Bond , Bernard Lee as M and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. Also starring in this film is Desmond Llewelyn as Q and Eunice Gayson as Sylvia Trench now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film well then in all honesty I in all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film was in all honesty really good with all of the MI6 regulars really doing the best with the scenes that are they given and even Desmond Llewelyn , Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell only have at best three scenes in the whole entire film they really do make the most of those scenes with all three of them being truly wonderful in those scenes with all three of them really owning there roles which for a franchise that was only in it's second ever entry at the point in time is truly something to behold with it being as clear as day why all of these actors are so well known as there respective characters as all three of them are just so good in their roles and while Eunice Gayson only has a scene in the whole entire it's enough to show off just how playful her character and her performance really does highlight that aspect of her character with of course the best performance in the whole entire film going to Sir Sean Connery as James Bond who is just so cool in this film with him being alot more comfortable in the role and that is something that really shine through in the overall acting that's in this very film.

Also starring in this film is Pedro Armendáriz as Ali Kerim Bey and Daniela Bianchi as Tatiana Romanova. Also starring in this film is Barbara Jefford as the voice of Tatiana Romanova , Robert Shaw as Donald Grant , Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb , Vladek Sheybal as Kronsteen , Anthony Dawson as Ernst Stavro Blofeld , Eric Pohlmann as the voice of Ernst Stavro Blofeld , Walter Gotell as Morzeny , Aliza Gur as Vida , Martine Beswick as Zora and Fred Haggerty as Krilencu. Now then interms of what I personally thought / felt about the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film well then in all honesty I inn all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual acting that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film was on all honesty really good with all of this films actors turning in some really good performances in this film and while some of the films actors turn in better performances then others even those bad performances are still really good in their own right and alot of that does come down to the fact that this films director Terence Young really does know how to get a good performance out of his actors with the acting that's in this very film really being helped by the fact that this films script is just so good that all this films actors really have to do is just say the lines as they are written and a good performance really will come out of them more naturally which is something that really help to raise the overall quality of the acting that's in this very film.

This film does technically have two Bond Girls with the films main bond girl being Tatiana Romanova who is of course played by the seriously stunning Daniela Bianchi. With Tatiana in this film being a really bad character and a really badly written character as well as all she is is a character that's just there to be rescued and that's really it with there not really being nothing to her character which does make you wonder why the makers of this film chose to create a character that's this bland when they could have given her more of a personality and more to do in this film other then be dragged from place to place by Bond and heck the film even could have dealt with her inner struggle as she has to decide does she want to be with Bond and go against SPECTRE and possibly die or does she go with SPECTRE and go against Bond that is something that would have made her a more interesting character and yet for some strange reason the film doesn't do any of that with her character just coming across as being a really bland character with this not really being helped by the fact that Daniela Bianchi really can't act which isn't her fault as she wasn't a trained actor but at the same time her bad acting really doesn't help the character become a memorable or even a good character in her right as all it does is remind you that your watching a film.

The films other Bond Girl is Sylvia Trench who is of course played by the seriously stunning Eunice Gayson. With her character being the better written of the two characters mostly because of the fact that we the audience have had a little bit longer time with her character due to her appearance in the previous film but also the writing for her character as well as we get to see that she's evolved from her appearance in the previous film where she was quite literally the female version of Bond where as here she's a little bit more playful and a little bit bit more flirty whilst still being this really cool character and while it is understandable why her character was cut from the franchise as you can't have Bond have a regular girlfriend and still go around getting with all of these beautiful women as all that does is make Bond look like a cheater and it makes his girlfriend look dumb for not calling him out on it but at the same time tho it would have been fun if the franchise did continue you on with this character as then they could have fulfilled with there idea for this character by having her be the main Bond Girl in a future James Bond film which then would have worked and if the character was killed of it would then make her death all the more meaningful as we the audience have had more time with her character and t get to really know her character as well.

With the better Bond girl being Sylvia Trench just because of the fact that we the audience have had more time with her character. While the film wouldn't have been any better if her character was the main Bond Girl as then you'd have to explain why she's suddenly a Soviet consulate and not this woman who lives and works presumably in England which even for the James Bond would be a bit to much to do but the same time tho her character really is the better Bond Girl character this is despite the fact that we don;t really get to find out that much about her character this is something that does make sense given what they original plan was for her character and while it would have been great to see that plan be fulfilled it is understandable why they got rid of her character and as result of that is the fact that we the audience are now left with a character that despite having all of the potential to be a really good character due to the sheer nature of these films we dont really get to find out all that much about her and as a result of that is the fact that her character really does feel like a really undercooked character that has the basis of a good character and is a better character then Tatiana Romanova as it's clear as day that the writers put more effort into Sylvia then they did to Tatiana Romanova and that is something that really does make Sylvia the better Bond Girl.

While this film does indeed feature debut of major James Bond alley it also features the debut of a major James Bond villain as well, As this is the film that sees Ernst Stavro Blofeld for the first time in this film and while the character doesn't reveal his face we do get to see that he is a really creepy character who is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals even if it means killing his own men and while it is odd seeing him in a nice looking suit that's just because of the fact that the other films that feature the character have him in his more traditional attire it is still fun to see where this character and the voice that they give the character really is something that really does fit with this very version of the character as the voice does come across as being really threatening and commanding like you don;t want to mess around with his character otherwise you'll end up dead and buried and that is something that really does come across all in his voice alone and while he isn't the main villain as that honor does go more to Rosa Klebb then it does to Blofeld it was still interesting seeing where this truly iconic character started knowing how popular he would become and knowing that he would take centre stage as the main villain just a few short years later and even tho we don;t get to find out all the much bout him it could very well be argued that that is something that does work to the films advantage as it allows the makers of this film to create this mystery surrounding who he is as he really could be anyone in the film and we really wouldn't know about it until it's far to late.

What alot of might not know is the fact that this film also started the trend of having the pre-title sequence. With the pre-title sequence in this film serving as a good way to set up Donald Grant and set up how deadly and efficient he is and it also sets up the trope of having a fake James Bond killed of which is something that works no only because of the fact that it's the first time that this idea was done but it's also done so well as it then lets us the audience know that this is someone who really could kill of James Bond with ease if he so wanted to and while the next Bond film will introduce the idea of the pre-title sequence as we know them to be that being a a smaller scale separate mission for James Bond that would usually end on a joke here tho it's the complete opposite with this films pre-title sequence giving us the audience a good idea of just how big of a threat SPECTRE really is and how much danger James Bond really is in in this film with this being something that really does work for this film as SPECTRE so far in the franchise wasn't portrayed as being that big of threat since we only had the one film before his one and yet here with this films pre-title sequence we get the idea that this is an organization that really does have the money and the power to do whatever it is that they want to do and do it to whomever the want to do as well.  

This is the film that also sees the introduction of the legendary Desmond Llewelyn as the truly iconic character of Q. With the character in this film only appearing in one scene but it's a scene that whilst it doesn't fully set up what his relationship with Bond is like as that's something that happens in the next film it's still a scene that sets up this character perfectly as it gives you just enough to make you want to see more of him and yet at the same time none of the scene that he's in takes away from the film as it's a scene that's also setting up things for later on in the film as well with the film also having the very first gadget which in this case is simply but tricked out suitcase that can store great many a thing that Bond will be needed for this mission and store them in places where you wouldn't normally find them and it's fun seeing that come onto affect later in the film and while the character of Q doesn't get the chance to display much in the way of a personality what little we do get to see of him we do get to see that he's quite clearly passionate about his work something that we do see playout at several points in the franchises and it was really interesting to see here in this film as was the fact that we get to see that Bond and Q both respect each other something which is of course seen in the other films it's in those films that we also get to see the fact that Bond looks up to Q as kind of like a father figure and not just someone that he works with.

As was just mentioned the only true gadget that we get to see in this film is the briefcase that James Bond uses in the film. While the other films would go to extremes with the gadgets almost to the point where in the Pierce Brosnan films they rely on them a bit to much here it's just the one gadget with Bond for the rest of the film having to use more of wits to get himself and hi friends out of the situations that they find themselves in in this film with this film being a good case for having less gadgets because of this fact but at the me time tho by having more gadget the film can then have more fun and inventive action scenes due to the fact that they then get the chance to use those gadgets in fun and inventive ways as well but when push does come to shove less does always equal more as it means that the tension of Bond trying to figure a way out of any situation can now be built up in a smart and fun way instead of having James Bond just use one of his gadgets to get himself out of any given situation and it helps the suitcase disguise is such a good idea as alot of people back in the sixties would have had them and as such it is something that really does allow for James Bond to blend in more with other people and yet still do so in a way that's true to his character as well and because of that is the fact that we end up with a gadget that really could be used in alot of ways and you'd still be able to hide in plain site either before or after using it. 

This film does a really good job of showing us just how powerful that SPECTRE really is with them even having there own private island just dedicated to training future possible agents. That alone is a solid idea but the film doesn't go all the way with it with them not really showing that much of what it is that makes them this all powerful entity with them instead just showing the island and at the start of the film and that's it and that's not enough to get that idea as if the the film really wanted to get that idea across then they should have had more SPECTRE agents from all walks of live both rich and poor go after Bond even if they don't fight him it would be a small thing that would showcase that these people really do want Bond dead and that they really can come out of nowhere and if they wanted to showcase the agents training then they also could have had there own private city that has a disguise as something else so that the government wouldn't no whats really going on as that again would showcase just how powerful they really are and it also show us that there are integrated into everyday live even without us knowing all about and yet because of the fact that the film only goes halfway with that idea all we end up with in this film is in idea that's still a good idea but it's also a really undercooked and half baked idea as well.

Doing the production design is Syd Cain and the sets that he creates for this film just aren't that good as alot of them while they are impressive looking sets in there own rights there still lacking that extra something that the sets in the previous films had. While there are indeed some rather impressive sets in this film with the chess set being a huge set that does look really impressive the issue is tho is that that's really the only impressive looking set in this film with the rest of this films sets looking at best OK with alot of this films not really looking like that they belong in the world of James Bond as alot of them just look like that they'd belong in our world and that's not the kind of thing that you want from a set in a James Bond film as you expect the sets from a James Bond films to look massive and to look impressive and while there are still hints of that of those in this film there's not enough of them to make this films sets look impressive with the only person to knock it out of the park when it comes to creating the sets of this film is Sir Ken Adam who really understood that the sets of this world need to be massive and huge as the world of James Bond is is a world where anything could happen as it's a massive and outlandish world and thus the sets that he created for the James Bond films really did fit that and while the Syd Cain sets do try to match what Sir Ken Adam came up with there just lacking that extra something that made the Sir Ken Adam sets all the more special and impressive.

This films opening titles were done by the great Robert Brownjohn who did the titles not only for this film but the following film as well. However the titles for this film whilst they aren't that bad as they are very visually impressive at the same time tho due to the face that the credits are being projected onto live people they do come across as being very hard to read alot of the time which does kind of defeat the purpose of having an opening title in the first place and while they did perfect this idea in the next film it is something that should have been fixed in this film as well and it's something that Robert Brownjohn could have fixed as he is a graphic designer which granted does mean that he's solid choice to create the opening titles for this film but at the same time it also means that he really could have fixed these titles and yet for some strange reason he chose not to do so weather or not there are reasons as to why he didn't make changes to the opening titles is kind of hard to say but if not then you have to wonder why he not only chose not to fix them but while the makers of this film chose to go with those titles as well as the alot of the names are hard to read with the same thing also being true for the name of the movie as well which you can still read but it does go in and out of focus alot of times which does make it hard to read where as with alot of the crew names there names are very rarely in focus with them being out of focus alot of the time.

While this film doesn't have a traditional opening title song the film does have a song that plays over the ending titles with the song in question also being called "From Russia With Love" and is sung by singer Matt Monro. The song itself is a very well sung song and it is also a really well written song as well but at the same time tho it's hard to imagine this playing over the actual opening titles as it is a really slow ballad type of song where as the more traditional James Bond opening theme songs are more upbeat type of songs where as this one really isn't and as a result of that s the fact that having this song not only played in he actual film itself but also having it play over the end credits does make sense as it is a romantic type of song and having play over a romantic type of scene does help set the tone for that scene and it also serves as a great way to end the fil as a whole as it's a very easy to listen to song and it's one that does serve as a great way to end the film as it eases people out of the film and allows the film to end at a more natural pace even during it's closing credits and singer Matt Monro really does capture the true beauty that the songs composer Lionel Bart was quite clearly going for as it seems like he took the love part of this films title and took it to mean romance which is a fair enough way to take it with singer Matt Munro helping with that vision with his silky smooth vocals.

To be frank Donald Grant is a really good villain as he is basically the villainous version of James Bond. With him planning several steps ahead before he even makes one single move much in the way that James Bond himself would do with Grant even coming prepared when it comes to figuring how to kill James Bond himself something that Bond himself does at several points in this film and as a result of that is thee fact that it does create not only an interesting fight between the two later on but it also creates an interesting villain as well and while we do;t get to find out all that much about him much like Blofeld that helps to create a sense of mystery about him and while we do get to find some of his backstory we don't get to find out all that much about him and that is something that really does make an interesting character and even tho he's only a side kick type of character to Rosa Klebb that doesn't take away from the fact that outside of the two characters he is the more interesting one because of the fact that he's an unstoppable killing machines who will kill you the second you think of doing something against him but at the same time tho it really would have helped if we the audience got to find out what his own personal end goal was as it just comes across as him being evil for the sake of being but that is something that does also work for the film as we're not meant to know all that much about him in the first place as well.

Now then this film has / had an exact grand total running time of exactly one hour and fifty five minuets and twelve seconds. Which is something that really does work for this film as this film really does have more then enough there interms of plot to really cover that really large amount of running time in the first place and while yes the overall vast majority of the films running time is spent with James Bond trying to work out what we the audience already know alot of this films running time is spent on things that matter like setting up the characters and setting up things that will be payed off later on in the filmlike the stuff with the suitcase which might seem like a pointless scene at the start of the film but when you take into account the train fight scene a the end of the film all of that stuff that seemed pointless now comes back into play in away that feels organic and alot of this films running time is like that and while yes some of this films scenes might be seen as being filler scenes nothing more then that it would be hard to cut anything from this film due to the fact that really quite alot of this films really pointless and filler scenes also setup things that are payed off later on in the film as well which does make it hard to make cut to this film as well but I really will admit that this film really does have some really good pacing to it tho tho.

So now then as this i an action film that really does mean that I have to actually talk about the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film well then in all honesty I inn all honesty personally thought / felt that the actual action that's actually featured / presented to us in this very film was in all honesty really good. With alot of this films action being very well done and very exciting to see in the film with it being quite a step up from the action that we got in the previous film and alot of that is due to thew fact that the makers of this film really did know what kind of action would work best for these films and because of that we get alot of really good looking action scenes in tis film with the best action scene in this film being the final fight scene between Grand and Bond as its just the two of them fighting each other in this very small and very cramped space and that's really all there is to it they don't do anything that's to over the top they keep in grounded in some form of reality and it's in that scene where we get to see Bond use the briefcase gadget as weapon which is a great way to use it and it pays off Q's scene at near the start of the film and while the film does have alot of really good looking action scenes all throughout nothing will ever top that fight scene as it's one that's not only very built up but it's also very well shot and really very well edited as well in my freaking opinions anyways / at least.

Overall this film is a really good film and it's one that proves that not only was Dr. No not a fluke of film but that James Bond is here and here to stay as well and while yes the film does have it's fair share of problems as well in this case the film has alot more going for it then it does against it in my freaking opinions anyways / at least. Now then i've talked about all of the good ans as well as all of the bad things that are in his very film in this very review and as such that really does mean that this very film really does earn itself a grand old score of exactly a 7.5 out of 10 from me.

Now then as for where I personally got all of the images that I personally used in this very review and well then boys and girls and as well as ladies and gentlemen I personally got all of the mages that I personally used in this very the official James Bond fandom wiki page , Tenor , IMPM Awards . Com and Google Images. With my personal favorite website to use to get the images that I used in this very review being the official James Bond fandom wiki page just simply due to the fact that pretty much all of the images that are featured / presented to us and are currently up and also on the official James Bond fandom wiki page are all fairly high quality and as well as being fairly high definition and well then boys and girls just freaking like James Bond I will return.