Diamonds Are Forever was Connery’s final Eon Production produced Bond film, Never Say Never Again was non official by Warner Bros and a remake of Thunderball
@@bonghunezhou5051 I read that a lot but I just don't see it. He seemed fine, other than when he was masquerading as a Japanese with that bizarre Vulcan make-up.
"Mr. Bean was essentially doing a much better job than Bond was doing". Well, that's why Johnny English rose to be the top British agent decades later.
For me the high point of the film, besides the gratuitous sex and violence and abundance of gorgeous women, is this version of Largo. He’s not thuggish or really outwardly cruel for the most part, he’s actually really funny, likable and charismatic. He even seems to appreciate his henchmen.
it's not a good film, but it's one of connery's best performances as Bond. he's very believable as a middle-aged bond, and I really like how they bring attention to the fact that he's in his early 50s here.
John Hoppin Connery was 52 when made Never Say Never Again and Roger Moore was 3 years older at 55 when filmed their rival Bond films in 1982 to be released in 1983.
Bob Jones Roger Moore’s hair was thinning by time he was filming For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and had to have his hair thickened daily. Actually Connery was balding by 17 and when he was filming each of his Bond movies even at age 31 when debuted in Dr No he had to wear a toupee and in every Bond film he appeared in.
Honestly, I felt that this movie could've been great if it was a standalone adventure of Bond proving that his age means nothing. Instead of it being a small part of the plot.
To have explored the notion of an older Bond could have been quite intriguing and certainly something new; it still could be new as only since the Craig era has age begun to be mildly discussed. Perhaps it could have been shown as meaning nothing, or it could have been played as meaning Bond is no longer as impervious and infallible as he once had been and now must do the things he used to do in different ways. McClory was legally restricted to the use of only the "Thunderball" script, but some creative talents and foresighted thinking could have maneuvered it in there somehow. A perfect opportunity to have implemented this idea would have been this very film, but I do not think we could have trusted this production to have handled such an notion at all because its consistency was not very strong throughout. Like you yourself had noted, age was brought up and then abandoned; the entire film is full of these inconsistencies and haphazard attention to its own story elements - starting then stopping them.
Minor trivia: the "random chick" Connery goes to bed with when Fatima blows up his room, was Valerie Leon-- who had a cameo as the hotel manager in "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME"! She was the lead in Hammer's "BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB" (1971), and had one of the best racks of any Hammer girl.
OMG when you played ALL TIME HIGH over Octopussy's brilliant and thrilling opening action sequence to make your point I BURST out laughing! Your reviews are awesome, totally entertaining. Well done!
I remember being shocked when Bond discovered that girl in the waterbed. Years later, it struck me; how in hell did Fatima get a human body inside a waterbed mattress??
She was not “inside” the waterbed. Remember, Bond sees a lump under the blanket, pulls it off, and discovers Nicole lying face down on the bed. We know she’s dead because she is photographed from underneath, eyes and mouth open. It’s an eerie effect after a suspenseful build-up. And that leads to the exciting motorcycle chase! Connery looked fantastic in this scene!
I dunno - Calvin Dyson on TH-cam is way too pro-Brosnan, mainly because he grew up with him. Goldeneye is one of my favourite Bonds, but I believe Brosnan made the worst film in the franchise.
Awesome to hear other ppl dig this Fatima Blush character as much as I did watching this movie. Barbara Carrera’s eccentric/flamboyant and very fun performance really made this movie a lot better and she steals the scene every time she’s on screen. Really set the bar for Xenia Onatopp.
I still think Barbara Carrera is so hot and probably the best female villian in most all of Bond movies. And Connery never gets old and has that Bond charisma that's timeless. I did like this movie.. even some of the dull scenes. And I certainly liked the opening theme! I think the only problem is continuity.. not so much the acting or the overall story.
TheAdam159 just goes to show what a good actor he is cause the production was a total mess and was filled with compromises. Connery reportedly complained to the uncredited writers that the whole production was a 'bloody Mickey Mouse outfit!'
So what?! I love Connery, but the fact he's in the movie or looks like he's having fun doesnt change the fact it's a terrible film. I agree it's better than Diamonds, but it's still terrible.
It's funny how they still show this movie along with the official EON movies during Bond movie marathon so I used to assume this was part of canon until recently. Also, does anyone feel Fatima Blush was the basis for Goldeneye Xenia more than Thunderball Fiona? They have a similar vibe around them.
It's more of a Bond film than the original Casino Royal which is a crazy wild acid trip. Since it is essentially a remake of Thunderball with the same actor for Bond, it fits right in.
Man, that guy at the beginning was brutal towards Roger Moore. I didn’t think he was bad but I guess at the time people didn’t accept him because no other big movie character had been recast.
Michael Wood? Very weird to see him presenting that segment. He's actually a really good mediaeval historian, and I don't know what possessed them to use him here.
I like to think Sean Connery did play James Bond one last time, unofficially, as John Mason in THE ROCK (1996), no longer with the James Bond alias but his real name and being held for stealing USA secrets. A fun theory, but they didn't have the rights to say it explicitly, but I'd like to think it's true.
I consider The Man Who Would Be King, Entrapment and The Last Crusade to also be Bond sequels. Heck, let's throw in Time Bandits, Highlander and Zardoz, too. Okay, every Sean Connery movie is a Bond film. Prove me wrong.
The title “Never Say Never Again “ really is true for Sean Connery. He left after You Only Live Twice. He said he would “Never Again “ play James Bond after Diamonds Are Forever. In Never Say Never Again, Bond says “Never Again.” That was meant to be his last performance, but he returned in the From Russia With Love PS2 Game.
The urine sample gag is a straight lift from an anecdote about Scottish footballer Willie Johnson, who failed a drug test at the 1978 World Cup. Still funny though 😅
@@les4767 Well, to each his own. To be honest, I´m not really a fan of either of them; I just happen to think "Octopussy" is the technically better-made film. But I understand the appeal of "Never Say Never Again". I mean, it has Sean Connery and he´s just perfect. Then the Bahamas, the light atmosphere, Brandauer and Basinger... however, I still maintain that the story was not carried out well enough by director Irvin Kershner (and the production design was terrible). Maybe the original choice Richard Donner would have been better.
YES. I love that you would include this movie. It's gotta be seen as a Bond movie. It's Sean and he's Bond. And it's still a better movie than Quantum of Solace.
Dude, your commentary is cracking me up. Your matter-of-fact style is friggin' hysterical! Even though I'm in the small minority of hard core Bond fans who actually likes this movie, I still give you almost all of your points. ...and you have to admit Connery was more engaged than in You Only Live Twice.
So the “anonymous henchman” at the gym was played by Pat Roach. If you don’t know, he was in all the first Indiana Jones films (remember the German that got chopped up by the airplane propeller?), he was in Willow, Red Sonja, A Clockwork Orange, and many more films. Legend and very much missed.
Just watched this movie again. Bad music aside, I found the first half of the movie to be the best, lots of memorable banter and action, and as noted in the review some great lines. Barbara Carrera, almost 40 years old at the time, stole the show in my opinion. Her performance as a sadistic nurse was superb. She continued to perform well, as Bond's nemesis, finally disappearing (literally) from an explosion. The whole spa/resort part of the movie was filled with lively moments and lines. Some great joke lines throughout, including Bond's remembering that it was against agency policy to give out endorsements, referring to the "greatest rapture in his life" aboard a boat (copulating with Fatima Blush). The new "M" putting Bond on the case was at the insistence of his superior at the meeting. He was told to activate the OO's, and I suppose since Bond has a reputation it gave "M" a good reason to use him. Besides, if Bond failed that would probably be the end of the OO's for good. (The knife in the beginning had a retractable blade, a motif used in the movie "Marathon Man".) I found that the movie tailed off badly as it went on but overall, worth watching for some great lines and for novelty sake. Looking forward to the next installment, "A View To A Kill", which is one of my favorites despite Roger Moore being "too old".
Thanks, and yes good points on the activating of the OO's, I forgot to zoom in a bit more on that aspect of the movie in this review! I'm looking forward to getting to AVTAK myself, i'm trying to see if I can get this done by the end of this month, as it's now summertime for me, I may have some more freetime to make two episodes in a month!
Agree with you about Kim Basinger, she doesn't seem as exotic as Domino Derval.My memory is being put off by the jazz music in 83 during the motorbike chase
The "All Time High" gag put a genuine smile on my face. It proves exactly WHY the EON films choose instead to do Opening Title Sequences after an explosive pre-title adventure: Using the theme song over these stunts would take away the tension of said outing entirely!
Fun Fact: Originally, Blofeld's cat in this film was revealed to have poison-tipped claws - poisonous to humans, but not animals (apparently since we see the cat later cleaning its paw during Blofeld's video), just like in EON's *"Moonraker"* - and in the SPECTRE meeting room, it clawed the girl in yellow dress (Marsha A. Hunt) next to Fatima, which explains why she's not present when Largo was first introduced and the nervous but relieved look on Fatima's face. Also, in the original ending, Bond & Domino escaped in Largo's helicopter that has the TV Camera. Bond & Blofeld would meet "for the first and last time", with Blofeld's surprised reaction spooking the cat to scratch him. Bond then kicked the TV off and we'd see Blofeld screaming in pain as the TV fell into the sea.
@@adamcade604 According to IMDB, producer Jack Schwartzman was planning to release a Special Edition Laserdisc of the film back in the early 1990s, with an all- new Extended Cut of the film and it was to be re-scored as well. To date, this never came to fruition in any form.
The Renault 5 Turbo 2 is the only redeeming feature of this film. And the casting of Rowan Atkinson, I wonder what Moore and Atkinson would have done togther if he had been a regular EON character.
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this is actually my favorite Bond movie. Honestly, I always liked this movie and found it quite solid. I personally think this is Sean Connery's best performance as Bond and the one that actually made him my favorite. I just love seeing a much more aged Bond and Sean really shows a lot of swashbuckling energy and really seems to be having a total blast in the role. His smile always feels genuine during the whole thing and his presence keeps me engaged during the whole flick. And honestly, even though I prefer the set design in Thunderball, I feel everything else is done better in this movie. Klaus Maria Brandauer's Largo is really excellent and definitely better than Adolfo Celli. I think the fact that he looks so ordinary really takes you by surprise due to his sheer psychopathy and low-key insanity. Max Von Sydow is really my favorite Blofeld. I feel his underuse gives him even more presence and I just love his voice and subtle yet gleefully hammy performance. I also personally think Fatima Blush is way better than Fiona Volpe. I just love Barbara Carrera. She is both sexy and crazy at the same time and I love it. Bernie Casey is a great Felix and I really enjoy the youthful energy he adds to the role. He certainly leaves a great impression. Domino... I think she is on the same level as the original, but Kim Basinger has a better performance than Claudine Auger (and I guess the fact that Kim wasn't dubbed over kinda helps her). I really have fun with this more crusty M. I feel Edward Fox really has some nice comedic energy and it really shows how much grief Bond has to go through when he is seen as a relic by his superior. Pamela Salem's Moneypenny... I thought she was fine in the role despite her minimal screentime. Plus, as much as I love Lois Maxwell, I always imagined novel Moneypenny to look and sound more like Pamela. Alec McCowen's Algernon is a fun quartermaster and I really like how eccentric he is in the role. And I also love Rowan Atkinson's brief role. I also feel the pacing is much, much better than in Thunderball and again, I was pretty invested in the story. However, the final battle is somewhat disappointing. Although I enjoy the firefight in the ruins, I feel the Bond vs. Largo duel is a bit underwhelming (but it quite nicely scored IMO). The score by Michel Legrand is a bit of a mixed bag. Although his music in the calmer moments is a bit eh, I love his music in the action scenes. It has a sort of exciting Stravinsky sound to it at times) Also, I feel the Lani Hall song is actually quite nice and smooth, fitting the character of Bond. But yeah, hearing the theme in the intro scene is a bit jarring and even the writers mentioned that they were quite unhappy with how it ended up in the bonus featurettes on the DVD, because that wasn't their original intent (there was even a different action piece of music by Michel Legrand that was released on the soundtrack that wasn't used in the end). So yeah, despite the few flaws and the troubled production, I do love this movie a whole lot and really made Sean my favorite Bond actor.
DutchBondFan Still can't wait for Bond 25 ! I agree with you for Licence to kill , he is in my Top 5. Dalton is my favourite. Im sad he doesnt do Goldeneye
Fun Fact #2: Apparently, producer Kevin McClory wanted to remake *"Thunderball"* yet again in the 1990s under the title of *"Warhead 2000 AD"* and either Liam Neeson or former 007 Timothy Dalton were to play James Bond, but that idea was scrapped in the end.
hahaha, i have always wanted to watch this movie in full but it's so bad and just so weird that I've never gotten more than 30 minutes through it. I loved watching your hilarious take on the film. So sad that it didn't work out better but your video was excellent!
I haven't seen all of this one yet. I can't believe McClory tried to do the same thing all over again with Dalton. He was never going to outdo Thunderball or Octopussy with this.
I saw this when first released in the early 80s and really enjoyed it,Sean Connery was,as always,great to watch and I like the light humour about middle age-one of my favorites 💎 Auckland New Zealand 2024
its a great song im a writer read my comment above.his channel is great but his taste in music is very ...ummmm European...remember that danish band im a barbie girl when i toured europe in the 90s they loved that in holland..say no more
Sergio Ramón Rodríguez Cajiga please this guy's review is shit he doesn't know shit from clay Kim Basinger not a hot tie really think this is gay and can't review the Flintstones
The director of this movie is none other than Irvin Kirschner, director of "The Empire Strikes Back", arguably the best of all the Star Wars movie. He was known as a character director; other films he directed included "The Flim Flam Man" and "The Frisco Kid", and taught Steven Spielberg and George Lucas in film school. I really liked this Bond movie. Sean is still the Man.
i'd say 007 needs to start drinking ALOT more water as his urine seems to have acid like effect ..lol...funny , strange scene though...also really like the point you made about playing the theme song over the opening scene....great example you used..also gave me another big laugh
It's so funny that joked, '...that is if you're still awake at this point..." because (and this is 100% true), the only time I've EVER fallen asleep in a movie theater was while watching this movie and as a result, i've never actually seen the end of "Never Say Never Again".
There are certainly legitimate criticisms about “Never Say Never Again,” but the fact that it came in directly amidst the lunacy that was so many of the Moore Bonds made it an incredibly welcome breath of fresh air. BTW, Moore also had some great Bond outings so I am not holding him responsible for the stinkers. \\
I love this film. It's a different and refreshing take on Bond with its own flavour, especially with the "Ageing hero" slant. I actually prefer it to Thunderball which for me is a little stuffy and dull.
Agreed, I like Thunderball but it's actually my least favourite Bond film ever.. Well, aside from Casino Royale 1954 but even that I do enjoy. I like all 3 unofficial Bond films, Casino Royale 54 is fun for what it is, Casino Royale 67 is batshit crazy and I LOVE it!! And Never Say Never Again is (to me) a very enjoyable film that I like more than Thunderball which is the film it's remaking. Thunderball is dull.
Very good review. Can't fault any of the judgements except to praise Klaus Maria Brandauer. He turned in by far and away the most charismatic, charming and naturalistic performance of any villain in any Bond movie. (incidentally that line about his Martini and that villainess played by Barbara Carrera are also my Bond favourites!)
By far the biggest error of NSNA was the hiring of composer Michel Legrand (Connery's choice) as his score for the film was truly dire, and inappropriate for a Bond film. The producer wanted composer James Horner, who became a great film composer with scores such as Aliens as an example. In fact so bad was Legrands score that the film makers supposedly had at one point thought about having the film re-released with a new score. Apart from that film wasn't too bad actually!
I'm glad you mentioned and played the Phyllis Hyman song of NSNA because it was indeed much better than that godawful porno music sounding song that Lani Hall did. The only reason Phyllis's song got rejected is because of Michel Legrand, who threatened to not offer his services for the music score due to him also writing the Lani Hall song as well. He basically acted like an asshole and that's why we have that terrible song instead of the Hyman song. Barring that, the film itself is actually watchable in parts thanks to Connery actually looking like he wants to be there versus in Diamonds Are Forever. Also, Barbara Carrera was great as Fatima and the part with her confronting Connery at one point leads to one of the best James Bond one liners ever.
You know what the sad part is, this was my first Bond film I ever watched. Though my first official one is either Dr No or the man with the golden gun.
This film's intro should have been the pre-title sequence in Thunderball. Bond just randomly pops up in the health spa while Jacques Bouvard (all with teasing Bond's funeral) was a really weak altercation. However, the exercise still had to tease Bond's death.
As a kid, I used to confuse this with Thunderball. I'd be watching the spa scenes, then get confused when Bond doesn't produce the briefcase of snacks.
13:54 So that's how Johnny English got into the secret service
Badre Bally Haha!! Underrated af mate
actually, in the funniest ironies, if sean connery had declined the role the producers would have actually asked lazenby to do it.
I know! And I probably would have thought even less of Lazenby that way!
***** the stories behind these movies are just as intriguing as the character of bond himself.
Yeah, it would make for a great movie... LOL:) OL J R :)
@Angel Feliciano l agree
That would have been great....Connery should have declined n Lazenby take over....it then would qualify this movie into a top class flop.😅😅
Despite all this movie's faults, and they are many, it is nice to see Connery give a more spirited performance than in his last two official films.
Diamonds Are Forever was Connery’s final Eon Production produced Bond film, Never Say Never Again was non official by Warner Bros and a remake of Thunderball
Basically phoned it in as far as YOLT went ~
@@bonghunezhou5051 I read that a lot but I just don't see it. He seemed fine, other than when he was masquerading as a Japanese with that bizarre Vulcan make-up.
I believe I'm in the minority here but.... I actually really enjoy this movie.
To each his own
It’s definitely more watchable than Octopussy
I find it more watchable then the OG Thunderball.
@@gsxerwhite Never. Take less drugs.
I enjoyed this one as well
"Mr. Bean was essentially doing a much better job than Bond was doing". Well, that's why Johnny English rose to be the top British agent decades later.
Lol
For me the high point of the film, besides the gratuitous sex and violence and abundance of gorgeous women, is this version of Largo. He’s not thuggish or really outwardly cruel for the most part, he’s actually really funny, likable and charismatic. He even seems to appreciate his henchmen.
Barbara Carerra, Kim Basinger and Valerie Leon as I recall.
it's not a good film, but it's one of connery's best performances as Bond. he's very believable as a middle-aged bond, and I really like how they bring attention to the fact that he's in his early 50s here.
John Hoppin Connery was 52 when made Never Say Never Again and Roger Moore was 3 years older at 55 when filmed their rival Bond films in 1982 to be released in 1983.
Bob Jones Roger Moore’s hair was thinning by time he was filming For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy and had to have his hair thickened daily. Actually Connery was balding by 17 and when he was filming each of his Bond movies even at age 31 when debuted in Dr No he had to wear a toupee and in every Bond film he appeared in.
@@scottknode898 Both of them were way to old to play Bond by this point
@@Jose-se9pu Daniel Craig is now 52 and was 51 during filming of his last appearance as James Bond for No Time To Die
@@scottknode898 I heard elsewhere that after goldfinger, he used a toupee. Till then, they used makeup for his hair
Moneypenny: Have you got a mission, James?
Bond: Yes, I am to eliminate all free radicals.
Moneypenny (worried): Ooh. Do be careful.
Sergio Ramón Rodríguez Cajiga That part always makes me laugh.
@@mariakelly5 For me it's the line when he's asked for a sample, and he asks if he has to fill it from there.
Barbara C., is simply STUNNING!!!!!, she was the Angelina Jolie of this era
Really? You couldn't think of anyone better than Angelina Jolie? Barbara C. deserves better.
@@pca1987 Really!
@@TahariBlue Meh!
She and famke janssen!!!
PLEASE, much better than Angelina.
I love your thing about the Octopussy title song playing over the pre title sequence, very funny!
It kind of works with the parachutes and planes haha
@@thomasmartin4281 We're an All-Time *_HIGH._* Geddit?
This movie's M is what Jack Wade means when he used the term "Stiff assed Brit."
Yup, exactly XD.
BCRunch Edward Fox's M was a real ass.
@@mariakelly4179 Fox always plays such stuffy Brits.
They considered Trevor Howard for M - think he would have been better suited for the part.
Honestly, I felt that this movie could've been great if it was a standalone adventure of Bond proving that his age means nothing. Instead of it being a small part of the plot.
Very true! There was more to explore there!
To have explored the notion of an older Bond could have been quite intriguing and certainly something new; it still could be new as only since the Craig era has age begun to be mildly discussed. Perhaps it could have been shown as meaning nothing, or it could have been played as meaning Bond is no longer as impervious and infallible as he once had been and now must do the things he used to do in different ways. McClory was legally restricted to the use of only the "Thunderball" script, but some creative talents and foresighted thinking could have maneuvered it in there somehow. A perfect opportunity to have implemented this idea would have been this very film, but I do not think we could have trusted this production to have handled such an notion at all because its consistency was not very strong throughout. Like you yourself had noted, age was brought up and then abandoned; the entire film is full of these inconsistencies and haphazard attention to its own story elements - starting then stopping them.
Barbara Carrera was a phenomenal Bond girl! Really great fun to watch
"Yes but my Martini is still dry." is also my favourite Bond line of all time. :)
Minor trivia: the "random chick" Connery goes to bed with when Fatima blows up his room, was Valerie Leon-- who had a cameo as the hotel manager in "THE SPY WHO LOVED ME"! She was the lead in Hammer's "BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB" (1971), and had one of the best racks of any Hammer girl.
Never really cared for this film at all, but Sean Connery and Rowan Atkinson make for some funny scenes.
The James bond charm was not there in this movies, too boring to finish watching it
OMG when you played ALL TIME HIGH over Octopussy's brilliant and thrilling opening action sequence to make your point I BURST out laughing! Your reviews are awesome, totally entertaining. Well done!
Ah thanks! Glad you enjoy them bro! That keeps me going to make the channel more and more complete for fellow Bond fans like you!
Very underrated. Love this film.
I agree. Good movie
True
I remember being shocked when Bond discovered that girl in the waterbed. Years later, it struck me; how in hell did Fatima get a human body inside a waterbed mattress??
She was not “inside” the waterbed. Remember, Bond sees a lump under the blanket, pulls it off, and discovers Nicole lying face down on the bed. We know she’s dead because she is photographed from underneath, eyes and mouth open. It’s an eerie effect after a suspenseful build-up. And that leads to the exciting motorcycle chase! Connery looked fantastic in this scene!
an interesting thing about us, Bond fans, is that we are not fanboys. If we have to criticize, we do. Feet on the ground, always.
(Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who Fans NOW): Hold our beer!
@@AvengerII Well, you can thank the last twenty years for that. Although Lucas lowered the bar with the Phantom Menace.
I dunno - Calvin Dyson on TH-cam is way too pro-Brosnan, mainly because he grew up with him. Goldeneye is one of my favourite Bonds, but I believe Brosnan made the worst film in the franchise.
Awesome to hear other ppl dig this Fatima Blush character as much as I did watching this movie. Barbara Carrera’s eccentric/flamboyant and very fun performance really made this movie a lot better and she steals the scene every time she’s on screen. Really set the bar for Xenia Onatopp.
An influence on May Day as well, I think. We could do with more of that in the recent films.
I still can't believe he's gone.
RIP Sir Thomas Sean Connery 1930-2020
I still think Barbara Carrera is so hot and probably the best female villian in most all of Bond movies. And Connery never gets old and has that Bond charisma that's timeless. I did like this movie.. even some of the dull scenes. And I certainly liked the opening theme! I think the only problem is continuity.. not so much the acting or the overall story.
I think that's the Fiona volpe character (Fatima blush in here) . Well written
Barbara is a hot villain. 😍
Absolutely. I thought she was much better than her equivalent character in "Thunderball."
Her appearance time in this video !
And he came back again in another reboot. From Russia With Love computer game reboot as the voice of James Bond. Yeah, James Bond will return.
When I was a kid way before the internet I wondered if there had been a previous Bond film called Never Say Never.
DavesWorld Hahaha. Me too. 100%. I was also confused by this movie since it came out the same year as Octupussy
at least Connery looks like he was having some fun here. He looked so bored in DAF.
TheAdam159 just goes to show what a good actor he is cause the production was a total mess and was filled with compromises. Connery reportedly complained to the uncredited writers that the whole production was a 'bloody Mickey Mouse outfit!'
So what?! I love Connery, but the fact he's in the movie or looks like he's having fun doesnt change the fact it's a terrible film. I agree it's better than Diamonds, but it's still terrible.
TheAdam159 hell even before that point in you Only Live Twice he seemed a bit bored in that movie
I loved diamonds are forever the ending was amazing
he really was in this great Bond Film
lmao! "Mr. Bean was essentially doing a much better job than Bond was doing" 15:50
It's funny how they still show this movie along with the official EON movies during Bond movie marathon so I used to assume this was part of canon until recently.
Also, does anyone feel Fatima Blush was the basis for Goldeneye Xenia more than Thunderball Fiona? They have a similar vibe around them.
I think she was a template for May Day too, although there is a lot of the real Grace Jones in that character.
It's more of a Bond film than the original Casino Royal which is a crazy wild acid trip. Since it is essentially a remake of Thunderball with the same actor for Bond, it fits right in.
Say what you want, but I actually enjoy watching this movie....really
I agree. It’s a good movie
Man, that guy at the beginning was brutal towards Roger Moore. I didn’t think he was bad but I guess at the time people didn’t accept him because no other big movie character had been recast.
Michael Wood? Very weird to see him presenting that segment. He's actually a really good mediaeval historian, and I don't know what possessed them to use him here.
I like to think Sean Connery did play James Bond one last time, unofficially, as John Mason in THE ROCK (1996), no longer with the James Bond alias but his real name and being held for stealing USA secrets. A fun theory, but they didn't have the rights to say it explicitly, but I'd like to think it's true.
It is true - the filmmakers said so! :)
Absolutely- whenever you see him in that movie you can’t help but see him as playing James Bond!
The character is clearly linked up with Bond in the film but somehow he isn't Bond for me.
I consider The Man Who Would Be King, Entrapment and The Last Crusade to also be Bond sequels. Heck, let's throw in Time Bandits, Highlander and Zardoz, too. Okay, every Sean Connery movie is a Bond film. Prove me wrong.
He was 2 years younger than Roger Moore when he did this
Roger Moore was born before Connery.
15:40 'When mr. bean tells him to go over to the south of france.'
It's not mr. Bean, it's Johnny English
? Wasdgta3 That's Sir Johnny English.
Maria Kelly You're both wrong; it's English, Johnny English.
Johnny English is agent 000! 😁
Yes, this movie also is the origin of Johnny English.
It’s the reason why Johnny was benched for so many years in the mission briefing room
The themes playing over the opening was hilarious.
The title “Never Say Never Again “ really is true for Sean Connery. He left after You Only Live Twice. He said he would “Never Again “ play James Bond after Diamonds Are Forever. In Never Say Never Again, Bond says “Never Again.” That was meant to be his last performance, but he returned in the From Russia With Love PS2 Game.
Dutch Bond - Thank you for all these reviews on the Bond series! I love hearing your commentary on each film.
Corey Ristic Thanks a lot! That keeps me going! working on the latest episode at this very moment as the matter of fact!
I’m a Sean Connery guy myself, yet the reporter at the very beginning was slightly harsh on Moore.
He was a complete dickhead imo.
@@fuzzydunlop7928 Michael Wood isn't a reporter and it is a bit odd seeing him here. He's actually an historian, and a pretty good one.
Odd choice for a presenter. His history programmes were good, but he’s just being a dick here, trying and failing to be funny.
The urine sample gag is a straight lift from an anecdote about Scottish footballer Willie Johnson, who failed a drug test at the 1978 World Cup. Still funny though 😅
Wow! Never knew that. I can remember when Scotland used to get in the world cup. Makes me feel old.
Call me crazy I liked this movie
I like it better than Thunderball
Schush damn bro that's a hot take
Its just alright
Alright crazy.
I liked it because its "semi retired" Bond. I so want Brosnan to do the same thing!
"NSNA" looks very amateurish, like some TV-spoof. But believe or not, in 90s this was rated higher than Octapussy.
Octopussy actually did better box office then Never Say Never Again and made twice as much. Critics praised Octopussy as a better film.
Octopussy IS the better film.
@@lukasnummer1 That may be...but TBH, I'd rather watch NSNA than Octopussy...but that's just me.
@@les4767
Well, to each his own.
To be honest, I´m not really a fan of either of them; I just happen to think "Octopussy" is the technically better-made film.
But I understand the appeal of "Never Say Never Again". I mean, it has Sean Connery and he´s just perfect. Then the Bahamas, the light atmosphere, Brandauer and Basinger... however, I still maintain that the story was not carried out well enough by director Irvin Kershner (and the production design was terrible). Maybe the original choice Richard Donner would have been better.
@@lukasnummer1 I'd have to agree with you. I just like the "Thunderball" story a little bit more, and NSNA is the better version of it.
YES. I love that you would include this movie. It's gotta be seen as a Bond movie. It's Sean and he's Bond. And it's still a better movie than Quantum of Solace.
And the World is Not Enough.
Ah No Even Quantum is better.
@@simonleib1992 Sean was always a better actor than Daniel Craig. And you can at least tell what's going on in the action scenes in Never Say
NSNA is at the level of the 355 or Charlie's angels.
Dude, your commentary is cracking me up. Your matter-of-fact style is friggin' hysterical! Even though I'm in the small minority of hard core Bond fans who actually likes this movie, I still give you almost all of your points. ...and you have to admit Connery was more engaged than in You Only Live Twice.
Thanks bro! Glad you like it!
It's not my favourite Bond film but it is better than several of the official onea.
This movies is no competition for octopussy and DEFINITELY no competition for thunderball.
So the “anonymous henchman” at the gym was played by Pat Roach. If you don’t know, he was in all the first Indiana Jones films (remember the German that got chopped up by the airplane propeller?), he was in Willow, Red Sonja, A Clockwork Orange, and many more films. Legend and very much missed.
Just watched this movie again.
Bad music aside, I found the first half of the movie to be the best, lots of memorable banter and action, and as noted in the review some great lines.
Barbara Carrera, almost 40 years old at the time, stole the show in my opinion.
Her performance as a sadistic nurse was superb.
She continued to perform well, as Bond's nemesis, finally disappearing (literally) from an explosion.
The whole spa/resort part of the movie was filled with lively moments and lines.
Some great joke lines throughout, including Bond's remembering that it was against agency policy to give out endorsements, referring to the "greatest rapture in his life" aboard a boat (copulating with Fatima Blush).
The new "M" putting Bond on the case was at the insistence of his superior at the meeting.
He was told to activate the OO's, and I suppose since Bond has a reputation it gave "M" a good reason to use him.
Besides, if Bond failed that would probably be the end of the OO's for good.
(The knife in the beginning had a retractable blade, a motif used in the movie "Marathon Man".)
I found that the movie tailed off badly as it went on but overall, worth watching for some great lines and for novelty sake.
Looking forward to the next installment, "A View To A Kill", which is one of my favorites despite Roger Moore being "too old".
Thanks, and yes good points on the activating of the OO's, I forgot to zoom in a bit more on that aspect of the movie in this review! I'm looking forward to getting to AVTAK myself, i'm trying to see if I can get this done by the end of this month, as it's now summertime for me, I may have some more freetime to make two episodes in a month!
Agree with you about Kim Basinger, she doesn't seem as exotic as Domino Derval.My memory is being put off by the jazz music in 83 during the motorbike chase
its good to see connery back as bond , pity its in such a poor film very dull and bland. good and fair review.
The "All Time High" gag put a genuine smile on my face. It proves exactly WHY the EON films choose instead to do Opening Title Sequences after an explosive pre-title adventure: Using the theme song over these stunts would take away the tension of said outing entirely!
Fun Fact:
Originally, Blofeld's cat in this film was revealed to have poison-tipped claws - poisonous to humans, but not animals (apparently since we see the cat later cleaning its paw during Blofeld's video), just like in EON's *"Moonraker"* - and
in the SPECTRE meeting room, it clawed the girl in yellow dress (Marsha A. Hunt) next to Fatima, which explains why
she's not present when Largo was first introduced and the nervous but relieved look on Fatima's face.
Also, in the original ending, Bond
& Domino escaped in Largo's helicopter that has the TV Camera. Bond & Blofeld would meet "for the first and last time", with Blofeld's surprised reaction spooking the cat to scratch him. Bond then kicked the TV off and we'd see Blofeld screaming in pain as the TV fell into the sea.
We need to see these deleted scenes!
@@adamcade604
According to IMDB,
producer Jack Schwartzman was
planning to release a Special
Edition Laserdisc of the film back
in the early 1990s, with an all-
new Extended Cut of the film and
it was to be re-scored as well.
To date, this never came to fruition in any form.
I like James Bond's pickup line, my martini is still dry LMFAO
"But, yeah..... so that happens."
Golden:)
Did you mention that Claudine Auger was really hot? 100% agree 😍
The Renault 5 Turbo 2 is the only redeeming feature of this film.
And the casting of Rowan Atkinson, I wonder what Moore and Atkinson would have done togther if he had been a regular EON character.
When you played All Time High over clips from Octopussey I found all the tension kind of soothing
I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this is actually my favorite Bond movie. Honestly, I always liked this movie and found it quite solid.
I personally think this is Sean Connery's best performance as Bond and the one that actually made him my favorite. I just love seeing a much more aged Bond and Sean really shows a lot of swashbuckling energy and really seems to be having a total blast in the role. His smile always feels genuine during the whole thing and his presence keeps me engaged during the whole flick.
And honestly, even though I prefer the set design in Thunderball, I feel everything else is done better in this movie.
Klaus Maria Brandauer's Largo is really excellent and definitely better than Adolfo Celli. I think the fact that he looks so ordinary really takes you by surprise due to his sheer psychopathy and low-key insanity.
Max Von Sydow is really my favorite Blofeld. I feel his underuse gives him even more presence and I just love his voice and subtle yet gleefully hammy performance.
I also personally think Fatima Blush is way better than Fiona Volpe. I just love Barbara Carrera. She is both sexy and crazy at the same time and I love it.
Bernie Casey is a great Felix and I really enjoy the youthful energy he adds to the role. He certainly leaves a great impression.
Domino... I think she is on the same level as the original, but Kim Basinger has a better performance than Claudine Auger (and I guess the fact that Kim wasn't dubbed over kinda helps her).
I really have fun with this more crusty M. I feel Edward Fox really has some nice comedic energy and it really shows how much grief Bond has to go through when he is seen as a relic by his superior.
Pamela Salem's Moneypenny... I thought she was fine in the role despite her minimal screentime. Plus, as much as I love Lois Maxwell, I always imagined novel Moneypenny to look and sound more like Pamela.
Alec McCowen's Algernon is a fun quartermaster and I really like how eccentric he is in the role. And I also love Rowan Atkinson's brief role.
I also feel the pacing is much, much better than in Thunderball and again, I was pretty invested in the story. However, the final battle is somewhat disappointing. Although I enjoy the firefight in the ruins, I feel the Bond vs. Largo duel is a bit underwhelming (but it quite nicely scored IMO).
The score by Michel Legrand is a bit of a mixed bag. Although his music in the calmer moments is a bit eh, I love his music in the action scenes. It has a sort of exciting Stravinsky sound to it at times)
Also, I feel the Lani Hall song is actually quite nice and smooth, fitting the character of Bond. But yeah, hearing the theme in the intro scene is a bit jarring and even the writers mentioned that they were quite unhappy with how it ended up in the bonus featurettes on the DVD, because that wasn't their original intent (there was even a different action piece of music by Michel Legrand that was released on the soundtrack that wasn't used in the end).
So yeah, despite the few flaws and the troubled production, I do love this movie a whole lot and really made Sean my favorite Bond actor.
OMG Specter invented TH-cam cat videos.
Mr. Sand hanaha
Too bad, Blofeld can't hug every cat.
This is great! Your rendition of the song had me in stitches. Thanks, Dutch Bond Fan.
Glad you enjoy!
DutchBondFan I hate the unofficial Bond films . If in my opinion Octopussy is the worst official Bond film, NSNA is way worse.
Charles Rat Really Octopussy the worst? Interesting opinion! I personally think there are other Bond films that are much worse! Thats me though!
DutchBondFan Its my opinion !
DutchBondFan Still can't wait for Bond 25 ! I agree with you for Licence to kill , he is in my Top 5. Dalton is my favourite. Im sad he doesnt do Goldeneye
It's funnier that Rowan Atkinson would go on to play British spy named Johnny English, a spoof parody of James Bond himself.
Fun Fact #2:
Apparently, producer Kevin McClory wanted to remake *"Thunderball"*
yet again in the 1990s under the title of *"Warhead 2000 AD"* and either Liam Neeson or former 007 Timothy Dalton were to play James Bond, but that idea was scrapped in the end.
hahaha, i have always wanted to watch this movie in full but it's so bad and just so weird that I've never gotten more than 30 minutes through it. I loved watching your hilarious take on the film. So sad that it didn't work out better but your video was excellent!
I did the exact same thing! I could never bring myself to watch the full film. And after seeing this review, I think I've seen all I need to see.
Walked out of the theater, I was'nt alone!
@@timblake5036 There are several worse Bond films than this.
And mr bean went on to become Jonny English...mad connection as he mentioned the name 😂
I haven't seen all of this one yet. I can't believe McClory tried to do the same thing all over again with Dalton. He was never going to outdo Thunderball or Octopussy with this.
For me this is the best movie of Connery as Bond as it brings me great memories of my upbringing.
I saw this when first released in the early 80s and really enjoyed it,Sean Connery was,as always,great to watch and I like the light humour about middle age-one of my favorites 💎 Auckland New Zealand 2024
I consider never say never again, song is beautiful
its a great song im a writer read my comment above.his channel is great but his taste in music is very ...ummmm European...remember that danish band im a barbie girl when i toured europe in the 90s they loved that in holland..say no more
@@markward2436 Its good to know a writer , I am a fan of Bonds movie and I love its songs, which are made very well, with a lot of love and passion.
@@VLADIMIR007ISH absolutely passion makes all songs grand...the bond songs are done so well it makes me melt
Another excellent review! Thank you man!
Sergio Ramón Rodríguez Cajiga please this guy's review is shit he doesn't know shit from clay Kim Basinger not a hot tie really think this is gay and can't review the Flintstones
The director of this movie is none other than Irvin Kirschner, director of "The Empire Strikes Back", arguably the best of all the Star Wars movie. He was known as a character director; other films he directed included "The Flim Flam Man" and "The Frisco Kid", and taught Steven Spielberg and George Lucas in film school. I really liked this Bond movie. Sean is still the Man.
Spielberg never went to film school.
When I was a kid this was my favourite bond movie
The crowd were watching wrestling on tv, as the villain Bond was fighting was Pat Roach, a real-life wrestler
i'd say 007 needs to start drinking ALOT more water as his urine seems to have acid like effect ..lol...funny , strange scene though...also really like the point you made about playing the theme song over the opening scene....great example you used..also gave me another big laugh
It's so funny that joked, '...that is if you're still awake at this point..." because (and this is 100% true), the only time I've EVER fallen asleep in a movie theater was while watching this movie and as a result, i've never actually seen the end of "Never Say Never Again".
Fatima Blush was the best thing about this movie
5:16 that's too epic!
That was Michael Wood, the presenter of the "In Search of Troy"! What a surprise!
Connery’s goodby to Bond was The Rock - tough they changed Bond to Mason.
Barbara Carrera was half the reason I went to see this movie I was already a big fan of hers what a killer body
- If you could fill this beaker for me?
- From here?
If NSNA was made today, I can think up of 99 better games that Largo and Bond should have played. Goldeneye N64, for example.
It's hard for the British audience to take the big dude seriously because he's Bomber from Auf Wierdersehen Pet.
There are certainly legitimate criticisms about “Never Say Never Again,” but the fact that it came in directly amidst the lunacy that was so many of the Moore Bonds made it an incredibly welcome breath of fresh air. BTW, Moore also had some great Bond outings so I am not holding him responsible for the stinkers. \\
Rip Sir Sean Connery 1930-2020
I love this film. It's a different and refreshing take on Bond with its own flavour, especially with the "Ageing hero" slant. I actually prefer it to Thunderball which for me is a little stuffy and dull.
Agreed, I like Thunderball but it's actually my least favourite Bond film ever.. Well, aside from Casino Royale 1954 but even that I do enjoy.
I like all 3 unofficial Bond films, Casino Royale 54 is fun for what it is, Casino Royale 67 is batshit crazy and I LOVE it!! And Never Say Never Again is (to me) a very enjoyable film that I like more than Thunderball which is the film it's remaking.
Thunderball is dull.
Very good review. Can't fault any of the judgements except to praise Klaus Maria Brandauer. He turned in by far and away the most charismatic, charming and naturalistic performance of any villain in any Bond movie. (incidentally that line about his Martini and that villainess played by Barbara Carrera are also my Bond favourites!)
Omg Specter invented Cat videos on TH-cam.
By far the biggest error of NSNA was the hiring of composer Michel Legrand (Connery's choice) as his score for the film was truly dire, and inappropriate for a Bond film. The producer wanted composer James Horner, who became a great film composer with scores such as Aliens as an example. In fact so bad was Legrands score that the film makers supposedly had at one point thought about having the film re-released with a new score. Apart from that film wasn't too bad actually!
2 Bond films in 67 !
I'm glad you mentioned and played the Phyllis Hyman song of NSNA because it was indeed much better than that godawful porno music sounding song that Lani Hall did. The only reason Phyllis's song got rejected is because of Michel Legrand, who threatened to not offer his services for the music score due to him also writing the Lani Hall song as well. He basically acted like an asshole and that's why we have that terrible song instead of the Hyman song. Barring that, the film itself is actually watchable in parts thanks to Connery actually looking like he wants to be there versus in Diamonds Are Forever. Also, Barbara Carrera was great as Fatima and the part with her confronting Connery at one point leads to one of the best James Bond one liners ever.
You have the best reviews. I love them! You point out things that I missed. Keep your reviews coming. Hope you are well this year! Take care.
Thanks a lot bro! Yeah doing good! Take care buddy
You know what the sad part is, this was my first Bond film I ever watched. Though my first official one is either Dr No or the man with the golden gun.
This film's intro should have been the pre-title sequence in Thunderball. Bond just randomly pops up in the health spa while Jacques Bouvard (all with teasing Bond's funeral) was a really weak altercation. However, the exercise still had to tease Bond's death.
As a kid, I used to confuse this with Thunderball. I'd be watching the spa scenes, then get confused when Bond doesn't produce the briefcase of snacks.
16:02 So I guess Casino Royale wasn’t the first Bond film to have an African American Felix Leiter.
This isn't official
I like the Theme song for this movie. Never Say never Again.
Good review man.
I’ve never been able to follow a James Bond movie plot in my entire life
Rescue the damsel in distress, kill the badguy, save the world.
That was out of order for Roger, many fans preferred him.
In a row with"On Her Majesty's Secret Service"
I don't care for this movie. I rather watch a movie/ documentary behind the scenes, or the Thunderball controversy.