​But make no mistake about it, Connery plays the role to perfection for his final outing, giving us the character we know and love but there is a certain sadness and anger beneath it all. But hey, he's a guy who just fell in love and got married, only to have all of that ripped away and the only way for him to heal is to get back to work and the plot this go round at first, is quite deceiving to say the least. Because early on, this movie appears as though it will feature a good old fashioned spy story. One where James tries to infiltrate and bring down a ring of diamond smugglers only to discover the whole damn thing is cover for another one of Blofeld's insane schemes. 

Which is why I think I enjoy Connery's last outing so much. Because in the end, it features one final showdown. Blofeld versus Bond, the way it was always supposed to be, and it is a shame this is the last time we would see the iconic villain and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. for decades to come. Either way, it's a strong goodbye for the organization as well. For Charles Gray does a fine job taking on the role and makes sure Blofeld is as ruthless as ever with his wild scheme to use diamonds to build a powerful laser that will disable and destroy the nuclear arsenals of all the superpowers in an attempt to shift the nuclear balance of the world to the highest bidder.

But despite the action, the adventure and the sheer fun that the film provides, that sense of sadness I mentioned only grows in the final moments of the film. After all, if it wasn't for Sean Connery and his ability to bring the character to life and make James Bond so ridiculously popular, who knows what our discussions and memories of the films would be like. Either way, they sent James off with a bang and while we will continue to debate for years to come which actor is the finest Bond of them all, Connery will always be near to or at the top of everyone's list because he set the standard and you can see his influence on the role since every actor to follow in his footsteps, pays tribute to Sir Connery in some form or fashion.

Not being able to tone back his normal ways, Bond has no problem in seducing the patients to gain information and when he becomes privy to hearing Blofeld’s hypnoses tactics with women, he knows that there is a more sinister plan in play. When his real identity is found out after being caught sneaking into one of the girl's rooms, Blofeld comes clean about his plan since 007 will not be with the living for very much longer. Wanting to unleash a bioweapon on the world, one to which he is the only one that has the cure, Blofeld will not be stopped by anyone, much less the MI6 agent that has been able to sneak past his defenses. Being thrown out in the cold of the Alps to freeze to death, Bond is able to find a way back into the facility and hear what Blofeld’s recording is telling the girls and when they are all sent on their way, Bond finds a way back down the mountain to civilization. 

When trying to remain unseen, Tracy appears out of nowhere and becomes his only way out of the mountains. Trying to find a phone, Blofeld’s goons are hot on his tail, and he finds out that Tracy has several talents he has not been made aware of. Being able to find sanctuary in an abandoned barn, Bond knows what he wants, to be with Tracy for the rest of his life. Proposing, Tracy accepts and although the two are being hunted, their love will not pass. Fighting their way down the mountains, Blofeld’s goons and an avalanche slow down the couple as they enjoy a brief moment of freedom. When Tracy loses her balance and gets caught up in the snow, she is taken by Blofeld’s men and returned to his facility where he is about the run the world from. Returning to London, Bond is once again removed from the assignment, but this time he has an ace in the hole. Calling on Draco, preparations for a rescue mission are in place. Bond and Draco will not stop until they get the woman they love back in one piece, along with a little bit of revenge.

I really do not get the hate that has been thrown at this movie over the years. Although George Lazenby was only Bond for one film, he did it in a fantastic fashion while taking over for a legend. The story is sound and Lazenby did exactly what he had to do while battling through a difficult production. This movie should have taken the Bond movies to the next level while several people, including the primary producer Albert Broccoli disagreed and tried give the series a jump start by bringing back Sean Connery. Making a movie is hard and the first-time director Peter Hunt had a hard time pleasing everyone and had to take it out on his lead actor trying to push him to a performance the no one could attain, and while Lazenby gave it his all, he encompassed the role better than anyone could have under the circumstances. One of the better storylines in the Bond series that many people will overlook due to what they have heard over the years. Watch it again, while it is not as good as Skyfall, it does rival many of the stories that followed it. I hate to spend my time in defending the movie, especially since it is one of the better stories and Bond actually got married!!! Who would have known and even though it was a brief moment in time, he will always have a special place in his heart for Tracy and a bullet with Blofeld’s name on it. Enjoy, Shaken, not Stirred.  
 
This movie was also the subject of an episode of Movie Mumble, so, to continue the discussion surrounding this movie, visit Episode 7 of Movie Mumble, right here.

Speaking of that organization, this is the film where they are at their most absolute evil. Hunting James is the first part of that equation, and it is finished by the fact they push the world to the brink of World War III. It's about total and utter chaos for this band of baddies and this is the film where we at last put a face and a name to the leader of this group... Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Yes, this was the iconic moment when we finally met this madman, and he was absolutely spectacular to see on screen and I can think of no better man to play the part the first time out than the legendary Donald Pleasence. He was simply delightful in the role and it's a shame he didn't return to play the part more often, but others did him justice. 

But while the action, adventure and story are breathtaking, there is a bittersweet taste to this film since it harkens the beginning of the end of the Connery era. It's a well-known fact now, that at this point in time he had grown tired of the character and wanted to move on from it and knowing that now, well... this feels like part one of a two part send off and at least the first half of the goodbye goes off with a bang. As always Connery is phenomenal in the role, I would venture to say his badassery in this film is what cemented his status as one of the finest Bonds to ever grace the screen and it's a shame he didn't stick around for one more direct sequel before quitting.

In fact, looking back at it all now, this is truly one of the most iconic Bond films to ever be made. It gave us Blofeld, dressed in his simple gray suit, petting his fluffy white cat with those wild eyes and this is often one of the first films we think of when it comes to James Bond. Heck, the movie is so engrained in our minds that this is the film that helped bring to life Dr. Evil and many of his goofy plots and I guess if that's not a compliment to this film and how well it has withstood the test of time, I don't know what is. 

The Sean Connery era of the James Bond franchise still retains a certain level of charm when you watch them again after all these years. Which one could easily attribute to the fact that Connery embodies the role so well and genuinely made it his own. But one cannot overlook the fact that the quality of these stories, and the epic action and fun they exude, is also a big contributor to the charm in question.

Because all of those elements just suck you in and leave you cheery and as I popped the fourth 007 film in the other day, I once again found myself surprised at how easily I lost myself within the story and at how grandiose and epic some of Connery's adventures turned out to be, especially Thunderball. In fact, I would have to say this is/was one of the biggest Bond adventures to date and after sitting through it one more time I can fully understand why it is truly a fan favorite and one of the most loved films of the Connery era.

After all, this is the film when the stakes were raised to their highest and Bond saved the planet for the first time. I mean, it doesn't get much more diabolical than S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stealing nuclear weapons and threatening to use them against populated cities in exchange for gobs for money and that particular action is what gave the film its incredible power because this time around a single mistake from 007 could result in disaster.

​The other element that caught me by surprise in this one, was the interesting balance between the over the top villains and Largo. After all, we saw the inner workings of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. in detailed fashion, to the point that we even got to know Number One, something that would matter for sure later on, but Largo is quite the foil to our favorite evil organization. He is also in many ways the Anti-Bond, just as cool and collect as James with a hint of psychopath thrown in for good measure and it is an absolute thrill watching James and Largo square off on screen, since the two play off of one another nicely.

Speaking of James Bond, there was a certain magic this go round watching Sean Connery in the role. After discovering how to play Bond in the last film, his comfort level here is nothing short of amazing. For this is the motion picture where he truly masters the role and exudes everything we hold near and dear about his time in the role and Bond in general. Not to mention, there was a certain darkness that he added to the role in this story, something that nicely complimented the plot and really gave us an idea of how far Bond would go to get things done, something that would show up later in his adventures.

In the end however, this is seriously one fantastic Bond adventure. I love the dark cloud that hangs over this story with the threat of nuclear weapons, and it makes every second of this motion picture thrilling and that ending is simply spectacular and satisfying. If Goldfinger was the first outing that brought all the elements of Bond together than Thunderball serves as the film that perfects the formula and all the magic that comes with it.

Goldfinger was so good a super villain for that matter, that this is the film that brought us the iconic visual/moment of Bond being strapped to a table as a laser beam creeps along to slice him in half, a visual that we often associate with the character, and technology was a huge part of this film as well. I loved that this was the moment when Bond began to adopt all his incredible lifesaving gadgets and that Aston Martin is truly the stuff of beauty to this day. 

But what matters most... is that this was the film where Sean Connery mastered the role of James Bond. I'm not saying he was bad in any way at all in the first two films, but it was obvious that the talented Mister Connery was doing his best to find out exactly who the man was in those early adventures and how he should portray him on screen, and this is the film where that all came together. I say that because you see how comfortable he is in the role from beginning to end and that also helps the story because his ownership of the role is sorely needed to balance out the wild acting Gert Fröbe brings forth as Goldfinger.

Either way, once you get past all of the iconic moments that make you giggle with delight... Goldfinger is an absolute blast of a motion picture. There's plenty of action and adventure, and while it may not be Bond's most cerebral adventure to date... who cares? Because you really cannot go wrong with a crazy super villain and his equally as crazy henchman and James Bond swooping in to save the day. This was an important Bond film to say the least, because the rest of the Connery era would remain big and bold and those early, larger than life adventures would leave big shoes for his predecessors to fill for quite a long time.

​It was a time of celebration for Eon Productions. They had managed to wow the world with a spy named James Bond and the success that came from Dr. No paved the way for something incredibly important... a green light for a sequel. Yes, the franchise was born at last, and a grand question was now before the filmmakers. Specifically, where to go with 007's adventures next?

After all, the charming spy had just thwarted the grand plan by the good doctor to disrupt space travel with his atomic powered radio beam, so the options were simple. Top that, or give us a simpler story and as it turns out, Eon Productions went with that latter option, giving us a far more down to earth spy story in From Russia with Love.

Once again, we won't spend much time on the plot for this film, you've seen it, you know it and this review and the many that will follow it are designed to serve as a celebration of the adventures Bond has taken us on over the years. And what we need to genuinely celebrate when it comes to this second outing… is the outright quality story, one that is tense and one that captivates you. Part of that is is related to the fact that this particular Bond story almost serves as a history lesson, with its heavy Cold War overtones that were completely relevant to the time.

​For there is a grand tension here between the people of Russia and the people of Great Britain and that tension serves the story well as Bond races against time to retrieve the Lektor device. For you can feel the distrust of the era, and the confusion of these two worlds colliding and it's just wonderful to say the least because that kind of storytelling simply no longer exists. But, despite the fantastic history lesson, the simplicity of the story gives it a special charm. After all the gadgets here are far and few between once again, despite the first time ever appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the series and even the villains are scaled down here. Red Grant is merely a talented assassin as opposed to the over-the-top madmen that were coming soon.

All these elements blend together nicely to give us a small, intimate story with 007, one where we get a better understanding of who the man really is professionally, and how incredibly talented a spy he truly is. It's a wonderful contrast to the first film which came out guns blazing if you will, and I truly appreciate the filmmakers taking the time to do go this route. Yet, in a way, it seems as though the franchise was still trying to find an identity here and I would venture to say that's true, after all, only being two motion pictures in, they were still fleshing out the character and where the franchise needed to go.  

In the end however, From Russia with Love serves as an important piece to the Bond mythos. I can't emphasize enough the wonder of meeting Q for the first time, and learning his name for that matter and seeing Connery play the role in keyed down fashion, really is a big deal. It wasn't the last time we would see Bond take on a smaller story, but it was the first and last time we would see Connery do it, for what was to follow after this film were stories that gave the franchise its focus and that makes this one a special part of the Connery era. 

Something I have always wanted to be a part of when it comes to television and film, is the chance to bear witness to the creation of an absolute icon. Sure, I've managed to live through and enjoy epic sequels and this comic book renaissance, but I've never truly seen an iconic character or franchise come to life. 

After all, shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who hit the airwaves well before my time, but I suppose the plus side of living in this digital era is that while I may or may not see the creation of an icon, I can go back and visit the particular film or moment when one was created, such as say… when the character of James Bond was introduced to and enchanted audiences around the world. Because he is a fictional man that captivated us like no other with his actions and his cunning mind and I am no exception to that rule because I absolutely adore his movies.
 
Call it what you will, guilty pleasure or the like, but this is a franchise that is different and unique and as the 25th Bond film, No Time to Die, approaches its release date, we here at Nerds That Geek thought it was high time to celebrate the film career of the most famous spy on the silver screen, starting with a look back at where it all began... Dr. No. Now this is a Bond picture that we won't spend much time on plot wise because if you're reading this, you obviously have an interest in Bond and you've no doubt seen this one by now. No instead, I thought it would be worthwhile to talk about the sheer magic of the film because after viewing it again after all these years, I caught quite a few things that speak to how wonderful and important this film turned out to be. 

In fact, it's funny looking at the film now when it comes to how well it set everything up for the future. I'm sure at the time no one was certain they had a hit on their hands or even 24 sequels for that matter, but all the fundamentals are here and that's a big deal. This is of course the first appearance of the villainous organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E., a group that would terrorize our beloved spy for years to come and what made their first appearance so special was the fact that Dr. No was a cold, calculating, intelligent monster and his grand scheme raised the stakes significantly. There was a legitimate threat in this film, one that left you curious as to how our intrepid spy would escape because at the time, there was no formula, there were few gadgets in this one, simply Bond's skill and cunning intellect and watching him figure out how to save the day was absolutely thrilling. 

Speaking of Bond, we do need to spend a few minutes spotlighting this iconic character and the man who played him, Sir Sean Connery. That matters for one particular reason... the future of the franchise depended on his performance. If Connery played Bond wrong, we would not be sitting here discussing this film but thankfully that's not the case because wow... he brought Bond to life. Granted Sean plays him vastly different than how Bond appears in the novel but who cares? James Bond in this film is suave, debonair, cunning and ruthless and all around one bad ass spy. You want to see him save the day and vanquish the bad guy because he's just that cool. 

In the end however, this is truly a timeless classic through and through. Yes, the clothes from the era may be horrendously outdated, but one can easily overlook that. After all this is a simple spy adventure that just happened to turn into one of biggest franchises of all time, and the story and acting trumps that sixties feel every single time. If you haven't seen this one yet, be ready for a slight surprise when it comes to the opening credits since it's not what you might expect from a Bond flick, but once you get past that... it is a wonderful and marvelous film that kicked off one incredible journey after another.

Cinema as a whole has always fascinated me simply because of the fact that it outright romanticizes real life. We are often treated to stories that provide us with raw emotion and powerful moments, but all of it is by perfect design to give us a rollercoaster experience that keeps us coming back for more. That’s not a bad thing by any means, because it truly is incredible to see a medium that can accomplish that kind of emotional wonder, but it does at times make me long for motion pictures that provide that proverbial slice of life, because those are the films that truly celebrate the wonder of our humanity.
 
Yet, what I love more about those slice of life films, is how they manage to relate to the audience. Because these are the films that elicit emotions we’ve experienced alongside the characters or…they outright recreate similar moments we’ve enjoyed in our life time, giving the movie a surprisingly personal feel when one settles in to watch it. Sadly, I often find that these types of motion pictures are difficult to find, but they are out there, and they’re magnificent when you find them and one in particular that has always been near and dear to me is the fascinating story of a young writer who discovers the wonders of life while on his first assignment in Almost Famous.
 
Now at first glance, one would think that this story is not relatable in the slightest since the plot seems like something few of us would ever experience. After all, William Miller is a prodigy writer who gets to write for Rolling Stone and travel with the band Stillwater for his first ever professional writing gig. Which, I know I’ve never done, and I think it’s safe to assume most of you reading this fall into that category as well. But what makes Almost Famous so incredibly relatable is what happens while William is on his journey with the band because he gets to see the world and the complexities of love and life and that makes for a beautiful film. 

​I mean, I know I definitely recall going on my first road trip with close friends and learning more about them by spending hours in the car and weekends in a hotel, but the film goes far beyond a road trip flick because it is the era of discovery that William goes through that matters more here since he comes to discover what the real world is like outside of the bubble he’s been raised in and he also comes to learn that his musical heroes are people just like everyone else and they are just as flawed and uncertain about the future as he is and that…is painfully and shockingly relatable because we all went through that kind of discovery at some point or another in our lives.
 
Yet, what I truly loved most about this film is that it has a message for the audience when it comes to our dreams and our passions, in that…they will be difficult to pursue, and hardships will be found as we continue to chase them or live them. But despite the roadblocks and challenges that come our way, we can never give up on them. We have to live them, breathe them and keep at it because they define us, and they fuel us, and that subtle message allows for some genuinely beautiful moments to happen in this story as we watch both William and Russell, the lead singer for Stillwater live that mantra to a tee.
 
If anything, this is one of those movies that instantly sucks you in with its colorful characters and powerful performances and it doesn’t matter whether or not you’re a fan of classic rock, because the story and its humanity are what’s paramount here and this is one that I instantly stop and watch when it is on since it features moments that I’ve lived through, in fact the ‘Tiny Dancer’ scene is perhaps my favorite moment in the film since I can’t even count how many times my pals and I have busted out into song while on the road. But if anything, this is just a great movie about life, and the wonder of growing up, and how our dreams and our passions are what keep us young since one never forgets what outlet they fell in love with and that makes this film a magical experience… 

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’.
​
The hero’s journey is one that we all know by heart. Simply because in popular media, it follows a super specific formula. One where a person that is either down on their luck or eager to be more, opts to take control of their wild situation or endeavors to be a beacon of hope so that they can change the world for the better and be needed in a manner that few of us will ever understand, and that formula holds true often in storytelling, because audiences outright love it. For there is a part of us that connects to that desire to become more and be a champion for others and it really is quite inspiring to see that kind of journey play out on the page or on the silver or small screen.

But while that does indeed, please us to no end, there is a fundamental flaw with that formula. In that, it is a bit generalized and really doesn’t cover a proper hero’s journey. Because not all heroes are simply inspired to be more in this world. In fact, some are lost souls that come to realize that heroism can be achieved through redemption and sacrifice and in some cases… atonement, and those are honestly the heroes that need to be spotlighted more often. For their journey speaks to the fact that we can overcome our past and our darker instincts and be better people and be a true hero and well, it just so happens that Marvel is looking to change things up in the superhero genre by offering up a story that features an intimate and flawed hero's journey in, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.

Now in this particular film, we are introduced to a man named Shaun who is quite frankly, living a pretty chill life. For he has a solid gig parking cars with his best friend Katy and when they’re not taking a slick car out for a quick test drive, they’re simply enjoying life to the best of their abilities. But a chance encounter with a group of strange individuals on a bus… reveals that Shaun is not who he seems. For he is the son of the mysterious Xu Wenwu. A man that has lived ten lifetimes and is the leader of the secret organization known as the Ten Rings and he has sent his team to bring Shaun, whose real name is Xu Shang-Chi, and his sister Xu Xialing, home. All for reasons that unsettle the siblings to the point… where they both realize they must stand against their father and his uncomfortable plans to save their family and the world from a horrific fate and in order to do that, Shang-Chi must face the sorted past that he's been running from for ages to become the hero the world needs right now.

Which is quite frankly, a brilliant plot line that genuinely offers up an honest and raw origin story for a hero. Because Shang-Chi is an everyday man like the rest of us and he’s made great mistakes in the name of sorrow and anger and that makes him perhaps the most human and relatable MCU Superhero that Marvel has offered up to date and going this route, makes his journey infinitely more inspiring. For it truly does make it clear that the past is the past and that we must embrace it and own it before we can move on from it. Which gives this movie unprecedented depth for a superhero film since this is the kind of stuff we simply don’t see superheroes deal with on the silver screen and Marvel deserves a round of applause for applying the depth it introduced in its MCU/Disney+ offerings to the silver screen as last. 
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But what’s amazing, is that the story has more to offer than a flawed and inspiring hero’s journey. For this is also a movie that tackles the power of loss and grief and how holding onto the power of those two elements can transform us into someone that is unrecognizable to our loved ones and it also speaks to the power of family and how hard it can be to move on from difficult moments with our parents and that really does make for some impressive storytelling, the kind that works well within the framework of a downright impressive action film. One that pays homage to the great martial artists of yore since there are elements of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba present within the breathtaking fight scenes and of course, the action in the finale of this film is nothing short of stunning, for reasons that we won’t spoil here. 

However, while all of those elements make for one powerful and sweeping tale, one that puts tears in your eyes with its beauty and humanity, we would be remiss to not point out its historical significance as well. For this is a superhero film that features an Asian superhero and a predominantly Asian cast and that’s worth celebrating. Because diversity and representation are extremely important, especially in films that touch as many lives as Marvel movies do. So, to see the MCU offer up such a diverse cast is a monumental moment in cinematic history and really, in the end, that milestone and everything we’ve discussed today… make this motion picture an absolute must-see. Simply because it is cinema at its finest, since it is filled with powerful journeys and visuals that drop your jaw. So, if you have a little time this weekend… swing by your local multiplex and immerse yourself in a story that will move you and inspire you in ways you never knew were possible.

​Sports fans are an interesting breed. They are loyal to their favorite team to no end, and with good reason. They are there for all of the highs and all of the lows. They share incredible moments with one another, moments of incredible athletic feats that leave you with your jaw agape. It's incredible to walk into a bar or a restaurant and see a sea of jerseys, along with the eyes of the people wearing them locked onto the television screen all to enjoy a taste of glory.  

Yet there is a dark side to it as well. There are fans out there that are well...jackasses. You know who I'm talking about. They're in your face for every moment of success with glee but turn into an insufferable jerk the instant something doesn't go their team's way. Sometimes these fools create a ruckus and they get everything they deserve when fans around them fire back some fine trash talking. It is all of these elements that are explored in depth in an incredible film starring Patton Oswalt...Big Fan.  

To call Paul Aufiero anything less than a Super-fan would qualify as an insult. His passion and love for the New York Giants is unparalleled. You'll find him at every home game, usually watching the game on TV from the stadium parking lot. You'll hear him defend the honor of his team from the haters on the radio. In fact, there is little else in Paul's life more important than football. So, when a chance encounter with his favorite player turns violent, Paul's world is left in tatters and this big fan, will never be the same.   

I caught this movie on Netflix many years ago, and it absolutely caught me by surprise. For starters, Patton Oswalt is absolutely brilliant in the role. He delivers an incredible performance, one that captures the good and the bad of sports fans masterfully. But his ability to bring Paul Aufiero to life is aided by a strong script that is an epic character study on quite frankly, a man with nothing else in his life.  

Paul is fine with his dead-end job. Paul is fine living at home with his mother, and bear in mind he is well past thirty and fully capable of supporting himself. But he's a simple man with simple tastes, and as long as he has the wonder of football in his life, what else would he need? It's why the ugly encounter with his favorite player is such a masterful stroke of genius. He literally holds the playoffs for the Giants in his hands and his conflict to either turn in the player he adores and watch the Giants' season crumble or let the whole matter slide is just beautiful storytelling.  

This film in a nutshell is a tragedy. It is not a knock on professional sports or the desire for violence that infects some of its players. Nor is it an indictment on sports fans and their obsessions. It is simply a tale of the dangers of having nothing else to live for and this is the kind of story where you simply have to know how it ends. Big Fan is an incredibly thoughtful film, one you need to see as soon as possible, and one you will absolutely enjoy. ​