The very mention of James Bond is more than enough to figure out what the film is about: the secret spy, played by Sean Connery, having to take down a terrorist organization/ villian bent on taking over the world, gets a girl along the way (in this case, Honey Ryder, played by Ursula Adress) and narrowly escapes from his demise with the help of his cunning, gadgets and skillset. That's pretty much it, fill in the blanks and you have a Bond film. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not.
Bond is one of the most critically acclaimed characters in the history of cinema. He's stylish, suave and a force to be reckoned with. While I think the guy is too flawless to be interesting and complex, he's still a great character. The eponymous Dr. No, well, not so much. He's just as one-dimensional as the hero, don't get me wrong, but even then he's not an interesting villian. I liked the Bond girl here, too. Sure, she's a textbook damsel in distress but even then there's a certain charm to her character. She's doesn't get annoying, as in constantly running into the line of fire and having to be rescued: she is never an obstacle, that's why it works. The rest of the characters, like M and Quarrel, don't get much screen time but even then I liked them.
The way the character is introduced is fantastic. "The name is Bond. James Bond."
Another reason why I liked this film (and the main reason why I decided to watch it in the first place) is because of how influential it was, and not only for the Bond franchise. I mean, this film started the whole spy genre popularized throughout the 60s with shows like Get Smart. Austin Powers is one of my favorite comedies ever and I'm sure if I watch it right now after having seen Dr. No, it will be even better: it started all the cliches the former makes fun of. And formulaic as it may be, it's still very enjoyable.
The aesthetics are also very good. The main theme and the intro are incredibly recognizable, is has very creative and stylish visuals, and the way it was shot is very clever. Some parts were a bit goofy, though. I won't say they kill the mood of the movie, but they don't fit in with the serious tone of the film. The introduction of Ryder, the ridiculous, bright suits the bad guys wear, the unsettling hospitality the villian has for his mortal enemy, and that goddamn dragon come to mind.
Seriously? HOW CAN ANYONE FALL FOR THIS.
So in the end, it's a Bond film, so if you've enjoyed any other film you will like it as well, since it introduced the same formula the rest of the films follow. In case you have never seen any, it's worth watching if you're into action or thriller films.
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