Home Page | Alphabetic Index | Ratings Index | Web Resources

Never Say Never Again (1983)

A review by Damian Cannon.
Copyright © Movie Reviews UK 1997
Sean Connery returns as James Bond, after a 12 year absence, in this passable remake of Thunderball. The criminal organisation SPECTRE returns to the spotlight by stealing two nuclear warheads and holding the world to ransom. Although the politicians are willing to pay up Bond is sent into action, looking rather the worse for wear from his years of service but eager to avenge his previous defeats at the hands of Blofeld.

However, the new head of the Secret Service views the 00 agents as something of an anachronism and sends Bond to the health farm. The scene is set for plenty of jokes involving herbal enemas but soon, of course, Bond stumbles onto some suspicious behaviour. Investigation leads onto a preposterous fight with the muscle of the moment and a loss of the plot thread. While we, the audience, can see the situation the first time anyone in power realises that there is a problem is when Blofeld send them his ransom demand. Somehow no one makes a connection with the business at the hospital! Nevertheless, 007 is sent after the protagonists.

With his usual charm Bond seduces almost every female in sight whilst on the trail of Largo and the warheads, although this ability seems a little silly for a man of Connery's advanced years. The villains, Largo and Fatima Blush, take it in turns to attempt to kill Bond yet their inept efforts have no effect. It makes you wonder how they became such successful criminals! Even when Bond breaks into Largo's super-yacht, and is captured, he isn't shot -- instead Largo gives him free run of his ship and acts surprised when chaos ensues. This stupidity continues throughout the rest of the film, even to the point when Largo tells Bond the location of one of the warheads then leaves him to escape.

The standard result of James Bond finding the remaining bomb, and disarming it, occurs. Unfortunately by that time we've rather lost interest due to the unexplained appearance of the Marines, the over-extended chase sequences and the loose, flapping plot-lines. It's true that the film contains some beautiful women but why do they all want to sleep with Bond? Is it his hairy chest? Even the special effects aren't particularly special and the absence of Q removes yet another ingredient needed in a good Bond film. These problems all lead to one conclusion -- instead of laughing with the movie we are laughing at it.

Home Page | Alphabetic Index | Ratings Index | Web Resources