A British agent leaves a social club in Kingston, Jamaica and is murdered, his body towed away by three locals. Then, his secretary is offed at his home and the assailants leave with two files marked "Crab Key" and "Dr. No". Back in London, Agent 007 James Bond is dispatched to investigate the murders which ultimately leads him to an island fortress and an evil half German half Chinese tyrant bent on world domination. "Dr. No" marked the film introduction of Ian Fleming's most famous spy and considering where the series has went, it is surprising how light and enjoyable this first entry is. Sean Connery's first shot at the blackjack table offering his signature line must surely be one of the most indelible introductions in film history. He then proceeds to travel to Jamaica, easily warding off inferior enemies and bedding treacherous women, until he finally arrives at Dr. No's island, at which point the film has turned into pure farce (Ursula Andress's role is ludicrous, though not unwelcomed). Watching the film, I wondered why Mike Myers wanted to lampoon it, considering how easy of a target it is. Nonetheless, "Dr. No" set the model for all Bond elements to follow and Connery set the bar which still has not been matched.
note: "Goldfinger" came up on a list I have been working on so I decided to watch the series, which I surprisingly haven't seen a whole lot of.
