| ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. | |
| OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. | |
| NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Parents need to know that while there's no full-frontal nudity, this movie contains a lot sexual innuendo. The film is largely based around Bond's fondness for women and his casual attitude towards sex, so sexual double entendres abound throughout the film. The violence factor is high with explosions, fistfights, gun battles, and a strangling. The politics are cold war and likely to be completely baffling to younger teens.
FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is the second film in the legendary series, and as an early entry, it features a more serious-minded plot than the later Bond films (although the "bond girls" are out in force and worth a discussion). Bond (Sean Connery) expects his villains to be Soviet agents, in reality, they are a part of an autonomous crime cartel setting a trap for him. Ultimately, Bond joins forces with the Soviets, (rather politically progressive for the Cold War period), to fight the mysterious SPECTRE crime organization for a second time.
It is in this film that James Bond seems to emerge as a particularly unique character, following the more disaffected Bond of Dr. No. While the plot gets somewhat obscured in a few rather befuddling dialogue exchanges, the charm of Connery as Bond is strong enough to keep the film mostly engaging. That said, the self-mocking tone of the later Bond films is missing, and there are moments where younger viewers, used to more fast-paced action films, may find themselves twiddling their thumbs while waiting for the next burst of action.
Families can talk about Bond's approach to women and the way the movie treats women in general. Why must 007's fondness for women be a weakness for him? Why do females seem to be cast as villains? Bond presumes that his enemies in the film are Russians. Ask your kids what they know about the Cold War. Who do they think the villains would be today?
| Topics: | adventures |
| Studio: | MGM/UA |
| Director: | Terence Young |
| Cast: | Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Sean Connery |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 118 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | April 8, 1964 |
| DVD release date: | October 17, 2000 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |