[EDITOR’S NOTE: DR. NO is being released on DVD again today, so we thought we would take this opportunity to post a review of the film.] This is the first feature film based on Ian Fleming’s fictional super-spy James Bond. (A an adaptation of CASINO ROYALE, starring Barry Nelson, had previously been made for television.) Fairly radical for its time, the film introduces most but not all of the elements that would become familiar elements of the franchise (exotic locations, beautiful women, brutal action scenes, maniacal villains). Seen today, the film retains the grim, adult tone that was in place before the series turned more toward self-parody. However, it also lacks the lavish production values viewers would later come to expect, leading to the occasional embarrassing moment. (For example, during a car chase, the perspective on the back projection special effects shots is wildly off, magnifying the size of the pursuing car so that the fakery is completely revealed.) Continue reading “Dr. No (1962) – Film Review”