Dr. No (1962)

“An entertaining piece of tongue-in-cheek action hokum.” Variety, 1962 Produced on a relatively modest budget and with a then little-known star, Dr. No was the first in producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman’s long-running 007 series, adapted from Ian Fleming’s popular spy novels. Despite tight funds, director Terence Young’s film bears many of the hallmarks of the later, much more lavish productions. Here MI6 agent Bond uncovers a super-villain’s scheme to disrupt a space launch. As with the subsequent movies, the storyline is less important than the exotic locations (in this case Jamaica), the pop-art-style set design (by Ken Adam), and the climactic set pieces. The movie made a star out of Sean Connery, who brought a brutish insouciance to the role, and for many remains the definitive Bond. 2002’s Die Another Day pays explicit homage to Dr. No, dressing Halle Berry for her first appearance in a bikini similar to that worn by Dr. No’s Ursula Andress.