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The Wrath

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I've been on a real spy movie kick lately. What are some of your favorites?

My personal opinion is that Casino Royale is the ultimate spy movie. By far the best Bond that I've seen...which may not be saying much, since the only others I've seen were Pierce Brosnan's. I've seen bits and piecs of others, and they all seem pretty campy. I loved the more realistic direction that they're taking the franchise with Daniel Craig.

I also love the Bourne trilogy, though I didn't care much for the second one. The first is the best, in my opinion...I love watching him open his safe deposit box and finding tons of cash and passports, having no idea how they got there or who he is.

Munich is another good one. I found its morality appalling, but it is a very well-made movie.

I could have done without The Good Shepherd. On top of its excessive length, it's the only spy movie I've ever seen that has absolutely no suspense.

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My favorite spy movies are:

Just about any early James Bond flick with Sean Connery; I love the James Bond persona Connery portrays;

The Manchurian Candidate (the original film, from 1962); I like how the movie explores the possible dangers of mind-manipulation used in espionage against one's country;

Where Eagles Dare (1969); more of a spy movie than a war movie; I especially like the who's-who scene in the castle;

The Ipcress File (1965); I like Michael Caine's Harry Palmer, a man with a few criminal tendencies, but nevertheless has a moral line he won't cross.

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I've been on a real spy movie kick lately. What are some of your favorites?

My personal opinion is that Casino Royale is the ultimate spy movie. By far the best Bond that I've seen...which may not be saying much, since the only others I've seen were Pierce Brosnan's. I've seen bits and piecs of others, and they all seem pretty campy. I loved the more realistic direction that they're taking the franchise with Daniel Craig.

If you haven't seen Gold Finger, Diamonds are Forever, all of the Sean Connery Bonds, then you should see them. Connery played the quintessential Bond. I liked Casino Royale for what it was. It was a very good movie, but it wasn't James Bond. The guy made too many mistakes to be Bond. Bond is a guy who never gets his suit messy. He makes difficult situations look easy. That's a big part of the character's charm. And, btw, Connery was the original one liner guy. Everyone copies that now.

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If you haven't seen Gold Finger, Diamonds are Forever, all of the Sean Connery Bonds, then you should see them. Connery played the quintessential Bond.

I agree with this!! Dr. No is my favorite Bond movie, because it isn't strong on the silly gadgetry (though Gold Finger isn't bad either)

The TV show "Secret Agent Man" aka "Danger Man" is great (Patrick McGoohan whoopwhoop!!!)

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I agree with this!! Dr. No is my favorite Bond movie, because it isn't strong on the silly gadgetry (though Gold Finger isn't bad either)

Hey, I think gadgets are a good idea for a spy. It's akin to giving a man super powers in a realistic way.

The TV show "Secret Agent Man" aka "Danger Man" is great (Patrick McGoohan whoopwhoop!!!)

Absolutely, and it had a great theme song.

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Hey, I think gadgets are a good idea for a spy. It's akin to giving a man super powers in a realistic way.

I agree unless the gadgets are totally unbelievable and out of this world (as they are in many of the later bond movies) -- and if a spy has less gadgets, he depends more on his own reason, wit, and ability directly (though, gadgets represent these same values, just in that of the gadget maker and not the spy directly)

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I agree unless the gadgets are totally unbelievable and out of this world (as they are in many of the later bond movies)

I can suspend disbelief in most of Bond's gadgets. The majority are at least plausible, if ahead of their time.

What bothers me are the stunts the man is cabable of performing: chasing bad guys through the air without a parachute (and the villains don't open theirs and let him plummet to his death), standing a tanker truck on two wheels to avoid an RPG, stuff like that.

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In also like the movies you liked, Moose - Casino, the Bourne movies - and another one I'd add to (the bottom of) that list is Spy Game.

I abhor the moral goal of Robert Redford's protagonist -

sacrificing his entire life's savings to help a fellow spy (who's "off the reservation") rescue a domestic terrorist from a North Korean prison

- but it's a fun watch. I particularly enjoyed the training sequences.

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In also like the movies you liked, Moose - Casino, the Bourne movies - and another one I'd add to (the bottom of) that list is Spy Game.

I abhor the moral goal of Robert Redford's protagonist -

sacrificing his entire life's savings to help a fellow spy (who's "off the reservation") rescue a domestic terrorist from a North Korean prison

- but it's a fun watch. I particularly enjoyed the training sequences.

Not a spy movie per se, but The Incredibles borrows as many elements from the Bond genre as it does from the superhero comics - and gets in a few good digs at collectivism to boot. (Spoiler) Syndrome: "...and when everyone's special, then no one will be..." Plus it is absolutely entertaining and amusing.

An amazingly tense spy movie that's also remarkably devoid of action and gore: Hitchcok's Topaz.

If you want to be doubly appreciative of the recent Bourne flicks, watch the old 70's miniseries!

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