The Phoenician Scheme
The Phoenician Scheme belongs to that crop of Anderson films in which the filmmaker’s own cleverness overwhelms any skerrick of humanity that might have ended up on the screen.
Secret Agent
James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing
“Sometimes, I think that MI6 assigns your numbers based on the level of your I.Q.”
Thunderball
Fleming’s deep love of places, and his descriptions of architecture, sea creatures, and landscapes remain highlights of the book.
Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid probably isn’t the steaming pile of phooey that I made it out to be; but it most definitely does not stack up against the retrospective acclaim it still receives.
For Your Eyes Only
Bond’s still Bond, there’s still plenty of girls, cigars, alcohol, cars, etc. but the tamer, more grounded stories really suit the character well.
Goldfinger
These books are rarely worth taking seriously. They’re pulpy and entertaining and that’s what makes them fun. But Goldfinger fumbles too often to even meet that standard.
Dr. No
Fleming really has his pacing and plotting down pat, and his writing has transitioned to a more colorful and interesting style.
From Russia With Love
The bold narrative choices and the sacrifice of some James Bond action heroics are worth it, leaving us with the strongest James Bond outing yet, and serving as the source material for one of the best Bond films.
3 Days of the Condor
3 Days of the Condor makes the government and its intelligence agencies appear as invisible forces of manipulation, untrustworthy and self-interested.
Diamonds Are Forever
The loose plot and needless globetrotting, as well as its lack of a serious antagonistic match for Bond make it feel like “just another Bond novel.”