Bond finds Domino. [30] Most of the filming was completed in the spring of 1983, although there was some additional shooting during the summer of 1983. [69] James Berardinelli, in his review of Never Say Never Again, thinks the re-writing of the Thunderball story has led to a film which has "a hokey, jokey feel, [it] is possibly the worst-written Bond script of all". It makes Bond's cynicism and opportunism seem the product of genuine worldliness (and world weariness) as opposed to Roger Moore's mere twirpishness. Episode 15 | Never Say Never Again | fragile male egos are on the line when two top dogs argue about who is the best player in the game. "[52], Derek Malcolm in The Guardian showed himself to be a fan of Connery's Bond, saying the film contains "the best Bond in the business",[53] but nevertheless did not find Never Say Never Again any more enjoyable than the recently released Octopussy (starring Roger Moore), or "that either of them came very near to matching Dr. No or From Russia with Love. This isn't really a parody, like "Casino Royale" from 1967, though there are some too-cute moments, right up to the conclusion, a freeze-frame of Bond winking at us. [43] The film ultimately earned less than Octopussy which grossed $187.5 million. [40], Many of the elements of the Eon-produced Bond films were not present in Never Say Never Again for legal reasons. "[57] Writing in The Washington Post, Gary Arnold was fulsome in his praise, saying that Never Say Never Again is "one of the best James Bond adventure thrillers ever made",[58] going on to say that "this picture is likely to remain a cherished, savory example of commercial filmmaking at its most astute and accomplished. In the confusion, Largo makes a getaway with the second of the warheads, the first already defused in Washington, D.C. Never Say Never Again was released by Warner Bros. in October 1983, and opened to positive reviews, with the acting of Connery and Klaus Maria Brandauer singled out for praise as more emotionally resonant than the typical Bond films of the day. We kind of forget what the threat is about half-an-hour before the end. "), the new M having no use for the 00 section and Q with his reduced budgets. She exults in her performance as the persistent killer with some odd sexual preoccupations, anticipating the much later lethal ladies such as Onatopp in "GoldenEye." "[53] Writing in The Observer, Philip French noted that "this curiously muted film ends up making no contribution of its own and inviting damaging comparisons with the original, hyper-confident Thunderball". The name on the cover of Cinefex #15 is Bond - James Bond. [21], For the main villain in the film, Maximillian Largo, Connery suggested Klaus Maria Brandauer, the lead of the 1981 Academy Award-winning Hungarian film Mephisto. She appeared in her first television series, Shabby Tiger (1973), which gave her instant notoriety due to her nude scenes. It would be one of the best Bond films if the finale weren't disappointing. A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas, where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon. Never say never again ... Never say never indeed; I like that you were willing to pull the birds out and give them a try. I love watching Big T’s confidence grow as a competitor. When will filmmakers realize that underwater fight scenes don't work because viewers usually can't tell the hero and villain apart and they know doubles are being used?"[71]. Never Say Never Again — the maverick James Bond film starring the original 007, Sean Connery — emerged this fall as one of the series' strongest entries. While there, Bond witnesses a mysterious nurse named Fatima Blush giving a sadomasochistic beating to a patient in a nearby room. Connery, looking his age (early fifties), goes through the motions here, but hey, it's still Connery as Bond; he can do this kind of thing in his sleep (which he nearly does) and is always watchable, with that easy charisma. Yes I thought it would be a funny coincidence) ... Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. Bond goes to a health and beauty centre where he poses as an employee and, while giving Domino a massage, is informed by her that Largo is hosting an event at a casino that evening. [30] Director Irvin Kershner was critical of producer Jack Schwartzman, saying that, while he was a good businessman, "he didn't have the experience of a film producer". Sean Connery and Valerie Leon in Never Say Never Again (1983) People Sean Connery, Valerie Leon. [31] Largo's ship, the Flying Saucer, was portrayed by the yacht Kingdom 5KR, then owned by Saudi billionaire Adnan Khashoggi and called the Nabila. Bond distracts her with promises, then uses his Q-branch-issue fountain pen gun to kill Blush with an explosive dart. It looks like you are closing in on the top being finished! Bond follows a lead to the Bahamas where he meets Domino Petachi, the pilot's sister, and her wealthy lover Maximillian Largo, who is SPECTRE's top agent. Directed by Irvin Kershner. [14], When producer Kevin McClory had first planned the film in 1964, he held initial talks with Richard Burton for the part of Bond,[15] although the project came to nothing because of the legal issues involved. [8], In 1978, the working title James Bond of the Secret Service was being used and Connery was in the frame once again, potentially going head-to-head with the next Eon Bond film, Moonraker. The film's title is a reference to Connery's reported declaration in 1971 that he would "never" play that role again. As in "Thunderball," Bond is sent to a health spa early in the film. The film was a commercial success, grossing $160 million at the box office, although less overall than the Eon-produced Octopussy released earlier the same year. It is a pity that post-production tensions between star, director and producers, resulting in some public bad-mouthing, have tended to obscure the film's virtues. [65] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 15 critics, indicating generally favourable reviews. Written by [3] After Eon Productions started producing the Bond films, it subsequently made a deal with McClory, who would produce Thunderball, and then not make any further version of the novel for a period of ten years following the release of the Eon-produced version in 1965. Moreover, in today’s low interest rate era, anything offering 10-15% a year like clockwork is either a Ponzi scheme or you don’t properly understand the risks. Aneesa is finally realizing her veteran status means nothing to these younger competitors, and even some of her peers. by The Investor on May 26, 2011. "[54], Writing for Newsweek, critic Jack Kroll thought the early part of the film was handled "with wit and style",[55] although he went on to say that the director was "hamstrung by Lorenzo Semple's script". James Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organisation and a reliable psychic tarot card reader. Connery played the role of Bond for the seventh and final time, marking his return to the character 12 years after Diamonds Are Forever. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. The film had its UK premiere at the Warner West End cinema in Leicester Squareon 14 December 1983. In an early action scene, he's attacked by a brawny assassin/henchman in the 'Oddjob/Jaws' mold who seems unstoppable, and things appear to be picking up, until he's stopped by a silly gag. Von Sydow, always good, has a much briefer role as famous uber-villain Blofeld, staying behind the scenes for most of the movie. [30] Largo's Palmyran fortress was actually historic Fort Carré in Antibes. Bond is informed by Nigel Small-Fawcett of the British High Commission that Largo's yacht is now heading for Nice, France. agent whose lover he killed. After a vehicle chase on his Q-branch motorbike, Bond finds himself in an ambush and is eventually captured by Blush. CT deserves credit for that and it warms my damn heart. The recovery of a microchip off the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley. Sean Connery, pictured here with his 'Never Say Never Again' co-star Barbara Carrera, passed away on Oct. 31, 2020, at age 90. James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel, equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. 1983 saw the production of "Never Say Never Again," a non-authorized Bond film , starring an aging Sean Connery, Kim Basinger, Max Von Sidow and Claus Mariah Brandauer. In this version, M (Fox) is still male, though he's a stuffy high-strung bureaucrat, opposed to double-0 agents, and looks a bit younger than Bond. "[57] Maslin also thought highly of Connery in the role, observing that "in Never Say Never Again, the formula is broadened to accommodate an older, seasoned man of much greater stature, and Mr. Connery expertly fills the bill. Connery would not return. Check out the full list of winners. Many of the early scenes are perfunctory; in other words, they're presented as the stuff we're used to seeing in a Bond film (Bond shoots bad guys, Bond is eyed by the ladies, Bond is menaced by sharks), but without the style and panache of the regular film series. Agents under the command of Ernst Blofeld infiltrate a U.S. Air Force base situated in the U.K. and steal two Tomahawk cruise missiles. 'Never Say Never Again' would not be the only film to have suffered this fate. James Bond goes rogue and seeks vengeance on those responsible, as he infiltrates an organisation posing as a hitman. Ultimately McClory's heirs sold the Thunderball rights to Eon, allowing the company to reintroduce Blofeld to the Eon series in the film Spectre. [12], The film underwent one final change in title: after Connery had finished filming Diamonds Are Forever he had pledged that he would "never" play Bond again. Never Say Never Again. 'Never Say Never Again' would not be the only film to have suffered this fate. "[64] The score is still more positive than some of the Eon films, with Rotten Tomatoes ranking Never Say Never Again 16th among all Bond films in 2008. For the role of Felix Leiter, Connery spoke with Bernie Casey, saying that as the Leiter role was never remembered by audiences, using a black Leiter might make him more memorable. 41 of 51 people found this review helpful. Looking for more? Things seem to improve again in the middle half, as much of the action here is dominated by the female villain, Blush (actress Carrera in her best role). Of those, 352 kills were by Bond (354 if you include Never… Why is this considered to be an "unofficial" James Bond film. And it shows a total of 1,299 deaths in all the official Bond films (excluding both the early Casino Royale's and Never Say Never Again). [55] Richard Schickel, writing in Time magazine praised the film and its cast. [18] When producer Jack Schwartzman became involved, he asked Connery to play Bond; Connery agreed, negotiating a fee of $3 million ($8 million in 2019 dollars[19]), casting and script approval, and a percentage of the profits. "[53] Malcolm summed up that "the mix remains obstinately the same – up to scratch but not surpassing it. On an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Connery revealed he did not know his wrist was broken until over a decade later. The finale, underwater with Largo, is murky stuff, with no tension, as if the filmmakers just gave up by this point and wanted to get it over with. To be precise, it's Sean Connery in his final outing as the world's most famous secret agent, facing his latest enemy Maximillian Largo through the holographic display of a tabletop video game. It probably would have been better if he'd succeeded earlier - say, around 1976 or so; as it is, Connery, who managed to equal Roger Moore's number of Bond portrayals with this film, is a full dozen years older since his previous Bonder "Diamonds Are Forever," and it shows. [12] Carrera's performance as Fatima Blush earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress,[25] which she lost to Cher for her role in Silkwood. At the charity event, Largo and Bond play a 3-D video game called Domination; the losing player of each turn receives a series of electric shocks of increasing intensity in proportion to the amount wagered. [44][45], Warner Bros. released Never Say Never Again on VHS and Betamax in 1984,[46] and on laserdisc in 1995. McClory retained the filming rights of the novel following a long legal battle dating from the 1960s. Agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated. The man's face is bandaged and after Blush finishes her beating, Bond sees the patient using a machine which scans his eye. That refers to Adnan Khashoggi, the Saudi arms dealer who allowed them to film aboard his 282-foot yacht, the "Nabila".He later sold the yacht to Donald Trump, who renamed it the "Trump Princess".It's currently owned by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz of … [20] Subsequent to Connery reprising the role, the script has several references to Bond's advancing years – playing on Connery being 52 at the time of filming[20] – and academic Jeremy Black has pointed out that there are other aspects of age and disillusionment in the film, such as the Shrubland's porter referring to Bond's car ("They don't make them like that anymore. [63] Retrospective reviews of the film remain positive. "[51] The reviewer for Time Out summed up Never Say Never Again saying "The action's good, the photography excellent, the sets decent; but the real clincher is the fact that Bond is once more played by a man with the right stuff. Frequent Bond composer John Barry was invited, but declined out of loyalty to Eon. [71] He also thought the supporting cast was good, saying that Klaus Maria Brandauer's Largo was "neurotic, vulnerable ... one of the most complex of Bond's foes"[71] and that Barbara Carrera and Kim Basinger "make lasting impressions. After MI6 agent James Bond, 007, fails a routine training exercise, his superior, M, orders Bond to a health clinic outside London to get back into shape. View production, box office, & company info. Bond returns to his villa to find Nicole dead, face down on a water bed having been killed by Blush. [22] Others cast included comedian Rowan Atkinson, who parodied Bond in his role of Johnny English twenty years later. Petachi has undergone an operation on his right eye to make it match the retinal pattern of the US President, which he uses to circumvent iris recognition security at RAF Station Swadley, an American military base in England. [66] Empire gives the film three of a possible five stars, observing that "Connery was perhaps wise to call it quits the first time round". [8] Connery's wife, Micheline, suggested the title Never Say Never Again, referring to her husband's vow[13] and the producers acknowledged her contribution by listing on the end credits "Title "Never Say Never Again" by: Micheline Connery". [7], In the mid-1970s McClory again started working on a project to bring a Thunderball adaptation to production and, with the working title Warhead, he brought writer Len Deighton together with Sean Connery to work on a script. There are also elements of a weird re-start, such as the first scene with Bond and M, who mentions he is new to the position, much like the Bond & female M scene in "GoldenEye." 1 of 15. Prunella Gee, Actress: Never Say Never Again. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme. To helm its postproduction opticals, producer Jack Schwartzman selected Oscar nominee David Dryer. These included the gun barrel sequence, where a screen full of 007 symbols appeared instead, and similarly there was no "James Bond Theme" to use, although no effort was made to supply another tune. Valerie Leon 1 of 15. She is an actress, known for Never Say Never Again (1983), The Great Train Robbery (1978) and The Tripods (1984). [70] Berardinelli concludes that "it's a major disappointment that, having lured back the original 007, the film makers couldn't offer him something better than this drawn-out, hackneyed story. [68], In 1995 Michael Sauter of Entertainment Weekly rated Never Say Never Again as the ninth best Bond film to that point, after 17 films had been released. It has a marvelous villain in Largo. When N.A.T.O. He's almost on another, superior level from the rest of the cast, suggesting insanity better than most other Bond villains, somewhat effeminate in some of his gestures, but also magnetic when sparring with Bond, especially in their memorably electrifying video game duel, a bizarre yet entrancing confrontation. Never Say Never Again [56] Schickel's highest praise was saved for the return of Connery, observing "it is good to see Connery's grave stylishness in this role again. Never Say Never Again had its origins in the early 1960s, following the controversy over the 1961 Thunderball novel. Haven't we heard this plan before? NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN has slowly become a cult classic years after its release in 1983. Episode 15: Never Say Never Again. A number of the crew from the 1981 film Raiders of the Lost Ark were also appointed, including first assistant director David Tomblin, director of photography Douglas Slocombe, second unit director Mickey Moore and production designers Philip Harrison and Stephen Grimes. In 'Never Say Never Again' Connery's stomach is once again flat. [24] For the femme fatale, director Irvin Kershner selected former model and Playboy cover girl Barbara Carrera to play Fatima Blush – the name coming from one of the early scripts of Thunderball. (1983). The film is based on the 1961 James Bond novel Thunderball, which had been previously adapted in a 1965 film under that name. "[34], Steven Seagal, who was a martial arts instructor for this film, broke Connery's wrist while training. A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. But take my word for it; they're both pretty awful". Bond and Leiter infiltrate the underground facility and a gun battle erupts between Leiter's team and Largo's men in the temple. Q is played by one of the best British actors, McCowen, so his scenes have a nice flair, though he has a silly name, Algernon.There's no teaser sequence or fancy credits such as we're used to - in fact, the beginning is so mundane, it's as if we're watching a typically substandard seventies thriller, with a wretched song and an awful score. Foreign Secretary Lord Ambrose orders a reluctant M to reactivate the double-0 section, and Bond is tasked with tracking down the missing weapons. Pamela Salem, Actress: Never Say Never Again. Largo becomes enraged, traps Bond and takes him and Domino to Palmyra, Largo's base of operations in North Africa. While doing so, he replaces the dummy warheads of two AGM-86B cruise missiles with live nuclear warheads; SPECTRE then steals the warheads, intending to extort billions of dollars from NATO governments. [35], James Horner was both Kershner's and Schwartzman's first choice to compose the score after being impressed with his work on Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Bond catches and fights Largo underwater. Daily Challenge: Mission Spy Dive. [22] Through the same route came Max von Sydow as Ernst Stavro Blofeld,[23] although he still retained his Eon-originated white cat in the film. He admitted that "even past his prime, Connery proves that nobody does it better". "[56], Janet Maslin, writing in The New York Times, was broadly praising of the film, saying she thought that Never Say Never Again "has noticeably more humor and character than the Bond films usually provide. A man who worked as a safety officer at a hospital in Italy has been charged for multiple crimes stemming from his collecting $648,000 in salary over 15 years despite allegedly never going to work. But, the best performance is by Brandauer as the main villain, Largo - a much different Largo than the one in "Thunderball." Films with screenplays by Jack Whittingham, Articles with dead external links from March 2021, Wikipedia articles with WorldCat-VIAF identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. "[62], Because Never Say Never Again is not an Eon-produced film, it has not been included in a number of subsequent reviews. Prime Video; Blu-ray; DVD; VHS; New Releases. The glamorous Prunella Gee was trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. With Sean Connery, Kim Basinger, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow. TEAM BIG CT (Big T + CT) IS BIIIIKE! Last 7 Days; Last 30 Days; Last 90 Days; Coming Soon; Video Genre. In 'Never Say Never Again' Connery's stomach is once again flat. Never Say Never Again opened on 7 October 1983 in 1,550 theatres grossing an October record $10,958,157 over the four-day Columbus Day weekend which was reported to be "the best opening record of any James Bond film" up to that point surpassing Octopussy's $8.9 million from June that year. The film is an absolute remake of "Thunderball," and a truly poor one at that. Filming locations included France, Spain, the Bahamas and Elstree Studios in the United Kingdom. [75] McClory died in 2006,[72] MGM's acquisition of the rights to Casino Royale finally allowed Eon Productions to make a serious, non-satirical film adaptation of that novel the same year with Daniel Craig as James Bond. After capturing a drug lord, Felix Leiter is left for dead and his wife is murdered. Oh, and, Atkinson is his small role is abominable, like nails on chalkboard. After losing a few games, Bond ultimately wins. Relive the most surprising wins, inspirational speeches, hilarious dance breaks, and more highlights from the 2021 Academy Awards. Good work, 007. This is now a curiosity in the Bond film series (and not a part of the canon series), an anomaly, an oddity, a film stemming from the real-life battles between Eon Productions and their nemesis, producer McClory, who won rights to remake the earlier film. Connery was unimpressed with the perceived lack of professionalism behind the scenes and was on record as saying that the whole production was a "bloody Mickey Mouse operation! "[61], Colin Greenland reviewed Never Say Never Again for Imagine magazine, and stated that "Never Say Never Again is a complacent male sexist fantasy, where women can be only femmes fatales or passive victims. Use the HTML below. James Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads, with the help of a K.G.B. Never say never again. Bond is seen by Blush, who sends an assassin, Lippe, to kill him in the clinic gym, but Bond manages to kill Lippe. James Bond is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin, while he attempts to recover sensitive solar cell technology that is being sold to the highest bidder. [59] According to Scott, the director, with high-quality support cast, resulted in the "classiest of all the Bonds". She admits that she is impressed with him, and forces Bond to declare in writing that she is his "Number One" sexual partner. Films with screenplays by Lorenzo Semple Jr. For the song by the Bee Gees, see, 1983 James Bond film directed by Irvin Kershner, "License to Copyright – The Ongoing Dispute Over the Ownership of James Bond", "La Frenais, Ian (1936–) and Clement, Dick (1937–)", "Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture", "Director Peter Hunt – "On Her Majesty's Secret Service, "JAMES BOND 007 MAGAZINE | THE BATTLE FOR BOND", "Did Steven Seagal Break Sean Connery's Wrist with Aikido? Worldwide, Never Say Never Again grossed $160 million, which was a solid return on the budget of $36 … Bond retires from duty and returns to the Bahamas with Domino, vowing never again to be a secret agent. is held ransom, the British re-activate their "00" Agents and send James Bond to recapture the warheads and kill Blofeld. [58], The critic for The Globe and Mail, Jay Scott, also praised the film, saying that Never Say Never Again "may be the only instalment of the long-running series that has been helmed by a first-rate director". He attempts to make Largo jealous by kissing Domino in front of a two-way mirror. This page was last edited on 26 March 2021, at 13:54. the last agent without a gold skull desperately hopes to finally earn a ticket into tj’s final. The closing credits include the line "Thanks A.K." Never Say Never Again is the 15th episode of The Challenge: Double Agents. It mirrors the problem with Moore in his last couple of Bonders, where the audience is laughing at the hero - undesirable conditions for a Bonder. [47] After Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer purchased the distribution rights in 1997 (see Legacy, below), the company has released the film on both VHS and DVD in 2001,[48] and on Blu-ray in 2009. [67] IGN gave Never Say Never Again a score of 5 out of 10, claiming that the film "is more miss than hit". Basinger as Domino the Bond girl is, unfortunately, similar to many of the Bond girls of that period: nice to look at, but usually helpless and kind of an airhead, though she demonstrates fear convincingly. While working on Never Say Never Again in 1983, the film’s fight choreographer Steven Seagal helped Connery brush up on his martial arts skills. The film had its UK premiere at the Warner West End cinema in Leicester Square on 14 December 1983. Nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. "[60] Ebert went on to add, "there was never a Beatles reunion ... but here, by God, is Sean Connery as Sir James Bond. D&D Beyond. [16] By 1980, with legal issues again causing the project to flounder,[17] Connery thought himself unlikely to play the role, as he stated in an interview in the Sunday Express: "when I first worked on the script with Len I had no thought of actually being in the film".

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