Would Never Say Never Again Have Been Better With Roger Moore?

BIG TAM

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN is an odd film. It has much going for it but so much more against. We all know now the production was troubled, with Connery ending up making a film very much opposite to his tastes. The film does seem very influenced by the Moore Bonds of the era. There's a jokey manner to much of it & a perfunctory approach to the plot. Nigel Small-Fawcett's a perfect example of its problem. In a Moore Bond nobody would have batted an eye to this buffoon's inclusion. It would have all been part of a gadget-laden, opulent whole. But Connery doesn't do slapstick & consequently it feels jarring. The old Connery would never have suffered this fool, gladly or not.
But to be positive, Klaus-Maria Brandauer & Barbara Carrera are terrific. They deserve much better. Thankfully, Carrera in particular seems to have taken the wise decision to just appear in her own film-within-a-film & does her own thing. As a result she rises above the material.
The rival 1983 Bond, OCTOPUSSY was miles better but Broccoli & co appear to not have the same amount of faith in their own product. Next Bond, A VIEW TO A KILL borrows more liberally from NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN than any Eon picture.
Is NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN rubbish? Not totally, but given the talents involved & their initial agenda to return to more serious 007 shenanigans it's a crushing disappointment. And to rub salt in the wounds, it doesn't even come close to improving on the original THUNDERBALL.

Golrush007

I'm interested to hear how you feel that AVTAK borrows heavily from NSNA...

Manxman

Ironically, Connery's performance is about the only thing I like about Never Say Never Again — the old Bond poise and swagger is back, in sharp contrast to his shambolic appearance in Diamonds Are Forever. NSNA's problem is simply a bad script that poorly reworks the story from Thunderball — much as A View To A Kill did with the central plot of Goldfinger. In particular, Fatima Blush comes over as a pantomine villainess, compared to the dangerous but perfectly credible Fiona Volpe, whilst the production team achieved a unique feat in getting an unfunny performance from Rowan Atkinson — the only time I have ever seen that done.

GordoLeiter

Ive read somewhere tha that they were actually thinking of getting George Lazenby back for the role of Bond for NSNA.

BIG TAM

Well, it's probably coincidence, Golrush007 but here are five things I picked up on:-

1. Christopher Walken & Klaus-Maria Brandauer approach their roles in very mannered acting styles. They're also both significantly younger than Bond.
2. Both baddies are blessed with whackily flamboyant female sidekicks. Barbara Carrera & Grace Jones steal both of their respective films with their performances. And both get blown up (okay, a bit tentative that).
3. Bond's hindered... sorry, aided by two dippy blonde leading ladies.
4. Both feature subterranean climaxes. Another tentative one, perhaps.
5. Both feel more American than British in their production. Obvious in the case of NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN but A VIEW TO A KILL certainly feels less British than OCTOPUSSY & that's not just down to the San Francisco loaction.

Obviously, this isn't an exact science but the similarities just seem too coincidental to entirely overlook. And the Broccoli camp is always very keen on what their rivals are up to.

Dutchfinger

I'm not sure if it would have been better with Roger Moore, I kind of liked the fact they got Connery to star in it... I proberbly wouldn't have watched it if he wasn't in it..

Also, I have found a way to slightly enjoy this movie a little more then most people do by 'changing your thoughts before going into the movie'... What I mean by that is, next time you start watching this movie, think to yourself, okay I am about to watch a remake attempt of Thunderball made by amateurs... Give that word 'amateurs' almost the definition that they are a bunch of creative guys that would make movies for youtube for instance! ) - Have no expatations, and take away that feeling that the filmmakers are 'enemies of the EON productions..." Just look at them like a bunch of creative amateurs trying there best... Get the fact out of your mind that there is no Bond theme, and forget that it competed with octopussy... The fact alone that they actually got Connery to star in it will suddendly be appreciated a lot more! - I found myself enjoying the movie more with these thoughts...

Blackleiter

NSNA was made solely because Connery agreed to return to the role of Bond. It featured an older, world-weary Bond fighting to remain relevant in a changed world where MI6 had little use for the Double-Os. At the same time, Roger Moore was continuing to play Bond as if he was the same chap as he was in Live and Let Die. So I don't think NSNA would have worked any better with Moore, and it probably would have been worse.

chrisisall

Blackleiter wrote:

It featured an older, world-weary Bond fighting to remain relevant in a changed world where MI6 had little use for the Double-Os.

In concept, that's great. In execution, errrrrr.... not so great.

Blackleiter

Maybe not. But I'm convinced Connery handled it better Moore would have. We'll never know for sure.

chrisisall wrote:

Blackleiter wrote:

It featured an older, world-weary Bond fighting to remain relevant in a changed world where MI6 had little use for the Double-Os.

In concept, that's great. In execution, errrrrr.... not so great.

BIG TAM

NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN just feels so empty. Even the plot has none of the substance of THUNDERBALL. There's no intrigue & I do feel Connery's shortchanged. He went on a lot at the time, saying how he wanted to make a film in the same vein as FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, but this is about as far removed as you could get from that earlier classic. Irvin Kershner is on record as saying he approached it as though nobody had ever made a James Bond film before? Really? If that was the case, why not jettison all the safety blankets (one-liners, outrageous stunts, etc) & present a believable spy film?

Napoleon Plural

I would prefer a job swap with Connery and Moore for NSNA and Octopussy.

Of course, for some the saving grace of NSNA is that it has Connery and not smoothie chops Moore. But for me, Connery just doesn't show up in this. There's none of the vitality, flash of anger or alpha male streak he had even in DAF. He seems wan, self-deprecating, amiable. And Moore always did this better.

The style of the film is more Moore methinks, not just the humorous stuff but Bond playing detective rather than grabbing the situation by the short and curlies.

Whereas the Cold War feel of OP works well for Connery. Oh bugger. Connery in a clown outfit. No, forget it! )

BIG TAM

Well said, Napoleon Plural. I concur. It seems a better fit when Moore strays into Connery territory than vice versa. Look at the big Shrublands fight scene in NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. It goes on forever & gets nowhere, much of it a series of duff visual gags. Compare it with the fight between Bond & the circle-saw wielding baddies in OCTOPUSSY, a much tighter, tougher affair. Even with Moore sporting the more ample midriff!

Moore Than

Napoleon Plural wrote:

I would prefer a job swap with Connery and Moore for NSNA and Octopussy.

Whereas the Cold War feel of OP works well for Connery. Oh bugger. Connery in a clown outfit. No, forget it! )

Why not Sean Connery in a clown outfit? What about his Japanese disguise in You Only Live Twice? Perhaps there should have been a job swap between Connery and Roger Moore for YOLT and Octopussy.

Joking aside, it appears Connery didn't have much say regarding the script of Never Say Never Again so I doubt it would have been any better with Roger, even if the style of the film was more suited to him.

Thunderpussy

Poor old Sir Roger gets enough Flack for the films he's in.Let
alone now getting it for films He's Not. )
Just my Opinion but NSNA is to Bond what Batman & Robin
was to the Batman series :007)