(1962)
4
Bruce Eder
Terence Young's Dr. No started one of the most lucrative franchises in movie history and changed the conceptions of a screen hero and a proper movie thriller. Dr. No presented a hero as hedonistic and even venal (and that went double where women were concerned) as he was brave and resourceful--so much so that, in a telling scene, the film's title villain (Joseph Wiseman) mistakes Bond for a kindred spirit. Much of what was supposed to intrigue and dazzle viewers in 1962 may now seem tame, mostly thanks to the many Bond movies that followed, but Dr. No holds up as more than a period piece, mostly thanks to the mix of fresh, energetic portrayals by Sean Connery, Wiseman, Ursula Andress, John Kitzmiller, and Jack Lord; a carefully crafted script with its feet in old- and new-style mysteries; and very lean, skillful work by Young and editor Peter Hunt. The sexual byplay also seems mild, until one realizes that Bond beds more women than any 50 heroes up to that time.
Dr. No on AllMovie
Dr. No (1962)
