I can only imagine being alive during the Battle of the Bonds. Were most people disappointed at the time when both came out or satisfied? In retrospect, both Octopussy and NSNA are seen pretty negatively though NSNA tends to get panned more.
There are parts I like, but then other mind-numbingly bad parts. Why o Why is Connery wearing denim overalls!!!!!
Some of us don't have to imagine.
You have to remember the internet didn't exist then, so opinion was down to what your mates thought, the media buzz, box office success and a few letters in the likes of Starburst magazine.
OP was first out the gates and did well, massive summer success with little competition. A big, opulent blockbuster, massive promotion in The Sun newspaper. Some mutterings among the 007 fan club about Moore dressed as a clown, and how Connery would be much better, with all the false assurance of Opposition leader Michael Howard goading Tony Blair on the upcoming report into the Iraq War.
When NSNA came out, it was a damp squib, overshadowed by Christmas here in the UK, and relegated to a second screen thanks to Jaws 3D of all things. In the US it was different, a big Fall opening, media hype in the press and so on. But no smash song to promote it, and Connery was kind of yesterday's man in the UK, it was almost the sympathy vote. Being a retread of Thunderball didn't help, at least OP had new locations, new stunts, new characters.
The press were wrongfooted after years of praising Connery at Moore's expense, so none of them really panned the movie as they wanted to save face. And there were some cute quotes like 'Now you're back I hope to see some gratutious sex and violence' of the kind critics love to include in their reviews, so we got more of that self-referential stuff in GE. In some ways, though EON hated NSNA they did 'learn' from it.
But personally I was very disappointed, I was expecting a gritty, serious, credible movie and got soft soap. It's like when your fave politician gets elected, and he turns out to be worse in some ways than his predecessor.
Being the old-timer that I am, I remember well what it was like during the "Battle of the Bonds". In fact , I recall sitting in a movie theater when the first trailers for NSNA were playing, and there was a palpable sense of excitement when Connery appeared on screen. Many in the audience seemed to be delighted that he was playing Bond again. However, by that time Roger Moore had become identified as the James Bond for the then contemporary audiences, and ultimately NSNA was viewed as a letdown when compared to OP because somehow it didn't seem like a "real" James Bond movie. Still, for me it was thrilling to have Connery back in action as 007, and although I felt OP was one of the better Roger Moore outings, I enjoyed NSNA more.
When my Dad came home saying he'd heard Connery was playing Bond again, in autumn 1982, I thought, wow, he and Cubby buried the hatched and Moore got ousted for asking for too much money! Connery's going to be in Octopussy.
In some ways the film might have been better with him, though you just can't imagine him in a clown's outfit! But the whole Cold War vibe aimed for that FRWL feel, ironically...
I can't say it's a great film, but there are great elements in it for Bond fans. Barbra Carrerra is so gorgeous and sexy....more so than Kim B. IMO. The attack on Bond in the exercise room is very well done....Keep in mind that Connery is a large man, yet the Bad Guy makes him look puny. The way he rips apart the cable chest exerciser makes him truly scary. I remember when I first saw the film....I was sincerely scared of that dude. The moments of humor are great.....When Bond is being sexually riden and he states to the guy on the phone "I don't have much more time......!" Also, when he and Bernie Casey disguise themselves as boxer/trainer......very funny ! "Well, there was this one girl from Philadelphia...."
Finally, Connery, despite his wig, is actually so much better physically than he was 12-13 years earlier in DAF. His performance is enjoyable and believable.
I can't say it's a great film, but there are great elements in it for Bond fans. Barbra Carrerra is so gorgeous and sexy....more so than Kim B. IMO. The attack on Bond in the exercise room is very well done....Keep in mind that Connery is a large man, yet the Bad Guy makes him look puny. The way he rips apart the cable chest exerciser makes him truly scary. I remember when I first saw the film....I was sincerely scared of that dude. The moments of humor are great.....When Bond is being sexually riden and he states to the guy on the phone "I don't have much more time......!" Also, when he and Bernie Casey disguise themselves as boxer/trainer......very funny ! "Well, there was this one girl from Philadelphia...."
Finally, Connery, despite his wig, is actually so much better physically than he was 12-13 years earlier in DAF. His performance is enjoyable and believable.
All true. Y'know, it was a good movie at a good time for me back then, it just hasn't aged all that gracefully IMO. A cool time capsule though!
I can't say it's a great film, but there are great elements in it for Bond fans. Barbra Carrerra is so gorgeous and sexy....more so than Kim B. IMO. The attack on Bond in the exercise room is very well done....Keep in mind that Connery is a large man, yet the Bad Guy makes him look puny. The way he rips apart the cable chest exerciser makes him truly scary. I remember when I first saw the film....I was sincerely scared of that dude. The moments of humor are great.....When Bond is being sexually riden and he states to the guy on the phone "I don't have much more time......!" Also, when he and Bernie Casey disguise themselves as boxer/trainer......very funny ! "Well, there was this one girl from Philadelphia...."
Finally, Connery, despite his wig, is actually so much better physically than he was 12-13 years earlier in DAF. His performance is enjoyable and believable.
Pros: Connery - I welcomed his return and I was pleased that he was fit and in fine form.
Barbara Carrera - I loved her colorful turn as Fatima Blush. The movie isn't as
interesting after she meets her demise.
Klaus Maria Brandauer - To me his quirky Largo is more entertaining than the TB
version.
Bernie Casey - My favorite of all Felix Leiters, thus my namesake and avatar.
Cons: Production - The movie doesn't have the polished, luxurious look of most of the
EON Bond films.
Direction - The action scenes, particularly the motorcycle chase, lack that certain
spark.
The Score - Dull and uninspiring, especially when compared to the music of John
Barry.
Overall I'd rank NSNA as mediocre at best, but I still prefer it to just about every one of the Roger Moore Bonds.
Agree with you on most parts. Saw it yesterday again for the first time in quite a few years. I did enjoy it, but ues, somethings are missing. Despite the locations: Nice, Bahamas the movie looks cheap in my eyes, but than again, I had the same idea for LTK.
I did think Connery was here in better form and shape than in YOLT and DAF. He really had fun here, playing grandpa Bond. It gave the movie a bit the old Bond feel back.
Carrera was excellent. I never understood why she didnt break through to become a more famous actress. This was a great performance and at the same level as the original Fiona of TB.
Brandauer was good, he really looked quite insane. I do prefer Adolfo Celli though, his Larg was more in control and was a bit more believable as a womanizing millionaire/mastermind. Brandauer was a bit too much looney, but his performance was still good.
i also liked Fox as M. Always liked him as an actor, and he was good, in his role.
All in all, despite being a bit of a useless project, an unecesarry remake, I secretly do still enjoy this movie, just because of Connery and also Carrera.
In my oppinion, Never Say Never Again isn't as bad as a lot of people claim it to be. I think the problem is a lot of people are used to the EON movies and anything Bond not made by EON is simply dull... (Which is a very valid reason of course, I'm kind of like that myself...) But when looking at the movie objectivly, forgetting that it was a rival EON film and realising before watching that you shouldn't expect the Bond theme, (or any great score for that matter) and you shouldn't expect a gunbarrel. Instead, just look at it as an attempt of some amateur filmmakers that made a fun remake of Thunderball, and they actually got Sean Connery to star in it. The movie actually becomes a really enjoyable watch when looking at it that way!
Of course the movie isn't nearly as good as Thunderball, but I atleast find it to be a better movie than Diamonds Are Forever... (Diamonds had a way better score though I know..) Connery is in good shape, and compared to his last two EON movies he atleast seems to be having a lot of fun again and for some reason he looks better than he looked in Diamonds... The movie has great villians with Klaus Maria Brandauer being very intresting and fitting for a Bond villian, Barbara Carrera being one of the highlights as well, as a Beta Xenia Onatopp. Nice locations, a lot of humor and even a cameo from a very young Rowan Atkinson.
Not a great movie, but I do think it gets a lot of hate because people are to much in love with EON. (And I must admit, I'd rather not see a Bond movie that isn't made by EON ever again.)
I like NSNA, I purchased a brand spanking new DVD,localy for £3-00, (money well spent)
ive actualy stood where Bond meets Rowan Atkinson ,that was weird , would watch it again just to see the
Renault Gordini 5 in action
There was only one good thing a out this film and that was Fatima Bush she gave a legendary performance and would have been perfect for an original bond movie
NSNA doesn't have any depth, there's little to remember, TB did the same plot so much better, the score stinks....
The major appeal was Connery returning to 007, which was relevant at the time but no longer. There ARE good points and good performances, although they're outweighed by the overall blandness- the best Bond flicks have an element of quirkiness about them.
Agreed, TP, but Moneypenny was dreadful, Tanner uninspired, and Q was just weird. I did enjoy Largo, though Blofeld was cliched. Fatima Blush outshone Domino in every way.
The only two good points in NSNA are Felix Leiter and M two
brilliant performances from two great actors. -{
I love M's rants at Bond. )
And Barbara Carrerra.
And I actually like the title song quite a bit, better than the ones on some EON entries (certainly better than OP's).
If only the content wasn't such 'winky' & boring nonsense.
Comments
Some of us don't have to imagine.
You have to remember the internet didn't exist then, so opinion was down to what your mates thought, the media buzz, box office success and a few letters in the likes of Starburst magazine.
OP was first out the gates and did well, massive summer success with little competition. A big, opulent blockbuster, massive promotion in The Sun newspaper. Some mutterings among the 007 fan club about Moore dressed as a clown, and how Connery would be much better, with all the false assurance of Opposition leader Michael Howard goading Tony Blair on the upcoming report into the Iraq War.
When NSNA came out, it was a damp squib, overshadowed by Christmas here in the UK, and relegated to a second screen thanks to Jaws 3D of all things. In the US it was different, a big Fall opening, media hype in the press and so on. But no smash song to promote it, and Connery was kind of yesterday's man in the UK, it was almost the sympathy vote. Being a retread of Thunderball didn't help, at least OP had new locations, new stunts, new characters.
The press were wrongfooted after years of praising Connery at Moore's expense, so none of them really panned the movie as they wanted to save face. And there were some cute quotes like 'Now you're back I hope to see some gratutious sex and violence' of the kind critics love to include in their reviews, so we got more of that self-referential stuff in GE. In some ways, though EON hated NSNA they did 'learn' from it.
But personally I was very disappointed, I was expecting a gritty, serious, credible movie and got soft soap. It's like when your fave politician gets elected, and he turns out to be worse in some ways than his predecessor.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
In some ways the film might have been better with him, though you just can't imagine him in a clown's outfit! But the whole Cold War vibe aimed for that FRWL feel, ironically...
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Finally, Connery, despite his wig, is actually so much better physically than he was 12-13 years earlier in DAF. His performance is enjoyable and believable.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
All very good points. -{
Agree with you on most parts. Saw it yesterday again for the first time in quite a few years. I did enjoy it, but ues, somethings are missing. Despite the locations: Nice, Bahamas the movie looks cheap in my eyes, but than again, I had the same idea for LTK.
I did think Connery was here in better form and shape than in YOLT and DAF. He really had fun here, playing grandpa Bond. It gave the movie a bit the old Bond feel back.
Carrera was excellent. I never understood why she didnt break through to become a more famous actress. This was a great performance and at the same level as the original Fiona of TB.
Brandauer was good, he really looked quite insane. I do prefer Adolfo Celli though, his Larg was more in control and was a bit more believable as a womanizing millionaire/mastermind. Brandauer was a bit too much looney, but his performance was still good.
i also liked Fox as M. Always liked him as an actor, and he was good, in his role.
All in all, despite being a bit of a useless project, an unecesarry remake, I secretly do still enjoy this movie, just because of Connery and also Carrera.
1. Connery 2. Craig 3. Brosnan 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Moore
Of course the movie isn't nearly as good as Thunderball, but I atleast find it to be a better movie than Diamonds Are Forever... (Diamonds had a way better score though I know..) Connery is in good shape, and compared to his last two EON movies he atleast seems to be having a lot of fun again and for some reason he looks better than he looked in Diamonds... The movie has great villians with Klaus Maria Brandauer being very intresting and fitting for a Bond villian, Barbara Carrera being one of the highlights as well, as a Beta Xenia Onatopp. Nice locations, a lot of humor and even a cameo from a very young Rowan Atkinson.
Not a great movie, but I do think it gets a lot of hate because people are to much in love with EON. (And I must admit, I'd rather not see a Bond movie that isn't made by EON ever again.)
YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage
ive actualy stood where Bond meets Rowan Atkinson ,that was weird , would watch it again just to see the
Renault Gordini 5 in action
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_5_Turbo
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Now that's a Freudian slip if ever I saw one...
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
You always were a cunning linguist.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
NSNA doesn't have any depth, there's little to remember, TB did the same plot so much better, the score stinks....
The major appeal was Connery returning to 007, which was relevant at the time but no longer. There ARE good points and good performances, although they're outweighed by the overall blandness- the best Bond flicks have an element of quirkiness about them.
brilliant performances from two great actors. -{
I love M's rants at Bond.
And I actually like the title song quite a bit, better than the ones on some EON entries (certainly better than OP's).
If only the content wasn't such 'winky' & boring nonsense.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Who picked Legrand anyway? What crap he turned in.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Presumably Jack Schwartzman. John Barry was asked, but turned the job down.