Never say never again blu ray

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5.0 out of 5 stars Best Bond

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 26 December 2017

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In my view, 'Never Say Never Again' has got just about the best cast of any Bond film, beginning with the best James Bond, Sean Connery; then the best Bond villain, Maximilian Largo, played by the great Klaus Maria Brandauer, and not forgetting the best Bond 'femme fatale', the deadly Fatima Blush, played by Barbara Carrera. To this, you can add Kim Basinger as the fought-over love interest, Domino; Edward Fox as 'M' and Max von Sydow in full cat-stroking mode as SPECTRE's 'Number One', Blofeld. At Connery's invitation, Alec McCowan also gives a turn as 'Algernon' - this film's 'Q'. To the fascinating cast of actors and characters you can add a good nation-hopping storyline about the theft of two thermonuclear warheads, with which SPECTRE intends to literally hold the world to ransom; unless, that is, Mr Bond can get to them first.

Nominally a re-adaptation of the Ian Fleming novel, 'Thunderball', to which one of the film's producers, Kevin McClory, owned the screen rights, the script for 'Never Say Never Again' was first worked out in practice by Sean Connery and the British spy novelist, Len Deighton, with later re-writes being carried out, at Connery's request, by the British comedy/drama scriptwriting team of Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Sadly, none of this collaborative work was acknowledged in the credits for the released film, but the end result of it was a script which is logical, efficient, self-referential and occasionally very amusing. It makes sense from beginning to end, which hasn't always been the case with scripts for Bond films, and it provides the perfect swansong to Connery's career of playing the character. Whether by accident or design - and I think by Sean Connery's overall design - the script really could not have been bettered.

A number of the location scenes for 'Never Say Never Again' were shot in the lengthening shadows of what looks like late afternoon sunlight. This bathes Connery's performance in the kind of elegiac light which complements the fact that he is portraying an older James Bond, in what was to be his final performance in the role. In other words, the film deliberately plays to the strengths of having an older Sean Connery playing a more mature James Bond, and this is true of both the script as well as the direction. I think the intelligence of this approach is much to the film's credit. I also think that Connery's performance as Bond was refreshed and reinvigorated by his twelve-year break from the role, and from him bringing to it a more seasoned and relaxed maturity than might have been possible earlier in his career. In truth, he wears the part like a comfortable old suit which still happens to look good in the mirror. And he clearly got himself into better physical shape for this film than was the case, for example, with 'Diamonds Are Forever' (1971) where he was beginning to look distinctly paunchy. In 'Never Say Never Again' Connery's stomach is once again flat.

It is a pity that post-production tensions between star, director and producers, resulting in some public bad-mouthing, have tended to obscure the film's virtues. 'Never Say Never Again' would not be the only film to have suffered this fate. But it seems pretty clear to me, both from the film's contents and from its length, that what Connery wanted to put on the screen, is pretty much what is on the screen.

The argument that 'Never Say Never Again' is not an 'official' James Bond film is just so much nonsense. 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.

With its exotic locations, interesting characters, strong script and well choreographed fights, 'Never Say Never Again' has got just about everything that you could possibly want from a James Bond film. And so far as this reviewer is concerned, it is the best Bond film of them all.

3.0 out of 5 stars Domino's pizza's.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 20 December 2017

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One thing that really bores me is the age old discussion of who is the best 007! People chop and change their narrow minds all the time when it comes to who holds the crown. When Sir Roger Moore sadly passed in 2017, people started saying that he was their favourite because "nobody did it better". I've never met anyone who says anything but Sean Connery was the best! I firmly believe that having this argument is as pointless as vegetarian food and alcohol free beer!

Personally I love all of the actors who have played James Bond and do not have a favourite. I judge each movie on it's own merit and have my favourite 007 adventures. That brings me onto Never Say Never Again, released at the same time as Roger Moores Octopussy, my least favourite Bond film. With Sean Connery returning to the role in Never Say Never Again in this unofficial film, put the boot right into the face of the series.

Never Say Never Again is far better than Octopussy and not because Connery was back but because it's just a better movie. It's a loose remake of Thunderball but when I watch it I don't think back to that film because NSNA more than holds it's own. Connery looks menacing and dangerous back in the tux and does a fair bit of bonking. Two woman in one afternoon! The randy bugger would have to end up dipping the tip in a bottle of milk! The action scenes are top notch, especially the car/bike chase with the classic Renault 5 turbo.

NSNA is not without it's faults though. Rowen Atkinson is stupid and about as funny as Mr Bean. Edward Fox plays M but is just very irritating with his over posh English accent. Kim Basinger is Domino, the mistess of the villain and eventual love interest of Bond. She is OK but he breasts are on show far too much through tight clothing, showing he nipples off like Chicago Town pizza's.

Despite falling out with the original producers, Albert R. Brocoli and Harry Saltzman, and dismissing his contribution to the Bond franchise, Connery looks like he is enjoying himself here. Especially at the end when he confirms that was the last time he would play JB, giving us a cheeky wink to the camera.

The Bluray of NSNA is loaded with extras, with informative docs but sadly nothing new from Sean Connery. Also did you know Steven Seagal helped Connery train for the fight scenes.

I'll finish off with listing my top 10 Bond films:
Dr No
GoldFinger
From Russia With Love
Skyfall
Live And Let Die
Casino Royale
The Man With The Golden Gun
Goldeneye
Licence To Kill
Moonraker

4.0 out of 5 stars Still Bond, James Bond. Better than Thunderball

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 15 April 2017

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As a remake of a Bond film, it is a challenge to pull off, but remaking Thunderball is actually a quite easy task. Although Thunderball has some funny one liners, is beautifully shot, gorgeous music in places, pretty violent for a Bond film (but not horrifically violent like Casino Royale) and has an epic underwater battle, the film had bland side characters and villain (probably more down to the writing department), and some of its action scenes (including its underwater battle scene which people complained to be boring as hell) and finale could've been better.
So with Never Say Never Again (a pretty stupid title to be honest), they up-scaled the film to be more like a Roger Moore Bond flick with Sean Connery, and in my opinion they deliver it well with entertainment. Although not perfect, the film has less boring scenes than Thunderball and has better additions that improves over Thunderball. Firstly the side characters are more fleshed out, with the villain having more sense of life, the femme fatale henchwoman has more choices of weapons than just sexual aura (though for some reason I always think the original's redhead actress is more alluring), and while Kim Basinger's Bond girl is not much improved in the writing department she is easily a better actress choice for the role.
Then the film's action scenes are very good. As you would expect for a Roger Moore film its action scenes bounce back and forth between slapstick comedy and serious danger. Its humor is also very good too.
However I generally don't rate this as one of the best Bond films because there are little gripes that Thunderball is better at like the cinematography, music, and story structure, and although the villain actor is decent, he could've done better, maybe show some cold-hearted body language and expression to offset his eccentricity in this film, as if the eccentricity is a false mask of his emotional indifference.
Overall despite all of these gripes, it's next to From Russia with Love and Goldfinger as my fav Sean Connery Bond films.

4.0 out of 5 stars Connery's Return to Bond

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 3 October 2018

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This is the one Bond film that is not part of the "official" EON franchise. It's a remake of Thunderball with Sean Connery returning to the role of 007 over a decade after he bowed out and handed the role over to Roger Moore. This is an action adventure flick, it's fun to see Connery again, Kim Basinger is a worthy Bond girl and Klaus Maria Brandauer as the villain Largo may actually be preferable to the Italian actor in the original film. But while it's all good fun, it's painfully obvioius that Connery is getting on and the whole thing is just not quite on a par with the slick films of the EON franchise. However, if you look at it as Bond spoofing Bond, it works rather well. Definitely one for fans of Sean Connery.

The DVD I bought is fine. It has English subtitles for those who may need them. By way of extra featrues there is only a trailer.

5.0 out of 5 stars Never Say it wasn't worth seeing more (Moore?) Connery.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on 29 November 2017

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Although not part of the official run of James Bond run of movies, this is one of my favourite Bond films. Still a very underrated film by many, but I can't fault Sean Connery's performance (in my opinion easily the best Bond) in this remake of 'Thunderball'. Yet there is enough new approaches to the script, that it still feels like a fresh new story. Plus (and I'm probably in the minority here) but I actually prefer 'Never Say Never Again' to 'Thunderball'. 'Thunderball' is my least favourite film of the Connery era anyway (again, probably in the minority). 'Never Say Never Again' has a great script, good drama, decent performances and some funny humour. 10/10