I'd honestly love a full video about the entire legal issues with Kevin McClory and EON over the decades, especially since it was only recently finally ended with Spectre being allowed back into the Bond franchise.
It is weird to have basically Johnny English before he was Johnny English (in fact first played by Atkinson in a series of Barclaycard ads after Never Say Never Again) in a Bond film. It'd be like Mike Myers playing Austin Powers in Mission: Impossible (1996).
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 I first saw Never Say Never Again on TV as a child, and afterwards I honestly thought I'd dreamt that Johnny English was in it.
Yes he says he hates it yet then goes onto confirm his absolute obsession with the film's genesis as well as revisiting the film, I think someone's a closet NSNA fan.
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 A lot of people STILL think of Connery as the only Bond, and it could have used the staples of the series that it didn't have access to as new creative blood. I don't have to explain more to prove your statement wrong. Infinite universes means there's a universe that saw 13 Lazenby films, so don't give me that illogical bullshit.
In 1983, worldwide audiences spent almost as much money on two James Bond films, with actors in their 50's in a then 20 year old series, as they did on the latest Star Wars film. Happy days.
As Atkinson is effectively just a young Johnny English (clearly undercover, hence the different name) it makes the Bond franchise part of the Johnny English Expanded Universe. Which means that the JEEU is the largest and longest running cinematic franchise of all time.
The foie gras scene was a bold cinematic statement against animal cruelty. Bond was force feeding the Doctor the same way geese and ducks are force fed to create the foie gras in the first place.
@capablemachine years ago? Heavens gate came out only 3 years before and is notorious to this day for blowing up horses. Even if this stunt wasn't as bad it's still the idea that gets me
I do find it sad that, if you look at Imdb, after the court cases with Ian Fleming, and apart from a short, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again are the only films McClory made. He wasted years, decades of his life, getting wound up about this, and it did him no favours and there was no pay off. I cannot understand why he let it all go, at least after Thunderball, and moved onto other projects
That said the film is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, but not in my Top Ten, and Edward Fox miscast as M and Michael Legrand totally the wrong person to assign as composer to a Bond film. Liked your comment about nice Bond villains, clearly we missed that bit in From Russia With Love when Rosa Klebb reminded Blofeld that she had her annual leave coming up as Kronsteen's body was being dragged out of the room
Yeah I remember McClory's daughter stating in the Everything or Nothing documentary that James Bond and the rights to Thunderball were her father's obsession in life. One can only imagine that he felt cheated by Saltzman and Broccoli and thought he could reach the same level of success with a parallel franchise of sorts. But you're right, it's incredibly sad that the man apparently wasted his life in court cases to come up with a film that barely anyone remembers...
Did he waste it? He actually made good money off this film. The tragedy is, as you say, he didn't make other films. I rate NSNA above some Eon productions. I'm not sure Octopussy is the superior film - it clearly has a better score (far better than it deserves), and Maud Adams has great screen presence, but for every good moment in Octopussy like the Soviet battle room scenes... there are idiocies like James Bond dressing up as a clown to defuse a bomb, and hiding in an ape suit, and the tennis star Vijay (who can't act) etc etc. NSNA drags a bit in places and has Bond jump into the sea on a horse, but it's also fresh, whereas Octopussy has Moore-era stupidity. (At least he made up for it with FYEO and VTAK)
@Thurso Berwick Octopussy was much better pacing, editing and cinematography on top of the score and cast. I love elements of NSNA but it needed to cut about 20 minutes, hire a competent composer and should've kept its superior rejected title song. The clown and gorilla suit moments are overblown, if you actually watch the film those moments are well done bits of suspense and the goofy costuming doesn't really take away from them. Bond being dressed as a clown amongst the chaos trying to convince others that a nukes about to go off, nobody believes him and the cops try to stop until he defused it with seconds left- its a great scene honestly and we rarely see Bond in such worry. Being in a clown suit kind of adds to the insanity of what's going on in such a serious moment. I showed a friend Octopussy, and after that scene I told him how the Fandom hates the film for it, he said "I thought it was great, who cares so much about the clown suit?"
Someone may have mentioned it in the comments already, but there is a fan edit out there called 'Never Say McClory Again' that has an opening Gun Barrel sequence, background music from other Bond movies, and they even used one of the rejected theme songs from Thunderball. From what I've seen from clips on RUclips, it improves things quite a bit.
I've seen part of it and it's definitely better. I actually like the NSNA theme song, but it belongs in a credits sequence, not blasting over Bond's training mission. I'm not a fan of the song and recycled Thunderball sequence in the fan edit.
@@HOTD108_ Aways great to hear from a fellow fan! It certainly is. I hope someday it’s gets a remaster on current consoles. It needs to be preserved along with the other games in the series.
I've seen the opening and it's so well done. There was an unused title song for NSNA by Phyllis Hyman and it's way better, a great song and it's a shame they didn't go with it. Apparently Hyman hit a state of depression when the song was replaced and when you read that the used title song was a late edition and it's singer was in relations with the composer? It's kinda evil and selfish but this is the film industry.
This film is one of my guilty pleasures in the Bond universe (even though it’s not an official Bond film). I’ve always thought it was rather weird, yet I still end up coming back to it now and then.
What's official? It's licenced legally. It has more to do with the original James Bond than most of the stuff from the last thirty years other than Craig's remake of Casino Royale.
Klaus Maria Brandauer's performance as Largo saved this film. I found his acting very good. The scene where he has a fit of jealous rage and smashes up the dance studio is very believable.
I didn't know that Klaus Maria Brandauer defied the script by doing his own thing. I honestly thought his performance was tops. He brought a humanity to a Bond villain that had been absent since Gert Frobe portrayed Goldfinger.
I also really like the acting of him but for me a bond villain has to be some kind of extreme psychopathic character traits thats why they are evil and for me only evil villains are working
Two fun facts: • Lani Hall, who sings the title song, is married to Herb Alpert who did the music for Casino Royale 67. Heck, the extended version of the song includes an Alpert trumpet solo. • Producer Jack Schwartzman is the father of actor Jason Schwartman. I guess he was too busy filming a Wes Anderson movie to appear in the making-of documentary so they had to get his brother instead.
I did not know that about Lani Hall! I only discovered Jason was Jack's son during the course of this review when I was searching for picture of Jack. Surprised it had never occured to me sooner! I find it amazing enough that they managed to get Talia Shire onto the behind the scenes doc to talk about the film but if they'd gotten Jason it'd probably be notable as the most star-studded making of by actors who had nothing to do with actually making the film!
One of the few moments in this film I really kinda liked was the hesitation of Largo to reveal the location of the second nuke. He plays it well and it actually does subvert the "let me reveal my plan" stereotype
@@jamestrexler6329 It's a nice piece of acting. I also like how when Domino asks 'what if I left you' he childishly giggles warmly, then in a second goes ice cold ['then I slit your throat].
I saw this on tv as a kid, and it always seemed to be a tv movie in the vein of a 2 hour A-Team or Knight Rider special made for tv event movie. And I believe it is because of the sitcom writing, subpar music and cheaper looking sets. The only other Kershner film after that I'm aware of is RoboCop 2. He's gone on record saying that no other project after Empire was as interesting to him as The Empire Strikes Back, as if he was only coloring by the numbers and going through the motions in his later films.
The book, The Films of Sean Connery (which I highly recommend to any James Bond fan or movie-goer) covers this movie in quite strong detail. Apparently, a number of behind the scenes issues greatly affected the final version of the movie as Calvin touches upon. For instance, Connery and assistant director David Tomblin ended up doing most of the production duties since Kershner and Schwartzman kept butting heads over how to make the movie. At one point the budget got spent too early and Schwartzman had to pay out of his own pocket to finish the film. Connery even openly admitted later on that making this movie was not one of the better career choices that he had made. I find really interesting that in both this movie and OP Bond uses the Walther P5 pistol which was brand new at the time of filming(production having started in 1977) instead of the famous PPK. Additionally, when Bond is seen target shooting in Q Branch, the suppressed pistol he uses is a Mauser HSc, likely chosen since it looks similar to a PPK.
@@declangill5138 It's to his credit he didn't let behind the scenes issues harm his performance here unlike in Diamonds [where he had it in his contract he didn't have to talk to Cuby or Harry] or YOLT [where he clearly doesn't want to be there].
@@jamesatkinsonja I'm not disputing that and I couldn't agree more. Diamonds essentially was a nothing plot with a decent (not good, decent) cast. That cast here are objectively better but the film is also objectively worse. Connery is a better actor than either film deserves
@@jamesatkinsonja my thing with YOLT was helooked like he wanted to care more but by that point he was no longer Sean Connery to the public which for someone of his obvious talents was annoying
Did not know it was a Thunderball remake when I watched it. I was watching it with my dad, and I was commenting on how similar it seemed to be to Thunderball for the first quarter. It's when Largo was introduced it finally clicked and I just burst out laughing in sheer shock of realization. I later learned the background behind the movie.
I experienced it almost the same way and I really think it kills some good aspects of the movie because no character in the movie (Largo, Domino, Volpe/Blush, Bond) is as good as in the original
@@rankartde163 Really? Fatima Blush is way cooler than Fiona Volpe. Also Brandauer is a superior actor (see some of his previous work to this) and didn't have to be dubbed. I feel they both drag a bit in the final act, and overrely on the submarine scenes.
Warner Brothers, the studio that made this movie, owned Atari at the time. That is why all the video game cabinets are Atari (mostly Centipede). Product placement.
When i grew up i saw the Roger Moore Bond movies at the theatre. I remember being super excited to see Sean Connery as Bond at the movie theatre. The whole cinema theatre erupted in cheers when the film started. This movie is still great for me.
@@filmneek It's also much funnier than Octopussy and has great actors in it like Brandauer, Carrera, Fox and McCowen. Octopussy has Berkoff who is great in the film, and a Barry score but is let down by many other elements.
Richard Donner (b. 1930) turned down the chance to direct Never Say Never Again. As it turned out, he had experience directing spies on TV: Four episodes of The Man From UNCLE, three episodes of The Wild Wild West and two episodes of Get Smart. He also direct a spy episode of The Twilight Zone, one of the few episodes that had no science fiction or fantasy elements.
Peter Hunt was also asked but said no out of loyalty to EON. Years later when McClory was trying to remake Thunderball again, Roland Emmerich was apparently in the frame.
@@davidjames579 Peter Hunt made the best Bond film of all, but I’ve never understood the “loyalty to Eon” posture. United Artists wanted him and Lazenby out, and Hunt didn’t like the direction the films were taking, anyway. And as Hunt himself admitted, his career “sort of fizzled” (his words) after he moved to the US. Actually, those words could apply to Terence Young, who also turned down “Never Say Never Again.”
@@thomaschacko6320 I'm not sure any of the film-makers beyond Lewis Gilbert really did much notable outside of Bond. They all solid but kind of jobbing directors going from one hire to another. Hunt's loyalty would be to Cubby who he worked for at least 10 years prior to Dr No. UA may have wanted him out, and maybe Hunt's style contributed to box office disappointment. But he'd still have respect and fondness for Cubby.
2:22 You’ve never lost anything Calvin I swear. You may not be your sweary Northern self stripping to the end of the Casino Royale parody, but the humour is still there and your personality is still amazing. Cheers man
Calvin i must say Sir you have come a long way. Trough the Years i kept Stumbeling over your Videos, thx to youtubes suggestions, and Watched almost all of it. So much Improvment in Quality. Editing Skills,Comedic Timing etc. Im sure it aint easy to just stick to Bond,there are only so many Movies. But i see you kept reinventing yourself and worked on improving the Reviews and your Channel Content in General. And i can tell ya it shows. I wish you all the best for the Future and lots of Subs ofc :)
This was such a wonderfully kind thing to read, THANK YOU!! I’m really pleased you think the quality of the channel has improved. I feel that way too and I’m very happy and proud of the videos I make these days and reading this has been super encouraging. Thank you so much! Best wishes to you too!
@@calvindysonI hade som trouble myself playing just finished it today was it so hard to beat the bad guys are tough cookie to break i almost quite it but thankfully i did not give in
Funny enough, quite a few scenes where deleted from the movie and have still not been seen by the public since the special edition DVD/ Blu Ray did not include them for some reason. I am guessing the film masters for these scenes were too degraded to use.
Actually, this film had just the right amount of underwater sequences, essential to the story. (The climax was similar to that of the novel.) Any more, and the film could have been as boring as “Thunderball.”
Also forgot to mention, Jack Schwartzman and Sean Connery reportedly got into conflict right from the get go and loathed each other. I wonder what John Schwartzman felt when he worked with Connery on The Rock?
Connery and Kershner both despised Schwartzman because he apparently did not know how to properly produce a film. Kershner would later state that the whole experience of directing Never Say Never Again was exceedingly unpleasant.
Interesting casting fact , Manning Redwood who played the American General Miller in this popped up two years later as the oil boss Bob Conley working for Zorin in View to a Kill !
True! Also, the commander of the US submarine at the end of the film would go on to play Canadian admiral Chuck Farrell, Xenia's first victim in Goldeneye!
Was anyone else ever curious just HOW Bond's food and dishes stayed so neat in a suitcase that must have been moved around in different positions? Is that plate *glued* into place or something?? And I always wanted to see at least ONE person watching Blofeld's footage leap to the conclusion that that CAT is the one doing the actual talking! (also, Lovejoy...haven't even thought of that show in years! Did it ever get a dvd release?)
Lovejoy is regularly on some of the minor Freeview channels in the UK. I think Yesterday shows it. It's a good fun series. My mother used to love it. McShane went onto even bigger things.
I know this isn't the best Connery bond movie. but it does grow on you. I like to watch this every once and a while. I had to import this blu ray from the UK it's becoming quite rare and expensive. I really think they should include this in the bond box set even if it's a black sheep.
...Now I have to watch the Empire Strikes Back commentary to see Irvin Kershner talk about how that's a REAL Asteroid Space Slug and Carrie didn't want to be anywhere near it!
Fun fact: Originally, James Horner was Kershners first choice to compose the Score. It is said that the idea was vetoed by Connery because he was against an American writing the music for a Bond-Film.
Wow. And this being around the time he ended up working on the Wrath of Khan score, I wonder if the two could've conflicted in James Horner's schedule.
@@kuribayashi84 Ah that makes sense. Now I kinda want to see a musical recut of this movie with, say, Khan's theme for Largo scenes and the Phyllis Hyman intro song.
20:55 Bernie Casey was sort of known in the US, a D-lister but a prolific character actor. He was the history teacher from Bill and Ted that they have to impress as the main plot point.; he's also done a bunch of one-and-done supporting roles on shows like Deep Space Nine and Batman Beyond
I was so looking forward to this movie when it came out. We didn't know that Moore was going to continue for much longer and for a lot of us (I was 18 or so) he was already looking ancient; the return of Connery just sounded terrific. And he was - but the film lacked stand-out moments and just ended up forgettable. If I recall correctly Starburst Magazine published a cartoon with a spoof ad: "Wanted, new James Bond. Would suit active pensioner."
This Bond film came out in 1983 and I enjoyed it. It's well over 30 years ago so it shows its aged a bit now. I love the song at the beginning . It's still watchable .
Calvin dont know about you but I've always wanted to see a scene together between Nigel Smallfaucet Truman Lodge Professor Joe Butcher Boris Grishenko Dr. Kaufman and Sheriff J.W .Pepper that could have been one of funniest things in Bond Movie Ever
@@calvindyson Will there be a review of A View To A Kill coming up? Can't wait to see the May day and Bond love scene cringe part like: MY EYES! I'm BLIND!" Or even dare I say, Do a double take on that scene?! :D
Connery is great, as is Carrera. The conversation with Algernon is a highlight. The Clement and La Frenais script is very funny. Other than that a bizarre experiment with unusable music.
Quite bizarre isn't it. Think he gave an interview where he talked about how after Empire he accepting offers for a few big budget movies but ultimately discovered he didn't really have the passion for it.
Dunno much about Kersh (as George Lucas calls him), just that he was reluctant to direct ESB because it wasn't really his thing...which appt was exactly why GL thought he was right for it. He wanted a People Director, who could make the characters really believable...guess his instincts were on point!
24:04 "Not Timothy Dalton" hahaha. I never noticed when I first watched the film, but I noticed how much that guy looked like TD during your "Top 10 line deliveries of Bond James Bond" video. If that was TD that would actually be hilarious. What a resemblance!!!
Though I am one of the movie’s (mild!) defenders, this is an excellent breakdown of its significant problems. For me, the return of a fully-engaged Connery, the off-kilter/idiosyncratic weirdness of Brandauer’s take on Largo (I think he’s great, but mileage varies), and the fun energy of Carrera are the three key elements that keep the film a fairly easy watch.
Imagine it's 1983. You are a Bond fan all of your life growing up with the films. You go back and watch all of his films over and over again in anticipation for his grand return. You go into the theatre and... it's Thunderball again.
@@bondjamesbondsandiego0075 Octopussy was the better film it did better at the box office which proves the fans preferred it and by then everyone was used to Roger Moore
@@chrisuk2073 how does box office "prove the fans preferred it"? Most people only go to see a film at the cinema once. It's only weird people who go to see a film multiple times at the cinema.
@@ricardocantoral7672 both films were pretty bad. It is quite funny the same year Sean Connery returns as Bond is the same year Roger Moore's Bond dresses as a clown.
I just want to say that I've recently discovered your channel and it is fantastic! It has kept me very entertained so thank you, keep up the good work!
I actually have a lot of affection for Never Say Never Again and disagree with most of your criticisms. But absolutely loved this video. Another great job Calvin!
Thought dump: Your reviews are really enjoyable and you are a great comic host. This movie was UNAVOIDABLE on HBO in the 80's. I had no idea that was Valerie Leon in TSWLM. You should have mentioned that dopey scene where Connery is walking around Domino's spa and every chick in the background is visibly gushing over him. I hope they bring Brosnan back for the next one so he can have HIS embarrassing Old Man James movie.
When I watched this for the first time, I really liked it since I was addicted to Connery Bond. I can see the flaws, but things like Max Vom Sydow and Johnny English do elevate my experience. Also the sock puppet scenes were ace! Would love to see more.
I'd presume because Lazenby would've no doubt been significantly cheaper than Connery. But hey, as much as I like Lazenby, I doubt the film would've been as successful as it was in theatres without Conner as 'the REAL Bond'... though, granted, the difference in profit probably went to Sean's massive pay.
@@Blokewood3 actually THUNDERBALL 2000 would have had Michael Keaton as Bond & Connery as M, M would have turned up to help Bond at the films climax battle scene were it would have been revealed M was in fact Bond & Keaton his son James Bond jr
He brought in sitcom writers Ian La Frenais & Dick Clement to punch up the humor on this film and the Rock, hence why there is a couple of Porridge scenes recycled in this film ['fill this cup, from here' and Felix and Bond posing as a boxer and trainer].
@@jamesatkinsonja I got never say never on DVD; I also got a view to kill on DVD; I hate both 🎬 movies;; Roger Moore aged better than my hero Sean Connery;; I got so I could watch a view to kill;; Roger Moore hated a view to kill movie 🎬 too:::Roger Moore & original money penny last movie;;; Roger Moore said he was older than his a view to kill girlfriend mother he knew time to quit
I’ll never accept ‘Never Say Never Again’ as an official Bond film, but it’s got its moments and is an interesting curiosity. I’d take it over ‘Die Another Day’ anytime.
One little piece of (probably unintentional) brilliance on the part of the actual Thunderball. Domino surprising and spearing Largo from behind? Makes a lot of sense when you realize that he has limited peripheral vision.
If only Sean Connery hadn't rejected the original suggestion for film composer: James Horner, who later won the Oscar for "Best Original Dramatic Score" & "Best Original Song" in *"TITANIC"* (1997).
Love the vid! I don't agree with you on Klaus Maria Brandauer as Max Largo however. In my opinion he's a perfect Bond villain. Dare I say the best of the lot? His acting is great in this: he's courteous and charming, but he'll stab you in the back the moment you turn around. Truly the markings of a psychopath.
Brandauer is an extremely fine actor, probably one of the best to play a Bond villain. (Other honorable mentions would include Lonsdale, Lotte Lenya, Lee, Price, and yes, Toby Stephens - although Stephens' character is awful) Von Sydow is a bit wasted here, but he also ranks as a great.
“Complaining about the lack of this film in a Bond boxset is like complaining about being born without liver disease” 🤣 The first of many laugh out loud moments. Great review as ever Calvin!
I saw NSNA recently while all the Bond films (except Craig era and the Casino Royale spoof) were free on RUclips. God, was it a turd! They did everything wrong and it felt more like a cheap TV movie than bigscreen film. I felt embarrassed for Connery until I realized he was the egotistical guy who decided to do this again! He could have left it alone and with the exception of Diamonds are Forever all his Bond films would have been Good or better. But no, he has to do a film that makes Diamonds are Forever look absolutely classic! 😂 🤣😂 🤣 At one point, I actually considered going after the out of print Blu ray (Region A, US) of NSNA but I'm so glad I saw it for free on RUclips along with On Her Majesty's Secret Service. I saved money and DIDN'T buy the worst 2 Bond films I saw while RUclips had most of them free to view!
@@thursoberwick1948 It's still by far the worst Bond film Connery made. That's even counting Diamonds are Forever with all its issues. They had no money to make Dr. No but it's at least 100 times better than NSNA. Dr. No is maybe about 20 times better than Diamonds are Forever. The issue isn't Connery or Bernie Casey but everything else in NSNA!
@@AvengerII I prefer this to Diamonds (although that is often fun), and even Thunderball. Thunderball drags in some places. (In fact both drag in the later part) My rankings: Goldfinger You Only Live Twice From Russia with Love Dr No Never Say Never Again Diamonds are Forever Thunderball Of course, if we're going by theme tunes and music, NSNA comes bottom!
I was 21 when this film came out and can remember the enormous excitement generated by the return of Sean Connery as Bond. Time has not been kind to this movie and it’s easy to pick holes with just about everything to do with it but I can assure you that in Scotland this film was a huge hit. Connery looks better than he did in Diamonds shot over a decade earlier. He gives a great performance too. Max von Sydow, sadly underused, is so much better than Christophe Waltz. The Fatima Blush character was prototype for Zenia Onatop. Some years ago I saw a bootleg re-edit of NSNA with gun barrel, John Barry music overdubs etc and wow did that make a huge difference. I’d rather watch NSNA than Die Another Day or A View To A Kill.
I didn't know it was possible for Ian Fleming to be brought to life so well through a sock puppet, but there we have it. The eternally annoyed look it has looks ripped right out of an average photo. That aside, solid review and I'm with you and the movie just being a poor knockoff of an EON Bond movie. The odd nature of this movie existing was, is, and will always be far more interesting then the movie itself.
It's a better film than some Eon productions and far from being just a "knock off", it does have some fresh elements. I think its humour is better judged than Octopussy, and its portrayal of M, Q and Leiter are all extremely memorable and original. Fatima Blush is also outstanding and not much like any Eon Bond girl. In fact if you watch the Eon films after it, it's clear they learnt a thing or two from it.
@@thursoberwick1948 I agree, NSNA is better than a number of "official" productions, and it's a shame fans can't get over their Broccoli loyalty to appreciate it.
@@ThreadBomb I don't get the Broccoli thing either. They've wandered far from Fleming's novels and Eon's own "continuity" is all over the place. Look at YOLT, OHMSS, DAF and LALD - not much continuity between any of those four.
It will never fail to stun me that Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, the trio who brought us timeless classics such as Windmills of your Mind, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, How Do You Keep the Music Playing?, A Piece of Sky etc .... could write the dull horror story that is Never Say Never Again.
I recall most of the newspaper reviews of "Never Say Never Again" saying right up front "Basically a remake of 'Thunderball'..." so if you read those, it was pretty well-known. 'Thunderball' itself was the kind of movie that got replayed a lot in TV movie of the week slots and such. I remember kind of liking this when I saw it in the theater and in hindsight I think I mostly just developed a massive crush on Barbara Carrera.
The unused Phyllis Hyman version of “Never Say Never Again” is a far better song. I remember seeing it as a child in the late 80s on LWT and really enjoying it as another Bond film. I love the Renault 5 Turbo so seeing it bomb round the streets is class.
18:05 - Random factoid, “Disco Volante” is actually Italian for “Flying Saucer”. Possibly changed from the same name as the novel/EON film to try and differentiate NSNA from Thunderball!
@@davidjames579 It's actually Disco Volante in the novel, too (chapter ten is actually titled 'The Disco Volante'), though Largo does mention that it translates to Flying Saucer! Not sure if it varies from reprint to reprint.
An interesting take on the film Calvin. I do agree, the revenge aspect undoubtedly hampered it. However NSNA does have the best Blofeld of all, well, excluding those films where you never actually see him. Again, I totally agree, the character was way under utilized in the film, 😉🍸
I have to say, I know its not a popular choice but I do have a soft spot for this film.. Octopussy is a better film, which came out the same year but there is lots to love in NSNA
Octopussy has MAJOR flaws. The music is way better than it deserves and Berkoff is superb, but weigh that up against Bond getting dressed up as a clown and an ape, a random Indian tennis star giving wooden performances... Bond in the circus was a kind of metadiscourse on where Moore had taken the character.
Never Say Never Again 1983 *** 7 October 1983 *** 7 October 2023 *** 40 years! It's a very good James Bond film! And I absolutely love-love-love Sean Connery in this movie!
@@davidjames579 I'd have love to have watched an extended version, especially given how a lot of the editing and the score could easily be improved but it was not to be sadly.
Kevin McClory tried to make a second Thunderball remake in the 1990s. During the press junket for Tomorrow Never Dies, Pierce Brosnan revealed he was in talks with Kevin McClory and Sony to make Thunderball 3 in the early 1990s. Had the film got made and avoided legal action, Pierce Brosnan wouldn't have been cast in Eon's Goldeneye. Bond history would have been very different!
This was actually quite well received when it was released. Klaus Marie Brandauer and Barbara Carrera in particular were praised. Siskel and Ebert included them in their best villains/Bond girl bits, and Carrera got a Golden Globe nominations.
You do realise people age right, Charles Dance didnt look like that in 1983, he's already in For Your Eyes Only in 1981 playing a henchman and he has reddish hair.
As someone old enough to have been around to see this when it came out: (1) Although we were very excited that Connery was back, there was a general consensus that he was too old even before we saw it (Yes, Moore is older but that was not common knowledge.). (2) We didn’t know it was Thunderball, although some people noticed very quickly. (3) We did not have high expectations but even so we were disappointed. My mother, Connery’s biggest fan, thought it was poor. (4) Fatima Blush was a real hit and, yes, the film tanks once she is killed off.
I watched Thunderball and NSNA back to back recently, and I prefer NSNA. Both drag in the final act a bit - overreliance on underwater footage. I prefer Brandauer as an actor (Celli looks great but is dubbed). This film also has fun with Q, M and Leiter - all of whom have memorable takes.
@@ThreadBomb Felix is great in this. It's ironic Eon makes such a big deal about their recent one when McClory did the same years ago. Bernie Casey was a good actor.
This movie is reasonably derided and memory-holed for many Bond fans but I wish we talked about Fatima Blush’s villainous character more. Barbara Carrera is so over the top and committed, it’s one of my favorite Bond girl performances
Barbara Carrera is the biggest highlight in this dreck, honestly. I loved her and she was dispatched way too early. Brandaeur also makes for a very fascinating villain. Connery honestly looks rather meh throughout though he is actually in better shape here than in Diamonds. What they did to Max Von Sydow should be a crime worthy of decades in prison. Don't get me started on that abominable score.
The arcade games at a kid's charity actually does make sense beyond being a "arcades are hot!" dated reference. Its pretty common to have kid stuff at a kid charity fundraiser.
I'd honestly love a full video about the entire legal issues with Kevin McClory and EON over the decades, especially since it was only recently finally ended with Spectre being allowed back into the Bond franchise.
I’m up for that.
I'd watch that
Only if it's done entirely with puppets.
Honestly, Calvin did a pretty great job summing it up with his McClory impression at 3:00
@@RandalBauer11 He seems to have Ian Fleming's character pretty much nailed...
I like to think that Nigel is really Johnny English and this was set before he became an agent for MI7
It is weird to have basically Johnny English before he was Johnny English (in fact first played by Atkinson in a series of Barclaycard ads after Never Say Never Again) in a Bond film. It'd be like Mike Myers playing Austin Powers in Mission: Impossible (1996).
I agree
Yeh its funny Rowan was doing this way back in 83 then he got to be the real deal as a spoof spy himself later on.
I have that same idea two
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 I first saw Never Say Never Again on TV as a child, and afterwards I honestly thought I'd dreamt that Johnny English was in it.
It’s confirmed that this is Calvin’s favorite movie ever made.
Come a new bond film ranking list in 2051 this will no longer be bottom :P
Yes he says he hates it yet then goes onto confirm his absolute obsession with the film's genesis as well as revisiting the film, I think someone's a closet NSNA fan.
I actually totally get what's happening. This is his Terminator 3. It should have been a really good thing, and... it's...not...
@@derrenwood-peterson8518 there is no universe where remaking thunderball for spite is a good thing
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 A lot of people STILL think of Connery as the only Bond, and it could have used the staples of the series that it didn't have access to as new creative blood.
I don't have to explain more to prove your statement wrong. Infinite universes means there's a universe that saw 13 Lazenby films, so don't give me that illogical bullshit.
In 1983, worldwide audiences spent almost as much money on two James Bond films, with actors in their 50's in a then 20 year old series, as they did on the latest Star Wars film. Happy days.
Ian Fleming impression rating: 11 out of 10
As Atkinson is effectively just a young Johnny English (clearly undercover, hence the different name) it makes the Bond franchise part of the Johnny English Expanded Universe. Which means that the JEEU is the largest and longest running cinematic franchise of all time.
Not quite. The King Kong/Godzilla cinematic franchise would still win that title, since the original King Kong was made in the 1950s.
@@HOTD108_ The first King Kong movie came out in 1933, so even earlier. lol
Godzilla came out in 1954.
If bond is older than Johnny English and still running that would make bond longer running?
No it doesn't
may be the largest 29 movies including j.e 1 2 and 3
The foie gras scene was a bold cinematic statement against animal cruelty. Bond was force feeding the Doctor the same way geese and ducks are force fed to create the foie gras in the first place.
But what a way to go amiright?
Tell that to the horse scene near the end
@capablemachine they still threw a horse off a building for the stunt a cut afterwards is irrelevant
@capablemachine years ago? Heavens gate came out only 3 years before and is notorious to this day for blowing up horses. Even if this stunt wasn't as bad it's still the idea that gets me
"now you're on this... I hope we're gonna have some gratuitous sex and violence"
the only moment from this film that had a long lasting effect on me
That line was hilarious!
I miss the time when a Bond film was considered "gratuitous"
Kim Basinger spread out for massage is the only thing this heterosexual can recall.
I do find it sad that, if you look at Imdb, after the court cases with Ian Fleming, and apart from a short, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again are the only films McClory made. He wasted years, decades of his life, getting wound up about this, and it did him no favours and there was no pay off. I cannot understand why he let it all go, at least after Thunderball, and moved onto other projects
That said the film is a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine, but not in my Top Ten, and Edward Fox miscast as M and Michael Legrand totally the wrong person to assign as composer to a Bond film. Liked your comment about nice Bond villains, clearly we missed that bit in From Russia With Love when Rosa Klebb reminded Blofeld that she had her annual leave coming up as Kronsteen's body was being dragged out of the room
Yeah I remember McClory's daughter stating in the Everything or Nothing documentary that James Bond and the rights to Thunderball were her father's obsession in life. One can only imagine that he felt cheated by Saltzman and Broccoli and thought he could reach the same level of success with a parallel franchise of sorts. But you're right, it's incredibly sad that the man apparently wasted his life in court cases to come up with a film that barely anyone remembers...
The ironic thing is that McClory had little to do with this film as Jack Schwartzman relegated him to a ceremonial position.
Did he waste it? He actually made good money off this film. The tragedy is, as you say, he didn't make other films.
I rate NSNA above some Eon productions. I'm not sure Octopussy is the superior film - it clearly has a better score (far better than it deserves), and Maud Adams has great screen presence, but for every good moment in Octopussy like the Soviet battle room scenes... there are idiocies like James Bond dressing up as a clown to defuse a bomb, and hiding in an ape suit, and the tennis star Vijay (who can't act) etc etc. NSNA drags a bit in places and has Bond jump into the sea on a horse, but it's also fresh, whereas Octopussy has Moore-era stupidity. (At least he made up for it with FYEO and VTAK)
@Thurso Berwick Octopussy was much better pacing, editing and cinematography on top of the score and cast. I love elements of NSNA but it needed to cut about 20 minutes, hire a competent composer and should've kept its superior rejected title song. The clown and gorilla suit moments are overblown, if you actually watch the film those moments are well done bits of suspense and the goofy costuming doesn't really take away from them. Bond being dressed as a clown amongst the chaos trying to convince others that a nukes about to go off, nobody believes him and the cops try to stop until he defused it with seconds left- its a great scene honestly and we rarely see Bond in such worry. Being in a clown suit kind of adds to the insanity of what's going on in such a serious moment. I showed a friend Octopussy, and after that scene I told him how the Fandom hates the film for it, he said "I thought it was great, who cares so much about the clown suit?"
Calvin Sock Puppet Show is something that I never knew I needed.
The sock-puppet Kevin Mcclory was everything I've ever wanted.
That line about "this girl in Philadelphia" is my absolute favourite Connery moment. That totally sounds like something he'd say.
Someone may have mentioned it in the comments already, but there is a fan edit out there called 'Never Say McClory Again' that has an opening Gun Barrel sequence, background music from other Bond movies, and they even used one of the rejected theme songs from Thunderball. From what I've seen from clips on RUclips, it improves things quite a bit.
I've seen part of it and it's definitely better. I actually like the NSNA theme song, but it belongs in a credits sequence, not blasting over Bond's training mission. I'm not a fan of the song and recycled Thunderball sequence in the fan edit.
Not relevant to Bond, but I just wanted to say that you have excellent taste. MGS4 is a masterpiece.
@@HOTD108_ Aways great to hear from a fellow fan! It certainly is. I hope someday it’s gets a remaster on current consoles. It needs to be preserved along with the other games in the series.
Where can I find this?
I've seen the opening and it's so well done. There was an unused title song for NSNA by Phyllis Hyman and it's way better, a great song and it's a shame they didn't go with it. Apparently Hyman hit a state of depression when the song was replaced and when you read that the used title song was a late edition and it's singer was in relations with the composer? It's kinda evil and selfish but this is the film industry.
This film is one of my guilty pleasures in the Bond universe (even though it’s not an official Bond film). I’ve always thought it was rather weird, yet I still end up coming back to it now and then.
It’s actually a good movie. Yes it’s cheesy but it works.
@@ramencurry6672 In your opinion.
@@HOTD108_ Calm down kid. It's already assumed anything anyone is saying is subjective.
What's official? It's licenced legally. It has more to do with the original James Bond than most of the stuff from the last thirty years other than Craig's remake of Casino Royale.
It's better than a number of the "official" films, but I think prejudice blinds some fans.
I always loved the moment Bond pretends his cigarcase is a motionsesitive bomb
Klaus Maria Brandauer's performance as Largo saved this film. I found his acting very good. The scene where he has a fit of jealous rage and smashes up the dance studio is very believable.
Definitely. He's the only reason I've ever liked a Bond film
I didn't honestly expect you to subject yourself to this one in your reviews. I'm glad you did. A man willing to suffer for his art. Thanks Calvin
I didn't know that Klaus Maria Brandauer defied the script by doing his own thing. I honestly thought his performance was tops. He brought a humanity to a Bond villain that had been absent since Gert Frobe portrayed Goldfinger.
I do quite like what he did. The bit where he goes from giggling to 'then a slit your throat' is a great bit of acting.
@@jamesatkinsonja I really wanted more scenes with those two alone.
I also really like the acting of him but for me a bond villain has to be some kind of extreme psychopathic character traits thats why they are evil and for me only evil villains are working
@@rankartde163 Largo comes off as a psychopath.
@@rankartde163 Brandauer said he wanted his Largo to be a realistic psychopath, as that would be scarier.
Two fun facts:
• Lani Hall, who sings the title song, is married to Herb Alpert who did the music for Casino Royale 67. Heck, the extended version of the song includes an Alpert trumpet solo.
• Producer Jack Schwartzman is the father of actor Jason Schwartman. I guess he was too busy filming a Wes Anderson movie to appear in the making-of documentary so they had to get his brother instead.
I did not know that about Lani Hall! I only discovered Jason was Jack's son during the course of this review when I was searching for picture of Jack. Surprised it had never occured to me sooner! I find it amazing enough that they managed to get Talia Shire onto the behind the scenes doc to talk about the film but if they'd gotten Jason it'd probably be notable as the most star-studded making of by actors who had nothing to do with actually making the film!
John Schwartzman was the cinematographer on The Rock amongst other films.
@@calvindyson Talia Shire is credited as a 'consultant to producer' credit.
@@jamesatkinsonja Well, that's putting it mildly I'd say!
Jason Schwartzman was 2 when this film was made, so I'm not sure what he could contribute.
Fatima Blush literally gives me life. She is literally the best female baddie out there in the bond franchise 😍
Very underrated but epic
Yessss she's my fave female bond baddy. I've always thought Xenia Onatopp was like the poor EON version of her.
You need to watch the original Thunderball lol
She doesn't literally give you life. She figuratively gives you life. Your mom literally gave you life.
She is definitely one of my top 3 Bond Girls, next to Xenia Onatopp (who was clearly inspired by her) and Electra King. Yeah. I go for the bad ones.
Yes!!
One of the few moments in this film I really kinda liked was the hesitation of Largo to reveal the location of the second nuke. He plays it well and it actually does subvert the "let me reveal my plan" stereotype
Like, his expression literally says, "Oh, you cheeky one, you really expect me to spill? No, number two is hush hush."
@@jamestrexler6329 It's a nice piece of acting. I also like how when Domino asks 'what if I left you' he childishly giggles warmly, then in a second goes ice cold ['then I slit your throat].
I saw this on tv as a kid, and it always seemed to be a tv movie in the vein of a 2 hour A-Team or Knight Rider special made for tv event movie. And I believe it is because of the sitcom writing, subpar music and cheaper looking sets.
The only other Kershner film after that I'm aware of is RoboCop 2. He's gone on record saying that no other project after Empire was as interesting to him as The Empire Strikes Back, as if he was only coloring by the numbers and going through the motions in his later films.
The book, The Films of Sean Connery (which I highly recommend to any James Bond fan or movie-goer) covers this movie in quite strong detail. Apparently, a number of behind the scenes issues greatly affected the final version of the movie as Calvin touches upon. For instance, Connery and assistant director David Tomblin ended up doing most of the production duties since Kershner and Schwartzman kept butting heads over how to make the movie. At one point the budget got spent too early and Schwartzman had to pay out of his own pocket to finish the film. Connery even openly admitted later on that making this movie was not one of the better career choices that he had made.
I find really interesting that in both this movie and OP Bond uses the Walther P5 pistol which was brand new at the time of filming(production having started in 1977) instead of the famous PPK. Additionally, when Bond is seen target shooting in Q Branch, the suppressed pistol he uses is a Mauser HSc, likely chosen since it looks similar to a PPK.
That is a fantastic book-so much information on even minor films.
Connery is actually better in here than Diamonds are Forever despite it being an objectively worst movie
@@declangill5138 It's to his credit he didn't let behind the scenes issues harm his performance here unlike in Diamonds [where he had it in his contract he didn't have to talk to Cuby or Harry] or YOLT [where he clearly doesn't want to be there].
@@jamesatkinsonja I'm not disputing that and I couldn't agree more. Diamonds essentially was a nothing plot with a decent (not good, decent) cast. That cast here are objectively better but the film is also objectively worse. Connery is a better actor than either film deserves
@@jamesatkinsonja my thing with YOLT was helooked like he wanted to care more but by that point he was no longer Sean Connery to the public which for someone of his obvious talents was annoying
The bit with the socks and the fact that Fleming just kind of growls instead of talking is genius
Did not know it was a Thunderball remake when I watched it. I was watching it with my dad, and I was commenting on how similar it seemed to be to Thunderball for the first quarter. It's when Largo was introduced it finally clicked and I just burst out laughing in sheer shock of realization. I later learned the background behind the movie.
I experienced it almost the same way and I really think it kills some good aspects of the movie because no character in the movie (Largo, Domino, Volpe/Blush, Bond) is as good as in the original
@@rankartde163 Really? Fatima Blush is way cooler than Fiona Volpe. Also Brandauer is a superior actor (see some of his previous work to this) and didn't have to be dubbed. I feel they both drag a bit in the final act, and overrely on the submarine scenes.
Would've been a way better sendoff for Connery's take on the character had it not been regulated to being a pure re-imagining of Thunderball.
Warner Brothers, the studio that made this movie, owned Atari at the time. That is why all the video game cabinets are Atari (mostly Centipede). Product placement.
Plus the film came out admits the video game crash (tho arcades weren't as affected compared with home consoles wich Nintendo revived in 1985)
Some of the music brings this little phrase to mind....
“NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN was filmed in front of a live studio audience.”
When i grew up i saw the Roger Moore Bond movies at the theatre. I remember being super excited to see Sean Connery as Bond at the movie theatre. The whole cinema theatre erupted in cheers when the film started. This movie is still great for me.
im not much a roger fan
Didn't like never say never;; Sean Connery looked too old;; Roger Moore aged better
How can people cheer when there is a clear lack of a Gunbarrel and good James Bond theme? The film is awful.
@@filmneek original James bond cast like money penny Q; M writing wasn't as good; in the 1960s they to make faked James bond with Sean Connery brother
@@filmneek It's also much funnier than Octopussy and has great actors in it like Brandauer, Carrera, Fox and McCowen.
Octopussy has Berkoff who is great in the film, and a Barry score but is let down by many other elements.
Richard Donner (b. 1930) turned down the chance to direct Never Say Never Again. As it turned out, he had experience directing spies on TV: Four episodes of The Man From UNCLE, three episodes of The Wild Wild West and two episodes of Get Smart. He also direct a spy episode of The Twilight Zone, one of the few episodes that had no science fiction or fantasy elements.
Peter Hunt was also asked but said no out of loyalty to EON. Years later when McClory was trying to remake Thunderball again, Roland Emmerich was apparently in the frame.
@@davidjames579 Peter Hunt made the best Bond film of all, but I’ve never understood the “loyalty to Eon” posture. United Artists wanted him and Lazenby out, and Hunt didn’t like the direction the films were taking, anyway. And as Hunt himself admitted, his career “sort of fizzled” (his words) after he moved to the US. Actually, those words could apply to Terence Young, who also turned down “Never Say Never Again.”
@@thomaschacko6320 I'm not sure any of the film-makers beyond Lewis Gilbert really did much notable outside of Bond. They all solid but kind of jobbing directors going from one hire to another. Hunt's loyalty would be to Cubby who he worked for at least 10 years prior to Dr No. UA may have wanted him out, and maybe Hunt's style contributed to box office disappointment. But he'd still have respect and fondness for Cubby.
Great video review Calvin, I laughed so hard at the sock puppets. Never have the Thunderball copyright legalities ever been so entertaining.
2:22 You’ve never lost anything Calvin I swear. You may not be your sweary Northern self stripping to the end of the Casino Royale parody, but the humour is still there and your personality is still amazing. Cheers man
Haha wow this comment really took me back! Thanks very much :D
I agree!!!!!!!!!!!! Calvin’s videos are brilliant
Indoobeedoobeedubitedly!
“I focking hate funderboll!”
-Northern and swearey Calvin, (2010)
@@calvindyson I want This film to need to have an extended alternate cut!! The scenes cut out are WIN!
This is Calvin Dyson gold dust here! All our hopes and dreams have been answered with this review
HA! I hope so :D Glad you enjoyed it :D
The "Do you lose as gracefully as you win?" scene was well worth the entire movie being created.
Calvin i must say Sir you have come a long way. Trough the Years i kept Stumbeling over your Videos, thx to youtubes suggestions, and Watched almost all of it. So much Improvment in Quality. Editing Skills,Comedic Timing etc. Im sure it aint easy to just stick to Bond,there are only so many Movies. But i see you kept reinventing yourself and worked on improving the Reviews and your Channel Content in General. And i can tell ya it shows. I wish you all the best for the Future and lots of Subs ofc :)
This was such a wonderfully kind thing to read, THANK YOU!! I’m really pleased you think the quality of the channel has improved. I feel that way too and I’m very happy and proud of the videos I make these days and reading this has been super encouraging. Thank you so much! Best wishes to you too!
@@calvindysonI hade som trouble myself playing just finished it today was it so hard to beat the bad guys are tough cookie to break i almost quite it but thankfully i did not give in
you know what this movie needed? more under water parts
Funny enough, quite a few scenes where deleted from the movie and have still not been seen by the public since the special edition DVD/ Blu Ray did not include them for some reason. I am guessing the film masters for these scenes were too degraded to use.
your Joking about this but I unironicly would want more underwater parts especialy with Fatina
Or more cowbells!
Oh, hi Alex
Actually, this film had just the right amount of underwater sequences, essential to the story. (The climax was similar to that of the novel.) Any more, and the film could have been as boring as “Thunderball.”
Also forgot to mention, Jack Schwartzman and Sean Connery reportedly got into conflict right from the get go and loathed each other. I wonder what John Schwartzman felt when he worked with Connery on The Rock?
Connery and Kershner both despised Schwartzman because he apparently did not know how to properly produce a film. Kershner would later state that the whole experience of directing Never Say Never Again was exceedingly unpleasant.
I'll say this: It was amazing year to be 8 years old.
Interesting casting fact , Manning Redwood who played the American General Miller in this popped up two years later as the oil boss Bob Conley working for Zorin in View to a Kill !
True! Also, the commander of the US submarine at the end of the film would go on to play Canadian admiral Chuck Farrell, Xenia's first victim in Goldeneye!
@@b.chaline4394 gosh yes, how funny how actors appear in multiple Bonds,, official or not !
Both Redwood and the actor who portrayed Domino's brother Jack appeared in Death Wish III.
Was anyone else ever curious just HOW Bond's food and dishes stayed so neat in a suitcase that must have been moved around in different positions? Is that plate *glued* into place or something?? And I always wanted to see at least ONE person watching Blofeld's footage leap to the conclusion that that CAT is the one doing the actual talking!
(also, Lovejoy...haven't even thought of that show in years! Did it ever get a dvd release?)
Yes, I've always thought the cat was the true mastermind!
@@parisgreen4600 the movie Cats & Dogs is the logical conclusion of that!
Lovejoy is regularly on some of the minor Freeview channels in the UK. I think Yesterday shows it. It's a good fun series. My mother used to love it. McShane went onto even bigger things.
Yes you can get lovejoy on dvd
This might be your best review yet, Calvin.
FACT: ALL of Calvin's reviews should be through sock puppets from now on!
I know this isn't the best Connery bond movie. but it does grow on you. I like to watch this every once and a while. I had to import this blu ray from the UK it's becoming quite rare and expensive. I really think they should include this in the bond box set even if it's a black sheep.
I don't think it's as bad as Quantum of Solace or Die Another Day.
...Now I have to watch the Empire Strikes Back commentary to see Irvin Kershner talk about how that's a REAL Asteroid Space Slug and Carrie didn't want to be anywhere near it!
"You don't have to do this to impress me!"
Ah, yes, right next to that scene in Cloud City where we learn they _really_ wanted to have Luke and Vader match wits at an...arcade?
@@RRVCrinale I have to know what the monetary value of Coruscant is!
Fun fact: Originally, James Horner was Kershners first choice to compose the Score. It is said that the idea was vetoed by Connery because he was against an American writing the music for a Bond-Film.
Wow. And this being around the time he ended up working on the Wrath of Khan score, I wonder if the two could've conflicted in James Horner's schedule.
Horner would have been good choice. I think Alan Silvestri would have been a better fit.
@@ofmanynicknames infact, Kershner considered him because he was impressed by his work on TWOK.
@@kuribayashi84 Ah that makes sense. Now I kinda want to see a musical recut of this movie with, say, Khan's theme for Largo scenes and the Phyllis Hyman intro song.
20:55 Bernie Casey was sort of known in the US, a D-lister but a prolific character actor. He was the history teacher from Bill and Ted that they have to impress as the main plot point.; he's also done a bunch of one-and-done supporting roles on shows like Deep Space Nine and Batman Beyond
I was so looking forward to this movie when it came out. We didn't know that Moore was going to continue for much longer and for a lot of us (I was 18 or so) he was already looking ancient; the return of Connery just sounded terrific. And he was - but the film lacked stand-out moments and just ended up forgettable.
If I recall correctly Starburst Magazine published a cartoon with a spoof ad: "Wanted, new James Bond. Would suit active pensioner."
This Bond film came out in 1983 and I enjoyed it. It's well over 30 years ago so it shows its aged a bit now. I love the song at the beginning . It's still watchable .
🥴
The low key N64 Goldeneye music in the background makes the movie feel more exciting than it actually is.
Calvin dont know about you but I've always wanted to see a scene together between Nigel Smallfaucet Truman Lodge Professor Joe Butcher Boris Grishenko Dr. Kaufman and Sheriff J.W .Pepper that could have been one of funniest things in Bond Movie Ever
Good lord it's the scene I never knew I NEEDED! Throw in a pigeon and I'm sold!
Here here... You’ve just given me an idea😉
@@calvindyson Will there be a review of A View To A Kill coming up? Can't wait to see the May day and Bond love scene cringe part like: MY EYES! I'm BLIND!" Or even dare I say, Do a double take on that scene?! :D
Shame on you for not including Willard Whyte !
@@calvindyson I had to double take / read that comment 😀
Holy shit! That sock puppet skit was AMAZING!!!! Please do more of those Calvin. So so funny!!!!
The one we’ve all been waiting for!
Hope you enjoy! I may not have enjoyed revisiting the film but putting the video together was great fun!
Kevin McClory sounded like Bender from Futurama. 'I'm going to make my own Bond series, with Blackjack, and Hookers.'
Man, I love 'Never Say Never Again'!
IKR? I actually purchased the soundtrack. It's so different and great fun! 😉
@@haitolawrence5986 I hate never say never movie 🎬 got it on dvd;; Sean Connery looked too old: Roger Moore aged better
@@lloydkline1518 Old Sean could kick old Roger's arse.
@@ThreadBomb tañling fighting skills??. I got never say never movie on dvd; i rather watch view to kiñl on dvd ; i hate that movie too instead
Connery is great, as is Carrera. The conversation with Algernon is a highlight. The Clement and La Frenais script is very funny. Other than that a bizarre experiment with unusable music.
I cannot believe Irvin Kershner directed this and The Empire Strikes Back.
Quite bizarre isn't it. Think he gave an interview where he talked about how after Empire he accepting offers for a few big budget movies but ultimately discovered he didn't really have the passion for it.
I still cannot believe that Douglas Slocombe was coming off Raiders of The Lost Ark... to this!
And he also directed Robocop 2
That really isn't bizarre. A film like that is the baby of a producer and a writer.
Dunno much about Kersh (as George Lucas calls him), just that he was reluctant to direct ESB because it wasn't really his thing...which appt was exactly why GL thought he was right for it. He wanted a People Director, who could make the characters really believable...guess his instincts were on point!
24:04 "Not Timothy Dalton" hahaha. I never noticed when I first watched the film, but I noticed how much that guy looked like TD during your "Top 10 line deliveries of Bond James Bond" video. If that was TD that would actually be hilarious. What a resemblance!!!
Though I am one of the movie’s (mild!) defenders, this is an excellent breakdown of its significant problems. For me, the return of a fully-engaged Connery, the off-kilter/idiosyncratic weirdness of Brandauer’s take on Largo (I think he’s great, but mileage varies), and the fun energy of Carrera are the three key elements that keep the film a fairly easy watch.
Imagine it's 1983. You are a Bond fan all of your life growing up with the films. You go back and watch all of his films over and over again in anticipation for his grand return. You go into the theatre and... it's Thunderball again.
That was me! Definitely a disappointment!
@@bondjamesbondsandiego0075 Octopussy was the better film it did better at the box office which proves the fans preferred it and by then everyone was used to Roger Moore
@@chrisuk2073 how does box office "prove the fans preferred it"? Most people only go to see a film at the cinema once. It's only weird people who go to see a film multiple times at the cinema.
Octopussy was the better film but Never Say Never Again had a superior cast.
@@ricardocantoral7672 both films were pretty bad. It is quite funny the same year Sean Connery returns as Bond is the same year Roger Moore's Bond dresses as a clown.
This is absolutely the second-best spy movie starring Barbera Carrera I've ever seen, right behind Condorman!
I just want to say that I've recently discovered your channel and it is fantastic! It has kept me very entertained so thank you, keep up the good work!
Thanks very much, Kieran!
I actually have a lot of affection for Never Say Never Again and disagree with most of your criticisms. But absolutely loved this video. Another great job Calvin!
Thought dump: Your reviews are really enjoyable and you are a great comic host. This movie was UNAVOIDABLE on HBO in the 80's. I had no idea that was Valerie Leon in TSWLM. You should have mentioned that dopey scene where Connery is walking around Domino's spa and every chick in the background is visibly gushing over him. I hope they bring Brosnan back for the next one so he can have HIS embarrassing Old Man James movie.
Not a classic but some fun to be had, and great to see Connery in the role in the 80s having more fun than his last 2 official run outs.
16:41 I bursted out laughing at this part! That was too good!
Me too haha
Absolutely agree, I'm still laughing at that
Bernie Casey is definitely a highlight for me in this film- one of the best Leiter portrayals to me
OK, so I genuinely thought Blush was an android when I first saw this as a kid, based on that death scene
When I watched this for the first time, I really liked it since I was addicted to Connery Bond. I can see the flaws, but things like Max Vom Sydow and Johnny English do elevate my experience.
Also the sock puppet scenes were ace! Would love to see more.
Fun fact: George Lazenby was McClory's original choice for Bond in Never Say Never Again.
I'd presume because Lazenby would've no doubt been significantly cheaper than Connery. But hey, as much as I like Lazenby, I doubt the film would've been as successful as it was in theatres without Conner as 'the REAL Bond'... though, granted, the difference in profit probably went to Sean's massive pay.
I would have loved to have seen Laz come back !
@@ricardocantoral7672 in 1980 Laz wanted to return as 007 but the audience wanted moore and moore ;)
And later when Mcclory was going to remake Thunderball again as *Warhead 2000* he was supposedly planning to get Timothy Dalton as Bond.
@@Blokewood3 actually THUNDERBALL 2000 would have had Michael Keaton as Bond & Connery as M, M would have turned up to help Bond at the films climax battle scene were it would have been revealed M was in fact Bond & Keaton his son James Bond jr
Sean Connery's hilarious in this one
"Then I shall cut down on the white bread, sir!"
He brought in sitcom writers Ian La Frenais & Dick Clement to punch up the humor on this film and the Rock, hence why there is a couple of Porridge scenes recycled in this film ['fill this cup, from here' and Felix and Bond posing as a boxer and trainer].
Sean Connery look very old in this movies 🎬
@@lloydkline1518 Yet when he has a grey beard and no wig in his 80's and 90's films he looks a lot better as he's aged gracefully.
@@jamesatkinsonja I got never say never on DVD; I also got a view to kill on DVD; I hate both 🎬 movies;; Roger Moore aged better than my hero Sean Connery;; I got so I could watch a view to kill;; Roger Moore hated a view to kill movie 🎬 too:::Roger Moore & original money penny last movie;;; Roger Moore said he was older than his a view to kill girlfriend mother he knew time to quit
What a boring line
Man, Calvin, I can’t think of a more brutal sentence than your early summation of the film.
Loving the skits here though, especially the Puppets!
I’ll never accept ‘Never Say Never Again’ as an official Bond film, but it’s got its moments and is an interesting curiosity. I’d take it over ‘Die Another Day’ anytime.
One little piece of (probably unintentional) brilliance on the part of the actual Thunderball. Domino surprising and spearing Largo from behind? Makes a lot of sense when you realize that he has limited peripheral vision.
If only Sean Connery hadn't
rejected the original suggestion
for film composer: James Horner,
who later won the Oscar for
"Best Original Dramatic Score" &
"Best Original Song" in *"TITANIC"*
(1997).
Love the vid! I don't agree with you on Klaus Maria Brandauer as Max Largo however. In my opinion he's a perfect Bond villain. Dare I say the best of the lot? His acting is great in this: he's courteous and charming, but he'll stab you in the back the moment you turn around. Truly the markings of a psychopath.
Brandauer is an extremely fine actor, probably one of the best to play a Bond villain. (Other honorable mentions would include Lonsdale, Lotte Lenya, Lee, Price, and yes, Toby Stephens - although Stephens' character is awful)
Von Sydow is a bit wasted here, but he also ranks as a great.
“Complaining about the lack of this film in a Bond boxset is like complaining about being born without liver disease” 🤣 The first of many laugh out loud moments. Great review as ever Calvin!
I saw NSNA recently while all the Bond films (except Craig era and the Casino Royale spoof) were free on RUclips.
God, was it a turd!
They did everything wrong and it felt more like a cheap TV movie than bigscreen film.
I felt embarrassed for Connery until I realized he was the egotistical guy who decided to do this again!
He could have left it alone and with the exception of Diamonds are Forever all his Bond films would have been Good or better.
But no, he has to do a film that makes Diamonds are Forever look absolutely classic! 😂 🤣😂 🤣
At one point, I actually considered going after the out of print Blu ray (Region A, US) of NSNA but I'm so glad I saw it for free on RUclips along with On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
I saved money and DIDN'T buy the worst 2 Bond films I saw while RUclips had most of them free to view!
@@AvengerII It's nowhere near being the worst Bond film. In fact it's not even in my bottom five.
@@thursoberwick1948 It's still by far the worst Bond film Connery made.
That's even counting Diamonds are Forever with all its issues.
They had no money to make Dr. No but it's at least 100 times better than NSNA. Dr. No is maybe about 20 times better than Diamonds are Forever.
The issue isn't Connery or Bernie Casey but everything else in NSNA!
@@AvengerII I prefer this to Diamonds (although that is often fun), and even Thunderball. Thunderball drags in some places. (In fact both drag in the later part)
My rankings:
Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice
From Russia with Love
Dr No
Never Say Never Again
Diamonds are Forever
Thunderball
Of course, if we're going by theme tunes and music, NSNA comes bottom!
@@AvengerII Thunderball was a terrible bore, the worst Connery Bond IMO. NSNA did it better in every respect.
I was 21 when this film came out and can remember the enormous excitement generated by the return of Sean Connery as Bond. Time has not been kind to this movie and it’s easy to pick holes with just about everything to do with it but I can assure you that in Scotland this film was a huge hit. Connery looks better than he did in Diamonds shot over a decade earlier. He gives a great performance too. Max von Sydow, sadly underused, is so much better than Christophe Waltz. The Fatima Blush character was prototype for Zenia Onatop. Some years ago I saw a bootleg re-edit of NSNA with gun barrel, John Barry music overdubs etc and wow did that make a huge difference. I’d rather watch NSNA than Die Another Day or A View To A Kill.
The Kevin McClory puppet voice gives me so much joy for some reason
I didn't know it was possible for Ian Fleming to be brought to life so well through a sock puppet, but there we have it. The eternally annoyed look it has looks ripped right out of an average photo.
That aside, solid review and I'm with you and the movie just being a poor knockoff of an EON Bond movie. The odd nature of this movie existing was, is, and will always be far more interesting then the movie itself.
It's a better film than some Eon productions and far from being just a "knock off", it does have some fresh elements. I think its humour is better judged than Octopussy, and its portrayal of M, Q and Leiter are all extremely memorable and original. Fatima Blush is also outstanding and not much like any Eon Bond girl.
In fact if you watch the Eon films after it, it's clear they learnt a thing or two from it.
@@thursoberwick1948 I agree, NSNA is better than a number of "official" productions, and it's a shame fans can't get over their Broccoli loyalty to appreciate it.
@@ThreadBomb I don't get the Broccoli thing either. They've wandered far from Fleming's novels and Eon's own "continuity" is all over the place. Look at YOLT, OHMSS, DAF and LALD - not much continuity between any of those four.
It will never fail to stun me that Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, the trio who brought us timeless classics such as Windmills of your Mind, What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?, How Do You Keep the Music Playing?, A Piece of Sky etc .... could write the dull horror story that is Never Say Never Again.
I recall most of the newspaper reviews of "Never Say Never Again" saying right up front "Basically a remake of 'Thunderball'..." so if you read those, it was pretty well-known. 'Thunderball' itself was the kind of movie that got replayed a lot in TV movie of the week slots and such.
I remember kind of liking this when I saw it in the theater and in hindsight I think I mostly just developed a massive crush on Barbara Carrera.
34:54 Oh my god that pen island joke caught me off guard. The delivery was so dry that my brain needed 5 seconds to register it. Well done XD
I thought it was an odd phrase when he said it, but I don't get whatever the reference is. Please explain.
@@nothingtoseehere2336 pen island
And the geography looks phallic shaped
@@nothingtoseehere2336 Me too!
The unused Phyllis Hyman version of “Never Say Never Again” is a far better song. I remember seeing it as a child in the late 80s on LWT and really enjoying it as another Bond film. I love the Renault 5 Turbo so seeing it bomb round the streets is class.
18:05 - Random factoid, “Disco Volante” is actually Italian for “Flying Saucer”. Possibly changed from the same name as the novel/EON film to try and differentiate NSNA from Thunderball!
Haha nice profile pic how do you made this?
In the novel it's called The Flying Saucer.
@@davidjames579 It's actually Disco Volante in the novel, too (chapter ten is actually titled 'The Disco Volante'), though Largo does mention that it translates to Flying Saucer! Not sure if it varies from reprint to reprint.
An interesting take on the film Calvin. I do agree, the revenge aspect undoubtedly hampered it. However NSNA does have the best Blofeld of all, well, excluding those films where you never actually see him. Again, I totally agree, the character was way under utilized in the film, 😉🍸
I have to say, I know its not a popular choice but I do have a soft spot for this film.. Octopussy is a better film, which came out the same year but there is lots to love in NSNA
Octopussy has MAJOR flaws. The music is way better than it deserves and Berkoff is superb, but weigh that up against Bond getting dressed up as a clown and an ape, a random Indian tennis star giving wooden performances... Bond in the circus was a kind of metadiscourse on where Moore had taken the character.
Never Say Never Again 1983 *** 7 October 1983 *** 7 October 2023 *** 40 years! It's a very good James Bond film! And I absolutely love-love-love Sean Connery in this movie!
There was going to be a 'George Lucas' re-cut of this film in the 90's for LaserDisc with new scenes and a new score but this didn't materialize.
Apparently quite a bit was cut out. Blofeld actually died originally.
@@davidjames579 I'd have love to have watched an extended version, especially given how a lot of the editing and the score could easily be improved but it was not to be sadly.
Fun film fact, this is the last movie that Connery appears totally clean shaven.
16:41 hahahaha, Dandelion and Burdock sprayed everywhere. Thanks for that, Calvin!
I was REALLY hoping to get that reaction with that!
Kevin McClory tried to make a second Thunderball remake in the 1990s. During the press junket for Tomorrow Never Dies, Pierce Brosnan revealed he was in talks with Kevin McClory and Sony to make Thunderball 3 in the early 1990s. Had the film got made and avoided legal action, Pierce Brosnan wouldn't have been cast in Eon's Goldeneye. Bond history would have been very different!
16:41-16:43 Dr. Mortner screaming I laugh like Walken because of it!!
I went to Chantilly few yrs ago , was awesome
This was actually quite well received when it was released. Klaus Marie Brandauer and Barbara Carrera in particular were praised. Siskel and Ebert included them in their best villains/Bond girl bits, and Carrera got a Golden Globe nominations.
The fact you got through this film with your own sanity intact. So proud brother! Hope you're okay! 😦😦
edit: I thought that was our Charles at 41:30!!
I can just about handle on deep dive of this film every 10 years but that's my limit!!
@@calvindyson PT-NSNA-SD?
You do realise people age right, Charles Dance didnt look like that in 1983, he's already in For Your Eyes Only in 1981 playing a henchman and he has reddish hair.
@@theyellowlightsaber3193 I am aware of this :P
@@calvindyson It's better than QOS.
Brilliant. Excellent delivery, speedily edited. And hilarious. Never saw that the catching of the cricket ball was an insert filmed elsewhere..!
As someone old enough to have been around to see this when it came out: (1) Although we were very excited that Connery was back, there was a general consensus that he was too old even before we saw it (Yes, Moore is older but that was not common knowledge.). (2) We didn’t know it was Thunderball, although some people noticed very quickly. (3) We did not have high expectations but even so we were disappointed. My mother, Connery’s biggest fan, thought it was poor. (4) Fatima Blush was a real hit and, yes, the film tanks once she is killed off.
I watched Thunderball and NSNA back to back recently, and I prefer NSNA. Both drag in the final act a bit - overreliance on underwater footage. I prefer Brandauer as an actor (Celli looks great but is dubbed). This film also has fun with Q, M and Leiter - all of whom have memorable takes.
@@thursoberwick1948 Same. And this movie has probably my favourite Felix.
@@ThreadBomb Felix is great in this. It's ironic Eon makes such a big deal about their recent one when McClory did the same years ago. Bernie Casey was a good actor.
This movie is reasonably derided and memory-holed for many Bond fans but I wish we talked about Fatima Blush’s villainous character more. Barbara Carrera is so over the top and committed, it’s one of my favorite Bond girl performances
Barbara Carrera is the biggest highlight in this dreck, honestly. I loved her and she was dispatched way too early. Brandaeur also makes for a very fascinating villain. Connery honestly looks rather meh throughout though he is actually in better shape here than in Diamonds. What they did to Max Von Sydow should be a crime worthy of decades in prison. Don't get me started on that abominable score.
The arcade games at a kid's charity actually does make sense beyond being a "arcades are hot!" dated reference. Its pretty common to have kid stuff at a kid charity fundraiser.
Dude lol how do you come up with all the skits and jokes? Your sense of humor is literally legendary. You are the man!
I always love watching this in-depth movie reviews on the Bond films, your analysis is always on point!