From Russia with Love

The year after Dr. No, the second James Bond adventure was released. It was 1963 and From Russia with Love set the elements in place for all future 007 films. There was the pre-title sequence, the gadgets, the tough henchman and more importantly, the action.

From Russia with Love is Sean Connery's favorite Bond film and i have to agree, it is probably Connery's best. The story revolves around Spectre, a super organization that Dr No worked for. Spectre uses a beautiful girl and the promises of a Lector decoder machine to capture James Bond. This is the first of two times in the entire series that acted as a sequel to a previous Bond film.

James Bond and M immediately realize that this beautiful woman and her promises of a Lector decoder is a trap, but think that any danger that 007 may be in would be worth getting their hands on the decoding machine.

This film has a much different look than the glossy Dr. No. The main difference in the film is the score by John Barry, who would go on to compose the scores to eleven of the twenty-two 007 films! There are some great action moments in the film such as the fight on the orient express between James Bond and Red Grant, played brilliantly by Robert Shaw. There is the shootout in the Gypsy Camp and the Helicopter chase, which ends with bond shooting the co-pilot, who drops a grenade in the cockpit. But the moment that sealed the deal for me becoming a Bond fan was the climactic boat chase, in which James Bond tosses barrels full of fuel overboard then launches a flair at the barrels, destroying the bad guys in a huge ball of fire!

Daniela Bianchi's character of Tatiana Romanova and Raobert Shaw's Red Grant are definitely highlights of the film, but the main man of the movie is Desmond Llewelyn playing "Major Boothroyd" also known as "Q". In this film Q gives 007 a briefcase full of gadgets which include a folding sniper rifle and gas canister that goes off unless you know how to open the case properly.

This movie has it all and really set the entire franchise into motion!!

★ ★ ★ ★ ½