Dr. No

TV Guide Magazine by

A solid, surprisingly modest spy thriller, enlivened by Sean Connery's screen charisma and occasional hints of the extravagance to come.

The New York Times by Bosley Crowther

This lively, amusing picture is not to be taken seriously as realistic fiction or even art, any more than the works of Mr. Fleming are to be taken as long-hair literature. It is strictly a tinseled action-thriller, spiked with a mystery of a sort. And, if you are clever, you will see it as a spoof of science-fiction and sex.

Chicago Reader by Dave Kehr

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

ReelViews by James Berardinelli

There are no gadgets, forcing Bond to rely on his ingenuity (in one scene, when he needs to breathe while submerged, he uses hollowed-out reeds as air tubes). The single car chase is reasonably straightforward. And, for the only time in the series, 007 is unmistakably brutalized, appearing bloody, beaten, and disheveled as a result.

Empire by Kim Newman

The beginning of the super-successful franchise, this remains one of the most satisfying Bond films.