The first in a 50 year film series of quips, hips and quiffs, Dr. No oozes with sexual nuances, enterers of countless dimensions and bikini clad ocean sirens, in a what is perhaps the quintessential Bond movie.
A cocktail of murder, mystery and menagerie, the film lands Her Majesty's finest asset on the island of Jamaica, giving a young Sean Connery a break from the bodybuilding for his first take of espionage.
Between a flurry of sexual encounters, Bond finds time to investigate the death of a fellow British agent on a trail that leads him to the underground base of Dr. No – a figure determined to end the US space programme.
If the concoction of Britain’s booziest bachelor vs. the evil genius of a maniacal island dweller with a PHD doesn’t hold your attention, then Ursula Andress’ get up as the now iconic Honey Ryder certainly will.
Of the film’s hefty $1 million budget, producing one of Hollywood’s most memorable introductions – certainly no body has eyed an oversized seashell the same way since – and can perhaps take a good portions of credit for the film’s financial success of $59 million at the box office.
Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman), meanwhile, is brought to life with great sophistication in a role that, despite not make an on-screen appearance for the majority of the film, certainly sets the bar for Bond’s many adversaries to come. |