Dr. No (1962) -- Bond 1

The 6th Bond book, Dr. No was the first time Ian Flemming's signature character was presented to the big screen.

This is actually one instance where I like the movie more than the book. The plot of the two is very similar: James Bond is called to Jamaica to resolve the disapperance of Strangeways, an undercover MI6 operative.

Dr. No is missing most of what would later be signature tropes of the Bond franchise: no special spy gadgets and no daring car chases. Sure, Dr. Julius No has a nuclear reactor, a flamethrower tank, and mechanical hands; but Bond does not have these himself.

No himself is a classic example of the supervillain. He has a tragic backstory, a brilliant mind, and a God-complex. Like a good classical villain, there is something about him that is horribly wrong. Often with this sort of character it is a normally virtuous trait turned extreme. For No, his attention to the most minute detail is a defining characteristic, and especially since it is turned to evil pursuits. Dr. No's evil is reflected in the physical too, with his mechanical hands.

The main differences between the novel and movie are in the complexity of the plot. This is pretty normal for adaptations. Also, there is a lot about "Chigros" (Chinese-Negros in Jamaica) in the novel, which isn't really dealt with in the movie. One good thing left out of the movie is the "Death Gauntlet" scene from the novel. In this, Dr. No places Bond through a rigorous test to determine his problem solving capacity and his pain threshold. Pretty stupid sequence, if you ask me.

All in all, a solid movie. A good start to a powerful franchise, and it is understandable how this could have spawned a generation of movies.