Everything or Nothing (2012)

Strictly average movie

Masterful Movie

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Very polished and well-done documentary for the Bond fan that doesn't know everything (i.e. me). Connery's struggle with sudden fame; Lazenby's brassy audition and soon-after falling-out with the producers; that jackhole McClory hurling his monkey wrench into the 007 machine. It spends plenty of time on Bond's literary roots, and the man who wrote the legend. Fleming had his demons, man. Admittedly, my favorite segment was the reboot of 007 with Daniel Craig. He's as brilliant a casting choice as Judi Dench was for M. But this whole thing is well-produced and brings everyone up to speed. 7/10

This is the Eon sanctioned documentary on 50 years of James Bond films. The documentary Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007 could had been fluffy celebratory piece like many other documentaries but it is rather warts and all approach although I am still sure some of the unedifying stuff has been left out. You still get a lot more behind the scenes information and footage than previous similar documentaries.Five of the six actors who have played James Bond take part. Sean Connery who seems to have had a big falling out with the Bond producers in the past does not take part but instead archive interviews are used. As Roger Moore implies in the documentary the Scots can certainly hold a grudge.There have been several spiky moments for the Bond producers over the last five decades that get a good airing here. The first being getting the rights and bringing the films into fruition. Then Fleming collaborating with Kevin McClory which meant McClory was a thorn for years resulting in the rival film Never say Never again in 1983 with Connery.Then there was the problem when Connery wanted to leave the role and being replaced by George Lazenby who himself left under acrimonious circumstances after one film.We then have Roger Moore who took over Bond and then the parting of the ways between Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, the two producers who started the series and the tangle as to Saltzman's rights which he sold to United Artist.Moore who found the right blend with The Spy who loved me, maybe stayed in the role for too long as the producers were unwilling to replace him in the early 1980s and then could not get Pierce Brosnan and had to got for Timothy Dalton before there was the 6 years hiatus in new Bond films because of litigation and then the relaunch with Brosnan finally in the role and up to the present day with Daniel Craig and the partial reboot of Bond.Its a great primer for those new to Bond and want some juicy behind the scenes gossip and hard information as to what it takes keeping such a successful franchise going for 50 years. Plenty of archive footage (as many of the main movers and shakers have passed on) and scenes from the movies and some humour as well.

Produced as part of the celebrations of the James Bond film series reaching its fiftieth anniversary and sanctioned by those behind them, the documentary Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007 might appear on the surface to be just another piece of celebratory fluff. After all, there have been countless documentaries produced on the series both for television and, more recently, on the various DVD releases of the films. So what could possibly be left to say about the history of the franchise? The answer, as revealed over a bit more than ninety minutes, is quite a bit.What perhaps makes the documentary most notable are those being interviewed. Five of the six actors who've played the part are featured (the sole exception being Sean Connery whose love/hate relationship with 007 is illustrated throughout). Each of them is nothing short of interesting ranging from George Lazenby's candidness about letting the part go to his head to Timothy Dalton reflecting on how his take on Bond was received to Pierce Brosnan on the pain of losing out the chance to play Bond in 1986 and how he handled the phone call telling him he wasn't getting to do another film after Die Another Day. Representing those either unwilling to be interviewed (such as Connery) to those no longer with us (such as Bond creator Ian Fleming, producer Cubby Broccoli, producer Harry Saltzman and surprisingly even Kevin McClory) is a wealth of mainly audio archival clips. Last but not least are a wealth of others interviewed such as the usual suspects including various Bond girls to current producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Somewhat more intriguing are the less usual suspects including Fleming's friend/biographer John Pearson to McClory's friend Judy Geeson and former United Artists executive David Picker. The results help to make this far more than your usual making of documentary.Everything Or Nothing is also well produced and stylishly done. Yes, there are the expected clips from all of the films, but they are put to surprisingly effective use not just as samples from the respective films but also to illustrate, often metaphorically, events taking place behind the scenes. There's also a wealth of archival material as well that give it a larger scope than many of its predecessors as well. There's also a stylishly done opening black and white teaser sequence that sets the stage for it is to follow that is excellently done. If I would fault the documentary, it would be that it perhaps paced too rapidly and jumps around quite a bit, rarely stopping long enough to focus on any one film in particular.The result of all of these materials being brought together is that this is less a making of documentary and more of a look at the history of the series overall and how it has survived across five decades. It charts the course through the series by telling a story about strong individuals, egos, money and perseverance as much as anything else. Despite being officially sanctioned, the documentary does point out the flaws of various films and when the series went astray. Perhaps most surprisingly, it even goes into some depth about the controversy surrounding McClory, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again in a manner that is as even handedly as one can expect in light of what is still a controversial subject in Bond circles.From its interviews and archival materials to a stylish production, Everything Or Nothing: The Untold Story Of 007 is far more than just another documentary on the history of a long running franchise. It is a journey through its history, its ups and downs and even some of its points of contention. It is the story behind the spy (and the films) that have, and will hopefully, continue tom thrill us.

Starts out quite strong, but quickly devolves into more of a corporate video than a documentary.It felt biased and seemed like it was created solely to bolster the Broccoli family legacy.The title should really be: Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of Albert R. BroccoliBut I guess it shows how bitter the fights are and how they continue through to another generation.In between all the justifications, there are some interesting interviews with past Bonds, so it's not all propaganda.