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Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee ... see more see more... , Anthony Dawson , Zena Marshall , John Kitzmiller , Eunice Gayson , Lois Maxwell , Margaret LeWars , Peter Burton , Reggie Carter , Lester Prendergast , Yvonne Shima

Terence Young directed this first of a long line of screen adventures with Ian Fleming's unflappable British Secret Service Agent 007 in a fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek style that set the tone for the r... read more read more...est of the popular series. Sean Connery sets the standard by which all future takers must measure themselves as the insouciant and devil-may-care James Bond. The story concerns Bond being sent to Jamaica to investigate the murders of a British agent and his secretary. During his investigation, he comes into contact with the evil and unscrupulous Chinese scientist Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) who, living on an island called Crab Key, is hard at work in a nuclear laboratory. Dr. No's scheme is to divert rockets being fired from Cape Canaveral off their charted course and to blackmail the United States to get their rocket launches restored to normal. Helping Bond is Ursula Andress (mostly undressed in a bikini throughout most of the film), as well as bad gals like Zena Marshall, who almost leads Bond to his death in her bedroom, and Eunice Gayson, a Bond pickup in a London gambling house who proves herself a greater adversary than even James Bond can handle. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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78% liked it

99,967 ratings

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98% liked it

44 critics

PG, 1 hr. 51 min.

Directed by: Terence Young

Release Date: October 5, 1962

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DVD Release Date: October 22, 2002

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Stats: 3,790 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (3,790)

  • fb100000257973100
    December 11, 2011
    fb100000257973100
    I've never been a big fan of James Bond. As much of an film lover as I am, nothing about him really appealed to me. Mostly due to him being such a staple of pop-culture that you don't really need to watch any of the films to truly understand how his character works. Basically, he... read more is displayed as being every teenage boy's dream idea of how a man should be: suave, powerful, seductive, and able to travel the world and take down pure evil mad men. While he serves that dream, he also serves as a reminder to older men of a simpler time when they would believe that that is what they would be when they grow up (yeah... not so much). But for me, none of the was really the case. I just viewed him as an icon that makes crap loads of money, feature beautiful women, and usually a wonderful opening song. So, at the age of 16 - edge of 17 - I decided to give a few of the Bond films a chance. Well, I decided to start with the original and my reaction is: it's okay.

    Okay, I am not a fan of spy films unless they are beyond intelligent, have an original plot, and is able to keep my attention. Dr. No, for what it was when it came out, must have been. But, looking at it now, this film seems more like a celebration of all the cliches in cinema with spy films that we have all come to enjoy. Now, this is not a bad thing. Just, seems a bit tedious to me. But what makes me love how these cliches are done is how well it is all executed. So, yeah. This film is silly, kind of idiotic, and the dialogue, to me, is a little bit to be desired, but eh. It is what it is and it is entertaining, though the pacing is slow.

    Now I need to talk about Sean Connery. With the idea of how Bond should be, he gets this nailed down. He is everything we look for, plus he is something I never really expected: a tad bit vulnerable. Mostly dealing with one scene with a spider. I mean, this is a guy that is almost killed on a daily basis, has beautiful women turn their backs on him, and yet he is afraid of a spider that is crawling on him. I am not trying to bash that part, but I just find it a bit funny that they show that Bond is afraid of a spider. But back to the acting wise, Connery did set the standard for Bond, and he does so with wonder. He is entertaining to watch, plus I do like how he is able to make any woman fall for him in a heart beat. Must be the martinis.

    For Ursula Andress, I will admit that I am disappointed with her. Yes, I am aware of her first appearance in the film being her walking out of the ocean in her white bikini, but I felt like they underplayed her. Her character, while she was thrown into a situation she never wanted to be a part of, had some potential of being strong and powerful. But, they kind of play her off as being a damsel in distress. I don't know. Maybe it is due to my love of seeing strong women that makes me kind of not like her character.

    Finally for Joseph Wiseman as the title character. The film buffs him up to be the giant, powerhouse villain. We see the damage he causes, hear his plans, see his dragon and underground layer, and he just appears and steals the show. In some aspects, his performance rivals Connery's in terms of him being the main actor. Only problem: he appears in the last thirty minutes of the film. I know that they spend about eighty minutes buffing him up, but I would of liked to see him a bit more, get to know him a bit more. A villain is only as good as the dimensions, and he only has one dimension. But for the dimension, it works

    Back to what I have said, this film is the stereotypical spy thriller through and through: one dimensional characters, action here and there, beautiful women, and entertaining as hell. My only last complaint would have to be the pacing for the first hour. It just seemed slow to me. But, in the end, for what it is, it is not bad.
  • TheGame90
    September 18, 2011
    TheGame90
    A good start for the Bond series. And a pretty good movie for beeing so old
  • FilmFanatik
    August 10, 2011
    FilmFanatik
    Great opening to what became a cultural phenomenon. Like all Bond movies, it had its strong points and its weak points. The biggest strong point to this one is its pace. It barrels along quite nicely and doesn't linger like some of the other films in the series. This is the main ... read moreone where a lot of inspiration for other films and parodies came from, well, at least moreso than the others. I like it a lot, even though I'm not a big fan of these films.
  • spielberg00
    July 17, 2011
    spielberg00
    "Bond. James Bond." DR. NO, though denoted as a classic, is, yes, at times thrilling, reasonably talky, and witting, but the rest is just a boring, cheesy 1960s B-movie. Worth seeing, anyhow, bur probably only once or twice.
  • ajv2688
    November 23, 2010
    ajv2688
    Sorry, I'm not a Bond fan, I saw this movie and I loved Connery, but there were a lot of really boring scenes and I couldn't make sense of the story, I'm still confused about what Dr. No was trying to accomplish.
  • lewiskendell
    July 8, 2010
    lewiskendell
    "Minnows pretending they're whales. Just like you on this island, Dr. No."

    The foundations for the later Bond films are all here in Dr. No. Beautiful, dangerous women, car chases, exotic locations, and a suave James Bond who deftly maneuvers through it all with a cool head and ... read morean expensive suit.

    Dr. No has a slower pace than modern Bond movies, but that just allows for more time to salivate over the gorgeous Honey Rider once she is introduced. The finale in the island base reminded me so much of an Austin Powers movie, which goes to show what a good job that series did in spoofing the early Bond movies.

    Classic Bond can be quite an adjustment, if you were weaned on the more exciting and technologically advanced Brosnan movies like I was. However, if you watch Dr. No with an open mind, you will find it too has much of what makes the later movies appealing.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 28, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The first James Bond is a terrific start to an incredible series of action thrillers. Here Sean Connery brings Ian Fleming's character to life. Dr No. in a thrilling, action packed film with terrific acting. And as I have read every James Bond work by Fleming, I found that the f... read moreilm respected the book very well. Bernard Lee is great in the role of M and Ursula Andress is terrific as the first Bond girl ever to grace the screen. For me, she remains one of the most beautiful women of the Sean Connery era of Bond films. Dr No was the start of something great, and it's grandiose plot and locations proves it.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 7, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    Dr.No truly the Best of James Bond. Sean Connery in his youth.
  • flixsterman
    November 30, 2009
    flixsterman
    When it comes to James Bond I am most definitely old-school. This is the one that started it all and, for me, there are few better. With surprisingly few effects and gadgets Dr. No delivers major thrills. Not to mention the iconic shots of Ursula Andress emerging from t... read morehe ocean in that white bikini (Wow!)
  • bbcfloridabound
    November 6, 2009
    bbcfloridabound
    The first James Bond Film, Staring Sean Connery as 007. This is before all the great James Bond Gismo's. In this film James only had a pistol with a silencer on it. The beautiful Ursula Andress played Honey Ryder. Our villain is Dr No, who has an Island all to his own off the co... read moreast of Jamaica. James goes there to put a stop to Dr No's Plans and along the way he runs into Our beautiful Lady, Honey Ryder. Not as thrilling as the newer Bond films but still stands out as the one that started it all. 4 Stars 007

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Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr
October 13, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

All of the elements of the formula are there, but in pleasing moderation. Full Review

March 1, 2007
Variety

An entertaining piece of tongue-in-cheek action hokum. Full Review

Bosley Crowther
May 9, 2005
Bosley Crowther, New York Times

Of course, it's nonsense -- pure, escapist bunk, with Bond, an elegant fellow, played by Sean Connery, doing everything (and everybody) that an idle day-dreamer might like to do. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

While it may appear tame by the standards of the later productions, it's an entertaining look back in movie history at a project that developed into a worldwide phenomenon. Full Review

Tim Brayton
May 27, 2012
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

The low-key mystery plot and the resolutely human-sized drama of it all makes this one of the sanest of all Bond pictures. Full Review

Elliot Panek
January 1, 2011
Elliot Panek, Common Sense Media

007's silver screen debut. Not for young kids. Full Review

David Cornelius
April 7, 2010
David Cornelius, eFilmCritic.com

It's terrific entertainment, to be sure, but its unevenness keeps up from being a great film. Full Review

Fernando F. Croce
September 6, 2009
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion

Capably brings together Caribbean travelogue, Gropius-type architecture, and cardboard computers with "danger level" plaques Full Review

Peter Canavese
October 25, 2008
Peter Canavese, ON Magazine

The Bond series developed a winning formula, and this prototypical adventure featured many elements that stuck...[Blu-ray] Full Review

David Nusair
October 16, 2008
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...a fine cinematic introduction to the world's most famous secret agent. Full Review

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