Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Bond ingredients all present and correct - but not risen to the occasion, 11 Sep 2007
After Lazenby's departure from the role following the successful but not overwhelming On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Connery is back as Bond to give the series a boost of levity.
This is a change of pace for the Bond franchise. A very obvious effort is made to pander to the American market, the bulk of the action taking place in America, specifically Las Vegas. Having said that, you can almost see the producer's cogs turning as they figure out how to make the next Bond movie successful. `Wait, wasn't Goldfinger really successful? Let's get the director from that one back!' and ` Oh yeah, that singer Bassey, she worked too...'. And then add some quirky casting - the first American actress to be a Bond girl, Jill St John (That's a nice little nothing you're almost wearing..') and ex Playboy centrefold Lana Turner, as Plenty O'Toole (`named after your father perhaps?').
Humour has been successfully if forcefully reinserted, thanks to Tom Mankiewisc script - but that's not to say action has been overlooked. It has the signature car chase, one of the better of the series, in a growling Mustang made more alive in the dts sound mix than ever before, amongst the casinos of Vegas ( watch out for how many times they drive past the same landmarks...). In fact, you have to give them credit, all the ingredients are here to while away a couple of hours nicely, thanks in no small part to the immense screen presence of Connery - he was worth the money.
However, it's all too clear that elsewhere all is not well. Charles Grey is about as bland an actor as could play the role of Blofeld, bringing nothing to the role except a plummy accent. In fact, none of the villains appear to be of any danger to Bond except for the brief appearance of the smuggler Peter Franks, played by the man who taught Connery Judo. Their fight in the elevator is closest in tone to any of the best moments of previous movies. Jill St John does very well, when her character is in charge - sexy and confident - until the shooting starts and all she is required to do is gasp and go `ooohh' and `ahhh' and be the butt of various sexist jokes (`what wonderful cheeks they are.. if only they were brains..' says Blofeld). And the climax is a let down. The final confrontation on the oil rig is embarrassingly small scale and the enemies ludicrously easily overpowered. It's a shame, since it starts out with helicopters swooping in to attack an oil rig, and it appears that part of the highlight of OHMSS is about to be recreated, the attack on the fortress at the end. Alas, a few obviously placed charges and swooping helicopters later, and all is over. The accompanying extras suggest this was due to budget cuts to finance Connery's pay packet - what a shame. At least the coda at the end to finish off Mr Kidd and Mr Wint, is pulled off to leave a better taste at the end of the movie.
The extras as always are full to overflowing, with the 40 minute doc, documentary on the life of Cubby Brocolli and the feature commentary the highlights. Also included are some vintage interviews with Connery which are interesting if not fulsome - they at least indicate Connery's reluctance to accept the role and his generosity in giving his sizeable fee to a good cause. DTS mix is an improvement on the original for sure, but I found the surround mix to be imperfect, with voices of conversations with people off screen sounding unbalanced in volume - the first time in this Ultimate series I have had anything but praise.
All in all, not Bond's finest hour, but thanks in large part to Connery, a satisfying way to spend a couple of hours of action and fun.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A disaster from beginning to end, 7 Jan 2008
There's not a great deal to be said about this film that hasn't been said on these boards before. With the blood, sweat and tears pour out in OHMSS, we were introduced to a new, grittier kind of Bond. I don't know who decided that it didn't work, but clearly someone did. 'Diamonds Are Forever' was the follow up, and is cemented at the very bottom of most Bond lists.
Sean Connery looks like he couldn't care less what's going on in this film. It seemed to be a case of take the money and... stroll. The plot is all but non-existent but still manages to confuse and bore. The action is timid and dull, the locations are far from inspired and Charles Gray is nothing short of pathetic in the role of Bond's nemesis, Blofeld, who seems to have gone from uber-villain to uber-camp cabaret act. Seriously, he's about as fearsome as my grandmother.
It is important to bear in mind that Blofeld murdered Bond's wife at the end of the last film. In spite of this, Bond seems to consider him a mild annoyance in this movie, rather than the object of his blind rage. The scenes between the two of them look like they were shot on different days, there is that little tension between them.
Thinking about it, there is really nothing at all memorable about this tripe. Even John Barry's score felt mediocre after OHMSS. This film is a disgrace to the franchise and to Connery's career. The only small redemption is that Connery's used the whopping fee he earned for this to make 'The Offence' with Sidney Lumet. Ignore 'Diamonds' and watch that. You'll thank me later.
As terrible as this movie is, the new DVD is fantastic. As with all the new Bond DVDs, the picture and sound have been remasted to stunning effect. Watching these films on an upscaling DVD player, you will be amazed at how clean they look, sound and feel. Extras are superb too, with a nice 30 minute documenatry and a wealth of other tidbits.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Rip roaring, sensual and arousingly good Bond film to close Connery's era., 11 April 2008
I must admit I have never really gotten into these so called James Bond films. I used to play spies with my brother Anders in my youth. He would be Agent Blackbird and I would be Agent Bluetit. I did get a little narked that I always had be the female spy, but I went with it and we had many fine adventures chasing make believe baddies round the garden, hiding for hours in wardrobes, waiting to be caught and the obligatory and often uncomfortable 'womanising' moments that accompanied any true Bond film.
Diamonds Are Forever debuted in 1952 in cinemas and was Connery's last stint as the super sleuth. Having played Bond for a whopping thirty five years, prodcuers felt that at seventy two, the star was ready to hang up his hat and take retirement. Connery objected of course, claiming that Bond was ageless and that there was no reason why he shouldn't continue playing the agent until he was too weak to perform any scenes standing. Sadly, he was dismissed and this film | |
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