118. You Only Live Twice - movie review

YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
Cert PG
112 mins
BBFC advice: Contains mild violence and threat

After the disappointment of Thunderball, this was back to James Bond as I remember him - albeit a tad more sex-crazed and addicted to smoking.
You Only Live Twice has the benefit of a much more comprehensible plot, a classic villain (Donald Pleasance) and a stirring John Barry score.
And I was amazed to discover that its screenplay was written by Roald Dahl but when I watched it I could see his hallmark.
There are endless stories of how hard Sean Connery found life in Japan where Lewis Gilbert's movie was located but, despite, all of the hurdles, one of the memorable movies in history was created.
Of course, the special effects don't pass the test of time - indeed, the crucial scenes in which American and Soviet spacecraft are gobbled up by an unidentified craft looks less convincing than Thunderbirds.
But the combo of Japanese culture (albeit rather cliched), the suaveness of Bond and the dastardliness of a plot to prompt a war between the superpowers keeps the audience entranced until literally the last minute.
Its humour also denotes a more confident Bond or perhaps Connery's swagger is down to him believing he was leaving a role with which he was never entirely comfortable.
He vowed that this would be his last outing as 007 - as it turned out it became the first of three retirements as the world's most famous spy.
Connery's Bond is tasked with finding out the origin of the craft which is causing chaos in near-space and stirring up the superpowers against each other.
He does this under the radar because he appears to have been killed in the film's opening sequences after bedding a pretty girl.
He comes back to life and enlists the help of a Japanese agent (Akiko Wakabayashi) and then the head of the Japanese secret service (Tetsurō Tamba).
Meanwhile, he goes to bed with allies and enemies, shocking the soft skilled Japanese with the rug on his chest.
And he fights off all-comers although the punch-ups haven't passed the test of time.
Regardless, this is quality Connery as Bond and left me stirred if not shaken.

Reasons to watch: Arguably the best Connery Bond film
Reasons to avoid: Its misogyny

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The rocket pistol, and cigarette rocket, were real-life weapons that were featured after the manufacturer paid for the product placement. It was hoped they would become standard military and intelligence equipment; however, they proved to be too expensive, clumsy, and unreliable and ceased production a few years later. 

The final word. Sean Connery: "“I honestly am so bored with hearing myself talk about James Bond or trying to make any sense of him."

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