Never Say Never Again (1983)

Directed by: Irvin Kershner | 133 minutes | action, adventure, thriller | Actors: Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Bernie Casey, Alec McCowen, Edward Fox, Pamela Salem, Rowan Atkinson, Valerie Leon, Milos Kirek, Pat Roach, Anthony Sharp, Prunella Gee, Gavan O’Herlihy, Ronald Pickup, Robert Rietty, Guido Adorni, Vincent Marzello, Christopher Reich, Billy J. Mitchell, Manning Redwood, Anthony Van Laast, Saskia Cohen Tanugi, Sylvia Marriott

‘Never Say Never Again’ is an unofficial James Bond film. Writer and executive producer Kevin McClory owned the rights to this Ian Fleming story, which was previously made into a movie, also starring Sean Connery, as ‘Thunderball’. This 1965 film was the fourth James Bond film and – despite the slightly too long running time – can certainly be counted among the best Bond films from the Connery era. The judge’s ruling in the lawsuit was that McClory was allowed to use the names SPECTER and Blofeld, which is why these arch-enemies of Bond were never seen again after this. McClory hired Sean Connery to reprise the role that brought him so much success and fame. The title ‘Never Say Never Again’ has nothing to do with the story, but all the more with Connery’s statement after filming ‘Diamonds Are Forever’. Irvin Kershner of ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was hired as director.

Of course there are differences between ‘Never Say Never Again’ and ‘Thunderball’. What is immediately noticeable is the absence of the opening sequence, the music by John Barry and the “right” actors for the roles of Q, M and Moneypenny. However, for fans of Connery as Bond as opposed to Roger Moore, there is plenty to enjoy. Connery brings 007 back to basics, with his gentlemanlike manners, the amused look in his eyes and his charm that leaves no woman unmoved. Even though he’s 53 when the movie comes out, and it shows, he still manages to hold his own in bare-handed combat. By the way, Roger Moore was already 55 when ‘Octopussy’ came out, also in 1983. Two years later he made ‘A View to a Kill’, so arguments against Connery as Bond in the eighties because he would be too old don’t make sense. .

Besides Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer in particular steals the show. His Maximillian Largo is endearing but very dangerous, and this makes him a plausible villain. Fortunately, he is not a caricatural enemy, but a flesh and blood man. Barbara Carreras plays the maniacal murderess (although she doesn’t actually kill many people in the film). She looks beautiful, in sometimes very bizarre – even laughable – outfits, but unfortunately her role is very cliché. However, she can’t be blamed for that, rather the weak script, because she is convincing. Her reaction when Largo gives her another chance to help Bond into the other world: She hops down the stairs, shakes her dark hair and murmurs with pleasure. A sexy and seductive, but very dangerous lady. One of the actresses who has built a big name and who played one of her first major roles is Kim Basinger. Her portrayal of Domino Petachi gets a tight pass, it is clear that she is still at the beginning of her career. Her playing is unbalanced, although she does have the right look. In certain scenes she lacks just that little bit of emotion in her facial expression to come across as believable. What’s also interesting is that in ‘Never Say Never Again’ Rowan Atkinson can be seen for the first time. The way in which he portrays his character has later become characteristic of him.

There are quite a few unnecessary and long-winded scenes, such as the scene where James shows the goodies he smuggled into the health clinic, the fight scene in the same health clinic with the almost indestructible and unknown man, the scene where Bond plays a video game against Largo that is wonderfully out of date – and therefore perhaps worth seeing again, albeit too long-winded… While the underwater scenes took too long in ‘Thunderball’, in ‘NSNA’ there is one exciting underwater scene when 007 is chased by a couple of sharks. One of the last underwater scenes, in which Largo dies, is a disappointment, an anti-climax. However, the humor is very nice and this film has again spawned some classic one-liners (“Yes, but my Martini is still dry.”). The trick Bond pulls with the doorman to enter and stay in the casino is also very humorous.