From Russia With Love (1963)
Posted by nedev18 on March 14, 2008
Released (US): May 27, 1964
Genre: Action/Adventure
Length: 110 Min.
Director: Terence Young
Writer: Richard Maibaum
Major Cast Members:
Sean Connery - James Bond
Daniela Bianchi - Tatiana Romanova
Pedro Armendáriz - Ali Kerim Bey
Lotte Lenya - Rosa Klebb
Bernard Lee - M
Awards:
None
Budget: $2,000,000
Box Office: $78,900,000 (worldwide)
Plot Overview: In this second installment of the James Bond series, Bond is sent to Istanbul to get a cypher machine (referred to as a Lektor in the film) from a Russian agent. However, the Russian government has no knowledge of such a deal, as it is all an elaborate set up by SPECTRE, trying to get revenge on Bond for killing their agent Dr. No (from the movie, Dr. No). Using his simple gadgets and some guts, Bond needs to sniff out the trap and save himself.
Did you know?: Sean Connery was almost killed in this movie, as the helicopter crew in the movie flew much to close to him during the scene.
Review: 
Sean Connery is back for another round of the Bond series in From Russia With Love, where he co-stars with Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana) to create a solid spy movie.
Like Dr. No, Connery is again the quintessential Bond. Smooth, cunning, and tough, Connery impressed yet again with another good performance. For the most part, the acting was well done across the board. Bianchi did a good job in her role as Tatiana Romanova, and Lotte Lenya (played Rosa Klebb) was solid as well. She looked and sounded evil, which is always good in your villains.
Unfortunately, the script and plot were not quite as good as Dr. No. The plot seemed to take longer to develop, and, despite the introduction of the trademark gadgets (although they are very sinplistic), the action didn’t seem to be as exciting. While not terrible, there was definitely room for improvement.
Despite the slow plot, it is still a solid overall spy thriller. It is still a must see for those who are into the Bond series and the whole spy genre in general, but From Russia With Love does not rank amongst the most memorable of the Bond films.
Final Grade: B-
Other Reviews:
DVDTown: “…the older movie provides probably more outright suspense and excitement than any of the newer concoctions.”
Reel Reviews: “Standing at the pinnacle of the series, From Russia with Love shows how good a Bond film can be when all the ingredients mesh. This movie isn’t just a fun popcorn-munching action adventure flick; it’s a good motion picture by any standards.”
DVDVerdict: “The gadgets and witty wordplay are held to a minimum with the movie instead relying on a plot that is tight as a snare drum, great performances across the board and some truly beautiful Bond women.”
FilmCritic.com: “…maybe the one Bond movie in which the spy and the world for which he was created are perfectly in sync.”
EFilmCritic: “…if ‘Dr. No’ was a sterling, if low-key, thriller then ‘From Russia With Love’ expanded on that to become much more muscular and confident whilst still retaining a high degree of intelligence.”
TVGuide: “One of the best of the Bond films…”
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