Pros and Cons: You Only Live Twice

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  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    You know, you're cleverer than you look! :))
  • Gassy ManGassy Man USAPosts: 2,972MI6 Agent
    Nah, Connery still owns Bond. Craig has never, ever given the range of emotions -- heck, facial expressions -- that Connery could muster, even when he seemed to be trying less. I am a big fan of Craig's but more because he has given the films a boost of testosterone and unpredictability that they haven't seen since Connery. But he's no Connery yet. I have a feeling, though, that Spectre might tilt things in his direction more, now that he may actually be given a chance to demonstrate more. However, that remains to be seen with the script.
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Nah, Connery still owns Bond. Craig has never, ever given the range of emotions -- heck, facial expressions -- that Connery could muster, even when he seemed to be trying less. I am a big fan of Craig's but more because he has given the films a boost of testosterone and unpredictability that they haven't seen since Connery. But he's no Connery yet. I have a feeling, though, that Spectre might tilt things in his direction more, now that he may actually be given a chance to demonstrate more. However, that remains to be seen with the script.

    Can't argue with that! {[]
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Virgil37 wrote:
    Daniel Craig's performances in his three films are better than Connery's in YOLT.
    Whoah there pardner, Craig may have pushing warp 5 on all those films, but Connery on impulse power alone still beats him I'm afraid. :007)
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Virgil37 wrote:
    * Sean Connery, bored, out of shape, stressed by fans while filming, feeling underpaid by producers. As the good professional he is, he still gave a correct performance. But nothing more. No spark whatsoever. His 1962-1965 Bond came across the screen. His 1967 Bond stays there.

    * The first time that they totally deviated from Fleming in order to give the biggest spectacle possible. Unfortunatelly by doing this they didn't use a very good Fleming story.

    * Special effects.- although they might have been spectacular in 1967, they look positively dated now. The space scenes are also slow.

    I've seen it many times, but it has never been a favourite of mine (obvious,right?).

    Agree with most of your points, but I'll comment on these in particular.

    1. Yes! I can't say Connery is bad because he had the role down to a formula. But in YOLT he seems to stick to the formula without providing anything else.

    2. YOLT was the beginning of the films deviating from Fleming's book. I think the success of Thunderball sent a message that spicing things up and focusing more on technology than story authenticity makes more profits.

    3. Yes, the effects are dated. The volcano special effect is quite bad. That's the problem when you rely on technology. Tech often doesn't age well. There's always going to be more efficient tech out there.

    4. Despite it's flaws, it has a lot of replay value. Perhaps that's the most important point I can make here!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Despite it's flaws, it has a lot of replay value. Perhaps that's the most important point I can make here!
    Yes.
    The effyouenn factor.
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    Virgil37 wrote:
    Watching Blofeld's rocket slide out of the volcano on a small puff of white smoke just reinforced the visual that we were watching a toy model and what seemed like a scene out of the Firebirds.

    Great point.
    well, there's also the stock footage with palm trees of the US rocket launch supposedly being a Russian launch
    Don't forget the stock footage of a volcano eruption at the end.


    Ooops! Sorry..I did mean Thunderbirds (referencing some other posts here) and no, they were not a bad thing..I loved watching it as a child.

    Yes whenever films rely on a lot of the tech at the time for the main part of the plot (and this one is a big one) it can really weaken them decades later. I love Hitchcock and a lot of the old black and white films but the rear projection shots almost look amateurish now. Still, I can't fault the whole movie for them.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I don't know if it's a case of not growing up but when I watch
    Or rewatch ( many times) any Bond film, basically I'm a kid
    Again. I'm right back as that 12 year old lying on the floor,
    Eyes glued to the screen.
    So I find it hard to pick faults ( even small ones) with any Bond.
    Other films I can pull apart with bad camerawork, weak scripts or
    Lazy character writing, But Bond ? I'm just a fan, I can see no problems
    With special effects etc. They did the best that was possible for the time.
    I simply get drawn into his world, and get taken on a wonderful adventure. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Watching Bond back in the late 90's/early 2000's on ITV was the one Thing that I looked forward to every Week -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I remember when they were first shown on ITV, eagerly waiting for
    Christmas etc, to see the trailers for upcoming films and programmes
    Just to catch a quick glimpse of what ever big Bond film was coming
    Up. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • King KamalKing Kamal Posts: 85MI6 Agent
    Sooo hard to pick flaws in this for me! Yeah maybe the Helga Brandt character could have been done a lot better and perhaps it drags a little in the middle third but for me YOLT is just a sit back and enjoy film, not just an excuse to pick flaws because its escapism. And Connery is still amazing in it. -{
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    King Kamal wrote:
    for me YOLT is just a sit back and enjoy film, not just an excuse to pick flaws because its escapism. And Connery is still amazing in it. -{
    Agreed! And I love the ending... subinteruptus.
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    A note here, about the prosthetic Japanese bits fading away as the movie progressed... What? You thought all that stuff would last? It was temporary junk for long range cover that had an expiration date. That it began to disappear was absolutely realistic, especially after swimming. :007)
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DevilMayCare007DevilMayCare007 Posts: 196MI6 Agent
    Gassy Man wrote:
    Nah, Connery still owns Bond. Craig has never, ever given the range of emotions -- heck, facial expressions -- that Connery could muster, even when he seemed to be trying less. I am a big fan of Craig's but more because he has given the films a boost of testosterone and unpredictability that they haven't seen since Connery. But he's no Connery yet. I have a feeling, though, that Spectre might tilt things in his direction more, now that he may actually be given a chance to demonstrate more. However, that remains to be seen with the script.
    I'm sure Craig showed his emotions when vesper died
    Top 10 Bond Films
    1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    I'm sure Craig showed his emotions when vesper died
    Yes, a bit. :o
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • DevilMayCare007DevilMayCare007 Posts: 196MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    I'm sure Craig showed his emotions when vesper died
    Yes, a bit. :o
    It even made me cry just a little :))
    Top 10 Bond Films
    1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    I'm sure Craig showed his emotions when vesper died

    Wasn't that because he'd split his fingernail during the previous stunt? :v
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • DevilMayCare007DevilMayCare007 Posts: 196MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    I'm sure Craig showed his emotions when vesper died

    Wasn't that because he'd split his fingernail during the previous stunt? :v
    Haha I'm pretty sure it wasn't :))
    Top 10 Bond Films
    1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Cons:
    The dopey "Who's filming that?" shots.
    That Aki had to die to save James.
    They didn't make Pleasance seem at least as tall as Bond.

    Pros:
    EVERYTHING ELSE!
    -{
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Just rewatched YOLT this morning:

    It's better than I remembered. I think I had other things on my mind when I first watched it so I was distracted.

    But I all the more appreciate its merits. This Blofeld is definitely my favorite. The atmosphere and settings were much better than I remembered, as was the action. There was lots of humor but it still was a tense kinda-serious film. The gadgets and mini-copter were cool because they were used just enough.

    The movie still has its faults. Bond faking his own death didn't do him any good. Neither did him turning Japanese. Like Chrisisall said, Aki was needlessly killed. Maybe they wanted to stay faithful to some bits of Fleming's original book, but these elements didn't make sense since the film was vastly different from the book. And the woman who replaced Aki somehow was wearing a bikini and nightgown the entire time (in harm's way), while all the other men were wearing protective armor but these are just nitpicks.

    The film tries to incorporate Japanese culture. Like LALD in Harlem, since this film was written in a time where people were less attentive to modern day sensibilities, there is some ignorance and stereotype, but I think overall it attends to be a friendly homage and it achieves that quite well.

    Before, I had this film bordering at around 17-19 in my ranking list. It'll probably be top 15 when I edit my list.
  • thegreatgallingthegreatgalling Posts: 180MI6 Agent
    This Blofeld is definitely my favorite.

    I pretty much agree with your feelings, but though I love Pleasence as an actor, I felt he came off small and creepy in this role. He lacked the gravitas I prefer in villains and I cringe at what seems like two hours that he holds his gun out at Bond before trying to pull the trigger. :)) While I prefer the "unseen" Blofelds, at least Telly Savalas was someone who exuded intelligence and machismo.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I agree Savalas was my favourite Blofeld. -{ but Pleasence did have that
    Creepy vibe about his character !, in fact I think the cat was trying to
    Escaped from him, not from being frightened of the sounds of the explosions,
    But to get away from what Blofeld was doing to him on his free time ! :))
    ( sorry Thunderbird2 ) ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Pleasance had an alien vibe to him. Savalas was a great actor, but he seemed more like a garden-variety abusive husband than a really spooky villain.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    Pleasance had an alien vibe to him. Savalas was a great actor, but he seemed more like a garden-variety abusive husband than a really spooky villain.
    I agree, and it's nice to see some others else get that. -{
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I agree, Pleasance was a rather unique Blofeld -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    This Blofeld is definitely my favorite.

    I pretty much agree with your feelings, but though I love Pleasence as an actor, I felt he came off small and creepy in this role. He lacked the gravitas I prefer in villains and I cringe at what seems like two hours that he holds his gun out at Bond before trying to pull the trigger. :)) While I prefer the "unseen" Blofelds, at least Telly Savalas was someone who exuded intelligence and machismo.

    ^^^^^^
    What he said. -{
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    chrisisall wrote:
    Pleasance had an alien vibe to him. Savalas was a great actor, but he seemed more like a garden-variety abusive husband than a really spooky villain.
    I agree, and it's nice to see some others else get that. -{

    Nah! :v

    Savalas comes across as a menancing, intelligent, but somewhat delusional meglomanic who isn't afraid to mix it up with Bond a bit, if necessary. I like that!
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Me too -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I'm another for Savalas. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • chrisisallchrisisall Western Mass, USAPosts: 9,061MI6 Agent
    I'm another for Savalas. -{
    He loves ya, baby.
    Dalton & Connery rule. Brozz was cool.
    #1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
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