Dr. No (1962)

  Thus begins my foray into the Bond-verse.  A while back now, I added all the classic Bond films (everything pre-Brosnan) to my Netflix queue.  Now, they're finally up at bat just in time for the 23rd movie, Skyfall, to come out.  I don't know if I'll be able to get all of them watched before November 15th but I will try.

In this very first adventure, James Bond (Sean Connery), clandestine agent for Her Majesty's government, is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of Strangways (Tim Moxon), another agent.  Bond arrives in Kingston and is almost immediately beset by assassins.  After an introduction to CIA agent Felix Leitner (Jack Lord), Bond learns that Strangways' disappearance has something to do with the planned Mercury rocket launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida.  He sets out to investigate Crab Key, a mysterious island owned by Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman).

Ok, good points first.  Despite the fact that this movie is 50 years old, the story and pace have held up quite well.  It's dated technologically, of course, but Bond comes off as resourceful and quick-witted. It's easy to see why they gave Sean Connery a franchise.  The character is good but Connery makes him great. 

Negatives:  There are no actual Jamaicans in a movie set primarily in Jamaica.  Also, the two high-profile Asian characters (Dr. No and Miss Taro) weren't in any way Asian. 

That's pretty much it though.  It's high-energy, fun, and a bang-up start to a franchise that's still running.