You Only Live Twice (1967) movie review

[MrMaligner]

The gyropcopter scene alone is horrid and unbelievable. Even in my weakest moments I could never believe that piece of junk could do what it did and not go down in 20 seconds flat, let alone carry that much weaponry. As usual, the music and locations are great. Loved the visceral fight scene when bond fakes his way into the office building at night. I think Connery comes off bored in this. Thunderball is more interesting. One of the worst Bond movies but I like them all.

[Numinous20111]

I don't know why some people don't like Pleasance as Blofeld. He's intelligent, genuinely memorable and intimidating for such a small man. He drips menace. I like Savalas, but he seems a bit too human and a bit too low-key by comparison (necessary due to the tone and style of OHMSS). Grey was saddled with a bad concept in DAF. Connery doesn't look very enthusiastic by this stage.  Love the theme song, sets, locations and photography. It's uneven, but you get your money's worth.

[conrod15review]

this wud of been a great swan song for sean connery

[dymchurch1]

I saw this movie when I was 7 years old. I was a huge lover of the Bond films but this one has the added distinction of setting me squarely on the path to becoming a lifelong nipponophile.

[hoogys]

The way they killed off Blofeld in the series was ridiculous.

[AftershockXXI]

Donald Pleasance is the best Blofeld.

[sparkybus]

@AftershockXXI The best .Kill Bond NOW!!!!!!

[randomdave30]

@AftershockXXI Also the best thing about the movie

[heavytom89]

oh man this movie sucks on so many levels. Its down right insulting. Take one example: Helga got bond tied to chair ready to be killed but nooo lets take him on an airplane, destroy it and jump out in a parachute in stead, that make sence. Ore take another scene: If Aki is Bonds ally why would she have to lure bond into tiger tanaka , why not just tell Bond right away that they where allys, but noo that would not be suspenseful for the audience. This movie really started to dumb the series down

[EmeraldIsleStar]

"REPEAT,LITTLE NELLEH!!!

[MrSherlockWatson]

in dr.no honey ryder tells this story about some guy and how she scratched his face and he soposeably died due to a black widow spider. My friend thinks the man she scratched was blofeld....opinions fellow bond fans?

[NecroVMX]

@MrSherlockWatson a nice theory, but in the book it's explicitly stated to have been her husband

[MrSherlockWatson]

@NecroVMX ok, thanks :)

[dwswh2]

i pretty much agree with your rating, although not as good as others like you said, the storyline was good, sets were magnificent, memorable villians, aki was a great bond girl unlike what we had seen before as a fellow agent but its a shame she was killed and replaced by kissy who doesn't do as much as to the role and basically follows bond for the most part. great film, song, a great bond :)

[gs032009]

Does anyone know the car model??

[Quex01]

First three bond movies were the best, after that Sean Connery started to be uninterested about these overblown action adventures. Volcano movie set was still one of the most expensive and extravagant of Ken Adam design works.

[crap1403]

i found that this movie had some weird moments as in an army of NINJAS attacking the villains base inside of what appears to be a dormant volcano with a fake layer of water on top.

[GeneralOlszewski]

@crap1403 wot i dont get is how its dormant but when it explodes lava comes out

[heavytom89]

this is much more overblown than thunderball, fucking space ships swallowing other space ships? a liar inside a volcano? and that stupid helicopter thing little nelly ore wathever

[allthingsclassicrock]

@heavytom89 agreed i personally like thunderball much better, better babes, better gadgets, better story

[MegaVergan]

this is indeed a big improofment of thunderball.

[swinetastic]

Who wouldn't laugh when they hear the name Kissy Suzuki? :P

[MauricioCasteglione]

Mr. Gorilla Craig image is a mistake. He sucks.

[intrepidlikes]

can anyone tell me whatever happened to the lovely MIE HAMA, the Japanese actress who played Kissy Suzuki? Where can I go to see any of her current pictures? I heard she became a bus conductress after YOLT? Can anybody confirm? Thank you.:)

[vaj99]

@intrepidlikes Hama was working as a bus fare collector when she was spotted by producer Tomoyuki Tanaka. She went on to become one of the most in-demand actresses in Japan. Notable appearances included Toho Studio's monster movies such as King Kong Escapes. By the time she starred in You Only Live Twice, she had made more than 60 movies.

[leeboy26]

Aside from the silly japanese make-over scene I like YOLT. Where would the Austin Powers series be without it? Excellent score by Nancy, too.

[Gallifrey1991]

this film is NOT better than Dr. No. Sorry.

[NecroVMX]

@Gallifrey1991

Actually yes, yes it is. And I'm not sorry for that.

[MCP2012]

@NecroVMX Reasonably good review, but, w/all due respect, I must concur that YOLT is NOT unambiguously *better* than Dr. No, though it is, arguably, anyway, more-or-less every bit as good (and very nearly, tho, again, arguably not quite, as good as FRWL &/or Goldfinger). Dr. No, especially considering its $1M budget (which, even then, was paltry), was a rather well-done film. The best of the entire series (so far, anyway) is OHMSS. But ALL of the Connery Bonds r worth a view.

[crazy93ist]

@NecroVMX I completely agree with you. You Only Live Twice is one of my favorites. Its clearly an underrated Bond classic.

[mathman43]

@Gallifrey1991 The other guy was right. You only Live Twice is better than Dr. No. I don't agree it's better than Thunderball. They're about the same.

[MultiUncensored]

My favorite Bond movie by far

[Wadsy591]

@NecroVMX

Why do so many people insult you regarding the numbering of the Bond films? Including the non-official isn't a problem, but several hundred idiots out there seem to think so. Anyway, You Only Live Twice is personally one of my favorites in the series. Up there among the greats.

[Horatius1981]

@Wadsy591 Best Bond theme for sure.

[nervchemnitz]

3:43 Peter Hunt didn't want Donald Pleasence in OHMSS because the role became more physical. As much as I like Donald Pleasence as an actor and as Blofeld in YOLT, it would be difficult to see him posing much of a physical threat to George Lazanby or the Bond character in OHMSS.

[TomfromExeter]

@nervchemnitz Or having a harem of 12 beautiful women around him. Telly Savalas seemed more plausibly virile

[Pinesol131]

Connery is lacking the enthusiasm and sparkle he did in his previous films in this film.

[Pinesol131]

This is possibly the worst film in the series.

[Pinesol131]

This movie is possibly one of the worst in the series.

[TheDrYes]

pleasence did do good in halloween though i did miss him

[heavytom89]

this is probably the only bond film i fell a sleep waching. BOOOORING

[amarsbarr]

damn good movie, bollocks, it was terrible. 

[majorfloods101]

it's the 5th film

[NecroVMX]

@majorfloods101 It's the seventh film

[randomdave30]

@NecroVMX It's the last film, followed by On Her Majesty's Secret Service

[NecroVMX]

@randomdave30 Yeah that makes sense. hurr

[GeneralOlszewski]

@NecroVMX  5th

[NecroVMX]

@GeneralOlszewski No, check the playlist.

[GeneralOlszewski]

@NecroVMX Dr.No, From Russia with love, Goldflinger, Thunderball, YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

[NecroVMX]

@GeneralOlszewski except both versions of casino royale essentially don't exist right? You're a moron and I'm now blocking you. Next time someone says check the playlist, do it before you make an ass out of yourself.

[help4343]

@NecroVMX

The first Casino Royale was an episode from a TV show, not a movie. The second is a spoof and not a real James Bond movie.

[NecroVMX]

@help4343 yadda yadda t shirt. does it fucking matter? it's the seventh fucking review. Stop fucking arguing.

[help4343]

@NecroVMX

why are you so hostile? You were the one arguing with the person that said that it is the fifth James Bond FILM, not about which review number it is

[NecroVMX]

@help4343 Maybe two years after putting these videos up I'm sick of morons coming and trying to argue with me about shit that A) they're wrong about B) doesn't matter and C) has already been argued about in the comments like 40 times.

[gs032009]

@GeneralOlszewski 7th film?????? Right it's the 5th.

[TheDrYes]

@majorfloods101 hes counting casino royales unofficial and craig i think i was confused too

[dbspaceoditty]

I...love you

[toadie48]

Oh yeah good review though :)

[toadie48]

Hey NecroVMX its the 5th Bond film, look:

1962 - Dr. No

1963 - From Russia With Love

1964 - Goldfinger

1965 - Thunderball

1967 - You Only Live Twice

[NecroVMX]

except you're only listing EON productions, they weren't the only ones to make Bond movies

[58fenix]

necrovmx those are tv shows.Were

talking about bond movies.Not the one

with barry nelson and david niven.DR.

NO is the first!

[NecroVMX]

@58fenix ONE was aired on TV and a film aired on TV is a film nontheless

[58fenix]

Hey necro,look I think you do a good job interviewing,but your wrong on whats the first and not.I'm not going to argue with

you about this.But I just whated you to

know.

[NecroVMX]

@58fenix Nope, you're 100% wrong, look at the playlist.

[Graphic36]

My favorite Bond movie.

[tupaei01]

I love Akiko Wakabayashi... she was a lifesaver for Bond in the movie... and of course so stuningly beautiful! <3 When I saw the flick for the first time I felt so sad when she (her character) died.

ps. Ms. Wakabayashi I hope you're still alive and well! Thanks to the uploader for this video!

[praatjesmaker07]

there's something very good about this film and something very bad...:

Good: We finally see blofeld's face

Bad: Bond changes in a Japanner, i think he just always have to be himself in all films, that's my opinion

[desotowrong]

This was the first Bond film I ever saw and to be honest, I feel that this is the last great entry in the series till the ones in the mid-to-late seventies.

[58fenix]

I agree with you!But want about brosnan

and craig?

[desotowrong]

I did say till the mid to-late-seventies. To answer your question though, all of Pierce Brosnan's movies were satisfying even when they weren't great. Somehow I think Daniel Craig may be the best Bond yet and I can definitely say the same for Casino Royale. I may just have to post reviews of my own eventually to give my full thoughts and opinions.

[58fenix]

I see want your saying.I must of not

really read want you said.But I'm suprised

that you like craig.VERY!Because people

who claim there bonds dont like him!

[58fenix]

Whos your favorite bond and why?Just curious?And to me I dont think craigs

the best bond.just because he has'nt

proven that yet.He's only did two so for.

So to me we dont know that yet.

[desotowrong]

So far, I think Daniel Craig is the best. I say that because he has nearly perfected James Bond. He can be all sorts of things and is effected by things tha happen. By the end of Casino Royale, he suffers a great loss and becomes very coldhearted and in Quantum of Solace, we see him try to come to tems with these tragic events, His third outing will likely show us weither or not he really is the ultimate Bond. Roger Moore was so impressed that he actually went and bought Casino Royale on DVD.

[58fenix]

Will the next one should have Q and

monneypennny.We should see more

humor and charm.But,we really kind of dont know if he's a perfect bond yet.Like

you said the ultimate should be next.

[58fenix]

We all know want kind of bond he is though.He's more darker that anyone

else that has played bond.You see they

only have it written to were bond is dark.

Thats why I say we really dont know yet!

[58fenix]

Moore does'nt like the new ones to will.

He claims there to violent.But there are

reasons why they are.Craigs bond is

dark so thats want your going to get.

[TheGuyThatsAwesome]

@58fenix Moore loved Casino Royale, he said so himself. I think it was just QoS that he didn't like, but I'm not sure.

[58fenix]

@TheGuyThatsAwesome He did like it,moore just

thinks there too violent!

[Evilvillager1989]

Imagine how different the movies would have been if Pleasence would have continued the role of Blofeld. I like Telly Savallas but he seemed too less Gangster'ish in the role. I think, that charles gray might be an good actor but he didnt seem to fit the role. And Max von Sydow just had far too less screentime.

[DangerouslyYours]

Yes, I agree. Pleasance was the best Blofeld. Savalas looked proper for the role but he was unable to do a semi-German accent, and Gray did not fit the role. Von Sydow, well, we never actualy saw his face. Yul Brynner would have made an excellent Blofeld, too.

[Evilvillager1989]

Thats an very nice idea. I think you are right. Yul Brynner would have been an great blofeld too.

[DarthFleur]

Charles Gray was not Blofeld.

IMO Savalas is the best

[lloydee1983]

@DarthFleur without a doubt

[TheDrYes]

@DangerouslyYours i kind of liked him gray as blofeld just because of face time

[DangerouslyYours]

Although YOLT is my favorite Bond film, I think Roald Dahl overlooked a clever idea for his screenplay. In 1963's From Russia With Love, we see the first pager and car phone on ever on screen. YOLT was released in 1967, yet Bond tells Kissy to contact Tanaka with every man he's got. Instead of using some type of communication device (which we already saw in From Russia WIth Love) she physically has to swim and walk to contact Tanaka.

[Minaparker777]

Muito gostoso o Sean Connery!

PUTZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

[NecroVMX]

I don't speak homeless

[Minaparker777]

Cuma???

[SubtleDemise]

This was my second Bond movie, the first being Goldeneye.

[DangerouslyYours]

It is the consummate OO7 film. As "M" said, 'This is the big one, OO7." Priceless soundtrack, exquisite cinematography, very tight screenplay, clever dialogue, Donald Pleasance was the best Blofeld. The Volcano idea was brilliant and unique storyline. You Only Live Twice is my favorite OO7 film.

[sserpent21]

The locales are nice, The Volcano is hella awesome and Tiger is cool. I didn't care for the rest. Connery looks bored and I personally don't care for Donald Pleasance as Blofeld but I think I'm in the minority on that one. Sevalas may have been gangster like but at least he was cool.

It's more fun then Thuderball. Thunderball needed a better editor. I like the book You Only Live Twice better then either.

The fat guy with the sword is The Rocks grand dad.

[Evilvillager1989]

Some Character developement lack but its an very enjoyable Bond movie after all.

[RareTVShowsonDVD]

Kissy Suzuki...probably the most boring and forgettable Bond Girls ever.

[trwent]

I disagree totally.  She is very hot and quite heroic, actually.

[NWAfan]

The reason she was that way is because

that is the way japanesse woman are taught to be from birth. You must know very little about the behind scenes of 007. Read Rubin's book.

[Wadsy591]

@RareTVShowsonDVD

I'm going to have to agree with you there. I preferred Ari or whatever her name was, who was killed by the liquid.

[Glenn1967ful]

A big improvement over Thunderball as it showcased Japanese martial arts which, except for judo, were little known in the West, Blofeld is seen for the first time and the action scenes are less tedious. Also of interest to enthusiasts, Charles Gray appears as a British agent Henderson for a few minutes before resurfacing as Blofeld in Diamonds are Forever. I found this far more enjoyable than Thunderball.

[77Ruud]

I'm sorry, but I don't think (and a lot of people too) Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama) is one of the best/memorable Bondgirls ever. I find even Akiko Wakabayashi better. I would give it a 6 out of a possible 10.

[dafmurray]

Not my favourite kind of Bond film. It's better than Thunderball, but it's still too long and has too much padding. I guess this was the first Bond film to totally disregard the Fleming novel. I still think this movie relies too much on stunts, gadgets and massive sets in place of a really tight plot. Then again I don't usually Eastern settings so much and maybe it's just my blindspots about the movie. Pleasance is very good as is the theme song. Charles Grey will return.

[deadman00]

you could tell connery was bored of the role by this time.

pleassance was great as blofeld.

[trwent]

I love the Japanese wedding scene where the three women come up the steps. After the first two women come up and lift up their heads, revealing that they are older and unattractive, Bond is dejected thinking that the 3rd--the one he is going to marry--will be similar. But when she lifts her head to reveal that she is young and beautiful (and I do mean VERY beautiful!!), the look on Bond's face is priceless.

If Mie Hama had the face of a pig, they must have very good-looking pigs in Japan.

[jasonofaolain]

Thunderball is a better movie. Connery was fed up with the role and went through the motions. You are incorrect about the nuclear war-head. Blofeld was capturing shuttles to start a nuclear war. As for the song, she couldn't even get a master. She couldnt get it all together so they spliced numerous versions together (the only time that this happened in Bond). Your reviews are good, but too many inaccuracies!

[trwent]

Piranhas do NOT eat people nearly as fast as they were shown to do in this film. Helga Brandt would have had time to swim out of the water before getting seriously injured.

[anahiemduck1]

what I found funny is that nobody notices that rockets are being launched out of a volcanoe and the gyrocopter is very funny

[trwent]

If you look at the scenes where Bond is flying Little Nellie fighting the four bad guys in helicoptors, notice whenever there is a closeup of one of the enemy pilots, IT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE THE SAME GUY!!

Either the 4 pilots are identical quadruplets, or the the producers were just trying to save money by hiring only 1 actor instead of 4.

Also, the name is Kissy Suzuki is never actually uttered by anyone in the film.

[trwent]

I love this film because I love Asian women and there are two luscious ones in this movie, plus all of the beauties in Tanaka's bathhouse scene.

Two things always bothered me though:

(1) Helga Brandt said she had seen newspaper reports of Bond's death. But she meets him pretending to be Mr. Fisher, so why does she not recognize him from the newspaper photos?

(2) How in the hell does Blofeld make a volcano erupt? To my knowledge, no human can do that, not even in the year 2009!!!

[NecroVMX]

I consider (1) to be an error, though it could possibly be that she's just inattentive, In the book Bond's death comes at the end rather than the beginning.

As for (2) that's pretty much Cubby Broccoli making things more spectacular. In the book there was no volcano, but there were mud geysers all around Blofeld's castle (the "hells" of Japan) which Bond released the pressure at the end, destroying the castle. In the movie they just made it a volcano, which doesn't make sense but it was fun

[melosebrainuhoh]

Pretty much nothing in this movie makes sense. Why are the Americans and Russians stupid enough to fall for Blofeld's scheme? Why doesn't Bond escape from the docks with Aki? Why does Helga try to kill Bond in such a stupid way? Why does Blofeld make Bond accompany him down a bunch of corridors before trying to kill him? What good does Bond's fake marriage do? And what's the point of Bond faking his death, since nobody falls for it?

But I love it anyway.

[fredury]

it was the Cold War back then, the Russians and the Americans were at each others throats, they could've started a nuclear war over anyting. That's why they fell for Blofeld's scheme.

Bond's fake death gave Bond more freedom, people did fall for it, like Osato and Helga.

Bond needed to get closer to the cargo ship Ning-Po, belonging to Osato.

Bond's fake marriage was to give him extra cover in Japan and get closer to Blofeld's lair.

Get it now?

[dafmurray]

trwent, I can't answer that point you raised about Helga Brandt not recognising Bond. What really bugs me is that Blofeld and Bond don't recognise each other in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (I suppose since they are both played by different actors the 2nd time they meet...nah!) It's stil an extraordinary discontinuity in a film series and I wonder if the producers just hoped no one would raise the issue.

[john6380]

I think Telly Savalas was the best Blofeld.

[trwent]

Agreed, though it is odd that Blofeld does not initially recognize Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service since they met in You Only Live Twice. I guess it is because the Bond in OHMSS looks like George Lazenby, whereas the Bond in YOLT looks like Sean Connery!!

The worst Blofeld ever was undoubtedly in Diamonds Are Forever, played in ridiculous fashion by Charles Gray. He was about as scary as Barney the dinosaur!! (Plus he was also Mr. Henderson in YOLT!!!!)

[dafmurray]

trwent, sorry...didn't see your 2nd comment in time for my first reply. O.H.M.S.S. was published immediately before You Only Live Twice and I guess the film makers just did a faithful adaption of O.H.M.S.S., but there still is no way to watch both movies and pretend they relate to each other.

[dcasey77]

This has always been one of my favourite Bond films. I think as a piece of film-making it is probably the most polished and accomplished in the series.

This is very welcome after the technically shoddy and generally disappointing Thunderball which unbelievably remains the most successful film in the franchise.

Great review although SPECTRE is not launching a nuclear warhead, instead it is sending a spacecraft to capture an American spacecraft at the end of the film.

[Smashbrosforlife]

good film. that'd be it

[maynardyorke]

This was a bad movie; Connery tried but he looked and felt old, it was ridiculous when he turned Japanese an married

[NecroVMX]

I can't disagree more, I thought this was his last hurrah. I mean you could say he was bad in Diamonds Are Forever, but this one?

[maynardyorke]

He was bad in DAF (and NSNA) but this one can't slide either, you can't say he wasn't unusually sluggish and significantly slower

during my second bond marathon this film specifically came off as bad, the fight in the end was good but it also screwed up my favorite bond films continuity (OOMSS)

[NecroVMX]

You're right about the continuity but they pretty much threw that away when they started with Dr. No.

We'll have to agree to disagree, I thought this one was a long sight better than Thunderball at the least.

[maynardyorke]

We can both agree this was better than Die Another Day

Hows that for common ground? haha ; )

[NIDzNIGHTSzNID]

This film was definitely stylish, thrilling and action packed but the whole film did feel slightly daft. The magnet on the car was just plain ridiculous.

[beansman124]

cool vid necro. ps.first to comment!!!