You Only Live Twice Movie Review
Q-Branch_2012
Posts: 80MI6 Agent
This is the last movie in the Fab Five Connery movies. His first run comes to an end in style, and the only man big enough to be the villian in this final saga is none other than Blofeld himself.
The film starts with Bond dying, only so he can go undervoer to investigate a missing space shuttle that gets swallowed up by another space shuttle in space. The Americans think it is the Russians, but the real culprits are SPECTRE.
Bonds contact, Henderson is quickly killed, and Bond takes the place of the attacker and discovers Osato Chemicals are involved. After escaping there with some documents, he winds up meeting Tiger Tanaka, the leader of the Japanese secret service.
Bond and Tanaka work together uncovering the plot behind the missing space shuttles. Bond manages to get himself captured, but is left for dead when the pilot lets off a flair in the plane and then bails. He manages to land the plane and escapes.
Bonds next port of call is training with Tanakas Ninjas and getting disguised as Japanese man. Q brings Little Nelly to Japan, a tiny helicopter complete with bullets and machine guns. After being attacked by some SPECTRE henchmen, he stumbles across a volcano. Bond assumes that SPECTRES base is nearby.
He discovers the base is inside the vocano and manages to break in. After taking the place of a astronaut he is captured, but using one of his fake cigarettes, he manages to open the hatch allowing Tanakas ninjas to enter the base, and a giant battle breaks out.
America is planning a nuclear attack on Russia for the theft of the spacecrafts, but Bond activates a self destruct on the SPECTRE space craft and the americans stand down. Blofeld manages to escape, not before killing Osato, and Bond defeats Hans, Blofelds body guard.
Blofeld activates the bases self destruct and Bond and the ninjas escape before it blows up.
In my opinion, this was a really good way to wrap up the Connery movies, the vocano base was iconic, and the movie does well to reflect the space race that was going on at the time. I enjoyed the final battle with the ninjas, ans the Japanese setting throughout the movie set a different tone to the Bond movies.
Another plus side, was the Little Nelly helicopter, which is great to watch. I always enjoyed this scene as a child and I still do today.
The movie is another solid one in the Bond series, and includes so great shots, such as the fight at the docks which includes some great camera work going from the ground to the roof tops, another part of the movie I enjoyed.
This is another must watch Bond, unfortunately, Connery did not return for the next movie, which started a mixed time for Bond.
However this is one of the good ones, classic Bond. Also, I just thought I would mention, Donald Pleasence is outstanding as Blofeld, and a highlight of the movie, not sure why he has the scar on his face, but none the less, he is regarded as the Blofeld in my opinion, he became the ultimate Bond villian in this movie. never to be surpassed by any other actor to play him.
The film starts with Bond dying, only so he can go undervoer to investigate a missing space shuttle that gets swallowed up by another space shuttle in space. The Americans think it is the Russians, but the real culprits are SPECTRE.
Bonds contact, Henderson is quickly killed, and Bond takes the place of the attacker and discovers Osato Chemicals are involved. After escaping there with some documents, he winds up meeting Tiger Tanaka, the leader of the Japanese secret service.
Bond and Tanaka work together uncovering the plot behind the missing space shuttles. Bond manages to get himself captured, but is left for dead when the pilot lets off a flair in the plane and then bails. He manages to land the plane and escapes.
Bonds next port of call is training with Tanakas Ninjas and getting disguised as Japanese man. Q brings Little Nelly to Japan, a tiny helicopter complete with bullets and machine guns. After being attacked by some SPECTRE henchmen, he stumbles across a volcano. Bond assumes that SPECTRES base is nearby.
He discovers the base is inside the vocano and manages to break in. After taking the place of a astronaut he is captured, but using one of his fake cigarettes, he manages to open the hatch allowing Tanakas ninjas to enter the base, and a giant battle breaks out.
America is planning a nuclear attack on Russia for the theft of the spacecrafts, but Bond activates a self destruct on the SPECTRE space craft and the americans stand down. Blofeld manages to escape, not before killing Osato, and Bond defeats Hans, Blofelds body guard.
Blofeld activates the bases self destruct and Bond and the ninjas escape before it blows up.
In my opinion, this was a really good way to wrap up the Connery movies, the vocano base was iconic, and the movie does well to reflect the space race that was going on at the time. I enjoyed the final battle with the ninjas, ans the Japanese setting throughout the movie set a different tone to the Bond movies.
Another plus side, was the Little Nelly helicopter, which is great to watch. I always enjoyed this scene as a child and I still do today.
The movie is another solid one in the Bond series, and includes so great shots, such as the fight at the docks which includes some great camera work going from the ground to the roof tops, another part of the movie I enjoyed.
This is another must watch Bond, unfortunately, Connery did not return for the next movie, which started a mixed time for Bond.
However this is one of the good ones, classic Bond. Also, I just thought I would mention, Donald Pleasence is outstanding as Blofeld, and a highlight of the movie, not sure why he has the scar on his face, but none the less, he is regarded as the Blofeld in my opinion, he became the ultimate Bond villian in this movie. never to be surpassed by any other actor to play him.
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Comments
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
After a string of four films in consecutive years, one more successful than the other, it took Cubby and Harry 18 months to get a new film into the cinemas in 1967. Sean seems to be past his prime in YOLT but he still owns the screen and there are many great moments with Connery.
There is a lot I love about You Only Live Twice
Those sequences are gripping and thrilling and so is John Barry's music to it. Barry's scores play a big part in making the films work, YOLT is no exception.
After the "shocking" end to Bond in the PTS, Bond's funeral at sea is quite interesting to follow and Connery being resurrected is rather funny. His second life begins in his Navy uniform! Oh what a sight.
And Moneypenny, oh how lovely she looks in her Navy secretary dress! Lois Maxwell truly was the definitive Moneypenny. She is simply perfect with Sean, and later she is again with Sir Rog. A testament to her wonderful charisma, charm and beauty.
The Henderson scene is a favourite thing of mine. It's one scene only in Henderson's flat but it's so memorable and there's some subtle comedic acting by both Sean Connery and Charles Gray.
Henderson giving Bond his Martini: "That's stirred, not shaken. That was right, wasn't it?" Bond: "Perfect."
A much beloved moment.
YOLT also features one of my favourite Bond cars. The Toyota 2000 GT and it gets a lot of screen time.
...speaking of vehicles...
Then there is the ultimate Ken Adam set. The crowning achievement in set building. The Capsule in Space scene from the PTS gets a variation after one hour and this time we get to see that it lands in the breathtaking volcano set.
The use of the set in the film is fantastic. It's on screen quite a lot and there is the epic end-battle that makes up a lot for a lengthy, a bit boring stretch in the film that comes before it.
Here is my homage to Ken Adam.
Osato's lush, wide penthouse office is another wonderful set of Adam. It gets a lot of screen time including the hard hand-to-hand fight. The fight is one of the strongest in Connery's tenure. Personally I rank it second even after the lift fight in DAF, or perhaps I should say "elevator".
Tiger Tanaka Well, there's an ally I love completely, one of the best. Love his office that is located in a private train.
Tetsurô Tanba as Tanaka
Karin Dor's Helga with her weapon of choice. Nasty, nasty! She's not really one of my favourites but that scene is rather devilishly delicious.
And we don't have to put up for too long with her...
Turning Bond into a Japanese is a bit silly but in my opinion it adds to the outlandish charm of YOLT.
I do like that sequence anyway, the wonderful Japanese wedding procedures and the tragic end to Aki make it always worthwhile. Aki, played by Akiko Wakabayashi is very beautiful and it is always very enjoyable to see her in YOLT.
The one location only shoot in Japan makes You Only Live Twice maybe a little bit less interesting and exotic than TB, GF or DN.
When Bond turns Japanese, it can be argued that the film falls a bit flat from this point until the grand finale in the volcano.
I like the scenes with Blofeld and find Donald Pleasence quite right for the role. He seems to fit into the rather unusual volcano set.
For me YOLT is a bit the secret star of the Connery era. The film is rather fantastic and unusual compared to the four films that came before it. It's a gem that may have a flaw or two, but it nevertheless shines wonderfully in a decade who can safely be called the best decade of Bond.
YOLT and DAF are the Connery films I can go to easily.
The titular song slowed down and paired with a sax give the scene a different air than it had before. It added a touch of class...elegance, to a scene that could have easily been forgotten had it not been for the music. It's a hidden gem from the score, Mountains and Sunsets being a close second. She obviously didn't/couldn't torture Bond and found an easier alternative. Con's jab was originally going to be used in Thunderball...but you knew that already :v. Karin Dor didn't find Connery good looking but with that twinkle in his eye while acting out the scene, she saw what other women found in him. It's sad to see that she would sleep with the fishes that night but I guess that's what she got from being a discount Fiona Volpe.
That's what I started to dislike about You Only Live Twice. It tried to incorporate things that worked very well in previous films but trying to recreate them in a lazy manner. Had they taken the time to properly re-do those things, it could've been a killer of a flick.
One thing that I do love in this film is that we get ample use of the Japanese locale as it had been untouched from western films.
Martial arts used in fight sequences was also a thing that would not be seen for 5 (or more) years later, making YOLT ahead of its time.
However much I love Diamonds and Service, it's an end of an era and one that I came back to when I first got into Bond.
Bits from my upcoming YOLT review. How about it?
Enjoyed your review, Jason, especially the above (JB can't be praised enough). I'm amused that the pic you chose
features Bob Simmons as Bond!
And much love for your appreciation of Lois Maxwell.