330 reviews
The year 1983 saw a strange phenomenon; two rival Bond films. "Octopussy", starring Roger Moore, was part of the official Cubby Broccoli Bond franchise. "Never Say Never Again", made by a rival producer, is, apart from the awful "Casino Royale", the only Bond movie which does not form part of that franchise. Its big attraction was that it brought back the original Bond, Sean Connery; its title reputedly derived from Connery's remark after "Diamonds Are Forever" that he would never again play the role. Some have complained that Connery was, at 53, too old for the role, but he was in fact three years younger than his successor Moore, who not only made "Octopussy" in the same year but went on to make one further Bond film, "A View to a Kill", two years later.
The film owes its existence to the settlement of a lawsuit about the film rights to Ian Fleming's work. It is perhaps unfortunate that the terms of the settlement included a clause that the new film had to be a remake of "Thunderball", as that was perhaps not the greatest of the Connery Bonds. (A remake of "Dr No" or "Goldfinger" might have worked better). The plot is much the same as that of the earlier film; the terrorist organisation SPECTRE, acting together with a megalomaniac tycoon named Largo, have stolen two American nuclear warheads and are attempting to hold the world's governments to ransom by threatening to detonate them unless they receive a vast sum of money. It falls to Bond, of course, to save the world by tracking down the missing missiles.
The film is fortunate in that it has not just one but two of the most beautiful Bond girls of all, Barbara Carrera as the seductive but lethal Fatima Blush and Kim Basinger as Largo's girlfriend Domino who defects to Bond's side after learning of her lover's evil plans. A number of the Bond films have a plot that hangs upon the hero's ability to win over the villain's mistress or female accomplice- there are similar developments, for example, in "Goldfinger", "Live and Let Die" and "The Living Daylights". In the official series, Bond's ally is normally regarded as the female lead, but here Carrera, playing the villainess, is billed above Basinger, who was a relatively unknown actress at the time. Basinger, of course, has gone on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, whereas Carrera is one of a number of Bond girls who have somewhat faded from view.
Of the villains, Max von Sydow makes an effective Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, but Klaus Maria Brandauer seemed too bland and nonthreatening as Largo, except perhaps during the "Domination" game, a more sophisticated variant on those violent computer games such as "Space Invaders" that were so popular in the early eighties. Brandauer can be an excellent actor in his native German, in films such as "Mephisto" and "Oberst Redl", but he does not comes across so expressively in English.
One of the film's features is that it both follows the normal Bond formula and, at times, departs from it. There is the standard world-in-peril plot, chase sequences, a series of exotic locations, glamorous women, sinister villains and a specially written theme song based on the film's title. There is, however, no extended pre-credits sequence, and we see some familiar characters in a new light. For example, Bond's boss M becomes a languid, supercilious aristocrat, his American colleague Felix Leiter is shown as black for the only time, and the scientist Q is portrayed by Alec McCowen as a disillusioned cynic with (despite his characteristically upper-class Christian name of Algernon) a distinctly working-class accent. There is also an amusing cameo from Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling British diplomat. Although Connery was perhaps not quite a good here as he was in some of his earlier films in the role, this ringing the changes on the familiar theme makes this one of the more memorable Bonds. 7/10
A goof. Rowan Atkinson's character states that he is from the British Embassy in Nassau. As, however, the Bahamas is a Commonwealth country, Britain would have a High Commission in its capital, not an Embassy.
The film owes its existence to the settlement of a lawsuit about the film rights to Ian Fleming's work. It is perhaps unfortunate that the terms of the settlement included a clause that the new film had to be a remake of "Thunderball", as that was perhaps not the greatest of the Connery Bonds. (A remake of "Dr No" or "Goldfinger" might have worked better). The plot is much the same as that of the earlier film; the terrorist organisation SPECTRE, acting together with a megalomaniac tycoon named Largo, have stolen two American nuclear warheads and are attempting to hold the world's governments to ransom by threatening to detonate them unless they receive a vast sum of money. It falls to Bond, of course, to save the world by tracking down the missing missiles.
The film is fortunate in that it has not just one but two of the most beautiful Bond girls of all, Barbara Carrera as the seductive but lethal Fatima Blush and Kim Basinger as Largo's girlfriend Domino who defects to Bond's side after learning of her lover's evil plans. A number of the Bond films have a plot that hangs upon the hero's ability to win over the villain's mistress or female accomplice- there are similar developments, for example, in "Goldfinger", "Live and Let Die" and "The Living Daylights". In the official series, Bond's ally is normally regarded as the female lead, but here Carrera, playing the villainess, is billed above Basinger, who was a relatively unknown actress at the time. Basinger, of course, has gone on to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, whereas Carrera is one of a number of Bond girls who have somewhat faded from view.
Of the villains, Max von Sydow makes an effective Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE, but Klaus Maria Brandauer seemed too bland and nonthreatening as Largo, except perhaps during the "Domination" game, a more sophisticated variant on those violent computer games such as "Space Invaders" that were so popular in the early eighties. Brandauer can be an excellent actor in his native German, in films such as "Mephisto" and "Oberst Redl", but he does not comes across so expressively in English.
One of the film's features is that it both follows the normal Bond formula and, at times, departs from it. There is the standard world-in-peril plot, chase sequences, a series of exotic locations, glamorous women, sinister villains and a specially written theme song based on the film's title. There is, however, no extended pre-credits sequence, and we see some familiar characters in a new light. For example, Bond's boss M becomes a languid, supercilious aristocrat, his American colleague Felix Leiter is shown as black for the only time, and the scientist Q is portrayed by Alec McCowen as a disillusioned cynic with (despite his characteristically upper-class Christian name of Algernon) a distinctly working-class accent. There is also an amusing cameo from Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling British diplomat. Although Connery was perhaps not quite a good here as he was in some of his earlier films in the role, this ringing the changes on the familiar theme makes this one of the more memorable Bonds. 7/10
A goof. Rowan Atkinson's character states that he is from the British Embassy in Nassau. As, however, the Bahamas is a Commonwealth country, Britain would have a High Commission in its capital, not an Embassy.
- JamesHitchcock
- Apr 25, 2005
- Permalink
MASTER PLAN: blackmail the world after stealing two nuclear warheads. Haven't we heard this plan before? Yes, in "Thunderball"(65). And, wow, two Bond films in the same year (the other was "Octopussy") - what can it mean? This is now a curiosity in the Bond film series (and not a part of the canon series), an anomaly, an oddity, a film stemming from the real-life battles between Eon Productions and their nemesis, producer McClory, who won rights to remake the earlier film. It probably would have been better if he'd succeeded earlier - say, around 1976 or so; as it is, Connery, who managed to equal Roger Moore's number of Bond portrayals with this film, is a full dozen years older since his previous Bonder "Diamonds Are Forever," and it shows. This isn't really a parody, like "Casino Royale" from 1967, though there are some too-cute moments, right up to the conclusion, a freeze-frame of Bond winking at us. There are also elements of a weird re-start, such as the first scene with Bond and M, who mentions he is new to the position, much like the Bond & female M scene in "GoldenEye." In this version, M (Fox) is still male, though he's a stuffy high-strung bureaucrat, opposed to double-0 agents, and looks a bit younger than Bond. This is a bit strange to take in, just on its own. Q is played by one of the best British actors, McCowen, so his scenes have a nice flair, though he has a silly name, Algernon.
There's no teaser sequence or fancy credits such as we're used to - in fact, the beginning is so mundane, it's as if we're watching a typically substandard seventies thriller, with a wretched song and an awful score. Many of the early scenes are perfunctory; in other words, they're presented as the stuff we're used to seeing in a Bond film (Bond shoots bad guys, Bond is eyed by the ladies, Bond is menaced by sharks), but without the style and panache of the regular film series. As in "Thunderball," Bond is sent to a health spa early in the film. In an early action scene, he's attacked by a brawny assassin/henchman in the 'Oddjob/Jaws' mold who seems unstoppable, and things appear to be picking up, until he's stopped by a silly gag. I admit I did laugh when I saw this in the theater way back when - but I don't nowadays. I also get the impression of a conspiracy by the producer to throw in some banal stuff amid the standard spy action, not helped any by what seems like in-joking involving Bond's aging hero bit, including M's comically shrill disapproval. It mirrors the problem with Moore in his last couple of Bonders, where the audience is laughing at the hero - undesirable conditions for a Bonder. Things seem to improve again in the middle half, as much of the action here is dominated by the female villain, Blush (actress Carrera in her best role). She exults in her performance as the persistent killer with some odd sexual preoccupations, anticipating the much later lethal ladies such as Onatopp in "GoldenEye."
But, the best performance is by Brandauer as the main villain, Largo - a much different Largo than the one in "Thunderball." He's almost on another, superior level from the rest of the cast, suggesting insanity better than most other Bond villains, somewhat effeminate in some of his gestures, but also magnetic when sparring with Bond, especially in their memorably electrifying video game duel, a bizarre yet entrancing confrontation. Von Sydow, always good, has a much briefer role as famous uber-villain Blofeld, staying behind the scenes for most of the movie. Basinger as Domino the Bond girl is, unfortunately, similar to many of the Bond girls of that period: nice to look at, but usually helpless and kind of an airhead, though she demonstrates fear convincingly. Connery, looking his age (early fifties), goes through the motions here, but hey, it's still Connery as Bond; he can do this kind of thing in his sleep (which he nearly does) and is always watchable, with that easy charisma. The pace is actually pretty good for awhile up until the climactic shoot-out, in spite of some cheap production values. The finale, underwater with Largo, is murky stuff, with no tension, as if the filmmakers just gave up by this point and wanted to get it over with. We kind of forget what the threat is about half-an-hour before the end. Oh, and, Atkinson is his small role is abominable, like nails on chalkboard. Connery would not return. Bond:7 Villain:9 Femme Fatales:5 Henchwoman/men:8 Leiter:6 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:6
There's no teaser sequence or fancy credits such as we're used to - in fact, the beginning is so mundane, it's as if we're watching a typically substandard seventies thriller, with a wretched song and an awful score. Many of the early scenes are perfunctory; in other words, they're presented as the stuff we're used to seeing in a Bond film (Bond shoots bad guys, Bond is eyed by the ladies, Bond is menaced by sharks), but without the style and panache of the regular film series. As in "Thunderball," Bond is sent to a health spa early in the film. In an early action scene, he's attacked by a brawny assassin/henchman in the 'Oddjob/Jaws' mold who seems unstoppable, and things appear to be picking up, until he's stopped by a silly gag. I admit I did laugh when I saw this in the theater way back when - but I don't nowadays. I also get the impression of a conspiracy by the producer to throw in some banal stuff amid the standard spy action, not helped any by what seems like in-joking involving Bond's aging hero bit, including M's comically shrill disapproval. It mirrors the problem with Moore in his last couple of Bonders, where the audience is laughing at the hero - undesirable conditions for a Bonder. Things seem to improve again in the middle half, as much of the action here is dominated by the female villain, Blush (actress Carrera in her best role). She exults in her performance as the persistent killer with some odd sexual preoccupations, anticipating the much later lethal ladies such as Onatopp in "GoldenEye."
But, the best performance is by Brandauer as the main villain, Largo - a much different Largo than the one in "Thunderball." He's almost on another, superior level from the rest of the cast, suggesting insanity better than most other Bond villains, somewhat effeminate in some of his gestures, but also magnetic when sparring with Bond, especially in their memorably electrifying video game duel, a bizarre yet entrancing confrontation. Von Sydow, always good, has a much briefer role as famous uber-villain Blofeld, staying behind the scenes for most of the movie. Basinger as Domino the Bond girl is, unfortunately, similar to many of the Bond girls of that period: nice to look at, but usually helpless and kind of an airhead, though she demonstrates fear convincingly. Connery, looking his age (early fifties), goes through the motions here, but hey, it's still Connery as Bond; he can do this kind of thing in his sleep (which he nearly does) and is always watchable, with that easy charisma. The pace is actually pretty good for awhile up until the climactic shoot-out, in spite of some cheap production values. The finale, underwater with Largo, is murky stuff, with no tension, as if the filmmakers just gave up by this point and wanted to get it over with. We kind of forget what the threat is about half-an-hour before the end. Oh, and, Atkinson is his small role is abominable, like nails on chalkboard. Connery would not return. Bond:7 Villain:9 Femme Fatales:5 Henchwoman/men:8 Leiter:6 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:6 Gadgets:4 Auto:5 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:6
- Bogmeister
- Aug 10, 2007
- Permalink
- Nazi_Fighter_David
- Jul 8, 2004
- Permalink
Never Say Never Again got its title because Sean Connery had said in the 1970s (shortly after Diamonds Are Forever) that he would "never" do another Bond film. However, in 1983 he was persuaded to return to the role for a one-off special, a remake of his fourth entry Thunderball, and his wife rather humorously said to him that in the future he should make a point never to say never again. This film actually came out close to a Roger Moore entry in the series (Octopussy), and although Connery had more admirers as 007 than Moore, it was surprisingly Octopussy that scored a bigger box office hit.
Connery's Bond is older and more vulnerable than we remember him. His boss, M, doesn't hold him in very high regard and actually suggests that he take some time off in a plush health spa. During his time here, Bond uncovers a strange plot and the further he delves into the mystery the more he discovers. It seems that his old adversaries SPECTRE, fronted by the nefarious Blofeld (Max Von Sydow) have stolen two nuclear warheads which they will detonate if they are not paid an extortionate ransom. Chief overseer of this hideous plan is Emile Largo (Klaus Maria Brandeur), and Bond pursues Largo around the globe in an attempt to stop him, visiting such places as Monte Carlo and North Africa during the course of the mission.
The music by Michel Legrand is poor by series standards. It sounds rather similar to his music for the sleazy 1981 movie Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid, and is really ill-suited to this Bond production. However, in terms of villains, they've come with a couple of great ones for this film. Largo, as personified by Brandeur, is smooth but deadly, and hench-woman Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) is uncommonly disturbing. Rowan Atkinson also has a fairly good role as a dim-witted agent assigned to "help" Bond. The big action sequences are quite good, especially the horse chase around the North African sea-fortress and the motorbike chase, although some of the underwater moments are tough to understand because it's hard to figure out who is who behind the diving masks.
Connery's Bond is older and more vulnerable than we remember him. His boss, M, doesn't hold him in very high regard and actually suggests that he take some time off in a plush health spa. During his time here, Bond uncovers a strange plot and the further he delves into the mystery the more he discovers. It seems that his old adversaries SPECTRE, fronted by the nefarious Blofeld (Max Von Sydow) have stolen two nuclear warheads which they will detonate if they are not paid an extortionate ransom. Chief overseer of this hideous plan is Emile Largo (Klaus Maria Brandeur), and Bond pursues Largo around the globe in an attempt to stop him, visiting such places as Monte Carlo and North Africa during the course of the mission.
The music by Michel Legrand is poor by series standards. It sounds rather similar to his music for the sleazy 1981 movie Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid, and is really ill-suited to this Bond production. However, in terms of villains, they've come with a couple of great ones for this film. Largo, as personified by Brandeur, is smooth but deadly, and hench-woman Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera) is uncommonly disturbing. Rowan Atkinson also has a fairly good role as a dim-witted agent assigned to "help" Bond. The big action sequences are quite good, especially the horse chase around the North African sea-fortress and the motorbike chase, although some of the underwater moments are tough to understand because it's hard to figure out who is who behind the diving masks.
- barnabyrudge
- Oct 2, 2003
- Permalink
Yes, it's Sean Connery playing Bond again, looking more alive and into his part than any time since the first time they made this film, in 1965 when it was called "Thunderball". But the tongue is so firmly in cheek one wonders if Connery isn't employing a few observed tricks from his friend and more humorous successor, Roger Moore.
Moore is my favorite Bond, but Connery makes a strong case for himself in this unusual outing. The only serious Bond film not made under the aegis of the classic Eon Bond series, "Never Say Never Again" is an irreverent return to the well. Soft on action, it's nevertheless strong on character and clever dialogue.
Bond, it's made clear right away, is a man in disfavor. No matter how many times he has saved the world, his new boss thinks little of his fat lifestyle. "Too many free radicals, that's your problem...Caused by eating too much red meat, white bread, too many martinis." "Then I shall cut out the white bread, sir," Bond smartly replies.
An early fight sequence in a spa represents the movie's high point action-wise, with Bond and an attacker fighting their way through a kitchen, a bedroom, and a laboratory before Bond finally douses his opponent, ironically with no small help from those free radicals. Humor is liberally applied in the film, rather more cleverly than most of Moore's outings, though Connery seems to be having more fun sending himself up as a result of Moore's less egotistic example.
Was it because he was making a good chunk of the gross? Or was it working for less stingy producers? Whatever it is, the screenplay serves his laid-back style well, and the result is richer and more entertaining than Connery's prior two Eon Bond outings, "You Only Live Twice" and "Diamonds Are Forever".
The 1980s were not a good decade for Bond, whether it was Connery, Moore, or Timothy Dalton. Leg warmers, video games, and ugly sports cars are all in evidence, and the Bianca Jagger sunglasses Klaus Maria Brandauer is seen wearing in his first scene do him no favors. Forget first impressions. Brandauer's role as the chief villain, Maximilian Largo, is one of the best in any Bond film, with Brandauer enjoyably playing up his character's menace and mania. At one point, he allows Bond free roam of his situation room, with a martini to boot, and his dancing eyes and mad, engaging grin make for compelling company throughout.
The best thing in this film, other than Connery, are the Bond girls, shot with more attention to personality than normal in Bond films, a testament to cinematographer Douglas Slocombe and director Irvin Kirshner. Barbara Carrera was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as the villainess Fatima Blush, every bit as crazy as Largo and even nicer to look at. She doesn't last the whole movie; you almost need her gone in order to focus on the others.
Kim Basinger's breasts and buttocks should have had their own agents for the screen time they get in this film, but I'm not complaining. Basinger's a rare beauty who in this early role as Largo's mistress mixes incredible hotitude with a childlike vulnerability that brings out the Bond in me, and many others I suspect. (Her lips and cheekbones are pretty sweet, too.)
It's not a well-constructed film. It's a knockoff of a better Bond movie with a sloppy storyline, a terrible score, and a flat ending. But it does have Connery, proving his was the definitive take on cinema's definitive secret agent, even if he steals a page or two from my 007, Mr. Moore. The end result is entertaining enough, so I'm not complaining.
Moore is my favorite Bond, but Connery makes a strong case for himself in this unusual outing. The only serious Bond film not made under the aegis of the classic Eon Bond series, "Never Say Never Again" is an irreverent return to the well. Soft on action, it's nevertheless strong on character and clever dialogue.
Bond, it's made clear right away, is a man in disfavor. No matter how many times he has saved the world, his new boss thinks little of his fat lifestyle. "Too many free radicals, that's your problem...Caused by eating too much red meat, white bread, too many martinis." "Then I shall cut out the white bread, sir," Bond smartly replies.
An early fight sequence in a spa represents the movie's high point action-wise, with Bond and an attacker fighting their way through a kitchen, a bedroom, and a laboratory before Bond finally douses his opponent, ironically with no small help from those free radicals. Humor is liberally applied in the film, rather more cleverly than most of Moore's outings, though Connery seems to be having more fun sending himself up as a result of Moore's less egotistic example.
Was it because he was making a good chunk of the gross? Or was it working for less stingy producers? Whatever it is, the screenplay serves his laid-back style well, and the result is richer and more entertaining than Connery's prior two Eon Bond outings, "You Only Live Twice" and "Diamonds Are Forever".
The 1980s were not a good decade for Bond, whether it was Connery, Moore, or Timothy Dalton. Leg warmers, video games, and ugly sports cars are all in evidence, and the Bianca Jagger sunglasses Klaus Maria Brandauer is seen wearing in his first scene do him no favors. Forget first impressions. Brandauer's role as the chief villain, Maximilian Largo, is one of the best in any Bond film, with Brandauer enjoyably playing up his character's menace and mania. At one point, he allows Bond free roam of his situation room, with a martini to boot, and his dancing eyes and mad, engaging grin make for compelling company throughout.
The best thing in this film, other than Connery, are the Bond girls, shot with more attention to personality than normal in Bond films, a testament to cinematographer Douglas Slocombe and director Irvin Kirshner. Barbara Carrera was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role as the villainess Fatima Blush, every bit as crazy as Largo and even nicer to look at. She doesn't last the whole movie; you almost need her gone in order to focus on the others.
Kim Basinger's breasts and buttocks should have had their own agents for the screen time they get in this film, but I'm not complaining. Basinger's a rare beauty who in this early role as Largo's mistress mixes incredible hotitude with a childlike vulnerability that brings out the Bond in me, and many others I suspect. (Her lips and cheekbones are pretty sweet, too.)
It's not a well-constructed film. It's a knockoff of a better Bond movie with a sloppy storyline, a terrible score, and a flat ending. But it does have Connery, proving his was the definitive take on cinema's definitive secret agent, even if he steals a page or two from my 007, Mr. Moore. The end result is entertaining enough, so I'm not complaining.
"Connery is back" was the advertising posters for this James Bond film. Being released the same year as Octopussy starring Roger Moore, this one titled Never Say Never Again was clearly made outside Pinewood Studios and was never an official 007 film but a remake of Thunderball. Connery delivers a usually convincing performance as Bond but was looking older at 53, the film isn't always good. It's almost all-cast with lots of womanizing in evidence that makes him extremely seedy and neither does he raise much suspicion.
The reason why Connery made this one was to stick the guns on Albert R Broccoli. As a result, Connery felt that Broccoli diid a very poor job with Diamonds Are Forever and why Broccoli choosed to leave out some of the important editing work is beyond. There are some plus points about Never Say Never Again particularly the Pat Roach scene and the topical seaside settings but on the other hand it's alrightish.
The final installment in Connery/Bond series finds 007 on a mission to thwart Spectre which has threatened to blow up cities if a ransom is not paid . James Bond (Sean Connery who shows his face clean-shaven and wearing a variety of grey and brown wigs) matches wits with a nasty , good-looking tycoon , Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer) , who is holding the world nuclear hostage as part of a diabolical plan schemed by Espectre led by a sinister leader (Max Von Sydow) . As Emilio Largo , is a ruthless and flamboyant enforcer who has hatched a scheme against the North Atlantic Treaty powers . British send his "00" agent , James Bond , to recover the warheads before SPECTRE carries out its threat to detonate the devices on the UK and US mainlands . As the world is held hostage by the threat of a nuclear nightmare , Bond jumps into action , racing against the clock as the trail leads him to tropical Nassau . Later on , Bond facing off heavies and bedding a lot of pink and dust beauties (Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush , Kim Basinger as Domino , Valerie Leon , among others) . Will 007 prevent the killing of millions of innocent victims?
Connery returns to the world of Bond after 12 years , it results to be smooth in this peculiar remake of ¨Thunderball¨(1965) by Terence Young with Claudine Auger , Adolfo Celi , Luciana Paluzzi . The noisy action is staged with all the mechanical efficiency of the classic Bond pictures with a bit more bite . After Diamonds are forever (1971) Sean told her he'd never play James Bond again, there he was, playing James Bond again , her response was for him to "never say never again" ; however , for a big salary he accepted this film . Although Connery is back to recover two nuclear warheads stolen , purists will have qualms deeming this part of the official Bond series since longtime producers Albert ¨Cubby¨ Broccoli , Harry Saltzman , had nothing to do with this endeavor . This Bond film was not part of the franchise produced by these producers , but here Kevin McClory who was producer and co-writer of Thunderball (1965), won a legal battle against Ian Fleming to make his own Bond movie , the settlement stipulated that it had to effectively be a remake of Thunderball . Here James Bond/Connery bedding a variety of wonderful women , the bond girls are the followings : Kim Basinger as the beautiful heroine , Barbara Carrera is excellently cast as the nasty villainess and the Hammer-girl Valerie Leon . Bond/Connery is given hot competition in the acting department by Klaus Maria Brandauer who makes ¨Largo¨ a stunning , memorable smiling psychotic baddie from Sprectra criminal organization , replacing prior Adolfo Celi . Being Final James Bond film to feature Spectre until recent film Spectre (2015) . Support cast is frankly magnificent as Bernie Casey , Alec McCowen , charming Pamela Salem as Miss Moneypenny , Rowan Atkinson as Embassy official , Edward Fox , Gavan O'Herlihy , Ronald Pickup and brief acting by the busty Bond girl Valerie Leon as Lady in Bahamas .
Colorful cinematography by Douglas Slocombe shot on several locations in Côte d'Azur, Antibes, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes,France , Malta Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas , La Alcazaba , Almería, El Ejido, Almería, Andalucia, Spain . However , this ¨Never say never again¨ is hampered by an atrocious soundtrack by Michael Legrand . The motion picture was professionally directed by Irwin Kershener , but with no originality . The main theme that runs through many of his films is social alienation and human weaknesses - although his biggest commercial success was the science fiction blockbuster ¨Star Wars: Episodio V Empire strikes again¨ and made decent sequels as ¨Return a man called horse¨and ¨Robocop II¨. This is an acceptable and passable Bond movie but inferior to other entries . This monarch of mayhem and luxury strides easily back into his kingdom .
Connery returns to the world of Bond after 12 years , it results to be smooth in this peculiar remake of ¨Thunderball¨(1965) by Terence Young with Claudine Auger , Adolfo Celi , Luciana Paluzzi . The noisy action is staged with all the mechanical efficiency of the classic Bond pictures with a bit more bite . After Diamonds are forever (1971) Sean told her he'd never play James Bond again, there he was, playing James Bond again , her response was for him to "never say never again" ; however , for a big salary he accepted this film . Although Connery is back to recover two nuclear warheads stolen , purists will have qualms deeming this part of the official Bond series since longtime producers Albert ¨Cubby¨ Broccoli , Harry Saltzman , had nothing to do with this endeavor . This Bond film was not part of the franchise produced by these producers , but here Kevin McClory who was producer and co-writer of Thunderball (1965), won a legal battle against Ian Fleming to make his own Bond movie , the settlement stipulated that it had to effectively be a remake of Thunderball . Here James Bond/Connery bedding a variety of wonderful women , the bond girls are the followings : Kim Basinger as the beautiful heroine , Barbara Carrera is excellently cast as the nasty villainess and the Hammer-girl Valerie Leon . Bond/Connery is given hot competition in the acting department by Klaus Maria Brandauer who makes ¨Largo¨ a stunning , memorable smiling psychotic baddie from Sprectra criminal organization , replacing prior Adolfo Celi . Being Final James Bond film to feature Spectre until recent film Spectre (2015) . Support cast is frankly magnificent as Bernie Casey , Alec McCowen , charming Pamela Salem as Miss Moneypenny , Rowan Atkinson as Embassy official , Edward Fox , Gavan O'Herlihy , Ronald Pickup and brief acting by the busty Bond girl Valerie Leon as Lady in Bahamas .
Colorful cinematography by Douglas Slocombe shot on several locations in Côte d'Azur, Antibes, Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, Alpes-Maritimes,France , Malta Nassau, New Providence Island, Bahamas , La Alcazaba , Almería, El Ejido, Almería, Andalucia, Spain . However , this ¨Never say never again¨ is hampered by an atrocious soundtrack by Michael Legrand . The motion picture was professionally directed by Irwin Kershener , but with no originality . The main theme that runs through many of his films is social alienation and human weaknesses - although his biggest commercial success was the science fiction blockbuster ¨Star Wars: Episodio V Empire strikes again¨ and made decent sequels as ¨Return a man called horse¨and ¨Robocop II¨. This is an acceptable and passable Bond movie but inferior to other entries . This monarch of mayhem and luxury strides easily back into his kingdom .
In 1965 producer Kevin McLory -who owns a part of the Bond cinematic rights- associate with EON Productions (Harry Saltzman and Albert Broccoli) for making "Thunderball", the fourth film of the 007 franchise. The star is Sean Connery, of course.
In 1982 McLory wins a legal battle and can produce an "independent" Bond film. "Never say never again" (NSNA) is one of the two "unofficial" 007 films made outside EON (the other is the 1967 comedy spoof "Casino Royale"). NSNA is a remake of "Thunderball" and stars the original Bond, Sean Connery -who comes back to the role after many years of absence.
The film is released some months after "Octopussy" with Roger Moore, the 13th episode of the EON series. At the time press calls it "War of the Bonds"... Both films are a big success in 1983, even if "Octopussy" earns more money at the box office.
NSNA is a luxurious film made by excellent technicians -director Irvin Kershner who led "The Empire strikes back", Douglas Slocombe -cinematographer of "Raiders of the lost Ark"-, and screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr -who wrote "The three days of the Condor"- among others...
The cast is excellent with Connery, a then relatively unknown Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max Von Sydow, Edward Fox...
Although all that the film remains inferior to the original "Thunderball". It lacks many fundamental ingredients for being a real Bond movie: there's not the traditional gun barrel sequence, there's not the "James Bond theme", M and Q are not played by the traditional actors... It's a copyright reason: EON only is allowed to use these elements. Briefly, NSNA lacks the classic cinematic 007 atmosphere.
On the other hand the film is exciting and enjoyable. Brandauer is a very good villain and the women (Basinger and Carrera) are sensual and gorgeous. But the main highlight is Sean Connery! He's once again wonderful in the role, he's older but looks fitter and nicer here than in "Diamonds are forever", his last performance in the role of the British super-spy before NSNA.
In 1982 McLory wins a legal battle and can produce an "independent" Bond film. "Never say never again" (NSNA) is one of the two "unofficial" 007 films made outside EON (the other is the 1967 comedy spoof "Casino Royale"). NSNA is a remake of "Thunderball" and stars the original Bond, Sean Connery -who comes back to the role after many years of absence.
The film is released some months after "Octopussy" with Roger Moore, the 13th episode of the EON series. At the time press calls it "War of the Bonds"... Both films are a big success in 1983, even if "Octopussy" earns more money at the box office.
NSNA is a luxurious film made by excellent technicians -director Irvin Kershner who led "The Empire strikes back", Douglas Slocombe -cinematographer of "Raiders of the lost Ark"-, and screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr -who wrote "The three days of the Condor"- among others...
The cast is excellent with Connery, a then relatively unknown Kim Basinger, Barbara Carrera, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max Von Sydow, Edward Fox...
Although all that the film remains inferior to the original "Thunderball". It lacks many fundamental ingredients for being a real Bond movie: there's not the traditional gun barrel sequence, there's not the "James Bond theme", M and Q are not played by the traditional actors... It's a copyright reason: EON only is allowed to use these elements. Briefly, NSNA lacks the classic cinematic 007 atmosphere.
On the other hand the film is exciting and enjoyable. Brandauer is a very good villain and the women (Basinger and Carrera) are sensual and gorgeous. But the main highlight is Sean Connery! He's once again wonderful in the role, he's older but looks fitter and nicer here than in "Diamonds are forever", his last performance in the role of the British super-spy before NSNA.
- michelerealini
- Sep 21, 2005
- Permalink
Sean Connery returns as James Bond, in a movie remake of Thunderball. Here, mad man Maximilian Largo steals two American nuclear warheads and demands millions of dollars in ransom from the world leaders. As a result, MI6 reactivates their "00" agents and James Bond comes out of retirement to carry on the mission.
Armed with secret weapons and an armor of one-liners, Connery still shines once again as the suave 007, though, he does look rather emotionless and mellow portraying his character at times. There is lesser action in this movie than in previous Bond films, but some of the the thrills are still a little entertaining, especially the part where Bond attempts to dispatch the femme fatale Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera).
Sorely missing is John Berry's iconic James Bond theme and score, and what we have instead is a very 80s-sounding soundtrack from Michel Legrand. The acting was just OK for the most part - Connery had some good chemistry with the Bond Girls, but much of the other cast members were forgettable. Max von Sydow gave a mediocre performance as Blofeld, Edward Fox gave a very overzealous and pompous portrayal of M and Rowan Atkinson gave a rather unfunny role as Small-Fawcett. Klaus Maria Brandauer gave a convincing villain in Maximilian Largo - slimy and sly, making you want to punch him in the face.
The film its adventurous moments, but, it's not one of the best Bond movies out there - it's more like a stand alone action flick.
Grade C+
Armed with secret weapons and an armor of one-liners, Connery still shines once again as the suave 007, though, he does look rather emotionless and mellow portraying his character at times. There is lesser action in this movie than in previous Bond films, but some of the the thrills are still a little entertaining, especially the part where Bond attempts to dispatch the femme fatale Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera).
Sorely missing is John Berry's iconic James Bond theme and score, and what we have instead is a very 80s-sounding soundtrack from Michel Legrand. The acting was just OK for the most part - Connery had some good chemistry with the Bond Girls, but much of the other cast members were forgettable. Max von Sydow gave a mediocre performance as Blofeld, Edward Fox gave a very overzealous and pompous portrayal of M and Rowan Atkinson gave a rather unfunny role as Small-Fawcett. Klaus Maria Brandauer gave a convincing villain in Maximilian Largo - slimy and sly, making you want to punch him in the face.
The film its adventurous moments, but, it's not one of the best Bond movies out there - it's more like a stand alone action flick.
Grade C+
- OllieSuave-007
- Jun 7, 2017
- Permalink
It also has one of the worst horse chase sequence accompanied by lousy music.
I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.
Revisited it recently.
This is a remake of Thunderball (which is rated 4/10 by me).
Connery returns as an aged n outta shape Bond for the seventh and final time, marking his return to the character 12 years after Diamonds Are Forever.
Here Bond is tasked with tracking down missing weapons which leads Bond to the Bahamas where he crosses path with Maximillian Largo, SPECTRE's top agent.
This time Ernst Stavro Blofeld is played by Max von Sydow n Largo by Klaus Maria Brandauer.
This one has the lousiest pre credit scene and of the worst ending.
There is nothing memorable or noteworthy in this film except for the two lovely babes.
This time Bond faces Largo (without his iconic eye patch) and Blofeld is never shown face to face.
An unfit n aged Bond is able to fight off Lippe, a 6ft 5 inches wrestler in a gym with one of the worst n despicable weapon, his own urine.
Bond gets to cool off with the hottie Barbara Carrera (worst dressed in this movie, check out her black outfit). Barbara Carrera is amazingly hot in the nurse's uniform.
Bond also gets to cool off with Prunella Gee, Kim Basinger n Valerie Leon.
I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.
Revisited it recently.
This is a remake of Thunderball (which is rated 4/10 by me).
Connery returns as an aged n outta shape Bond for the seventh and final time, marking his return to the character 12 years after Diamonds Are Forever.
Here Bond is tasked with tracking down missing weapons which leads Bond to the Bahamas where he crosses path with Maximillian Largo, SPECTRE's top agent.
This time Ernst Stavro Blofeld is played by Max von Sydow n Largo by Klaus Maria Brandauer.
This one has the lousiest pre credit scene and of the worst ending.
There is nothing memorable or noteworthy in this film except for the two lovely babes.
This time Bond faces Largo (without his iconic eye patch) and Blofeld is never shown face to face.
An unfit n aged Bond is able to fight off Lippe, a 6ft 5 inches wrestler in a gym with one of the worst n despicable weapon, his own urine.
Bond gets to cool off with the hottie Barbara Carrera (worst dressed in this movie, check out her black outfit). Barbara Carrera is amazingly hot in the nurse's uniform.
Bond also gets to cool off with Prunella Gee, Kim Basinger n Valerie Leon.
- Fella_shibby
- May 1, 2021
- Permalink
Never Say Never Again (1983) is an unofficial James Bond film.It's a remake of Thunderball (1965).They both have Sean Connery as the super agent 007 James Bond.That's right, Connery returned one more time to the role that made him world famous.SPECTRE is causing trouble again with his nuclear and Mr. Bond is needed again.Irvin Kershner is the director of the movie.Max von Sydow plays the super villain with his white cat.Klaus Maria Brandauer is the crook Maximilian Largo.Kim Basinger is his girl Domino Petachi.When she meets Bond she won't be Largo's girl for long.Edward Fox plays M.Pamela Salem is Miss Moneypenny.Alec McCowen is Q.For me it's a little weird to see someone else than Desmond Llewelyn playing that character.Then there's also Rowan Atkinson playing Nigel Small-Fawcett.Mr.Atkinson is best known of course as Mr.Bean.This movie is better than most give credit for.There are many great scenes.It's enjoyable to watch Bond give a massage to Kim Basinger.And the kid in me always enjoys a good chase scene.This has got one with James on a motorcycle.There's also some under water action.So I enjoyed this movie.Let's hope Connery ends his retirement and returns for Bond's role one more time.
- ShootingShark
- Mar 21, 2009
- Permalink
This is a terribly uninteresting movie and it's amazing that after a dozen year absence as Bond, Sean Connery would pick THIS picture for a comeback. They must have offered him TONS of $$--no other explanation makes sense. The biggest problem is that instead of creating a movie for Connery, they just chose to re-make one of Connery's previous Bond films! Why not something new instead of a second-rate remake of a film he already did?! Well, it turns out the studio could NOT get the rights to Bond, though, because of a loophole, they could legally re-make Thunderball! This is a rotten excuse to make the film.
Apart from the beautiful Kim Basinger, there is nothing about this movie that makes it better than the original (THUNDERBALL)--in fact, the original is so much better. Because of this, it seems like the makers of the film had contempt for the audience--they didn't even bother giving them something new! Particularly uninteresting is the character played by Barbara Carrera, though Klaus Maria Brandaur isn't much of a villain as well.
My biggest feeling is WHY--Why was this film made in the first place?!
Apart from the beautiful Kim Basinger, there is nothing about this movie that makes it better than the original (THUNDERBALL)--in fact, the original is so much better. Because of this, it seems like the makers of the film had contempt for the audience--they didn't even bother giving them something new! Particularly uninteresting is the character played by Barbara Carrera, though Klaus Maria Brandaur isn't much of a villain as well.
My biggest feeling is WHY--Why was this film made in the first place?!
- planktonrules
- Jul 3, 2005
- Permalink
I've always liked Sean Connery, but as James Bond I've always favored Roger Moore. Still it was Connery who set the Bond standard and while he had by 1983 established himself as something other than James Bond, the money must have been irresistible for him to make one more appearance as 007 and save the world from the evil designs of Spectre.
And what designs they are in Never Say Never Again. SPECTRE with the help of a foolish young Air Force officer who happens to be Kim Bassinger's brother stole two nuclear missiles during a war games exercise and now SPECTRE headed by Blofeld, played here by Max Von Sydow is threatening blackmail of the world.
Von Sydow's operations guy is Klaus Maria Brandauer who is also courting Bassinger and is a bit on the crazy side. And he's got a female assassin working for him in Barbara Carrera who makes Angelina Jolie as Nora Croft look like Mrs. Butterworth.
But before Sean Connery can even get started he's got to deal with a new 'M' running things at British Intelligence. Edward Fox thinks Connery is old fashioned in his methods and costs the British taxpayers too much money with his violent ways. I really did enjoy Fox's performance, he's like the great grandson of Colonel Blimp.
I also enjoyed Carrera, she's something to look at and quite resourceful in her methods. When she's scuba diving with Connery in the Bahamas, note how she puts Mr. Shark on 007's case.
Will Connery do James Bond again? He was widely quoted as saying who would they cast him as at this point, Roger Moore's father? But I think Connery would still be formidable in a wheelchair.
And what designs they are in Never Say Never Again. SPECTRE with the help of a foolish young Air Force officer who happens to be Kim Bassinger's brother stole two nuclear missiles during a war games exercise and now SPECTRE headed by Blofeld, played here by Max Von Sydow is threatening blackmail of the world.
Von Sydow's operations guy is Klaus Maria Brandauer who is also courting Bassinger and is a bit on the crazy side. And he's got a female assassin working for him in Barbara Carrera who makes Angelina Jolie as Nora Croft look like Mrs. Butterworth.
But before Sean Connery can even get started he's got to deal with a new 'M' running things at British Intelligence. Edward Fox thinks Connery is old fashioned in his methods and costs the British taxpayers too much money with his violent ways. I really did enjoy Fox's performance, he's like the great grandson of Colonel Blimp.
I also enjoyed Carrera, she's something to look at and quite resourceful in her methods. When she's scuba diving with Connery in the Bahamas, note how she puts Mr. Shark on 007's case.
Will Connery do James Bond again? He was widely quoted as saying who would they cast him as at this point, Roger Moore's father? But I think Connery would still be formidable in a wheelchair.
- bkoganbing
- Dec 25, 2008
- Permalink
Sean Connery returns and with him returns the elegance, the credibility, the charm, the action sequences where you don't need to use double because Connery can do his job flawlessly ... We have the only Bond actor who at 53 can appear in swimsuit without any shame. Not only that, we have that chest-haired Bond, aware of his age but also of his talent. The direction is adequate, the casting excellent, where Klaus Maria Brandauer stands out, a wonderful actor, Max Von Sydow hardly appears but stands out, the ladies are remarkable and beautiful, what more can be said. Although the film is long, the good humor and the notion of saying goodbye to the best Bond of all time makes up for the problem. Of the best of this endless saga.
'14th' Bond movie (unofficial)
The Sean Connery movies in the Bond series always seemed to have the attitude that only Connery was the 'real' Bond. That's why after the greatest Bond movie of them all ("On her majesty's secret service" with George Lazenby as James Bond), the next movie - starring Connery, again - seemed to pretend that Lazenby never happened. And so it is with this movie...it's like Roger Moore never happened and nor will he. The narrative elements concluded by Moore (in, say, "For your eyes only") are ignored. For this reason the movie comes across to me as a one off Bond movie...I imagine that the novels always existed, but no movie had ever been made from them. "Never say die" seems like a "What if?" story. I.e. Presuming knowledge of the existence of the novels, the movie imagines what happens to Bond near the end of his professional career. Of course, in some ways this movie is a remake of Connery's earlier "Thunderball" movie. Not exactly sure of the legal background to this movie, but I'm guessing that all the elements that were mostly author's Ian Fleming's have been removed and they've worked and reworked the elements that belong to the screenwriter of "Thunderball". It works. All those dull elements of "Thunderball" are gone...the underwater travelogue which just goes on and on. And on. Gone. Phew.
Exotic locations: The Bahamas, Casino Royale in Monte Carlo
Plot: MI6 is underfunded and under-appreciated by the British Government. Bond is now limited to training the new recruits to the spying game...and playing war games instead of doing actual spy work. His direct superior, "M", has little time for the "00s" and lets him know it. When evil organisation "S. P. E. C. T. R. E" steals two nuclear warheads, Bond just may get back on to active duty as a "00" agent.
Franchise clichés:
Pre title sequence - No. This movie faced legal challenges as Roger Moore was the encumbent James Bond. Moore's Bond movie - Octopussy - was in direct competition with this Connery movie and was released shortly before it. For this reason you don't the signature 'gun barrel' scene. Instead you get a 'flyscreen' effect with "007" wallpapering the screen. You also don't get Monty Norman's famous Bond theme music.
Theme song - Still part of this movie. It's "Never say never again" and it's not bad. For the first time, I think, the singer doesn't credited at the start of the movie. You have to read the end credits for that...sung by Lani Hall and written by Heb Alpert. Sergio Mendez produced it. Song has a nice jazzy cocktail lounge vibe to it. Herb Alpert also plays the trumpet for this song...gives himself a solo to boot!
Q - Yes...BUT, it's a new guy..."Algernon". He has a touch of the Michael Caines to him. After the low point in the Bond and Q relationship in "Octopussy", it's quite a relief to see them chummy here. He has the line to Bond which I must have remembered from the promotional ad of "I hope we are going to have some gratuitous sex and violence". Bond misses the obvious rejoinder...something like "You must buy me dinner first!".
M - Yes...BUT, again, it's a new guy. This M is a bit of a pompous arse and I really didn't enjoy being in his company throughout this movie.
Moneypenny - Yes...but...you know the drill. Presumably there would have been legal problems if they tried to recruit the original actors who played these characters or if they had the same characters...explaining why M and Q are not only played by different actors in this movie, but are different people too.
Silly female character names - Nigel Small-Fawcett. Played by Rowan Atkinson for comedic relief. Sorry, that's the only name that stuck out...good to see men being the butt of these jokes for once though! Misogyny/Wine snobbery/End teaser - A "no" to all these usual elements, I think...nothing obvious, at least.
Watch for:
* homing sharks! * Kim Bassinger's character's reaction after a massage...nice and subtle.
* Bond smoking a cigar.
* Ah...I knew there was a Bond movie where I saw a spittle bridge between two characters that were kissing...it's THIS movie! * an old Connery/Bond getting the kind of attention from beautiful young women that just doesn't seem right! * a Casino Royale full of arcade video games! Really? And Largo's inscrutable self-made video game...honestly, he should win every time just by virtue of being able to make heads or tails of it! * one reason to treat this movie as a one off...just check out Felix Leiter! Did he spend too long in the solarium? * some nice jokes...M mentioning "free radicals" and Moneypenny's reaction to Bond's line on this. As well as a funny scene I remembered the punch line to all these years later...where Bond has to give a urine sample to a nurse. Good-o! * end credit "Thank "A. K."...presumably Arab brazilianaire Adnan Khashoggi.
* Micheline Connery getting a credit for the title "Never say never again". Just looked her up on Wikipedia...Sean's wife.
* Talia Shire Schwartzman getting an end credit too. Yes. "Adrian!".
* The first Bond movie not to have been filmed at famous Pinewood studios? * This movie has different producers to the official Bond movies and it's based on an original story by McClory, Whittingham and Fleming.
Note to self: - Domino mouths what to Bond after a shower and when M is on the phone? - ALCMs? - "Mais doucement" and "ciaou bello"...mean? - Schubert's "The trout" is played here, I think. Significance? Conclusion...
If you consider Sean Connery to the ONLY Bond, then this is a decent send off for him...not as silly as "Diamonds are forever". You just have to imagine that all those movies without Connery never existed. It's 'closure' to Connery's Bond.
The Sean Connery movies in the Bond series always seemed to have the attitude that only Connery was the 'real' Bond. That's why after the greatest Bond movie of them all ("On her majesty's secret service" with George Lazenby as James Bond), the next movie - starring Connery, again - seemed to pretend that Lazenby never happened. And so it is with this movie...it's like Roger Moore never happened and nor will he. The narrative elements concluded by Moore (in, say, "For your eyes only") are ignored. For this reason the movie comes across to me as a one off Bond movie...I imagine that the novels always existed, but no movie had ever been made from them. "Never say die" seems like a "What if?" story. I.e. Presuming knowledge of the existence of the novels, the movie imagines what happens to Bond near the end of his professional career. Of course, in some ways this movie is a remake of Connery's earlier "Thunderball" movie. Not exactly sure of the legal background to this movie, but I'm guessing that all the elements that were mostly author's Ian Fleming's have been removed and they've worked and reworked the elements that belong to the screenwriter of "Thunderball". It works. All those dull elements of "Thunderball" are gone...the underwater travelogue which just goes on and on. And on. Gone. Phew.
Exotic locations: The Bahamas, Casino Royale in Monte Carlo
Plot: MI6 is underfunded and under-appreciated by the British Government. Bond is now limited to training the new recruits to the spying game...and playing war games instead of doing actual spy work. His direct superior, "M", has little time for the "00s" and lets him know it. When evil organisation "S. P. E. C. T. R. E" steals two nuclear warheads, Bond just may get back on to active duty as a "00" agent.
Franchise clichés:
Pre title sequence - No. This movie faced legal challenges as Roger Moore was the encumbent James Bond. Moore's Bond movie - Octopussy - was in direct competition with this Connery movie and was released shortly before it. For this reason you don't the signature 'gun barrel' scene. Instead you get a 'flyscreen' effect with "007" wallpapering the screen. You also don't get Monty Norman's famous Bond theme music.
Theme song - Still part of this movie. It's "Never say never again" and it's not bad. For the first time, I think, the singer doesn't credited at the start of the movie. You have to read the end credits for that...sung by Lani Hall and written by Heb Alpert. Sergio Mendez produced it. Song has a nice jazzy cocktail lounge vibe to it. Herb Alpert also plays the trumpet for this song...gives himself a solo to boot!
Q - Yes...BUT, it's a new guy..."Algernon". He has a touch of the Michael Caines to him. After the low point in the Bond and Q relationship in "Octopussy", it's quite a relief to see them chummy here. He has the line to Bond which I must have remembered from the promotional ad of "I hope we are going to have some gratuitous sex and violence". Bond misses the obvious rejoinder...something like "You must buy me dinner first!".
M - Yes...BUT, again, it's a new guy. This M is a bit of a pompous arse and I really didn't enjoy being in his company throughout this movie.
Moneypenny - Yes...but...you know the drill. Presumably there would have been legal problems if they tried to recruit the original actors who played these characters or if they had the same characters...explaining why M and Q are not only played by different actors in this movie, but are different people too.
Silly female character names - Nigel Small-Fawcett. Played by Rowan Atkinson for comedic relief. Sorry, that's the only name that stuck out...good to see men being the butt of these jokes for once though! Misogyny/Wine snobbery/End teaser - A "no" to all these usual elements, I think...nothing obvious, at least.
Watch for:
* homing sharks! * Kim Bassinger's character's reaction after a massage...nice and subtle.
* Bond smoking a cigar.
* Ah...I knew there was a Bond movie where I saw a spittle bridge between two characters that were kissing...it's THIS movie! * an old Connery/Bond getting the kind of attention from beautiful young women that just doesn't seem right! * a Casino Royale full of arcade video games! Really? And Largo's inscrutable self-made video game...honestly, he should win every time just by virtue of being able to make heads or tails of it! * one reason to treat this movie as a one off...just check out Felix Leiter! Did he spend too long in the solarium? * some nice jokes...M mentioning "free radicals" and Moneypenny's reaction to Bond's line on this. As well as a funny scene I remembered the punch line to all these years later...where Bond has to give a urine sample to a nurse. Good-o! * end credit "Thank "A. K."...presumably Arab brazilianaire Adnan Khashoggi.
* Micheline Connery getting a credit for the title "Never say never again". Just looked her up on Wikipedia...Sean's wife.
* Talia Shire Schwartzman getting an end credit too. Yes. "Adrian!".
* The first Bond movie not to have been filmed at famous Pinewood studios? * This movie has different producers to the official Bond movies and it's based on an original story by McClory, Whittingham and Fleming.
Note to self: - Domino mouths what to Bond after a shower and when M is on the phone? - ALCMs? - "Mais doucement" and "ciaou bello"...mean? - Schubert's "The trout" is played here, I think. Significance? Conclusion...
If you consider Sean Connery to the ONLY Bond, then this is a decent send off for him...not as silly as "Diamonds are forever". You just have to imagine that all those movies without Connery never existed. It's 'closure' to Connery's Bond.
"Never Say Never Again", as everyone knows by now, was the second Bond film to be released in 1983, and was nearly as big a hit as "Octopussy" was (that film was still playing in some theaters when "Never Say Never Again" was released). Lacking the distinctive gun-barrel opening and famous Bond theme among other distinctive features of the EON franchise films, this lacks not only the feel of the EON Bond series, but of Fleming's work, leaving a seriously bloated mess of an American action thriller which happens to feature Bond as the lead character.
Why? That's the first question anybody should be asking about this film. A cynic (which I probably qualify as) would say 'for the cash', others might say it was just to get Connery back as Bond and give him a proper goodbye. Some might say it was in retaliation to the direction the Moore films were headed in, although "For Your Eyes Only" is a far superior and far less bloated film than this, so that argument doesn't quite work.
Of course, there's a lot to dislike here. Connery has moments of inspiration where he slips right back into character, but for most of the film he just looks really old and slightly ridiculous, which fits the plot but doesn't make his performance any less tired. Still, I'd argue that this is a better send-off for him as Bond than "Diamonds are Forever". Kim Basinger is a terrible Bond girl, and as much as I like Rowan Atkinson he shouldn't be anywhere near a Bond film. In addition, the villains here fall flat as well.
That said, "Never Say Never Again" is not a film I can hate, even if I wanted to (and I never want to hate anything), simply because little of it comes off as especially bad yet all of it comes off as flat, bland, and uninspired, and far, far too American for a Bond film. It's just sort of... there being the bloated, over-long, but not terrible film it is. I don't count it as a 'Bond film', as it doesn't feel remotely like one, but even just as an action thriller it doesn't quite work.
5/10
Why? That's the first question anybody should be asking about this film. A cynic (which I probably qualify as) would say 'for the cash', others might say it was just to get Connery back as Bond and give him a proper goodbye. Some might say it was in retaliation to the direction the Moore films were headed in, although "For Your Eyes Only" is a far superior and far less bloated film than this, so that argument doesn't quite work.
Of course, there's a lot to dislike here. Connery has moments of inspiration where he slips right back into character, but for most of the film he just looks really old and slightly ridiculous, which fits the plot but doesn't make his performance any less tired. Still, I'd argue that this is a better send-off for him as Bond than "Diamonds are Forever". Kim Basinger is a terrible Bond girl, and as much as I like Rowan Atkinson he shouldn't be anywhere near a Bond film. In addition, the villains here fall flat as well.
That said, "Never Say Never Again" is not a film I can hate, even if I wanted to (and I never want to hate anything), simply because little of it comes off as especially bad yet all of it comes off as flat, bland, and uninspired, and far, far too American for a Bond film. It's just sort of... there being the bloated, over-long, but not terrible film it is. I don't count it as a 'Bond film', as it doesn't feel remotely like one, but even just as an action thriller it doesn't quite work.
5/10
- ametaphysicalshark
- Mar 21, 2008
- Permalink
- gridoon2025
- Jan 4, 2021
- Permalink
- loveagoodstory
- Apr 13, 2015
- Permalink
Whilst the good old producer Albert R. Broccoli was carelessly finalizing the thirteenth official Bond movie "Octopussy", together with regular director John Glen and star Roger Moore, the frustrated writer/producer Kevin McClory thought it would be a funny joke to release an unofficial Bond flick with the original hero Sean Connery and – God forbid – an American (!) director by the name of Irvin Kershner. A lot of people openly wonder why "Never Say Never Again" ever got made. Well, I think this movie has three main reasons for existing. Number one: to sooth McClory's ego (something with a lingering lawsuit). Number two: to boost Sean Connery's popularity and bank account during a dip in his career. And number three: to mess with the heads of die-hard 007 fans, since this episode is never included in fancy collector box-set editions and has to be purchased separately! Is this one of the most redundant movies in cinematic history? Yes, most definitely! Is it worth tracking down in case you're a fan of the series or action/adventurous movies in general? Yes, it certainly is! "Never Say Never Again" is a reshape of the fourth official Bond movie "Thunderball", which also starred Connery. "Thunderball" coincidentally also just happens to be Bond movie I watched most recently, so it was very easy to compare them. Both films are really quite identical and the only significant difference is that 007 is twenty years older and about to enjoy his retirement. The rest is pure repeat. The multi-millionaire SPECTRE agent Largo developed a very ingenious plan to steal two nuclear warheads and holds the world at ransom by threatening to detonate them. James Bond discovers the scheme by chance, when he's in a fancy health spa and follows Largo to the Bahama's. By seducing Largo's girlfriend Domino Petachi, who still doesn't know that Largo abused and killed her brother, 007 hopes to discover where the warheads are located. The return of Sean Connery as the heroic special agent is undoubtedly the biggest trump of the film, but I usually always classify my Bond favorites based on the entertainment value of the villains. Max von Sydow makes a very promising Ernst Stavro Blofeld, but unfortunately his role is little more than a cameo. Klaus Maria Brandauer is decent but can't hold a candle to Adolfo Celi who played the role in "Thunderball". Most entertaining is Barbara Carrera as Bond's iron female opponent Fatima, who's as sexy and deadly as Luciana Paluzzi was in the original. I think "Never Say Never Again" is best enjoyed as a parody, since many aspects of the film are clearly intended to be ambiguous and humorous, like the meaning of the title itself (referring to the fact that Connery himself said that he would never play James Bond again after "Diamond are Forever") and the presence of Rowan Atkinson as a clumsy British ambassador.
This film followed the same plot as "Thunderball", so it was basically a remake. The opening sequence was ludicrous, as James Bond was revealed to have been training for a commando raid instead of actually accomplishing one. The entire movie, when compared with "Thunderball", seemed very cheesy in every regard. "Thunderball" was possibly the best Bond flick . It seemed to have a big budget, was very well cast, and was well-paced. "Never Say Never Again" was lacking in each of these aspects. Even James Bond's jet pack seemed like a bargain basement model when compared to the one he wore in "Thunderball", filmed nearly twenty years earlier.
This film was a horrible mess from beginning to end. Connery at 52 looked and acted like a man of 65. Kim Bassinger seemed to be on antidepressants; very heavily medicated. Barbara Carrera seemed to have zero sex appeal - just a big-mouthed, crabby slut. The part where the "Flying Saucer" (what a dumb name for a yacht, compared to the "Disco Volante" of "Thunderball) took off from the Caribbean to the Middle East was so dumb. Bond using a wristwatch laser to free himself from handcuffs was so juvenile. Above all, hot young women swooning over sixtyish-looking Connery was ridiculous. Yeah, I could see them being hot for him in 1965 when he was a stud, but he looks like the type of old geezer none of these women would even notice.
The soundtrack sounded like music from a fashion show, rather than the James Bond themes we're used to. I will say that Bernie Casey was good as Felix Leiter. I will forever wonder how a James Bond flick could be such a laughably hideous piece of trash.
This film was a horrible mess from beginning to end. Connery at 52 looked and acted like a man of 65. Kim Bassinger seemed to be on antidepressants; very heavily medicated. Barbara Carrera seemed to have zero sex appeal - just a big-mouthed, crabby slut. The part where the "Flying Saucer" (what a dumb name for a yacht, compared to the "Disco Volante" of "Thunderball) took off from the Caribbean to the Middle East was so dumb. Bond using a wristwatch laser to free himself from handcuffs was so juvenile. Above all, hot young women swooning over sixtyish-looking Connery was ridiculous. Yeah, I could see them being hot for him in 1965 when he was a stud, but he looks like the type of old geezer none of these women would even notice.
The soundtrack sounded like music from a fashion show, rather than the James Bond themes we're used to. I will say that Bernie Casey was good as Felix Leiter. I will forever wonder how a James Bond flick could be such a laughably hideous piece of trash.
You don't review James Bond movies, you evaluate them, rate them according to how well they meet expectations. There are certain things one has come to expect, even demand of a Bond film and each individual effort either delivers or it doesn't. So, here are ten elements that make a Bond film a Bond film. And even though NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is not technically part of the official Bond filmography, the mere presence of Sean Connery returning as 007 makes it something more than merely an honorary member of the series. Anyway, here's how it rates on a scale of 1 to 10:
Title: NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN: The clever title has no apparent link to the actual storyline, but is instead an in-joke reference to Sean Connery's vow to never play OO7 again after having been lured back once before for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. Whatever the case, it is a catchy title. 8 points.
Pre-Credit Teaser: Perhaps trying to avoid any obvious parallels to the official EON series of Bond films, there is no Teaser; the opening scenes are just shown behind the credits. And even that is disappointing: yet another "oh-no, Bond has been killed" fakeout. 4 points.
Opening Credits: Other than a screen full of tiny 007's, they didn't even bother trying to jazz up the credits with graphics or split screens or interesting camera angles. 1 points.
Theme Song: As written by Michel LeGrand and sung by Lani Hall "Never Say Never Again" would make for a perfectly pleasant part of a particularly long elevator ride. As a Bond theme, it's merely okay. 6 points.
"Bond, James Bond": Appropriately, since this film sees Connery being lured back into service as Bond after a decade's hiatus, the story begins with 007 facing the question as to whether Bond/Connery is still up to the job. Happily, Connery more than proves himself ready for Bondage again. Though he is a bit grayer, sporting a bit more girth and wearing a slightly more obvious toupee, he seems to have no trouble slipping back into action. All in all, it is one of Connery's best, and most relaxed, turns as the character. 9 points.
Bond Babes: Even in the best of the Bond films, the female characters aren't given much dimension; they exist largely as necessary props for Bond's use. Future Oscar-winner Kim Basinger is granted a great deal of leeway in creating her character of Domino Petachi and the film benefits from this. She does a nice job -- and she's not bad to look at either. 8 points.
Bond Villain: The reports of his death being obviously exaggerated, Blofeld is back -- at least, for the moment -- showing he has more lives than his prized pussycat. One-time Jesus portrayer-turned-stereotypical villain, Max von Sydow isn't given a lot to do in the role, but is a silky presence nonetheless. But he is overshadowed by a wonderful performance by Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo. After a string of banal Bond villains, it is so refreshing for Brandauer to gave a performance that is both subtle, yet colorfully evil. Funny without being campy, ruthless without seeming cartoonish; his Largo ranks right up there with Auric Goldfinger as one of Bond's best villains. 10 points.
Bond Baddies: Fatima Blush! What can I say? As played with all the bold style of a particularly flamboyant drag queen, Barbara Carrera breezes through the film, displaying a mix of self-amused evil and more than a tad of pure psychotic insanity. Bond has crossed paths with a variety of femmes fatales, most of whom have been so easily disposed of that they existed more as amusing eye candy than as characters. But few dared to exhibit such a flare for the dramatic or such fierce determination. Even her untimely demise is spectacular, even by Bondian standards. 10 points.
Sinister Plot: As a remake of sorts of THUNDERBALL, the film does seem a bit been-there-done-that: nuclear missiles are stolen and major real estate will go kaboom if all the countries of the world don't pay a multi-kazillion dollar ransom. But at least producer Kevin McClory was lucky enough to find himself forced to remake one of the weakest Bond adventures. By comparisons, this effort blows THUNDERBALL out of the water. And despite the absence of many Bondian trademarks, the film succeeds on its own. 9 points.
Production values: The film starts out with an uneasy style, like a TV movie trying to be more than it can. But as the story progress, the film gains momentum and a sense of purpose, making it a superior adventure. 8 points.
Bonus Points: There are several odd changes that sets this Bond film apart from the official series. Miss Moneypenny is hardly acknowledged; as played by Edward Fox, "M" is a cranky old grouch with no respect for the "Double Os," a foreshadowing of how Judi Dench would later play the part; and "Q" suddenly has a cockney accent and is all buddy-buddy with Bond. And there is a curious sense of nostalgia throughout the film, such as replacing Bond's Astin-Martin with a vintage Packard and a tango dance number that is cleverly inserted into the story. And a big rescue near the end is on horseback, an homage to THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, which was itself a tribute to the Bond films. 5 points.
Summary: NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is a mixed bag. In the really important areas, it more than holds it own thanks to hero Connery, villain Brandauer, assassin Carrera and damsel-in-distress Basinger. But the devil is in the details; as seemingly unimportant as the opening credits, theme song and such seem, the film is lacking because of their absence. It all comes off as a faux Bond film; a very good substitute, but a substitute nonetheless.
Bond-o-meter Rating: 78 points out of 100.
Title: NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN: The clever title has no apparent link to the actual storyline, but is instead an in-joke reference to Sean Connery's vow to never play OO7 again after having been lured back once before for DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. Whatever the case, it is a catchy title. 8 points.
Pre-Credit Teaser: Perhaps trying to avoid any obvious parallels to the official EON series of Bond films, there is no Teaser; the opening scenes are just shown behind the credits. And even that is disappointing: yet another "oh-no, Bond has been killed" fakeout. 4 points.
Opening Credits: Other than a screen full of tiny 007's, they didn't even bother trying to jazz up the credits with graphics or split screens or interesting camera angles. 1 points.
Theme Song: As written by Michel LeGrand and sung by Lani Hall "Never Say Never Again" would make for a perfectly pleasant part of a particularly long elevator ride. As a Bond theme, it's merely okay. 6 points.
"Bond, James Bond": Appropriately, since this film sees Connery being lured back into service as Bond after a decade's hiatus, the story begins with 007 facing the question as to whether Bond/Connery is still up to the job. Happily, Connery more than proves himself ready for Bondage again. Though he is a bit grayer, sporting a bit more girth and wearing a slightly more obvious toupee, he seems to have no trouble slipping back into action. All in all, it is one of Connery's best, and most relaxed, turns as the character. 9 points.
Bond Babes: Even in the best of the Bond films, the female characters aren't given much dimension; they exist largely as necessary props for Bond's use. Future Oscar-winner Kim Basinger is granted a great deal of leeway in creating her character of Domino Petachi and the film benefits from this. She does a nice job -- and she's not bad to look at either. 8 points.
Bond Villain: The reports of his death being obviously exaggerated, Blofeld is back -- at least, for the moment -- showing he has more lives than his prized pussycat. One-time Jesus portrayer-turned-stereotypical villain, Max von Sydow isn't given a lot to do in the role, but is a silky presence nonetheless. But he is overshadowed by a wonderful performance by Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximilian Largo. After a string of banal Bond villains, it is so refreshing for Brandauer to gave a performance that is both subtle, yet colorfully evil. Funny without being campy, ruthless without seeming cartoonish; his Largo ranks right up there with Auric Goldfinger as one of Bond's best villains. 10 points.
Bond Baddies: Fatima Blush! What can I say? As played with all the bold style of a particularly flamboyant drag queen, Barbara Carrera breezes through the film, displaying a mix of self-amused evil and more than a tad of pure psychotic insanity. Bond has crossed paths with a variety of femmes fatales, most of whom have been so easily disposed of that they existed more as amusing eye candy than as characters. But few dared to exhibit such a flare for the dramatic or such fierce determination. Even her untimely demise is spectacular, even by Bondian standards. 10 points.
Sinister Plot: As a remake of sorts of THUNDERBALL, the film does seem a bit been-there-done-that: nuclear missiles are stolen and major real estate will go kaboom if all the countries of the world don't pay a multi-kazillion dollar ransom. But at least producer Kevin McClory was lucky enough to find himself forced to remake one of the weakest Bond adventures. By comparisons, this effort blows THUNDERBALL out of the water. And despite the absence of many Bondian trademarks, the film succeeds on its own. 9 points.
Production values: The film starts out with an uneasy style, like a TV movie trying to be more than it can. But as the story progress, the film gains momentum and a sense of purpose, making it a superior adventure. 8 points.
Bonus Points: There are several odd changes that sets this Bond film apart from the official series. Miss Moneypenny is hardly acknowledged; as played by Edward Fox, "M" is a cranky old grouch with no respect for the "Double Os," a foreshadowing of how Judi Dench would later play the part; and "Q" suddenly has a cockney accent and is all buddy-buddy with Bond. And there is a curious sense of nostalgia throughout the film, such as replacing Bond's Astin-Martin with a vintage Packard and a tango dance number that is cleverly inserted into the story. And a big rescue near the end is on horseback, an homage to THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, which was itself a tribute to the Bond films. 5 points.
Summary: NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is a mixed bag. In the really important areas, it more than holds it own thanks to hero Connery, villain Brandauer, assassin Carrera and damsel-in-distress Basinger. But the devil is in the details; as seemingly unimportant as the opening credits, theme song and such seem, the film is lacking because of their absence. It all comes off as a faux Bond film; a very good substitute, but a substitute nonetheless.
Bond-o-meter Rating: 78 points out of 100.
As a only a casual Bond fan I wasn't put off by the word "remake" because, after all, aren't all Bonds a form of remake? Certainly up to this point in time anyway!
Connery has got himself down the gym for this one, but looks every one of his fifty plus years and then some. Thankfully the stuntmen do most of the work meaning a lot of the time he is wearing a helmet, headscarf, wet-suit or photographed from an obscure angle. Can always tell though - the stunt-man's hair moves while Connery's doesn't.
(It is said that the original script included a scene where Bond puts the toupee on!)
Listen you know the score or you are very young indeed. Man wants to take over the world, the sexy girl (or two) comes along before they face the ticking bomb. Kim Bassinger looks fabulous with a fantastic figure, but what shocking dancer! Gets her in to a leotard (and I am not complaining), but what a baby elephant.Can't even do a 360 turn! As per usual she looks vaguely disinterested in anything and everything - but there was an Oscar in it down the road so keep going darling!
The logic of Bond is that he is sometimes very smart (knows how to operate secret equipment with no training!) and other times very stupid. Gets captured very easily, indeed doesn't seem to mind too much when he does. Usually there is a nice meal in it for him.
Baddie No.1 Klaus Maria Brandauer isn't too shabby and plays the psychopathy quite well. Practicing for a better movie with a smaller paycheck maybe? Barbara Carrera is actually quite good, an assassin with bad taste in fashion, but a nice looking girl who looks like she can do mean. Even though Bond never cares who gets killed - as long as it is not him - so why is she bothering?
Box office wise didn't do as well as the other "official" Bond of the day (Octopussy) and you can see why. Still, good enough for Sunday afternoon. As long as it is raining and there doesn't seem a break in sight...
Connery has got himself down the gym for this one, but looks every one of his fifty plus years and then some. Thankfully the stuntmen do most of the work meaning a lot of the time he is wearing a helmet, headscarf, wet-suit or photographed from an obscure angle. Can always tell though - the stunt-man's hair moves while Connery's doesn't.
(It is said that the original script included a scene where Bond puts the toupee on!)
Listen you know the score or you are very young indeed. Man wants to take over the world, the sexy girl (or two) comes along before they face the ticking bomb. Kim Bassinger looks fabulous with a fantastic figure, but what shocking dancer! Gets her in to a leotard (and I am not complaining), but what a baby elephant.Can't even do a 360 turn! As per usual she looks vaguely disinterested in anything and everything - but there was an Oscar in it down the road so keep going darling!
The logic of Bond is that he is sometimes very smart (knows how to operate secret equipment with no training!) and other times very stupid. Gets captured very easily, indeed doesn't seem to mind too much when he does. Usually there is a nice meal in it for him.
Baddie No.1 Klaus Maria Brandauer isn't too shabby and plays the psychopathy quite well. Practicing for a better movie with a smaller paycheck maybe? Barbara Carrera is actually quite good, an assassin with bad taste in fashion, but a nice looking girl who looks like she can do mean. Even though Bond never cares who gets killed - as long as it is not him - so why is she bothering?
Box office wise didn't do as well as the other "official" Bond of the day (Octopussy) and you can see why. Still, good enough for Sunday afternoon. As long as it is raining and there doesn't seem a break in sight...
Contrary to what people might say about this film, it's not very good. Just because Connery is back as Bond doesn't make it a good movie. Thunderball is 10 times better than this and Octopussy is 50 times better. The music is weak and the action is even weaker. I myself am a huge Bond fan but I do not like this movie. Trust me, it's not very good and you will be disappointed if you see it.