121. Diamonds Are Forever; movie review

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Cert 12A
115 mins
BBFC advice: Contains  moderate language, violence and threat

Hold on, that face looks familiar. Wasn't the fella playing Blofeld also in You Only Live Twice as a British agent stationed in Japan?
He was! It was actor Charles Gray.
And wasn't Ed Bishop (Ed Straker in UFO) a radio operator in the 1967 movie, now turning up as a scientist in Sean Connery's next appearance as Bond.
And, there's Shane Rimmer, the voice of Thunderbirds Scott Tracy? He was also in You Only Live Twice.
Weston Drury Jr. who was casting director on both films clearly didn't want to spread his net too widely.
Indeed, he didn't even have to suggest a new Bond after the departure of George Lazenby who wasn't asked back after On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Yep, tempted by the offer of more than a £1m for his educational charity from its makers, Connery returned for a one-picture deal.
He was 40 when he made Diamonds Are Forever and it struck me as an advantage rather than him appearing too old. He matured like fine wine.
Anyway, here Bond is ordered to investigate a smuggling ring and, although he believes it is beneath him, he nips off to Amsterdam to get to the bottom of things on two levels.
Jill St. John, who was as big a name as Connery at the time, plays Tiffany Case - one of the most famous of the Bond girls.
The diamond trail then leads them to Las Vegas which looked a whole lot tamer in 1971 than it does today.
Inevitably, there are car chases, henchmen, explosions and threat to the world and Bond coming through even the most dangerous of predicaments with a smile and a punchline.
Man had landed on the moon between You Only Live Twice and Guy Hamilton's Diamonds Are Forever.
Inevitably, therefore, the science is a bit more thoughtful and, thanks to advances in movie technology, the special effects are more convincing.
Meanwhile, Connery picks up from where he left off, oozing with panache.  I didn't think it was quite as good a film as his previous one, however, but these things are subjective.

Reasons to watch: It's Bond & Blofeld innit?
Reasons to avoid: It looks a tad clunky 50 years on

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? The bubbling mud pool in the pre-titles sequence was actually made from Smash instant mash potato with food colouring.

The final word. Sean Connery, speaking in 1971 about his favourite Bond film: "From Russia With Love. It had credibility and a story that was interesting and the places and the characters and the whole feel of the film. I've only seen them all once."

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