From Russia With Love - The `Bond-wagon' really starts to roll

A lot of people think that `Dr No' is the best Bond film. Yes, it was the first and therefore the most original. But I found that it was really just the `opening bracket' for what was to come. In `From Russia With Love' I felt that the (Connery-era) Bond was actually starting to get going.

It has double the budget of Dr No and therefore feels like a much more grandiose. We have more action, more gadgets, more baddies and, of course, more women. Plus Connery himself seems more at ease with the character he's playing.

Dr No felt distinctly low budget, whereas From Russia With Love feels a lot like the Bond that we're used to, i.e. big budget, explosive (and deliciously over-the-top) stunts and action. We're finally introduced to SPECTRE - a criminal organisation hell bent on causing trouble between the superpowers - who come up with a plan to pit the British against the Russians, involving a stolen coding machine and a beautiful Russian spy. Just as well Bond is on hand to sort it all out.

This is one of the rare Bonds that is pretty much liked by everyone. It's got a great plot which weaves and twines nicely, but stays understandable at all times. The villains are not just wonderfully evil, but also memorable and there is enough action to put it up there with the best of them.

But, best of all, it doesn't take itself that seriously, making it the Saturday afternoon film which the current (Daniel Craig) Bond films just will never be.

10/10 The Monty Python Knights of Camelot are currently looking for this