When two nuclear warheads are stolen by the terrorist organisation S.P.E.C.T.R.E., British secret agent 007 is brought back to active service to trace the missing weapons and prevent a global catastrophe.
Despite being an unofficial James Bond film (it wasn't made by the usual MGM-UA/Eon franchise and is essentially a remake of 1965's Thunderball), this is a rather good one. Producer Kevin McClory took advantage of the fact that he owned the copyright on one of Ian Fleming's novels, persuaded Connery to return for one last hurrah as the superstar spy, assembled a great crew and turned in a first rate action adventure movie. All the proper Bond elements are here - international intrigue, glamorous locales (it was shot mostly in the Bahamas and Monaco), sexy women, villainous cabals, groovy gadgets and non-stop thrills. There are at least five standout sequences - a sprawling fistfight in a health farm, an eye-popping shark attack scene (shot by Ricou Browning, the Creature From The Black Lagoon himself), a classic Bond versus Villain confrontation showdown involving an electrified video game, a terrific chase with Connery on a Yamaha 650 turbo motorbike pursuing Carrera through the backstreets of Monte Carlo, and a great final shootout in a subterranean Islamic cavern. After a twelve-year hiatus, Connery stepped back into his signature role with apparently effortless ease and knocks off both the suave action and the libidinous comedy with aplomb. The rest of the cast all get into the larger-than-life sensibility with fine performances (except for Fox, who is terrible), but extra special plaudits must go to Nicaraguan actress Carrera as the drop-dead-gorgeous, mad-as-a-march-hare, fabulously villainous assassin Fatima Blush; she kills people, she drives cars fast, she kisses snakes, she dresses up in nurses' outfits, she blows things up, she turns waterskiing into an erotic art form and she's hilarious all the while. I think she gets my vote for best Bond Girl of all time (although Caroline Munro in The Spy Who Loved Me and Famke Janssen in Goldeneye come close). Lorenzo Semple Jr's script is a tight, thrill-a-minute treat, slamming along and pushing all the right buttons, and is backed up by sensational stuntwork, great sets and a brilliant cast. Perhaps the only thing lacking is a really good score - Michel Legrand's music is fine, but lacks the epic bombastic quality of one of John Barry's finer efforts. Aside from this minor quibble though, this is slam-bang entertainment and a must-see for all James Bond addicts.
Despite being an unofficial James Bond film (it wasn't made by the usual MGM-UA/Eon franchise and is essentially a remake of 1965's Thunderball), this is a rather good one. Producer Kevin McClory took advantage of the fact that he owned the copyright on one of Ian Fleming's novels, persuaded Connery to return for one last hurrah as the superstar spy, assembled a great crew and turned in a first rate action adventure movie. All the proper Bond elements are here - international intrigue, glamorous locales (it was shot mostly in the Bahamas and Monaco), sexy women, villainous cabals, groovy gadgets and non-stop thrills. There are at least five standout sequences - a sprawling fistfight in a health farm, an eye-popping shark attack scene (shot by Ricou Browning, the Creature From The Black Lagoon himself), a classic Bond versus Villain confrontation showdown involving an electrified video game, a terrific chase with Connery on a Yamaha 650 turbo motorbike pursuing Carrera through the backstreets of Monte Carlo, and a great final shootout in a subterranean Islamic cavern. After a twelve-year hiatus, Connery stepped back into his signature role with apparently effortless ease and knocks off both the suave action and the libidinous comedy with aplomb. The rest of the cast all get into the larger-than-life sensibility with fine performances (except for Fox, who is terrible), but extra special plaudits must go to Nicaraguan actress Carrera as the drop-dead-gorgeous, mad-as-a-march-hare, fabulously villainous assassin Fatima Blush; she kills people, she drives cars fast, she kisses snakes, she dresses up in nurses' outfits, she blows things up, she turns waterskiing into an erotic art form and she's hilarious all the while. I think she gets my vote for best Bond Girl of all time (although Caroline Munro in The Spy Who Loved Me and Famke Janssen in Goldeneye come close). Lorenzo Semple Jr's script is a tight, thrill-a-minute treat, slamming along and pushing all the right buttons, and is backed up by sensational stuntwork, great sets and a brilliant cast. Perhaps the only thing lacking is a really good score - Michel Legrand's music is fine, but lacks the epic bombastic quality of one of John Barry's finer efforts. Aside from this minor quibble though, this is slam-bang entertainment and a must-see for all James Bond addicts.