Decades Project: 1960s Movie–Dr. No

The first James Bond film is such a fun film to watch. Especially now after seeing how the series has changed. I first watched Dr. No when I was at Penn State with my roommate, Jackson. We decided we were going to watch all the Bond movies (I think we only made it through five or six). 

I remember afterward we felt the movie is closer in tone to the Austin Powers movies than to the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies. Or maybe, when you watch Dr. No you can appreciate what Austin Powers was parodying. 

As you watch the movie, notice how many references there are to earlier books. Nowadays they would be Easter Eggs, and they would be subtle. However, back in 1962, these references were part of the story, and they did not care if you understood it or not. The people watching it back then just assumed that James Bond had other adventures before this one (if you do this now, people will scream that it was a “plot hole”).

Also, would Sean Connery have become a huge star if not for this movie? I know, he was a rising star in the British television scene of the 50s, but James Bond is what made him a superstar. Does he reach that height without this role?