Grade: B
Synopsis: The death of an agent in Jamaica leads Britain’s MI6 to send special agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), to investigate.
Dr. No is the first entry in the long-running James Bond series of films. It’s not, however, the first James Bond adaptation. That distinction goes to the TV series Climax!, which adapted Casino Royale for an episode in 1954. Bond was played by Barry Nelson.
As a film, Dr. No morphs from mystery/thriller to straight up comic book adventure. It’s a subtle process, as early on, Bond is a straightforward, cold secret agent, killing a non-professional after noting, “That’s a Smith and Wesson, and you’ve had your six.”
There’s no Q this time around, and no crazy gadgets, but once Bond gets to Dr. No’s island, things start to change. First, there’s the “dragon” which sets up what would be a reoccurring theme of Bond’s local sidekicks getting off’d by the villains just before the third act, then there’s Dr. No’s fantastical lair, and finally, Dr. No himself with his artificial hands. Right out of a comic book.
Yet, that’s what makes the film so good. It starts out addressing the adult, mature filmgoer, but slowly regresses them back to their childhood days of high adventure, wrapping a fantasy picture in a slick, polished, adult package. Yes, the ending’s campy, but it’s really hard to care.
For his part, Sean Connery literally defines the character, turning in the performance that would come to embody the James Bond persona. He’s just the right mix of aggression and suave charm, a polished, larger than life, bad boy.
As for his nemesis, Joseph Wiseman is good as Dr. No, though he wasn’t the first choice for the role. Author Ian Fleming wanted his cousin Christopher Lee (who would later play the titular villain in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)), and the studio offered the part to Noel Coward, who turned it down in part because of the metal hands, as well as Max von Sydow, who would later play chief villain Blofeld in the out-of-cannon Never Say Never Again (1983).
In the end, Dr. No is a must see for James Bond fans, as this is where it all began. The current re-vamp starring Daniel Craig has more in common with the first half of this film than any other in the series, and watching the young Connery simply own the role is just entertaining, making this an easy recommendation.
