Written by Lee Pfeiffer & Dave Worrall
SUMMARY:
This updated 2003 paperback edition published by Boxtree (a Macmillan Publishers subsidiary) includes puff piece coverage of Pierce Brosnan’s last Bond film, 2002’s Die Another Day. At 227 color-filled pages, this treasure trove swiftly critiques each of the first twenty Bond films with production notes; plot synopses; quick character bios & analyses of their actors; separate vehicle & gadget summaries; music summaries; marketing analyses; and box office reviews. An extensive collection of random production facts and intriguing rare photos are included.
REVIEW:
Well-written and very readable, the co-authors convey a fun, casual reading experience without pushing any condescending opinions. While the book predictably gushes over the film franchise, the co-authors still occasionally take fair jabs at its failures. Case in point: 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, 1975’s The Man With the Golden Gun, 1979’s Moonraker, and 1985’s A View to a Kill are rightly criticized for the production team’s lapses in judgment re: the clichéd scripting, editing mistakes, and some dubious casting. Overall, Lee Pfeiffer & Dave Worrall’s informative text is terrific. Backed by at least two hundred photos (including those of movie posters and various forms of Bond merchandise) and savvy insights into the franchise’ production history, the book is an excellent source of Bond movie info.
Note: In an instance of art foreshadowing life, page 225 has a head-shot glimpse at the comic strip James Bond of the late 1950’s. Readers can decide if they agree with the co-authors re: its primitive yet uncanny facial resemblance to Sean Connery – as seen in an adjacent photo from Never Say Never Again.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
Along with franchise co-producer Michael Wilson’s foreword, author Lee Pfeiffer’s introduction fondly remembers late producer Cubby Broccoli. Bonus chapters briefly review Bond’s literary history; synopses on the Bond production team’s key players; a look at Bond’s various spy rivals in movie & TV pop culture (The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; Mission Impossible; Get Smart; etc.); those other Bond films (i.e. the original Casino Royale film and 1983’s Never Say Never Again). Lastly, there is a promo section re: the franchise’s celebration of its 40th anniversary.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8½ Stars
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