Everything Or Nothing Review
Starts with Ian Flemming and gradually a cast of many are added to the sweeping story of James Bond and his world domination over the past five decades. Albert “Cubbi” Broccoli naturally takes the limelight from the moment he acquires the rights along with Harry Saltzman. The first half of the series in fact focuses very much on these two men and their interaction with the rising stars they use in the role.
Of the six bonds, only Connery does not show up in modern day to look back. Instead we are relying very much on archive footage. But with his assorted view on his connection with the series it is perhaps easy to understand why he did not show up.
Lazenby on the other hand steals a scene all to himself by telling a hilarious and yet ultimately sad anecdote about his involvement and then dismissal from the series. Roger Moore is in throughout to insert some very funny opinions about the series as a whole as well as his own involvement. Dalton almost comes and goes as his two films are all but skimmed over (sadly). Brosnan gets a bit more screen time and gives a very informative story about almost getting the role in the mid-80s, and then getting eventually almost a decade later, to it petering out post 9-11 (but his reaction to how silly his films eventually got is almost worth the price of a ticket alone). You certainly come away wanting to know more from each of the actors about each of the films – certainly from Dalton onwards.
The film does speed up a bit in its second half which is a shame as it is all the little details that really make this work well. Of course owners of the box sets of the films will have an even closer look at each film – but the Brosnan and Craig years are still very much in need of an upgrade when it comes to the retrospective love. Which is why its so great that Brosnan shows up here to talk about his experiences with almost and then definitely getting the part.
If you have seen all of the previous documentaries available this isn’t going to shed too much new light. But it is well told, and often by different talking heads this time round. The archive footage used isn’t too repetitive from before (but of course with the older footage of Flemming and perhaps the early Connery years there was only so much to use from what they had used before).
But it is told very well to us, so anyone new to the background story can add half a star for their first time.
Steven Hurst