Reviewing 'You Only Live Twice' - Countdown to Bond 25
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ค. 2019
- CINEMATIC 007 -- "I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld." The Countdown to Bond 25 continues with a review of 'You Only Live Twice.'
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36:00 The guy Bond fights at night isn't a Sumo wrestler at all but a Samoan called Peter Maivia. You might have heard of his grandson, Rocky Maivi... I mean The Rock.
The story goes like this : After Thunderball which was considered the peak of action, gudgets etc. Connery had agreed with the producers to make On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He was anticipating on doing this because it was a challenge for him to act in a darker and more sensitive Bond movie. He wanted to work in depth with the evolution of Bonds character. The plot of OHMSS and the fact that Bond fells in love, gets married and his wife gets killed really intrigued Connery to play it. But then all of the sudden the producers decided not to proceed with that (because of some snow problems in Switzerland) but instead to make YOLT. Sean Connery was hugely disappointed by this change. Because he wanted a new challenge of acting and the evolution of the Bond character. From then on he started to loose interest on the character. The problems and disagreements continued during filming in Japan and by the end of filming he declared that he would stop playing Bond. YOLT is a great Bond movie. But when you give attention to Connerys performance you realize that something has changed. He is not at his best as he was in Thunderball. He had lost interest and you can somehow observe it in that movie. Even if you are not mad about it, little Nelly s air battle with the helicopters is my favorite scene of this movie. Keep up the good work guys.
I didn't know that Connery anticipated acting in OHMSS. That's great insight! Thanks for sharing that. :-)
@@erikdolnack2737 Part of Connery interview in Playboy November 1965
PLAYBOY: In any case, Dr. No turned out to be a hit, and you found yourself under contract for a series ... exactly what you said you wanted to avoid.
CONNERY: Yes ... but it allows me to make other films, and I have only two more Bonds to do.
PLAYBOY: Which ones?
CONNERY: On Her Majesty's Secret Service and possibly You Only Live Twice. They would like to start On Her Majesty's Secret Service in Switzerland in January, but I'm not sure I'll be free in time and I don't want to rush it, although they say the snow will be at its best then. I'm not going to rush anything anymore.
PLAYBOY: We'll be looking forward to both films ... especially since we were fortunate enough to serialize both books exclusively prior to their hardcover publication. Do you think the success of the series will continue to snowball?
CONNERY: Well, it's a healthy market and it has been maintained because each succeeding film has got bigger and the gimmicks trickier. But we have to be careful where we go next, because I think with Thunderball we've reached the limit as far as size and gimmicks are concerned. In Thunderball we have Bond underwater for about 40 percent of the time, and there is a love scene underwater, and attacks by aquaparas from the sky, and two-man submarines under the sea, and Bond is menaced by sharks. Instead of the Aston Martin we have a hydrofoil disguised as a cabin cruiser, and Bond escapes with a self-propelling jet set attached to his back. So all the gimmicks now have been done. And they are expected. What is needed now is a change of course ... more attention to character and better dialogue.
I wish Connery had done OHMSS as originally planned.
@Darryl Ruiz That's the first I hear such a claim. It goes contrary to what one usually hears. Any evidence?
Fascinating!! Thanks for this!
Great directing, great cinematography, great score, exotic locations, exotic Bond girls, action scenes galore, little Nellie, volcano lair and a Toyota 2000GT convertible! One of my faves!
You Only Live Twice began principal photography in July of 1966 and is listed as a 1967 film.
love ''YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE'' Lewis Gilbert Direction was very Fast pace, the Asian theme storyline really makes the film very exotic, and Nancy Sinatra's title song works well with John Barry's score. 9 out of 10
A couple fun facts about the wrestling connections you referenced. The sumo wrestler who gives Bond his tickets is Sadanoyama who reached the highest rank of Yokozuna, something only 72 wrestlers have done in the past 250+ years. The wrestlers didn't want to film just a few bouts, so they held an all day exhibition, so what you see on film is pretty close to what you see in real life. Sumo is a time capsule of a sport, you can watch it today, google "grand sumo highlights" and you can see the sport has hardly changed. I visited Tokyo to see many Bond locations, and as a result, fell in love with sumo too.
Also... the other guy who fought Bond with the couch at Osato Chemicals, is The Rock's grandfather. One last tidbit, Osato Chemicals building is actually a hotel and looks just like it did on the outside - it's called the Hotel New Otani. Great hotel for a good value if you are looking to visit Tokyo!
The fight scene at the Osato HQ was with Fanene Maivia, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's grandfather.
The Japanese are not bankrolling Spectre's plot. It's Red China.
James Bond is Charlie
Tiger Tanaka is Grandpa
Blofeld is Willy Wonka
The Volcano is the chocolate factory
The piranha pool is the bubble gum machine 😁
I saw this in 1967 in London on a strange choice of double bill with ‘A Fistful of Dollars’. I think Lewis ‘ Gilbert with this film and later ‘Spy who loved me’ and ‘Moonraker’ had a lot to do with the sad departure from the gritty earlier films. Great review as always. I can almost touch the passion and knowledge you both exude.
Agree with Joe’s comment: Karin Door is weird with the red hair. Red does not suit her and her eyebrows are too dark.
I'm surprised they don't know that the actor Bond is fighting with using couches, is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's grandfather.
Great talk. This one grows on me more every time I watch it. Btw it’s 67 not 65.
I realized that after I posted it! ;) Whoops.
@@Beingjamesbond yep it's '67 not '65 which was the Year that Thunderball came out
This film usually is seen as one of the weaker Connery entries, and even overall not well regarded, but I find it very entertaining. So many things to love. I like it.
Two things that bothered me about this film you never mentioned:
1. After the settee fight with the big guy in Osato's office, Bond just notices the safe. He then pulls out a convenient pocket sized safe cracking device. Does he always carry one around with him, because it would have otherwise been a stroke of luck to have it just at that moment.
2. Climbing up the volcano at the end, Bond had no idea about the false lake crater access, made of metal. It opens up and he conveniently has some knee and elbow suction pads to use on glass or metal surfaces. How did he know he'd need those before seeing how to access the crater and where did they come from? It didn't look like he had them in all the volcano ascension scenes. Lol
He should have had one of those pocket sized safe cracking devices in OHMSS.
@@Destroyer_13 Even the relative size of safe-cracking devices would have made more sense if they had done OHMSS first.
re the "safe cracking device"; in the following 007 film Bond, this time played by George Lazenby, [O H M S S] also requires the same 'Q' supplied device...this time the safe cracking device is as big as a suitcase!
I love John Barry's score for ''Thunderball''. That's my favorite of his Bond work.
My favourite of the lot. Been my fav since I was 5 in 1985. First ever BOND I saw on Betamax. Love the score too. The set alone is a masterpiece and what CGI could never beat....plus first time around Blofeld's line "this organisation does not tolerate failure" beats Goldfinger' " I expect you to die" by miles....
Damien Ristori my best too
No way does it beat Goldfinger's clever witticism.
The guy bond fights at the office is The Rocks grandad Peter Maivia.
Lewis Gilbert (Sean Connery - Michael Feeney Callan Book) says: I tried to give Bond a human dimension, by introducing the emotion when Aki is murdered. But Sean had such a stain to put up with, with the fans. Once when we tried to do a simple shot of him, walking down the Ginza we decided the safest way was to hide our camera, let him slip out of the car and amble past - let him vanish in the street strollers. We tried, Gilbert laughs loud. But Sean got out of the car....and was just pounced upon by a million fans. It was a feeding frenzy, a nightmare.
Wow!!
Growing up a Connery fan, I used to prefer this over it's quasi-remake, The Spy Who Loved Me, but nowadays I think TSWLM is the better film
I would probably place both on them on my top 10 though still
Lewis Gilbert made the same film 3 times. This,TSWLM,& Moonraker.
Saw it in JUne 1967 on a huge screen. After Thunderball there was a two year wait where we were inundated with all the copycat and imitators such as Flint, Helm and all those cheap Italian knockoffs. Saw them all. But now Bond was back with a vengeance re-asserting his King of the Hill status in this genre. This film introducing Ninjas to the western world among many other unique aspects. That fact that the film "Tobruck" won the Oscar for special effects that year while this was ignored was such a travesty. Also it had close to the same budget as 2001: A Space Odyssey. Very impressive back. It also had a strange, almost liberating effect on spy novels and comic books. After this the gloves were off over the top wise. James Dark's Mark Hood books took on a more elaborate scale - same with Marvel's Nick Fury agent of S.H.E.I.L.D. as Jim Steranko cuts loose. This movie had a long lasting and profound effect on action cinema. Eon's own SWLM and MR are just remakes of this. Also, on a side note this is the first film where james Bond saves the world. Not just a city or two but the whole woerld and this also played into the cold war Fail-Safe/ Dr. Strangelove ethos of the day.
Joe, twice is kinda an up grade of the dr. no plot on a larger scale of course, and your right about all the bond copy cats but on the fun side operation kid brother ( o k Connery) is fun and on the serious side the ipcress file is excellent. Both enjoyable movies.
For me this one has only gotten better with time. It went from the middle of my rankings up into my top five. It's a lot of fun and, while not perfect, is classic Bond with a lot to offer.
I love YOLT!!! The first BIG Bond film!!! The whole world is now in Bond's hands!!! *** I think that Akiko Wakabayashi was really great! And she was an actress, am I right? And her voice was genuine? Well done! I feel so sorry, when she's dead... *** Mie Hama was just O.K., nothing special. And her voice is actually a voice of Nikki van der Zyl..........
I didn´t know Nikki also did Mia Hama. It sounds nothing like Van der Zyl´s voice.
What a tremendous improvement over Thunderball. And Nancy Sinatra just knocks it out of the park - what a beautiful song. I really miss the song being laced into the score.
I know the pacing of Thunderball kinda bothers people and it feels very stop start in its story-telling but I think its still a great Bond film. I have YOLT as my no.1 Connery with Thunderball a close 2nd.
Thunderbore!
This has the best incidental and theme music of any of the Bond film.....in my humble opinion.
I am so pumped for Diamonds are Forever
E O what is your take on diamonds since you were so pumped up to see it.
Randy Acuna My favorite Bond film!
@@user-uc3lc1ou3i that's o k , we all have our favorites.
Fellas - you gush at how great the score is without a mention of the Nancy Sinatra theme song which for me is THE greatest of all the Bond themes. It's easy to forget how long this movie held up without dating and was a 'go to' for the TV schedulers. Little Nellie was one of the most memorable moments of all Bond movies. This movie is dear to me principally I guess because of the theme song. There is also some pathos in the death of Aki. My comment on your Thunderball review mentioned the overlong shootout. Same thing applies here at the end in the volcano - zero suspense, zero sense of danger - and a scene pretty much repeated at the end of The Spy Who Loved Me - again with zero suspense, zero danger. YOLT still gets an 8 from me though.
Great video, but it's not the Japanese who are funding Blofeld's plan, it's the Chinese. I think it becomes pretty clear what Blofeld's plan is, there's the "I'm about to inaugurate a little war" quote, and there are a lot of shots of the US military command on standby to attack the USSR when Blofeld is about to hijack the capsule in the end. The villain plot is much clearer than in Dr. No, where I didn't really get what he was trying to achieve. YOLT is one of my favorite Bond movies, probably the most iconic after Goldfinger
There are many problems in this film. From here, Connery's relationships with producers are getting very bad, and Connery is mentally and physically tired of Japanese journalists, the distances for the filming and high temperature (he had dehydration). The Gemini project (U.S.A. spacecraft stolen from Blofeld) was completed in November 1966, seven months before the film premiere. The U.S.A. Space Program has been suspended and is being challenged after the tragedy of Apollo 1 in January 1967. Vietnam War and other social problems have led many people - especially the young - to challenge, deny and break with the world that represents Bond. The reason that two years later Lazenby left the role. For viewers they were very innovative effects (they deserve Oscar). Many spy films after the success of Bond and another Bond film (''Casino Royale'' April 1967). After ten years ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' (a remake of Y.O.L.T.) with more attention to details, had great success.
I’m so glad you mentioned that “Aki!” reaction lol. I’ve always been so bothered by that. I can somehow accept the volcano lair and the Japanese makeover more than I can buy his reaction.
Same here! ;) It just seemed so oddly 'energetic' my Connery at that stage!
Love the first half of the movie, up to and including Kobe Dock. It moves at a breezy pace but the second half goes really downhill.
Great Film I actually Love this Movie and This is also where Connery really gets into Action More than the Fab 4 Films (Dr. No, FRWL , Goldfinger And Thunderball) he has more Action in this one out of all the Other Films love the Little Nellie Scene and of Course the Volcano Lair is just Iconic!!!! Great Review Guys I would Give it a 8!!!
I'm enjoying your video series. Best scene is the roof chase. Use of music and Connery's movement? Awesome!
I always felt that the score playing over Bonds fight with Hans and the same music you played at the start of this video over the trailer, kind of says this is Connery's swan song as Bond. His exit from the franchise music. Of course 4 years later he would be back in 'Diamonds' but nobody knew that at the time.
I like this film but , in a sense this film Mark's the end of bond the person and the beginning of the hardware taking over the films. There are exceptions but most films went this direction.
Some say it started in Thunderball. Also, Bond is not given time with the heroine like in Thunderball- how undignified!
@@ricoz2016 in thunderball, bond was still the focal point , in twice he was going through the motions, the sets is where the star is.
The sets started in you only live twice. That's where you see the real star.
@@randyacuna3248 I disagree, Thunderball lacked sets but the location was as much as the star as Bond was.
LOL 'I love me some rockets and I don't have to explain myself' - Blofeld. Ah, I never asked myself why he wanted the rockets either. But as you say, this is a fantasy film and maybe that's why I didn't think about it as much as the other ones. Interesting comment below re the context of trying to film in a Bond-obsessed Japan at the time. And we know that high levels of hysteria do not a happy Connery make. Well done again guys, another wonderful trip down the aluminium monorail of Bond films.
I feel funny when I listen to people talking about Movies. My feelings are razorsharp to define. With this Millenium human art has been deliberately and willingly flushed down the Toilet. Almost each and every piece before that desaster shines more and more with each passing day. And in this case "You only Live Twice" has always been a Masterpiece. James Bond was continued to keep that source of money alive. It just was turned into some cash hunting tool with no charme, none larger than life spirit, no messages, no humour, just stupid brutality, in short garbage from Goldeneye on.
I LOVE the Connery Bond films but this was, to me a continuation of the decline of the series after Goldfinger as 007 increasingly took a backseat to the sets and gadgets. Connery was fed up with the lack of depth and you can see it in his walk-through this film. Funny enough this and Thunderball were my favorites as a child in the 1960's but in time the first 3 hold up better.
Still a solid 3 of 5 stars.
Disagree with the implication Connery was over the lack of depth. He decided before filming YOLT that YOLT would be his last. He was simply sick of playing James Bond and if it had anything to do with depth, he would have stuck around for OHMSS which is arguably the most emotional of the Bond films.
@@Romans8-9 Read down you'll see more about that.
I somehow like Thunderball even better than goldfinger
@@randallrutherford1384 Thunderball is better than Goldfinger no doubt. Goldfinger gets bogged down when Bond is taken captive and I agree with Joe that the Kentucky setting is just really weak and bland.
Interesting fact, the Asian woman in bed with Bond before he “dies” is also in 2006’s Casino Royale as one of the poker players.
I like Kissy. Pretty cool that she’s the only Bond girl in the novels to have a child with Bond.
The guy Bond had the fight in Osatos office, was Dwayne Johnsons grandpa?
They should have cast Christopher Lee as Blofeld.
I prefer Pleasence as Henderson. Ηis murder would not be true - like Bond in Hong Kong - and in the volcano he would say that he is Blofeld's half brother, and Blofeld is the leader. In novel, Blofeld's father was Polish, and his mother was Greek, hence his Greek name Stavro. This would justify why Bond and Blofeld doesn't know each other in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service''.
This is my favorite James Bond film from Sean Connery. Also to me, You Only Live Twice being film in Japan allowed it to be a little more imaginary than usual. I'm a big fan of Japan and Japanese culture and I know that is one factor why I enjoy YOLT. I completely understand why you don't love this film and I know you loved Thunderball more than this and I can see why
not one of my favorite Bond films, but it is, unquestionably, my favorite 007 music score by John Barry.
I've never understood why this one gets so much heat...it's one hell of a lot of fun...rediculous at times(Roald Dahl has a writing credit though so...) but it just keeps a smile on my face all the time rather than have me groan like some of the rediculousness of the Moore era...there were a few obvious nods to Thunderbirds/other Gerry Anderson shows but that just increased the fun factor for me...8/10.
This movie is terrible but it’s so likable because of the cheesy silliness, gorgeous cinematography and beautiful opening credits. And wonderful song by Nancy Sinatra. It’s really very unique and in a class of it’s own.
This , for me, is one of my favorite Bonds. "From Russia with Love" drags a bit in parts. The scene in "Goldfinger" with the gangsters was pretty corny with crappy acting. The opening of this film was one of the best. The song by Nancy Sinatra was one of the best. The introduction of Blofeld was awesome. I love the Japanese and their culture. This is one of the best despite what these guys say.
I agree. Has a really strong pace. It's a bit silly but it isn't trying to be an Oscar winner. The second half of Goldfinger is quite weak and FRWL and Thunderball are just way too slow. I put this as Connery'wñs best and Dr No number 2.
Scott looks like Donald Pleasence.
Throwback to OCT. 2019 when i went to see the original print in 35mm on the big screen.
I love the black and white shoes from Sean Connery!
39:37 See, now you're getting it. ;-)
I grew up in the Brosnan era, so for me grand spectacular action setpieces are just essential elements to a good Bond movie. And that's where You Only Live Twice set the benchmark for a long time. For me its legacy to the franchise is right up there with the first three movies. Dr. No introduced James Bond, the card playing Vodka Martini drinking gentleman spy, and the Bond girl. From Russia With Love established the classic pre-title and title sequence as well as an intriguing cold-war-themed spy story. Goldfinger refined some of the established elements, gave it a more light-hearted playful spin, added the gadgets and introduced the concept of a larger-than-life villain and his evil scheme as the main focal point of the movie. And You Only Live Twice added the spectacle: Explosive action sequences synched to the Bond theme, the ultimate villain's lair (complete with a monorail!), a phantastic score and outstanding cinematography that makes full use of the exotic location Bond is put into.
Also, like it or not, the Blofeld reveal is and remains one of the most iconic scenes in the entire series. It wouldn't have been parodied to death if it wasn't so memorable. And wether ot not he lived up to the expectation after all the build-up, Donald Pleasence's version is easily better than any Blofeld incarnation that came after him. Going for a calm menacing villain but giving him cartoonish phyiscal features at the same time is risky, and I understand if it doesn't work for everybody. It works for me here because all the other characters that are interacting with Blofeld are selling his menacing presence with their acting. One if the reasons 2015 Blofeld didn't work for me is because Bond wouldn't take him seriously. This Blofeld by contrast is taken very seriously by everyone in-universe. Especially his own subworkers Osato and Brandt are visibly terrified by his presence. And rightfully so.
I wouldn't even necessarily say that the plot is unrealistic. The space race was a big thing back then. Of course reusable vertically landing rockets were still a few decades down the road, but by now SpaceX has proven that it is possible. If anything, that's a remarkable prediction of future technology that became a reality. At least Bond himself remained grounded, unlike 12 years later. And when it comes to The Spy Who Loved Me, well, yes, that one had submarines instead of rockets, but the whole plot revolved around ending all human life on land to create a new society under the sea. How is that more realistic than collaborating with an emerging superpower looking to benefit from a destructive clash between the USA and Russia?
I could have done without the "Bond goes Japanese" bit, but otherwise You Only Live Twice is a fun spectacle that is still enjoyable more than 50 years later. Some complain that Connery phoned it in on that one, but I never really minded that. The emotional parts were never Connery's strong suit anyway. Plus, I definitely prefer Bond playing it straight in a silly movie to Bond acting silly in a serious movie (as in Thunderball). And even if the direction the franchise started to take with this movie is not everyone's cup of tea, anyone should be able to appreciate the score and cinematography in it. A solid 8/10 in my book, and my second favourite from the Connery era after Goldfinger.
Favourite part: Little Nellie and the ensuing dogfight. Such a well written and executed action sequence. Perfectly scored as well. After Bond's introduction in Dr. No and the ending of Casino Royale, this has to be the third best use of the Bond theme in the series. As far as action sequences in Bond movies go, in my opinion it hasn't been matched until the tank chase in GoldenEye.
Only good things about this movie are the John Barry score, Nancy Sinatra’s theme song, and Ken Adam’s sets. Other than that it is a total dreck.
Joe, I don’t remember Bond and OSATO chilling out in hot tubs at any point during this film…was that in a George Lucas special edition ;)
Getting it right is important. Principal photography began around early July of 1966 and the movie was released in 1967.
Where is OHMSS? :( Was looking forward to it after work.
"You live only twice, once when you were born, and once when you look death in the face".
It is what had happened when the producers and the team of filming understood what the flight could be taken in Japan crashed with no survivor.
For my part, I think that film is really underestimated and was not understood as he should be him.
It is necessary to note that scenario was written after the death of Ian Fleming by one of his the closest friend, Roald Dahl. He is not a scriptwriter and he said that this book is one of the worst: it’s only a tourist guide of Japan. However, he is going to write a film which will revolutionise the films of Bond: a parallel world where everything will be possible.
I explain my theory: At the very beginning, James Bond died. In fact. For real.
Him who compares the Chinese women with the cooked duck (Bond is racist and a misogyny character in the book) goes after the generic become the holder of a diploma of the oriental languages, become physically Japanese man and to get married and to love a Japanese girl...
It is the world upside down. And it is not finished, the recipe of the martini is inversed,
he never said the sentence "my name is Bond",
Blofeld had a scare on his face, but in the novel, it’s Bond who had a scare!
It is the first time when Bloefeld is seen. He says "I love you" and he lets the women defend him or die on his place, it is Aki who protect him, and not him...
He didn't kill the villain (the girl) or have sex with her,...
These inversions, as in a mirror, also become a reality in true life: Richard Maibaum is going to take back the filming of Chitty chitty Bang Bang, a book for child written by... Ian Fleming and Roald Dahl wrote a James Bond film usually written by... Richard Maibaum!
Of my sense one very smart thought of this film to be an issue in the work from Fleming. the author and his character died together. The 007 movie becomes a universe where everything is possible. He kills Bond and to create this world so that in future his character never be in trouble.
Where this hypothesis becomes realistic it is that the next James Bond of Maibaum will be "Diamonds are forever" with all weirds codes will be taken back: a red-hair woman who is bad and good at the same time, the resumption of the actor Charles Gray (why him?) as Bloefeld, and a scenario and characters completely crazy. Besides as made it pointed out by Μακης Λ, this film is the direct following of "You only live twice".
James Bond has two lives: one in the lifetime of its author who will be respected forever (of Dr No at Thunderball) and one completely WTF after his death.
I think that it is what Roald Dahl wanted: that the creation of his friend could be respected.
As author and writer, he could understand it.
Thanks for your video and maybe for have read this very long text, and sorry for my English… vive la France!!
Note: the big guy who fight Bond in the office is “the Rock" Dwayne Johnson’s grandfather!!
10:30 the gunbarrel sequence is black and white in this which is strange. 30:20 Tanaka is dubbed by the same voice as Largo was.
This film would have been far better had Christopher Lee played Blofeld.
I think for better is Pleasence as Henderson. Ηis murder would not be true - like Bond in Hong Kong - and in the volcano he would say that he is Blofeld's half brother (In novel, Blofeld's father was Polish, and his mother was Greek, hence his Greek name Stavro). This would justify, why Bond and Blofeld doesn't know each other in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service''.
Given the character's description, it would have been awesome to see him as Blofeld and the books shot in the correct order.
I enjoyed this movie, and found it a little less weird than the novel. But, going into space? The set design and the space ship and strong hold makes look very much like the show "Thunderbirds". But, the effects for the movie was not up to par. "Thunderbirds" had better space vehicle effects. Overall it was good. Not as great as the first three films, but good.
I like everything about this movie, but...
The "let's turn you Japanese" part, the ninja school, and the two tone shoes... Especially the two tone shoes. Wasn't the trench coat and hat enough to fool the driver?
@BeingJamesBond I Just Notice that when you were talking about the Green screen you Put out a Clip of my Local TV Station Fox 13!!!!! Tampa Bay!!!!
This is a tough one for me. On the one hand, it's iconic; on the other hand, I can't get past how bored Connery is. It's distracting. The action scenes are pretty good, especially the climatic fight in the volcano. I'm not a big fan of Donald Pleasance as Blofeld. The Bond Girls are a bit dull. The marriage scene and Connery's "disguise" is just dumb. It's a fun film in many ways, but with each repeated viewing it seems to drop in my rankings.
The most overlooked of the Connery canon. Not perfect but a lot of fun with an outstanding John Barry score. BTW...Bond “bonds” and chills with Tanaka, not Osato! LOL!
my least favourite of the connery films
A 5 Joe?! You’re crazy! 😝
Agreed. This film is better than Thunderbore. Given Connery's lackluster performance and the turning Japanese stuff, I think this film is a 7.
The plus side of this movie is john barrys score . i really like the dock fight scene - the music , the aerial shot . some of the stunt men are too quick but the sheer audacity and scale of that scene and i like Aki. . The downside ( and something the reviewers should mention ) Connery looks bored. Maybe the background problems to this film are so well known now but Connery does look disinterested.
From here, Connery's relationships with producers are getting very bad, and he is mentally and physically tired of Japanese journalists, the distances in the filming of the film and the high temperature (he had dehydration).
(33.39 - 38.26) th-cam.com/video/-3Mw5xW2tkQ/w-d-xo.html
yes agreed and thanks for the link .
Great in depth review guys!!
Love this movie!
Saw this for the first time with my parents in the early 70s at one of those Bond double features they used to run all the time (yep I'm that old!)
On the big screen i vividly remember how exotic and epic it felt.
Blofeld and Spectre as the villians were so memorable-the women were beautiful-the action sequences were all big and exciting
and of course the music was just sensational.
(In my opinion second only to OHMSS)
There are definitely better films in the series but in many ways,You Only Live Twice can almost serve as a blueprint for everything we love about James Bond
You Only Live Twice was my first Connery Bond. The space stuff was fine for a Moonraker baby but the whole turning Japanese and ninja training was almost completely useless. I also wasn't a fan of the odd inconsistencies or Bond mistakes. The volcano base was pretty awesome and I loved the Tokyo setting as a kid. An 8 is very generous like very generous. LOL How can this get an 8 that leaves only two possible grades better. You are much more on point Joe. IMO
Because it has great pacing. And even strong Bond movies have their flaws.
Joe, I find it amazing how much I agree with your assessment of the Bond films and related items like favorite films, the restoration of the Palmyra, etc. Great video as usual. 🥂
WRT the assassination attempt in the airplane, I always thought of it as a "plausible deniability" thing, less overt than a bullet hole.
Donald Pleasence as Blofeld is the weakest part of the film for me. I would have lost the scar and the Mandarin jacket. If you want a sinister looking bald guy, my choice would be Yul Brynner and I would have dressed him to the nines. My favorite Blofeld is Max Von Sydow in Never Say Never Again, and unfortunately he is way under utilized in that film. Von Sydow is, for me, much more like the complex character as described by Fleming in the Thunderball novel.
I would prefer Pleasence in the role of Henderson. Ηis murder would not be true - like Bond in Hong Kong - and in the volcano he would say that he is Blofeld's half brother. Yul Brynner had to play Blofeld in ''On Her Majesty's Secret Service''.
@@user-xp2gm8im2c I think Yul Brynner would have made a great continuing Blofeld. He can do the sinister thing very well and looks like someone who could be the head of a organization like SPECTRE and that people would follow. For me Telly Savalas will always look like either a NYC hood or cop depending on if he is sucking on a lolly pop or not. :)
I do like the plausible deniability angle!!
Yul Brynner would be so good... Donald Pleasance just seems more creepy and unsettling to intimidating...
Describing Blofeld as bug-eyed is quiet on point as he seems unable to blink due to the scar make-up.
I would say it's much better than Thunderball. Oh and the guy in the couch fight? That is Dwayne The Rock Johnson's father!
its his grandfather
RighteousBrother he was Dwayne Johnson’s grandfather
High Chief Peter Maivia!
I love it when Bond stays away from London. This is the bond I grew up watching and will always compare to.
The sumo wrestler was WWWF, now WWE superstar Peter Maivia.
And if I recall The Rock’s Grandfather
Dave Franks yes he was Dwayne Johnson’s grandfather and passed away at age 45 in 1982 of cancer.
According toWikipedia he’s listed as a car driver. There’s a headshot of him on the wiki page and it doesn’t look like the wrestler in the movie.
The evil sumo trying to kill bond in you only live twice in the office building was dwayne johnson the rocks grandfather
1967, not 1965
You Only Live Twice shouldn't work, it's kinda' a mess. Yet, somehow it does work. It works really well, in fact. The film lags until the volcano battle begins, but once the action proceeds into the volcano this becomes a great Bond adventure! Lewis Gilbert basically remade the same plot in three movies (You Only, Spy Who Loved Me, and Moonraker) but who cares...it's all great stuff!
This is the third best Connery Bond behind the obvious two, IMO. Ken Adams and especially John Barry's masterpiece!
Goldfinger and...?
@@philhellmuth2771 FRWL
@@zackbutson3401 for me too but for some it would be thunderball 🤢
@@philhellmuth2771 Thunderball has often derailed many Bond marathons for me. I usually skip it nowadays until I'm deeper than 3 movies in.
It's Red China backing Blofeld not Japan
Thanks to sorta.app I got this film ranked #6 out of 24
Wow... Scott interrupts Joe - a lot!
Presented by Osato Chemicals
Ive never heard someone interrupt more than the guy on the right lol.
1967 not 1965 lol
* 1967
In some ways, despite it being Connery in a competent Bond movie, this is worse than Diamonds because at least 1971’s instalment was self-aware. It was trying to be cheesy. It knows it’s not a serious, gritty spy film (see: From Russia With Love). That’s why it manages to work. Self-awareness. YOLT isn’t so self-aware. It thinks it’s better than it is, sadly. Fortunately. It’s not terrible and it’s still Connery. Can’t complain too much.
Diamonds Are Forever is the worst 007 film while YOLT is awesome.
I sharply disagree. Diamonds is fun and so is this but it's vastly superior.
Bond the bomb blew him in the water he is on island
Just rewatched this. The idea of Bond "turning Japanese" always annoyed me....too silly for words...as my dear old Dad used to say. However there IS a lot of great stuff in here. Little Nell the roof top fight scene the helicopter magnet....but....What's with the scene where Charles Gray offers Bond a Vodka Martini STIRRED not shaken and Bond says perfect. Does anybody know if this was a gaff nobody noticed and was kept on film or is there some sub text I'm not aware of? Surely 4 films into the series shaken not stirred was etched in stone
James Bond didn't want to be an ass because Mr. Henderson messed up his drink and for comedy purposes. As for Bond turning Japanese, I look at it like he wants to cosplay as Spock.
@@greatwuta good points....I have read since; this may have been deliberate. Part of me kind of feels Charles Gray flubbed his lines and Connery.....who was by this time over playing Bond..... just went with it for whatever reason.. Hard to imagine no-one picked up on it or re-shot the scene though. Bond cosplaying as Spock would have been more convincing. Nit picking territory here.....but...when Bond discovers the Volcano Lair he conveniently has a Ninja outfit handy and no longer appears to be Japanese....did he just wash off what was meant to be a surgical procedure? No wonder Connery quit
It was scripted that way. Notice how Henderson pours the vodka and takes a spoon and stirs the drink prior to giving to Bond and making the remark. Maybe Dahl got it wrong.
@@Robz82001 that's a really good point. Or maybe Dahl got it right. I've read that true Martini connisuers state emphatically that a Vodka Martini should be STIRRED and NOT shaken. Fleming apparently preferred a Martini shaken not stirred as he felt stirring diminished the flavour and it chilled the drink quicker.....this may not be a true story but it makes sense.
@@dougsims4242 Only difference between the 2 is that a shaken martini will present initially cloudy and will be colder with ice shards floating. There will be slightly more dilution from the ice too. This all resolves itself after about 3 minutes and there is no longer a visible difference. I've always thought Bond should be a drinker of the classic martini (with gin). Especially since gin has such a significant place in London history (think London Dry Gin).
1967
One of the poorer Bond’s in my opinion, I’m sorry. I just find it too exaggerated & larger then life, it has never been one of my favourites. I loved the plot in Thunderball a lot more
Yes, two assassination attempts on Bond after he "turns" Japanese. But imagine how many attempts had he NOT turned Japanese!
Filming You Only Live Twice In Japan 1966 th-cam.com/video/LSrRApG58B8/w-d-xo.html
2:31... 1967 😉lol
ON YOUR OPENING YOU SAID 1965'S YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE 65 WAS THE YEAR OF THUNDERBALL THIS FILM WAS RELEASED IN 67
You mean 1967 not 1965 👌😉
Whoops! 😚
made in 1967 not 1965
It's 1967 not 1965!
2:31 It was actually released in 1967.
And then they succeeded in killing off james bond
they said 1965
Hey...study your history...it was filmed in 1966....and premiere was 1967
What the hell Joe.