Was this Sean Connery's last James Bond movie. 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. Norman Wilner of MSN said that 1967's Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again "exist outside the 'official' continuity, [and] are excluded from this list, just as they're absent from MGM's megabox. Bond distracts her with promises, then uses his Q-branch-issue fountain pen gun to kill Blush with an explosive dart. [30] Worldwide, Never Say Never Again grossed $160 million,[43] which was a solid return on the budget of $36 million. McClory retained the filming rights of the novel following a long legal battle dating from the 1960s. 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! [55] Richard Schickel, writing in Time magazine praised the film and its cast. He admitted that "even past his prime, Connery proves that nobody does it better". PG | 2h 14min | Action, Adventure, Thriller | 7 October 1983 (USA) 1:26 | Trailer. A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Unlike the majority of Bond films, Never Say Never Again was not produced by Eon Productions but by Jack Schwartzman's Taliafilm in association with Kevin McClory, one of the original writers of the Thunderball storyline with Ian Fleming and Jack Whittingham. Connery was unhappy with some aspects of the work and asked Tom Mankiewicz, who had rewritten Diamonds Are Forever, to work on the script; however, Mankiewicz declined as he felt he was under a moral obligation to Eon's Albert R. Agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated. The film had its UK premiere at the Warner West End cinema in Leicester Square on 14 December 1983. Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. Bond retires from duty and returns to the Bahamas with Domino, vowing never again to be a secret agent. [36] The music for Never Say Never Again was written by Michel Legrand, who composed a score similar to his work as a jazz pianist. [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. 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. James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel, equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. Or was it working for less stingy producers? Just as Largo tries to use a spear gun to shoot Bond, he is shot with a spear gun by Domino, taking revenge for her brother's death. [49], Never Say Never Again was broadly welcomed and praised by the critics: Ian Christie, writing in the Daily Express, said that Never Say Never Again was "one of the better Bonds",[50] finding the film "superbly witty and entertaining, ... the dialogue is crisp and the fight scenes imaginative. Fans of the James Bond film series remember 1983 as the year that brought two James Bond movies to the silver screen. 3 VIDEOS | 167 IMAGES. That novel was originally intended to be a screenplay, which Fleming worked on with producer Kevin McClory and screenwriter Jack Whittingham. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. "[58] Arnold went further, saying that "Never Say Never Again is the best acted Bond picture ever made, because it clearly surpasses any predecessors in the area of inventive and clever character delineation". 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. James Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. 3 VIDEOS | 167 IMAGES. "[53] Malcolm's main issue with the film was that he had a "feeling that a constant struggle was going on between a desire to make a huge box-office success and the effort to make character as important as stunts. Q, M, and Moneypenny appear as well. [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". But Bond has an ally in Largo's girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls f. Never Say Never Again As Connery was 52 at the time of filming, although nearly three years younger than incumbent Bond Roger Moore, the storyline features an ageing Bond who is brought back into action to investigate the theft of two nuclear weapons by SPECTRE. "[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. Bond returns to his villa to find Nicole dead, face down on a water bed having been killed by Blush. Sean hadn’t played the role of Bond in quite some time when he took on this film. At one point, he allows Bond free roam of his situation room, with a martini to boot, and his dancing eyes and mad, engaging grin make for compelling company throughout.The best thing in this film, other than Connery, are the Bond girls, shot with more attention to personality than normal in Bond films, a testament to cinematographer Douglas Slocombe and director Irvin Kirshner. [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. Bond and Leiter attempt to board Largo's motor yacht, the Flying Saucer, in search of the missing nuclear warheads. "[60] Gene Siskel of The Chicago Tribune also gave the film 3½ out of 4 stars, writing that the film was "one of the best 007 adventures ever made. [78][49], This article is about the film. Bond is seen by Blush, who sends an assassin, Lippe, to kill him in the clinic gym, but Bond manages to kill Lippe. [8] The script ran into difficulties after accusations from Danjaq and United Artists that the project had gone beyond copyright restrictions, which confined McClory to a film based on the Thunderball novel only, and once again the project was deferred. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. When the Warhead project was launched in the late 1970s, a number of actors were mentioned in the trade press, including Orson Welles for the part of Blofeld, Trevor Howard to play M and Richard Attenborough as director. Bond subsequently escapes from his prison and rescues her. Blush murders Petachi by causing his car to crash and explode, covering SPECTRE's tracks. The end result is entertaining enough, so I'm not complaining. From Wings to Parasite, here's a look back at all of the Best Picture Oscar winners in the history of the ceremony. In this remake of Thunderball, Bond is brought out of retirement to investigate the theft of two nuclear weapons by SPECTRE. Foreign Secretary Lord Ambrose orders a reluctant M to reactivate the double-0 section, and Bond is tasked with tracking down the missing weapons. ‘Alien,’ ‘Die Hard,’ James Bond Classic Props Set for Auction, Ronald Pickup Dies: Actor In ‘Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’ Films, ‘The Crown’ & Dozens Of Other Shows Was 80, Never Say Never Again (Sean Connery) James Bond Revisited, Rankings List Of All 25 James Bond Movies 1962-2015. Use the HTML below. Never Say Never Again is the best acted Bond picture ever made, because it clearly surpasses any predecessors in the area of inventive and clever character delineation. [73] This move prompted a round of litigation from MGM, which was settled out-of-court, forcing Sony to give up all claims on Bond; McClory still claimed he would proceed with another Bond film,[74] and continued his case against MGM and Danjaq;[75] On 27 August 2001 the court rejected McClory's suit. Sauter thought the film "is successful only as a portrait of an over-the-hill superhero." ", "The real James Bond is back, and 007's a winner again "Academy Awards Database, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, "The real James Bond is back, and 007's a winner again", "Total Recall: James Bond Countdown – Find Out Where Quantum of Solace Fits In! [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. Shark Pool: Fatima Blush turns the Caribbean into a giant version by sending electronically controlled sharks to attack Bond after placing a Tracking Device on him. [76][77] The company has since handled the release of both the DVD and Blu-ray editions of the film. Never Say Never Again (1983) (Blu-ray + DVD) An aging James Bond (Sean Connery) makes an uncharacteristic mistake during a routine training mission, leading M (Edward Fox) to believe that the legendary British Intelligence spy is now past his prime. ", "Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. announces acquisition of Never Say Never Again James Bond assets", Considerations for the role of James Bond, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Never_Say_Never_Again&oldid=1014329952. Connery played the role of Bond for the seventh and final time, marking his return to the character 12 years after Diamonds Are Forever. [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. This was because of a restriction by the Writers Guild of America. Dave Jenkins . Lippe was a fictional SPECTRE operative who appeared in the 1983 unofficial James Bond film Never Say Never Again, portrayed by British actor and professional wrestler, Pat Roach.The character is a re-imagining of the literary and film character who first appeared in Ian Fleming's 1961 novel Thunderball and was subsequently adapted for EON Productions' 1965 James Bond film of the same name. Credits Roll.) Bond finds Domino. Bond catches and fights Largo underwater. While there, Bond witnesses a mysterious nurse named Fatima Blush giving a sadomasochistic beating to a patient in a nearby room. Micheline Connery, Sean's wife, had met up-and-coming actress Kim Basinger at a hotel in London and suggested her to Connery, which he agreed upon, after Dalila Di Lazzaro refused the Domino role. 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? "[62], Because Never Say Never Again is not an Eon-produced film, it has not been included in a number of subsequent reviews. 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. "[60] Ebert went on to add, "there was never a Beatles reunion ... but here, by God, is Sean Connery as Sir James Bond. Same goes for the Ian Fleming estate. [7], Towards the end of the 1970s developments were reported on the project under the name James Bond of the Secret Service,[7] but when producer Jack Schwartzman became involved and cleared a number of the legal issues that still surrounded the project[2] he brought on board scriptwriter Lorenzo Semple, Jr.[9] to work on the screenplay. Through Kevin McClory, the film's lineage can be traced back to a personal collaboration with Ian Fleming himself, and things don't get much more 'official' than that. The theatrical trailer of the James Bond movie Never Say Never Again.I made this using Windows Movie Maker, the movie, and the 007 theme tune. The film is based on the 1961 James Bond novel Thunderball, which had been previously adapted in a 1965 film under that name. [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. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. 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. Never Say Never Again is a 1983 spy film starring Sean Connery and directed by Irvin Kershner. Leg warmers, video games, and ugly sports cars are all in evidence, and the Bianca Jagger sunglasses Klaus Maria Brandauer is seen wearing in his first scene do him no favors. [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. 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. While dancing with Domino, Bond informs her that her brother had been killed on Largo's orders. He wrote that Klaus Maria Brandauer's character was "played with silky, neurotic charm",[56] while Barbara Carrera, playing Fatima Blush, "deftly parodies all the fatal femmes who have slithered through Bond's career". Written by James Bond goes rogue and seeks vengeance on those responsible, as he infiltrates an organisation posing as a hitman. Fleming, "always reluctant to let a good idea lie idle", turned this into the novel Thunderball, for which he did not credit either McClory or Whittingham; M… Basinger's a rare beauty who in this early role as Largo's mistress mixes incredible hotitude with a childlike vulnerability that brings out the Bond in me, and many others I suspect. "[50] David Robinson, writing in The Times also concentrated on Connery, saying that: "Connery ... is back, looking hardly a day older or thicker, and still outclassing every other exponent of the role, in the goodnatured throwaway with which he parries all the sex and violence on the way". No matter how many times he has saved the world, his new boss thinks little of his fat lifestyle. [37] The score has been criticised as "anachronistic and misjudged",[30] "bizarrely intermittent"[29] and "the most disappointing feature of the film". Was this review helpful to you? [28] Irvin Kershner, who had previously worked with Connery on A Fine Madness (1966), and had achieved success in 1980 with The Empire Strikes Back was then hired. [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". [26] [63] Retrospective reviews of the film remain positive. A final attempt by Fleming's trustees to block the film was made in the High Court in London in the spring of 1983, but this was thrown out by the court and Never Say Never Again was permitted to proceed. [9], Production on the film was troubled,[33] with Connery taking on many of the production duties with assistant director David Tomblin. [72] In 1997 Sony Pictures acquired McClory's rights for an undisclosed amount,[3] and subsequently announced that it intended to make a series of Bond films, as the company also held the rights to Casino Royale. The only serious Bond film not made under the aegis of the classic Eon Bond series, "Never Say Never Again" is an irreverent return to the well. 32 of 43 people found this review helpful. [10] Connery then hired British television writers Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais[11] to undertake re-writes, although they went uncredited for their efforts despite much of the final shooting script being theirs. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. [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. Sean Connery returns to the role that made him famous, James Bond, in this remake of Thunderball. [59] Roger Ebert gave the film 3½ out of 4 stars, and wrote that Never Say Never Again, while consisting of a basic "Bond plot", was different from other Bond films: "For one thing, there's more of a human element in the movie, and it comes from Klaus Maria Brandauer, as Largo. Brandauer's role as the chief villain, Maximilian Largo, is one of the best in any Bond film, with Brandauer enjoyably playing up his character's menace and mania. [22] Legrand also wrote the main theme "Never Say Never Again", which featured lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman — who had also worked with Legrand on the Academy Award-winning song "The Windmills of Your Mind"[38]—and was performed by Lani Hall[22] after Bonnie Tyler, who disliked the song, had reluctantly declined. [30] Most of the filming was completed in the spring of 1983, although there was some additional shooting during the summer of 1983. PG | 2h 14min | Action, Adventure, Thriller | 7 October 1983 (USA) 1:26 | Trailer. 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