Wikipedia:Peer review/Dr. No (film)/archive1

Dr. No (film)
This peer review discussion has been closed. I've listed this article for peer review because…

This isn't just a good article: this is a very good article! I would like to see it as a contender for FA status and any thoughts on improving it to reach that standard would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, SchroCat! ( ^  •  @ ) 14:42, 28 July 2011 (UTC)

Brianboulton comments: Thus far I have only worked through the first few sections. Here are my comments; I have also made a few edits to deal with a few issues I found with the prose.
 * Lead
 * You should mention somewhere that the first Bond film of all was Casino Royale (Climax!) in 1954
 * ❌ Not sure it's classified as a film: it's a one hour TV show only. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * The "However" sentence is too detailed for the lead and could be omitted
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

Parts of this section lack clarity, as noted below. I'm also surprised that the plot avoids any mention of a couple of characters, Sylvia Trench and Miss Moneypenny, who are quite significant.
 * Plot
 * ❌ Neither Trench nor Moneypenny are significant in terms of the plot - maybe in terms of the series as a whole, but certainly not integral to the plot. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * "During his investigation Bond sees a picture of a boatman named Quarrel with Strangways." Obscurely put: "During his investigation" is too vague; by "picture" do you mean photograph? How does he know the boatman is "Quarrel"? I think you need to extend and rephrase the sentence.
 * (I think! - let me know if it's still vague!) - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * I'm confused. Bond recognises Quarrel as the driver of the car that "chased him from the airport". Then, "the fight is interrupted by the man from the airport who has been following Bond". So he was "chased" and "followed" (earlier you said he was "shadowed") from the airport by two different people?
 * (again, let me know if it's still vague!) - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * "After finding a receipt in Strangways' house about mysterious rocks naming, Professor R.J. Dent, Bond meets ..." I can't work out what this means
 * (again, let me know if it's still vague!) - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Link "assayed"
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:15, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Cast section
 * Rather too much information here that has already been given in the plot section. A few words of identifying information per character would suffice.
 * I'll look over this section again tomorrow when I'm less tired! - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Now -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:48, 10 August 2011 (UTC)


 * I'd also avoid descriptions such as "crafty goon".
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Background
 * Most of the information in the final paragraph is not "Background". Rather it is production and post-production detail.
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Also in the final paragraph, one costing and conversion is given in US$, another in £ sterling. These should be standardised in a single currency.
 * Any idea where to get a £->$ conversion at 1964 rates? Will do it if you know where we can work it out accurately - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Writing
 * This sentence seems particularly tortured: "It was followed by Johanna Harwood and Berkely Mather working on Maibaum's script,[35] with Harwood in particular being described as a script doctor who helped put elements more in tune with a British character, given Maibaum is American." There must be a simpler and shorter way og getting this information over.
 * Again, I'll look over this in the morning when I have a clearer head... - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Now -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:48, 10 August 2011 (UTC)


 * "would remain substantially true" → "have remained substantially true
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * It is surely not necessary to say that the film "has many similarities to the novel" - it would be most odd if it did not. Suggest: "Dr. No follows the novel's basic plot, but there are some notable omissions".
 * ❌ Actually a number of the Bond films differ greatly to the novels - only On Her Majesty's Secret Service really sticks to the book, whereas Moonraker the film has almost nothing from Moonraker the novel. See Differences between James Bond novels and films for more examples. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)


 * The final paragraph of this section is overdetailed for an encyclopaedic summary article. I believe it could be beneficially dropped (it has little to do with "writing", anyhow)
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

I'll try and finish this tomorrow or the next day - I am a little overstretched at present. Brianboulton (talk) 20:29, 9 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Thanks so much for doing this: It's looking much better already and I'll go over the other parts very shortly. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 22:34, 9 August 2011 (UTC)

Ruhrfisch comments: I agree with Brian's points above. Thanks for your work on this and here are some suggestions for improvement.
 * A model article is useful for ideas and examples to follow. There are many film FAs at Featured_articles
 * The (1962) in the first sentence of the lead seems awkward to me -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:45, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * The lead should be an accessible and inviting overview of the whole article. My rule of thumb is to include every header in the lead in some way, but I see no mention of the soundtrack or comic book in the lead. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:45, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Try to avoid vague time terms like "curently" - The film was followed by a successful series with currently 22 films and a 23rd planned for release in 2012. Perhaps something like The film was the first of a successful series of 22 Bond films; a 23rd is planned for release in 2012. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:45, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I think I would put the gun barrel sequence into just one sentence in the lead - as it is this seems needlessly repetitive: ''Many of the iconic aspects of a typical James Bond film were established in Dr. No, beginning with what is known as the gun barrel sequence. The film begins with an introduction to the character through the view of a gun barrel, and a highly stylised main title sequence, both created by Maurice Binder. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:45, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * The plot seems like it could be tightened in places - two examples follow
 * He also tells about the island of Crab Key, owned by the reclusive Dr. No, who operates a bauxite mine which is rigorously protected against trespassers by an armed security force and low-scan radar. could be something like These include Crab Key, owned by the reclusive Dr. No, who operates a bauxite mine protected by an armed security force and radar. (is low-scan important? Also is the mine on the Key - this is not clear to me (I think it is but it is a while since I saw the film) (I think this is now better, but please let me know if it could do with a further tweak) -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:56, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Whilst searching Strangways' house, Bond had found a receipt concerning rock samples; the receipt had been signed by Professor R.J. Dent. Note that many FAC reviewers do not like "whilst". This could be tightened to Bond found a receipt in Strangways' house signed by Professor R.J. Dent, which concerned rock samples. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 07:56, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * I will repeat the point made above - the Cast section should not repeat most of the information already covered in the plot (or in detail elsewhere). So ''Sean Connery as James Bond: A British MI6 agent, number 007, is sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of the local MI6 station chief and its possible connection to an ongoing joint investigation with the CIA. (See also the process which resulted in the selection of Connery as Bond.)
 * Also I owuld make the Cast section just a short description of the actors and characters the portray. Information on the Casting process should probably be in its own section, similar to model FAs and what is already there on the selecting an actor to play Bond (this could be a subsection of Casting). For example this material The producers chose Andress just two weeks before filming begun, after seeing a picture of her taken by her then-husband John Derek. To appear more convincing as a Jamaican, Andress had a tan painted on her and ultimately had her voice dubbed over due to her heavy accent.[3] I would note she had a Swiss German accent too. Similar info on casting Dr. No etc. could be in the Casting section. - will take a little more time to do this bit properly as it's an important and possibly major edit.  It's interesting the variants across the various FA articles from names only (such as The Lord of the Rings) to 4 or 5 lines on each character (such as Richard III or The Mummy).  I'll endeavour to strike the appropriate balance on this – and possibly on a more ‘beefed-up’ casting section too. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * - slimmed down cast section with details worked into a narrative and placed in the Casting section, with Connery's casting as separate sub-section. - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 13:28, 26 August 2011 (UTC)


 * Be careful with links - make sure to link on the first occasion (The Blind Mice is linked on second appearance), or Crab Key is linked only after many appearances. (Crab Key link removed as it re-directs to the Dr. No Novel only) -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Not sure what this means - did Fleming visit the set? If so, say so. ''They shot a few yards from Fleming's Goldeneye estate, and the author would regularly visit with friends.[50] -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * The article on the bikini says sales of bikinis took off after the film - could be included in Legacy. - Do you mean the BBC article by Kathryn Westcott?  I can't see where it says the bikini took off after Dr. No... If I've missed it or got the wrong article, please let me know. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * - SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 12:51, 26 August 2011 (UTC)

Hope this helps. If my comments are useful, please consider peer reviewing an article, especially one at Peer review/backlog (which is how I found this article). I do not watch peer reviews, so if you have questions or comments, please contact me on my talk page. Yours, Ruhrfisch &gt;&lt;&gt; &deg; &deg; 00:16, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
 * WP:See also says to generally avoid links already in the article. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)
 * Please make sure that the existing text includes no copyright violations, plagiarism, or close paraphrasing. For more information on this please see Wikipedia_Signpost/2009-04-13/Dispatches. (This is a general warning given in all peer reviews, in view of previous problems that have risen over copyvios.) Should be okay - we were very thorough when writing that we put the right things in quotation marks and paraphrased correctly - all to a high academic standard. -  SchroCat ( ^  •  @ ) 08:36, 25 August 2011 (UTC)