The reason why there were all those arcade machines in the high class casino was due to product placement. Warner Communications, which distributed NSNA at the time, also owned Atari, and funnily enough, the movie came out during the video game crash of North America (Warner would sell off Atari the following year).
If you look closely, all the arcade coin-op games in the casino scene are either "Centipede" or "Gravitar", as if those are the only two video-game machines at that time.
It almost works, kind of. Like it almost seems like this casino is embarrassed at having caved in to modern technology, by allowing a walled off room just for video games. And Bassinger’s character making a beeline for it almost suggests her rebellious side or just feeling a need to escape the stuffy high class. Not that anything else in the movie supports that reading or is enhanced by it.
You have certainly matured and improved over the years always an excellent content creator.....but young raw uncensored Calvin ALWAYS brings a smile to my face
Here's two fun facts about NSNA: • Taliafilm, Jack Schwartzman's production company is named after his wife Talia Shire (Adrian from the Rocky Films) and she's credited as a consult-ant to the producer. • James Horner, the late Oscar-winning film composer was considered for the score for the unofficial Bond film. Clear-ly, he would've been a better choice as composer.
@@splintergectornathan9045 Irvin Kershner stated that Horner was their choice, but he pulled out at the last minute! Kershner was frantic; he had dinner with his friend Barbra Streisand, who had just finished her film “Yentl.” She said Michel Legrand was now available. That’s how it came about. And of course, Connery gave his approval.
Never Say Never Again 1983 *** 7 October 1983 *** 7 October 2023 *** 40 years! It's a very good James Bond film! And I absolutely love-love-love Sean Connery in this movie!
I'll say it: People are way too hard on this film. It's fun, silly and quite enjoyable. It's just something a bit different, and not to be taken entirely seriously.
I agree. I personally love NSNA. It's one of the handful of Bond films that I rewatch over and over again along with the two Dalton films. Those three to me just have a uniqueness factor to them that make them my favorite stand alone Bond films. The others, I usually watch either randomly or when I do complete marathons, but NSNA, TLD, LTK and I'll even throw in The World Is Not Enough as ones that still feel fresh (like the day I saw them in theaters) and conjure up the same feelings as a cozy book does. I kept hoping against hope that Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan would make a non-official Bond films with the same rights holders who made NSNA. I just wasn't a fan of Craig's Bond films apart from CR and sure could have used an alternate Bond throughout those years. The Mission Impossible films felt more Bond-ish than the official Bond films during Craig's era IMO.
NSNA is underrated. People criticise it for things they would be happy to let slide if it was an "official" movie. It's weird, the loyalty people feel to the Eon corporation.
I'd really find it interesting, if you'd react to your old ''Spectre in depth review'', as this is one of the Bond Movies you genuinely dislike. Maybe there are things in the movie, you appreciated in the past, that are now really bad in your eyes. (Greetings from Germany, I like your Channel!)
Old videos that would be great to revisit: Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day (which was hilarious!) Quantum of Solace (some great jokes in that one!)
Nice review. The film ia terrible, but having said that, I still prefer NSNA over Thunderball. Yeah, I’m going to be run out of Bond community town now😂
I don't think it's better than Thunderball, but I would say that it makes some major improvements over Thunderball (especially in characterization) despite being weaker as a whole.
Great video! Your recent videos are fantastic, Calvin, but I AM fond of potty-mouthed Younger Calvin. I'm too old to hope to be around to see Zimmer Frame Calvin appraise your current videos, but I'm sure they're going to be wonderful.
It's thanks to the excitement created by Sean Connery in the role that we eventually got to see Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. If Cary Grant or David Niven had played Bond in Dr. No there might never have been a franchise at all. Respect is due!
Your criticism and writing in general has gotten so much better over the years. I'm glad you've stuck around doing this for so long. Only thing I'd bring back from this era is the cute hair.
Calvin, A fun treatment of both NSNA and your younger self. It takes some backbone to revisit your earlier videos. As to the rant regarding Edward Fox playing a young M and Sean Connery playing an aging agent: Someday, you too will have a younger boss who thinks your obsolete. Here’s a simple truth: Blunt objects are never obsolete. As to NSNA, personally I enjoy it as another spy spoof like True Lies or RED. I suspect the entire film, cast and writers were all having a marvellous time creating a farce based on Thunderball. JR old warrior/new novelist
Some history: A lot of Bond fans -- especially American Bond fans -- never, ever warmed to Roger Moore as James Bond. I've seen some American bond fans suggest Roger Moore wasn't a *real man* Raymond Benson, in a TH-cam interview, said he stopped watching Bond movies after Roger Moore took over. "I didn't sign on for this," he said. So, when Connery came back with a non-Eon bond film, such Bond fans celebrated Connery's return while saying NSNA was better than many Eon films.
I was always a Moore and Brosnan fan, as I’ve got older I’ve started to appreciate Connery more, I never liked NSNA but I do think it’s watchable now, Fatima is fantastic, the largo actor is perfect for the role, the script is excellent, if it only had some John Barry music!
1:12 to 2:15 trust me when i say man that loadsa kids who were born in the 70's that grew up with Roger Moore did say and maybe do still say that now about Connery, which is very interesting in how we've all experienced and grew up differently with Bond. maybe kids and teens today perhaps love Craig more than Connery, Brosnan and Moore because its who theyve all seen in the cinema and home entertainment. wouldnt be suprised
I.. kind of like this one? It may be just the nostalgia talking through me, as we had it taped and I rewatched it many times on VHS when I was a kid, probably also helps that I do, actually, like Thunderball :D Anyway, I don't mind Sean being old as dirt in this one, as the movie clearly acknowledges and plays around with it, something that f.ex. AVTAK failed to do. I also don't mind the arcade game shitck as it reflects the popcultural theme at the time, something that Bond movies seem to always do as well, like capitlizing on the blaxploitaion popularity on the 70s with LALD or the sci-fi craze after Star Wars went big with Moonraker. Granted, it's not as cool as baccarat, but it's just a sign of times. I still find it less cringy than that damn slide-whistle which ruined an amazing car jump stunt in The Man With The Golden Gun or the Tarzan yell in Octopussy ;) I mean, there certainly are flaws, and while I agree with the miscasting remarks (Kim is certainly no Claudine Auger), Barbara Carrera is amazing in this, easily one of my favourite Bond villains ever. I also like Brendauer, his take on a Bond villain is.. how do I put it, well, not your cliche psychopath, he has some charm and 'human element' put into this. I get it not everyone will like it, but I found it refreshing. In summary, if you like Thunderball and don't treat it too seriously, it's half bad for what it is. I certainly had more fun with it than with some later Moore movies and the last two Craig's ones.
I really liked you reacting to your old review of Never Say, Never Again. Calvin, especially the review itself. which I thought was very funny. I have got to be honest though, but Never Say, Never Again is one of my favourite Sean Connery James Bond films. I even own it on blu ray. :)
Not exactly one of my favorite Bond films but I think that I like it better than Thunderball. In particular, I really, really like Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo. And yes, Barbara Carrera is a delight as Fatima Blush.
This must've been one of your videos I watched the most back in the day because, as I watched the video I found I was remembering all the jokes - not just the jokes themselves, but the cadence of their delivery too. I found it kinda surprising how much came swimming back as I watched. Wouldn't have thought it would've been the Never Say Never Again video of all of them, but, here we go, I guess calling Pamela Salem Moneypenny a librarian and telling winking Connery to f*ck off clung to my memory like brain barnacles.
I had the same reaction as that British diplomat at the UN in the pre-credit sequence of Live and Let Die when teenage Calvin said that Connery was just "fine" in Dr No, FRWL and Golfdinger xD Interesting to notice that you were fully onboard with the Craig hype back then! But then again, that was before "well, that's not the kind of things that would look good on a foooorm" and "Die, Blofeld, die!"...
I love these reaction videos. Sweary and contemporary Calvin are such different characters. It's a little like Krapp's Last Tape making Calvin the Samuel Becket (Waiting For Godot - not Quantum Leap) of Bond TH-cam. Keep'em coming!
I THINK NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN IS SEAN CONNERY’S SWAN SONG FINAL GOODBYE TO A CHARACTER THAT HE MADE FAMOUS AND HAD A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH WHO WAS ABLE TO GO OUT WITH THE MOST CONTROL OVER THE CHARACTER AS EVER! HIS FINAL WINK TO THE CAMERA IS PRICELESS!!!
I have not seen your video yet. But I wanna say something! I love this movie, my mom and I laughed our asses off thanks to this movie. It's one of our bounding movie and it has a special place into my heart. (The "Piss Kill"... do I need to say more? XD)
I rather like this film. I know there are some umm...problems. But overall it's great fun. Barbara Carrera is great, Connery, while older, brings a physicality sadly missing from the Roger Moore era. Compared to the drudge-fest of NTTD, it's a delight.
Agreed. I think it’s unfairly bashed. For what it is, it’s pretty decent. I mean, it’s not even close to being in the higher tier (I think Thunderball is a much better film if I’m being honest) of Bond films, the fan-edits that insert official elements such as the gunbarrel and John Barry music could be considered a marked improvement, the production generally looks just a little cheaper than the official films and it’s overall not a _great_ film, but I think there’s enough qualities there for me to label it as a _good_ film.
As a big fan of the Never Say Never Again video that's currently on this channel, this should be an interesting one. I will also ask that you never remove the oldest videos still active on the channel. Your current Connery Era videos are still a great watch!
Never Say Never Again was a super millionaire production. The locations: France, London, Bahamas, Monte Carlo, Spain, etc., were chosen with great care. The yacht "Nabila" by tycoon Adnan Kashoggi, was the largest in the world at those times and the rent cost $ 20,000.00 each day! The YAMAHA factory built the motorcycle especially for Sean. The Director Irvin Kershner was the most expensive and successful of the moment. Kim Basinger and Barbara Carrera, the most beautiful actress of the moment; one brunette and the other blonde. Klaus María Bandauer was awsome! In short, N.S.N.A had to be filmed! Thanks Sean, thanks Mc.Klory, thanks Irvin and Klaus María!
Wow, not only is Roger Moore your favorite Bond, but you rank Connery below Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan?! Oh my, knowing that certainly colors all your commentary and analysis differentlty for me. Not bad, just different
This is such an unpopular opinion but the whole background of how Connery came back to say F off to EON and the legal issues and the idea of a competing Bond film is so awesome to me. I love this as a retirement movie for Bond, Connery being my favorite and must've been crazy for people who grew up w/ him in theaters through the 60s seeing him return again. Also the theme song isn't the best but I love Herb Alperts instrumental track/version of it very 80s which is a negative for some but I personally love it.
Better Bond movie by far . The issue is that is unofficial and that's why you feel like this. More glamorous and cosmopolitan than Octopussy as a movie because of the locations and story. By far better gadjets some of them were used later from EON . Best bond girl ever (Carrera even she is bad girl) and inspiration in many scenes something that is totally missed in Bonds of Brosnan(in which every action scene ends with explosions) and Craig's. Octopussy looks much more dated by today standards NSNA not . Looks much more contemporary . Douglas Hayward made the suits for Connery in the movie (Same taylor also in Moores Bond) The carchase with the motorbike superior than this of Octopussy (tak tak) and the story is much more realistic. Octopussy total confused (combination of two stories)however OP also funny and entertaining. Connery is better here than his previous Bonds because he is more mature and cool.No need to improve something. John Dykstra (Star Wars ) was behind the domination game and David Dryer (Blade Runner) was the creator of Palmyra and the rocket sequence . Fendi has done all the clothes of Carrera (goldeneye Onatopf is a bad copy of her as well) Please check the scene of entrance in the Casino of Bond in Goldeneye and in NSNA (Same casino)Connery enters like a spy Brosnan like a model . Bike chase amazing and also Connery 's Stature and physic superior thans every one's after him . As a film NSNA is funny with many deleted scenes but still looks very good .
Why did you lose your Northern accent? Just spent too much time away? Trying to avoid questions/jokes? Or just assimilating to "standard" accents for online purposes?
Goldfinger was classy, Never say never again felt like a B grade one but still I prefer this one more because of Kim Basinger( had a huge crush on her) & Sean connery's sex appeal & their chemistry thruout the movie 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥It was one of the best Connery Bond of all time, he was best in Action, he was best as the lady killer, he looked more convincing as Bond then never before, it was a sexy movie overall 👍 Wish Connery cud do couple of more Bonds under that production house 😥 Nothing against Roger Moore but I think if Connery returned thn he cud have chewed his head off if they cud come face to face with their own representation of Bonds under different productions at that point of time ;)
Good to see you, Sir! Without question my favorite British, James Bond content creator and as mentioned, a tremendous wit…Even back in the Obama administration.:)) Be well, Mr. Dyson.
Calvin, please tell me the rumours about Daisy May Cooper aren’t anything to be taken seriously? I couldn’t think of a worse casting especially for a character as high profile as M.
Granted, Never Say Never Again was not the best. & for me the best thing in it was Fatima Blush as played by Barbara Carerra. My favorite scene with her was when she walked down the stairs after getting to OK from Largo to kill Bond. I also loved her trying to get Bond to say she was the best sex partner he ever had. I also enjoyed Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo. He gives Largo the perfect tough of insanity that humanizes him in a way that wasn't there in Thunderball. This was a serious Bond, unlike 67's Casino Royale. However there were several subtle & not so subtle digs at the Eon series, some done in a comic way, like Q or Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett,
Love this video, even if we disagree. I saw NSNA recently and thought it was fun, despite its flaws. Far better than No Time to Die. At least Never ends with Bond making out with Kim Basinger, not getting nuked while CRYING and holding a dolly named "Doo Doo."
Lmao I live how think making someone is a better ending than guy sad he's not going see his daughter grow up after saving the world. Maybe grow up and stop being juvenile.
I still think NSNA is actually really underrated. I really appreciate it's uniqueness and I dare say it's more entertaining than Eon Productions original adaption of Thunderball which at times felt overlong and bloated. NSNA is full of incredibly witty dialog, fun action scenes and best of all, Sean Connery returns after a twelve year absence and even though he's greyer and considerably older, he still has that magic and charm he's had from his first few films. Connery looks like he's legitimately having fun here which is almost infectious and really helps the entertainment factor. This film was also actually smart enough to use Connery's age to it's advantage and write the story around an aging Bond being brought out of semi-retirement. Roger Moore was three years older than Connery and his advancing age was never acknowledged, women almost three decades younger than him just seemingly fell for him and he never clicked in the action scenes like Connery. Over-relying on stunt doubles (even for running scenes) and back projection which hurt his movies, especially 1985's A View To A Kill. Never Say Never Again's action scenes are more kinetic, Connery does what he's able to and there's no obvious stunt doubles and hokey back projection found here. Never Say Never Again is a unique Bond film which while isn't perfect, is definitely a breath of fresh air in the later Moore years, Connery is on top form as an older Bond and Klaus Maria Brandauer is an interesting villain. Kim Basinger as the Bond girl isn't amazing and the jazzy soundtrack doesn't work in some parts but it's just part of this film's unique appeal. It's just a shame Phyllis Hyman's beautiful theme was rejected in favour of Lani Hall's. Don't be put off by Bond fans rejecting this movie just because it's not an Eon Production, it's a great time as a lighthearted, spy romp.
I agree, the prejudice against NSNA is weird. It's a good Bond film, even if it doesn't perfectly align with the Eon films (as though those films are perfect or line up perfectly together).
My unpopular takes: I actually kind of like the NSNA theme 🫣 but I think I like the rejected theme more than the official.. while I prefer Aldofo’s Largo in TB, I again don’t mind and kind of like Klaus Maria Brandauer’s Largo in NSNA.. I like the eccentric jealousy he has - and I don’t know why, but he kind of has a deranged Phil Collins vibe to me 😂 I love Rowan Atkinson, but all his scenes belong in a completely different film, it’s tonally jarring..
Totally agree on all points, although I do love Rowan’s scenes regardless of tonal inconsistency because they are hilarious! I rewatched Never Say Never Again last night and while I think Thunderball is EON’s (sorry couldn’t help it) above that film, I actually enjoyed it. It was… decent. A fun little curiosity piece. To see Connery one last time on screen as Bond is a delight, especially when he looks as though he’s actually enjoying it. It’s got _huge_ problems but there is enough there for me to enjoy it.
I concur with your retro review. For the want of Ian Fleming being a little more legally savvy we wouldn't have had to suffer Quantum for three movies.
It's brilliant seeing a much older you reacting to your old bond movie reviews. It's fun to see you change over the years. Love your channel, love your content. Keep up the good work Calvin.
Will have to disagree with the theme song; this song has crept up towards being one of my faves, now. Sung by the fab Lani Hall (wife of Herb Alpert and formerly of the group Brazil 66 - who do a better version of The Look of Love). And, the songwriters are successful in their own right, probably best know for Windmills of Your Mind, covered in recent years by Sting. Listen to the lyrics, and it's about a woman proposing to change Bond's mind about opening up to love again - or Connery into coming back. Clever, either way.
The biggest problem with the song is the sonic quality of the recording, not the actual song or performance, but it seems a lot of people don't analyse music at all. They just think "I didn't enjoy it = bad song".
I've never had much of a problem with NSNA*, but there is something amusing about seeing your younger self losing your mind over something as simple as "librarian" Moneypenny. Hyperbolic outrage was the preferred method to make a retro review at the time, for sure. * I think I'd be more offended by an early 80s remake of Thunderball if it weren't surrounded by Eon's similar productions, such as You Only Dive Twice (1977), You Only Live in Space (1979), From Ellada with Love (1981), and Siliconfinger (1985).
Hey Calvin I have been a long fan of yours since 2011 and I was just 11 years old then now I’m 22 and my how your channel has grown! Love it as always!
I just re-watched "Never Say Never Again" recently, and I honestly have to admit, I kind of enjoyed it. I think that film has a lot of problems, but I really found myself kind of relaxing with it and feeling pleasantly nostalgic for two hours. I think the reason is because "No Time to Die" is such a dreary, un-fun, downer Bond movie for me. For all its many, many faults and shortcomings, at least Never Say Never Again understands what the audience wants and at least tries to deliver what fans want; whereas No Time to Die almost seems to sadistically give fans the opposite of what we want in a Bond film by subverting our expectations and deliberately displeasing us. Never Say Never Again fails, but at least TRIES to be entertaining, whereas No Time to Die seems to hate the fan-base and wants to punish us somehow.
Is it possible to be a lifelong (Spy Who Loved Me, in the theaters, 1977) Bond fan (not a "superfan") and to like Casino Royale 1967 and Never Say Never Again? The answer is, if you like movies,............................................ ....................... ................ yes.
4:01 Still wish they'd gone with Phyllis Hyman's rendition, though if they'd gone for a proper opening title sequence. Casino Royale (1967) did an opening title sequence. Could've still used Lani Hall's song for NSNA's end credits.
One of the best Bond films. (oK Ok a decent effort) Great villain, his ship with all his George Soros gear to trade markets, Onatop and her snake. Fight scene at the health spar!! The worst part of the film, opening credits,. He kicks the $hit out of those guys and it's just an exercise!!!
Sir Calvin, if “Never Say Never Again” was as bad as you say - and I responded to your earlier presentation - then why on earth would you bother with it again? Is this some sort of anniversary? Your time might be better spent on the novels; not just Fleming’s, but all that have come since then - Sebastian Faulks and Anthony Horowitz, for example. (Even the sometimes tiresome John Gardner series.) That’s just one suggestion . . . The Bond phenomenon has run long enough and is vast enough to embrace a variety of tastes. My top selection is “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Having already articulated my admiration for “Never Say Never Again,” I shan’t repeat myself. But if you lean more toward “Octopussy,” “Die Another Day,” and “Quantum Of Solace,” well, more power to you! Always enjoy them with a vodka 🍸 martini . . . you know the rest. Cheers!
I completely jibe with your views on Connery. If he had put the same effort into every performance, instead of coasting through YOLT, I would probably disagree with you more
Dunno why Brocoli and Wilson don’t just put this film into the main series library… obviously properly remaster it and make it fit into the EON mold with a smart 1980s inspired gun barrel opening, modern editing and a completely revamped score for the movie, 1980s style. They have the money, and by making it their own, they can still feel like they are putting dead McClory in his place by basically heavily changing his movie very radically and making it ‘better’ as a result.
Calvin, I just rewatched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the first time in donkeys, and I searched for your review of it, I'm sure I remember you making one. Is that, like this, on the cutting room floor?
Jack Whittingham, the only TRUE VICTIM of this sordid tale! Ironically, Pamela Salem (Moneypenny) appeared in the saucy adaptation of The Bitch (novel by Jackie Collins); her portrayal here seems really nondescript.
Is there somewhere we can still watch your old videos? I actually liked all of them quite a bit, I tried finding your critique on all the gun barrel sequences throughout the series but it seems to be gone. 😢 I like all your videos whether it’s old or new.
Man, "Connery is alright"? That certainly IS strong language, Young Calvin. Probably the crudest we've heard yet.
The passion in the ''....Oh, fuck off!!!'' as the credits started rolling. *Chef's kiss*. :D
The reason why there were all those arcade machines in the high class casino was due to product placement. Warner Communications, which distributed NSNA at the time, also owned Atari, and funnily enough, the movie came out during the video game crash of North America (Warner would sell off Atari the following year).
If you look closely, all the arcade coin-op games in the casino scene are either "Centipede" or "Gravitar", as if those are the only two video-game machines at that time.
It almost works, kind of. Like it almost seems like this casino is embarrassed at having caved in to modern technology, by allowing a walled off room just for video games. And Bassinger’s character making a beeline for it almost suggests her rebellious side or just feeling a need to escape the stuffy high class.
Not that anything else in the movie supports that reading or is enhanced by it.
These reaction videos really make me nostalgic for the days when the average TH-camr setup was just a webcam and a bedroom wall.
Oh how far we've come...
And Calvin still looks the same, he doesn't age! The real-life Bond.
I find it so weird how nostalgic I find some of these videos
You have certainly matured and improved over the years always an excellent content creator.....but young raw uncensored Calvin ALWAYS brings a smile to my face
It’s such a shame Barbara Carrera wasn’t in the proper franchise because she makes this film!
You can tell she made a big impact as we got May Day in the subsequent Bond film [and Xenia in Goldeneye].
Here's two fun facts about NSNA:
• Taliafilm, Jack Schwartzman's production company is named after his wife Talia Shire (Adrian from the Rocky Films) and she's credited as a consult-ant to the producer.
• James Horner, the late Oscar-winning film composer was considered for the score for the unofficial Bond film. Clear-ly, he would've been a better choice as composer.
Horner for sure would be better choice, Commando is a great example why, but thanks to Connery we got Legrand in result
@@splintergectornathan9045 Irvin Kershner stated that Horner was their choice, but he pulled out at the last minute! Kershner was frantic; he had dinner with his friend Barbra Streisand, who had just finished her film “Yentl.” She said Michel Legrand was now available. That’s how it came about. And of course, Connery gave his approval.
Never Say Never Again 1983 *** 7 October 1983 *** 7 October 2023 *** 40 years! It's a very good James Bond film! And I absolutely love-love-love Sean Connery in this movie!
For a 12 year-old myself Kim Basinger was something so breathtakingly beautiful in this film. I was thrilled to see her in Batman as Vicki Vale. 😍
I love her too!
I'll say it: People are way too hard on this film. It's fun, silly and quite enjoyable. It's just something a bit different, and not to be taken entirely seriously.
I just now found out the guy who did the music for this movie did the music for Cops and Robbers starring Cliff Gorman.
I agree. I personally love NSNA. It's one of the handful of Bond films that I rewatch over and over again along with the two Dalton films. Those three to me just have a uniqueness factor to them that make them my favorite stand alone Bond films. The others, I usually watch either randomly or when I do complete marathons, but NSNA, TLD, LTK and I'll even throw in The World Is Not Enough as ones that still feel fresh (like the day I saw them in theaters) and conjure up the same feelings as a cozy book does. I kept hoping against hope that Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan would make a non-official Bond films with the same rights holders who made NSNA. I just wasn't a fan of Craig's Bond films apart from CR and sure could have used an alternate Bond throughout those years. The Mission Impossible films felt more Bond-ish than the official Bond films during Craig's era IMO.
NSNA is underrated. People criticise it for things they would be happy to let slide if it was an "official" movie. It's weird, the loyalty people feel to the Eon corporation.
For the record, the obvious wiener map joke is hilarious
I'd really find it interesting, if you'd react to your old ''Spectre in depth review'', as this is one of the Bond Movies you genuinely dislike. Maybe there are things in the movie, you appreciated in the past, that are now really bad in your eyes. (Greetings from Germany, I like your Channel!)
Thats a good idea.
Old videos that would be great to revisit:
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World Is Not Enough
Die Another Day (which was hilarious!)
Quantum of Solace (some great jokes in that one!)
This was by far the funniest reaction video in this series, brilliant
Thanks, Alex! Much appreciated 😁😁
i don't mind bad language Calvin.
also, NSNA is as bad as DAD imo.
Nice review. The film ia terrible, but having said that, I still prefer NSNA over Thunderball. Yeah, I’m going to be run out of Bond community town now😂
Well Kevin Mclory will always welcome you in his house man :)
@@DafyddBrooks 🤣
I don't think it's better than Thunderball, but I would say that it makes some major improvements over Thunderball (especially in characterization) despite being weaker as a whole.
I don't think either of them are any good. I prefer Thunderball, but Thunderball still isn't great.
NSNA > Thunderball
Great video! Your recent videos are fantastic, Calvin, but I AM fond of potty-mouthed Younger Calvin. I'm too old to hope to be around to see Zimmer Frame Calvin appraise your current videos, but I'm sure they're going to be wonderful.
It's thanks to the excitement created by Sean Connery in the role that we eventually got to see Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. If Cary Grant or David Niven had played Bond in Dr. No there might never have been a franchise at all. Respect is due!
Your criticism and writing in general has gotten so much better over the years. I'm glad you've stuck around doing this for so long.
Only thing I'd bring back from this era is the cute hair.
I actually liked this version of thunderball
Calvin,
A fun treatment of both NSNA and your younger self. It takes some backbone to revisit your earlier videos.
As to the rant regarding Edward Fox playing a young M and Sean Connery playing an aging agent: Someday, you too will have a younger boss who thinks your obsolete. Here’s a simple truth: Blunt objects are never obsolete.
As to NSNA, personally I enjoy it as another spy spoof like True Lies or RED. I suspect the entire film, cast and writers were all having a marvellous time creating a farce based on Thunderball.
JR
old warrior/new novelist
What would you rather do: Watch Never Say Again or identify Locque using the identigraph?
Some history: A lot of Bond fans -- especially American Bond fans -- never, ever warmed to Roger Moore as James Bond. I've seen some American bond fans suggest Roger Moore wasn't a *real man* Raymond Benson, in a TH-cam interview, said he stopped watching Bond movies after Roger Moore took over. "I didn't sign on for this," he said. So, when Connery came back with a non-Eon bond film, such Bond fans celebrated Connery's return while saying NSNA was better than many Eon films.
In "James Bond Bedside Companion" by Raymond Benson, For Your Eyes Only seemed to have been the only Moore film he liked.
@@eth39232 If true, that would make sense, for FYEO is the sole Moore entry in which Sir Roger _does not portray _*_his_*_ iteration of Bond_ .
A lot of Bond fans? I find that quite hard to believe.
I was always a Moore and Brosnan fan, as I’ve got older I’ve started to appreciate Connery more, I never liked NSNA but I do think it’s watchable now, Fatima is fantastic, the largo actor is perfect for the role, the script is excellent, if it only had some John Barry music!
Calvin in june there will be the 40th anniversary of Octopussy at the Nene Valley rail line. Will you join?
1:12 to 2:15 trust me when i say man that loadsa kids who were born in the 70's that grew up with Roger Moore did say and maybe do still say that now about Connery, which is very interesting in how we've all experienced and grew up differently with Bond.
maybe kids and teens today perhaps love Craig more than Connery, Brosnan and Moore because its who theyve all seen in the cinema and home entertainment. wouldnt be suprised
Go on admit it NSNA is your all time favourite 😂
I.. kind of like this one? It may be just the nostalgia talking through me, as we had it taped and I rewatched it many times on VHS when I was a kid, probably also helps that I do, actually, like Thunderball :D
Anyway, I don't mind Sean being old as dirt in this one, as the movie clearly acknowledges and plays around with it, something that f.ex. AVTAK failed to do.
I also don't mind the arcade game shitck as it reflects the popcultural theme at the time, something that Bond movies seem to always do as well, like capitlizing on the blaxploitaion popularity on the 70s with LALD or the sci-fi craze after Star Wars went big with Moonraker. Granted, it's not as cool as baccarat, but it's just a sign of times. I still find it less cringy than that damn slide-whistle which ruined an amazing car jump stunt in The Man With The Golden Gun or the Tarzan yell in Octopussy ;)
I mean, there certainly are flaws, and while I agree with the miscasting remarks (Kim is certainly no Claudine Auger), Barbara Carrera is amazing in this, easily one of my favourite Bond villains ever. I also like Brendauer, his take on a Bond villain is.. how do I put it, well, not your cliche psychopath, he has some charm and 'human element' put into this. I get it not everyone will like it, but I found it refreshing.
In summary, if you like Thunderball and don't treat it too seriously, it's half bad for what it is. I certainly had more fun with it than with some later Moore movies and the last two Craig's ones.
There's more dramatic tension in that video game scene than in the whole of No Time To Die.
I really liked you reacting to your old review of Never Say, Never Again. Calvin, especially the review itself. which I thought was very funny. I have got to be honest though, but Never Say, Never Again is one of my favourite Sean Connery James Bond films. I even own it on blu ray. :)
Not exactly one of my favorite Bond films but I think that I like it better than Thunderball. In particular, I really, really like Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo. And yes, Barbara Carrera is a delight as Fatima Blush.
The one saving grace of Never Say Never Again is that this Calvin Retro Review exists because of it lol. Great stuff as always mate!
Please react to your old review of ‘A View to a Kill.’ From what I can remember, there were some hysterical moments in that.
This must've been one of your videos I watched the most back in the day because, as I watched the video I found I was remembering all the jokes - not just the jokes themselves, but the cadence of their delivery too. I found it kinda surprising how much came swimming back as I watched. Wouldn't have thought it would've been the Never Say Never Again video of all of them, but, here we go, I guess calling Pamela Salem Moneypenny a librarian and telling winking Connery to f*ck off clung to my memory like brain barnacles.
I had the same reaction as that British diplomat at the UN in the pre-credit sequence of Live and Let Die when teenage Calvin said that Connery was just "fine" in Dr No, FRWL and Golfdinger xD Interesting to notice that you were fully onboard with the Craig hype back then! But then again, that was before "well, that's not the kind of things that would look good on a foooorm" and "Die, Blofeld, die!"...
I had the same reaction as a Venetian pigeon 🐦
I love these reaction videos. Sweary and contemporary Calvin are such different characters. It's a little like Krapp's Last Tape making Calvin the Samuel Becket (Waiting For Godot - not Quantum Leap) of Bond TH-cam. Keep'em coming!
I THINK NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN IS SEAN CONNERY’S SWAN SONG FINAL GOODBYE TO A CHARACTER THAT HE MADE FAMOUS AND HAD A LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIP WITH WHO WAS ABLE TO GO OUT WITH THE MOST CONTROL OVER THE CHARACTER AS EVER! HIS FINAL WINK TO THE CAMERA IS PRICELESS!!!
I have not seen your video yet. But I wanna say something!
I love this movie, my mom and I laughed our asses off thanks to this movie. It's one of our bounding movie and it has a special place into my heart. (The "Piss Kill"... do I need to say more? XD)
I rather like this film. I know there are some umm...problems. But overall it's great fun. Barbara Carrera is great, Connery, while older, brings a physicality sadly missing from the Roger Moore era. Compared to the drudge-fest of NTTD, it's a delight.
Agreed. I think it’s unfairly bashed. For what it is, it’s pretty decent.
I mean, it’s not even close to being in the higher tier (I think Thunderball is a much better film if I’m being honest) of Bond films, the fan-edits that insert official elements such as the gunbarrel and John Barry music could be considered a marked improvement, the production generally looks just a little cheaper than the official films and it’s overall not a _great_ film, but I think there’s enough qualities there for me to label it as a _good_ film.
That From Russia With Love video game was kinda fun.
"I am not nor have I ever been the biggest Connery fan."
SHOTS FIRED!
As a big fan of the Never Say Never Again video that's currently on this channel, this should be an interesting one.
I will also ask that you never remove the oldest videos still active on the channel. Your current Connery Era videos are still a great watch!
Missed opportunity to call the video "Never Say Never Again Again"
Oh boy I can't wait. Let's see how this goes. 😁😁
Never Say Never Again was a super millionaire production. The locations: France, London, Bahamas, Monte Carlo, Spain, etc., were chosen with great care. The yacht "Nabila" by tycoon Adnan Kashoggi, was the largest in the world at those times and the rent cost $ 20,000.00 each day!
The YAMAHA factory built the motorcycle especially for Sean. The Director Irvin Kershner was the most expensive and successful of the moment. Kim Basinger and Barbara Carrera, the most beautiful actress of the moment; one brunette and the other blonde.
Klaus María Bandauer was awsome!
In short, N.S.N.A had to be filmed! Thanks Sean, thanks Mc.Klory, thanks Irvin and Klaus María!
Wow, not only is Roger Moore your favorite Bond, but you rank Connery below Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan?! Oh my, knowing that certainly colors all your commentary and analysis differentlty for me. Not bad, just different
At least you've stopped doing that incredibly irritating motormouth delivery.
This is such an unpopular opinion but the whole background of how Connery came back to say F off to EON and the legal issues and the idea of a competing Bond film is so awesome to me. I love this as a retirement movie for Bond, Connery being my favorite and must've been crazy for people who grew up w/ him in theaters through the 60s seeing him return again. Also the theme song isn't the best but I love Herb Alperts instrumental track/version of it very 80s which is a negative for some but I personally love it.
Better Bond movie by far .
The issue is that is unofficial and that's why you feel like this.
More glamorous and cosmopolitan than Octopussy as a movie because of the locations and story.
By far better gadjets some of them were used later from EON .
Best bond girl ever (Carrera even she is bad girl) and inspiration in many scenes something that is totally missed in Bonds of Brosnan(in which every action scene ends with explosions) and Craig's.
Octopussy looks much more dated by today standards NSNA not .
Looks much more contemporary .
Douglas Hayward made the suits for Connery in the movie (Same taylor also in Moores Bond)
The carchase with the motorbike superior than this of Octopussy (tak tak) and the story is much more realistic.
Octopussy total confused (combination of two stories)however OP also funny and entertaining.
Connery is better here than his previous Bonds because he is more mature and cool.No need to improve something.
John Dykstra (Star Wars ) was behind the domination game and David Dryer (Blade Runner) was the creator of Palmyra and the rocket sequence .
Fendi has done all the clothes of Carrera (goldeneye Onatopf is a bad copy of her as well)
Please check the scene of entrance in the Casino of Bond in Goldeneye and in NSNA (Same casino)Connery enters like a spy Brosnan like a model .
Bike chase amazing and also Connery 's Stature and physic superior thans every one's after him .
As a film NSNA is funny with many deleted scenes but still looks very good .
13:40 nearly killed me.
Why did you lose your Northern accent? Just spent too much time away? Trying to avoid questions/jokes? Or just assimilating to "standard" accents for online purposes?
Goldfinger was classy, Never say never again felt like a B grade one but still I prefer this one more because of Kim Basinger( had a huge crush on her) & Sean connery's sex appeal & their chemistry thruout the movie 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥It was one of the best Connery Bond of all time, he was best in Action, he was best as the lady killer, he looked more convincing as Bond then never before, it was a sexy movie overall 👍 Wish Connery cud do couple of more Bonds under that production house 😥 Nothing against Roger Moore but I think if Connery returned thn he cud have chewed his head off if they cud come face to face with their own representation of Bonds under different productions at that point of time ;)
Good to see you, Sir! Without question my favorite British, James Bond content creator and as mentioned, a tremendous wit…Even back in the Obama administration.:)) Be well, Mr. Dyson.
I love that scene with Bond massaging Domino because it could be straight out of a Carry-On movie. It's classic British seaside humour.
Calvin, please tell me the rumours about Daisy May Cooper aren’t anything to be taken seriously? I couldn’t think of a worse casting especially for a character as high profile as M.
Granted, Never Say Never Again was not the best. & for me the best thing in it was Fatima Blush as played by Barbara Carerra. My favorite scene with her was when she walked down the stairs after getting to OK from Largo to kill Bond. I also loved her trying to get Bond to say she was the best sex partner he ever had.
I also enjoyed Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo. He gives Largo the perfect tough of insanity that humanizes him in a way that wasn't there in Thunderball.
This was a serious Bond, unlike 67's Casino Royale. However there were several subtle & not so subtle digs at the Eon series, some done in a comic way, like Q or Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett,
Aw Yeah. My favorite spin-off series: Calvin Bond Reviewer Jr.
This movie is overlooked. I watch this instead of Thunderball.
I’ll never understand the hate this movie gets, it’s always stood head and shoulders above Thunderball for me
Old Calvin: Connery is too old to play the part!
Roger Moore being older than Sean Connery
I actually really liked this movie growing up
Love this video, even if we disagree. I saw NSNA recently and thought it was fun, despite its flaws. Far better than No Time to Die. At least Never ends with Bond making out with Kim Basinger, not getting nuked while CRYING and holding a dolly named "Doo Doo."
Lmao I live how think making someone is a better ending than guy sad he's not going see his daughter grow up after saving the world. Maybe grow up and stop being juvenile.
I still think NSNA is actually really underrated. I really appreciate it's uniqueness and I dare say it's more entertaining than Eon Productions original adaption of Thunderball which at times felt overlong and bloated. NSNA is full of incredibly witty dialog, fun action scenes and best of all, Sean Connery returns after a twelve year absence and even though he's greyer and considerably older, he still has that magic and charm he's had from his first few films. Connery looks like he's legitimately having fun here which is almost infectious and really helps the entertainment factor. This film was also actually smart enough to use Connery's age to it's advantage and write the story around an aging Bond being brought out of semi-retirement. Roger Moore was three years older than Connery and his advancing age was never acknowledged, women almost three decades younger than him just seemingly fell for him and he never clicked in the action scenes like Connery. Over-relying on stunt doubles (even for running scenes) and back projection which hurt his movies, especially 1985's A View To A Kill. Never Say Never Again's action scenes are more kinetic, Connery does what he's able to and there's no obvious stunt doubles and hokey back projection found here. Never Say Never Again is a unique Bond film which while isn't perfect, is definitely a breath of fresh air in the later Moore years, Connery is on top form as an older Bond and Klaus Maria Brandauer is an interesting villain. Kim Basinger as the Bond girl isn't amazing and the jazzy soundtrack doesn't work in some parts but it's just part of this film's unique appeal. It's just a shame Phyllis Hyman's beautiful theme was rejected in favour of Lani Hall's. Don't be put off by Bond fans rejecting this movie just because it's not an Eon Production, it's a great time as a lighthearted, spy romp.
its way better than DAF!
@@subgum3403 Absolutely agree!
I agree, the prejudice against NSNA is weird. It's a good Bond film, even if it doesn't perfectly align with the Eon films (as though those films are perfect or line up perfectly together).
My unpopular takes:
I actually kind of like the NSNA theme 🫣 but I think I like the rejected theme more than the official..
while I prefer Aldofo’s Largo in TB, I again don’t mind and kind of like Klaus Maria Brandauer’s Largo in NSNA.. I like the eccentric jealousy he has - and I don’t know why, but he kind of has a deranged Phil Collins vibe to me 😂
I love Rowan Atkinson, but all his scenes belong in a completely different film, it’s tonally jarring..
Totally agree on all points, although I do love Rowan’s scenes regardless of tonal inconsistency because they are hilarious!
I rewatched Never Say Never Again last night and while I think Thunderball is EON’s (sorry couldn’t help it) above that film, I actually enjoyed it.
It was… decent. A fun little curiosity piece. To see Connery one last time on screen as Bond is a delight, especially when he looks as though he’s actually enjoying it. It’s got _huge_ problems but there is enough there for me to enjoy it.
I concur with your retro review. For the want of Ian Fleming being a little more legally savvy we wouldn't have had to suffer Quantum for three movies.
It's brilliant seeing a much older you reacting to your old bond movie reviews. It's fun to see you change over the years. Love your channel, love your content. Keep up the good work Calvin.
Claim to fame, the "Shrublands" in this Bond film was where the May Ball was held when I was at, what was, Luton University
I always look forward to sundays, can’t wait to watch this !
Will have to disagree with the theme song; this song has crept up towards being one of my faves, now. Sung by the fab Lani Hall (wife of Herb Alpert and formerly of the group Brazil 66 - who do a better version of The Look of Love). And, the songwriters are successful in their own right, probably best know for Windmills of Your Mind, covered in recent years by Sting. Listen to the lyrics, and it's about a woman proposing to change Bond's mind about opening up to love again - or Connery into coming back. Clever, either way.
The biggest problem with the song is the sonic quality of the recording, not the actual song or performance, but it seems a lot of people don't analyse music at all. They just think "I didn't enjoy it = bad song".
It's still better than Octopussy.
Love Fatima Blush. That's about it.
I've never had much of a problem with NSNA*, but there is something amusing about seeing your younger self losing your mind over something as simple as "librarian" Moneypenny. Hyperbolic outrage was the preferred method to make a retro review at the time, for sure.
* I think I'd be more offended by an early 80s remake of Thunderball if it weren't surrounded by Eon's similar productions, such as You Only Dive Twice (1977), You Only Live in Space (1979), From Ellada with Love (1981), and Siliconfinger (1985).
That’s a good point in fairness. Love those titles 🤣
"that'll be all the STDs working their magic there" 😂
I love N.S.N.A.; Sean is back!
Hey Calvin I have been a long fan of yours since 2011 and I was just 11 years old then now I’m 22 and my how your channel has grown! Love it as always!
I just re-watched "Never Say Never Again" recently, and I honestly have to admit, I kind of enjoyed it. I think that film has a lot of problems, but I really found myself kind of relaxing with it and feeling pleasantly nostalgic for two hours. I think the reason is because "No Time to Die" is such a dreary, un-fun, downer Bond movie for me. For all its many, many faults and shortcomings, at least Never Say Never Again understands what the audience wants and at least tries to deliver what fans want; whereas No Time to Die almost seems to sadistically give fans the opposite of what we want in a Bond film by subverting our expectations and deliberately displeasing us. Never Say Never Again fails, but at least TRIES to be entertaining, whereas No Time to Die seems to hate the fan-base and wants to punish us somehow.
Is it possible to be a lifelong (Spy Who Loved Me, in the theaters, 1977) Bond fan (not a "superfan") and to like Casino Royale 1967 and Never Say Never Again? The answer is, if you like movies,............................................
.......................
................
yes.
Calvin, before and after puberty. 😅
Congratulations on having a much better haircut and getting your Goldfinger poster framed!
I actually enjoy this movie. Lower tier of the list, yes... But I still enjoy it.
you've aged very well
4:01 Still wish they'd gone with Phyllis Hyman's rendition, though if they'd gone for a proper opening title sequence. Casino Royale (1967) did an opening title sequence. Could've still used Lani Hall's song for NSNA's end credits.
One of the best Bond films. (oK Ok a decent effort) Great villain, his ship with all his George Soros gear to trade markets, Onatop and her snake. Fight scene at the health spar!!
The worst part of the film, opening credits,. He kicks the $hit out of those guys and it's just an exercise!!!
Sir Calvin, if “Never Say Never Again” was as bad as you say - and I responded to your earlier presentation - then why on earth would you bother with it again? Is this some sort of anniversary? Your time might be better spent on the novels; not just Fleming’s, but all that have come since then - Sebastian Faulks and Anthony Horowitz, for example. (Even the sometimes tiresome John Gardner series.) That’s just one suggestion . . .
The Bond phenomenon has run long enough and is vast enough to embrace a variety of tastes. My top selection is “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” Having already articulated my admiration for “Never Say Never Again,” I shan’t repeat myself. But if you lean more toward “Octopussy,” “Die Another Day,” and “Quantum Of Solace,” well, more power to you! Always enjoy them with a vodka 🍸 martini . . . you know the rest. Cheers!
I completely jibe with your views on Connery. If he had put the same effort into every performance, instead of coasting through YOLT, I would probably disagree with you more
Dunno why Brocoli and Wilson don’t just put this film into the main series library… obviously properly remaster it and make it fit into the EON mold with a smart 1980s inspired gun barrel opening, modern editing and a completely revamped score for the movie, 1980s style. They have the money, and by making it their own, they can still feel like they are putting dead McClory in his place by basically heavily changing his movie very radically and making it ‘better’ as a result.
Calvin, I just rewatched Chitty Chitty Bang Bang for the first time in donkeys, and I searched for your review of it, I'm sure I remember you making one. Is that, like this, on the cutting room floor?
Nice video Calvin, what type of reaction software program do you use? Thanks.
Jack Whittingham, the only TRUE VICTIM of this sordid tale!
Ironically, Pamela Salem (Moneypenny) appeared in the saucy adaptation of The Bitch (novel by Jackie Collins); her portrayal here seems really nondescript.
This reminds me, did you ever see the Siskel and Ebert Bond special? Came out in the mid-‘80s and they compared this film and Octopussy.
At last Never Say Never Again turns 40. Also R.I.P to Sean Connery.
Oh my God, this is hilarious!! Bravo for having the nerve to do the re-review. 😂😂 👋👋
Is there somewhere we can still watch your old videos? I actually liked all of them quite a bit, I tried finding your critique on all the gun barrel sequences throughout the series but it seems to be gone. 😢
I like all your videos whether it’s old or new.
Your accent is a little stronger, & the cringe throughout is FAB 😅
Many thanks, good Sir
I usually don’t give a f*** about swearing but I prefer non swearing calvin by far, it felt a bit forced in those old reviews
I should not like the Lani Hall theme, but for some reason I do. This might be the only place in public I can admit this without fear of reprisals...
You look better than you did ten years ago Calvin.I like your bravery criticizing Connery
Never Say Never Again sucked 40 years ago and that movie still sucks today.
Cute Calvin Hair! Disagree with your take on Connery but, we all have our flaws. 😂