65 replies to this topic

[David Somerset]

This movie doesn't seem to get mentioned much apart from the odd jibe or five. I am interested to know if anyone rates this as their all time favourite Bond or even rates it at all.

[Righty007]

I have not seen NSNA because it is not official and I have already seen Thunderball. Right now there are only 20 James Bond films.

[Tanger]

Whilst it's not exactly a msaterpiece it's quite a good movie and it should definitely be checked out. Just don't compare it to the official movies too much as, in a way, this is a different ball game.

[scaramanga]

Whilst it isn't part of the official series, it's still a "James Bond" film. Never Say Never Again is considered by many fans to be the black sheep of the Bond canon.

[scaramanga]

Just been thinking, can a person say "black sheep" nowadays? I remember someone telling me that the nursery rhyme "Ba, ba black sheep" had been replaced with "Ba, ba white sheep" because of racial implications.

[[dark]]

I daresay that whoever told you that was pulling your leg.

As for Never Say Never Again, it is the black sheep of the Bond canon. It's definitely worth a watch - - it's interesting to see a non-Eon Bond flick.

The film lacks in several areas and without a strong production team, not even Connery was enough to save this one.

I'd definitely check it out, though Righty.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Righty007
I have not seen NSNA because it is not official and I have already seen Thunderball. Right now there are only 20 James Bond films.

I'm surprised you don't see it at all. It all goes towards the totality of Bond lore.

It's beginnings are rooted in Fleming so why is it omitted?

[scaramanga]

Originally posted by [dark]
I daresay that whoever told you that was pulling your leg.

It came from a very close friend of mine who works as a nursery nurse.

[SPECTRE No. 7]

NSNA isnt a great film, but it does have some interesting parts (mainly the actors, all of whom (except for Kim Basinger) are excellent in their parts. It is certainly worth seeing, and shouldnt be discounted as a Bond film merely for the fact that it is an (inferior) remake of Thunderball.

[doublenoughtspy]

The film is weak in a number of areas, but it's still entertaining.

I also think Fatima Blush was the prototype for Xenia Onatopp.

You could make an argument that Fiona Volpe was - but I think Fatima Blush is much more blatantly sexually agressive and evil.

And for those of you who don't count it as an "official" film - to the average consumer - it's out in DVD in packaging that mirrors the official releases of the other films, and it comes from MGM - so the man on the street won't know or care about it's rouge status.

[Bryce (003)]

Here's my two cents -

NSNA rocks - and here's why.

Connery will ALWAYS be Bond (not just to the fans, but also to the masses) and he went into this project as a 60's Bond film set against the 80's.

Connery stated that it was to be an "older Bond" - He was 52 when they shot it so he played Bond at 52, put on (one of his better) the toupe' and did it as the same Bond that battled Goldfinger, Dr. No etc. and was called in as the old pro.

That's what made it work. Sure, it was a re-hash of TB, but the supporting cast made it fun and long before Xenia, Fatima all but stole the show. Bernie Casey as Felix was grand and inspired. He and Sean clearly got on well and had chemistry.

Klaus as Largo was fantastic. Through in locales and some good lines and few stunts (the fight in Shrublands is classic) and even Bond in his Bentley and you're in for a good time.

Don't get me started on McClory though;)

[B007GLE]

I really like NSNA and would put it in my top ten Bond films.

It has Connery. After seeing Roger's clowning go on and on I for one was more than ready for Sean's return.

IT has Klaus Maria Brandaur who is second only to Goldfinger as villains go as far as I'm concerned. ANd

It has Fatima Blush.

Unfortunately it also has that hoirrid musical score. If David Arnold could re-score that film it'd be nearly a masterpiece.

[[dark]]

Originally posted by scaramanga
It came from a very close friend of mine who works as a nursery nurse.

Hmm, well, I can't say I've heard of that before. Sounds a little far-fetched to me.

Who justifies such things anyway?

[BONDFINESSE 007]

when it came out i thought at first i was going to really like the film because of connery but half way through i found out i really did not like it to much, and a large part i think has to do with i am a moore fan first and at the time i did not want any bond besides moore

[Doubleshot]

I think Bryce's comments are right on the mark. While not anywhere near the standards of the original Thunderball (IMO one of those rare perfect Bond films), Never Say Never Again is a particularly enjoyable movie because of Connery's great, aging Bond performance (which came in the middle of the Roger Moore years, thank God) and the incredible cast around him. Never Say Never boasted one of the best casts since From Russia With Love and still stands up fairly well. I think the film loses it's footing and dies when Bond joins Largo on his yaht and a couple more points for that atrocious Michael LeGrand score, but despite those complaints I love the film and watch it more regularly than say.. The Spy Who Loved Me or any of the 70s Moore films.

[Von Hammerstein]

Klaus Maria Brandauer was wonderful as a Largo who you could see was psychotic, Barbara Carrera was a marvelous Fatima Blush but you have to give kudos to Max Von Sydow as Ernst Stavro Blofeld complete with white persian cat. The only down side of the flick was Michele Le Grand's uninspired score, a real dissapointment.

[Prav_007]

NSNA will never be close to a Bond film because their wasn't the James Bond theme in the music.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by David Somerset
This movie doesn't seem to get mentioned much apart from the odd jibe or five. I am interested to know if anyone rates this as their all time favourite Bond or even rates it at all.

I'm a big fan of NSNA...I would say it is much better than sone of the EIB entries (TWINE, TND, DAD, MR, DAF, LTK and TMWTGG to name just a few). In many respects it is better than the original TB...I think the superb dialogue and masterful Barbara Carrera performance are specfic highlights. It's also worthy to note that Connery looks fat better than he did 12 years prior in DAF.
It is probably somewhere around number 10 in my list of James Bond movies.
Righty007....I don't think you can criticize a movie you openly admit to not having even seen.

[Qwerty]

While NSNA isn't my favorite Bond film, it's not the worst. I enjoy it, and watch it regularally with the other 007 films. The real treat of the film is the villains. Max Largo is perfectly played as a crazed lunatic, and his scenes with Domino are wonderful. Fatima Blush is the true wicked witch. Her final scene with Bond is magnificent! ("You're quite a man Mister James Bond. But I am a superior woman. Guess where you get the first one.")

[Blox]

...I happen to see a bit of NSNA around the time TND was released. I hadn't seen it in ages. Yet after the endless litany of noisy chases and trite "we'll finish it together" dialogue in TND, NSNA was a revelation. Not a great film, but it improves over time.

[Ed King]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow

I don't think you can criticize a movie you openly admit to not having even seen.

And I don't think you can criticize a movie you watched for the last (and only) time 4 years ago. (kinda off-topic, I know)

About NSNA: I watched it a long time ago, and the only thing I remember about it is Bond killing Fatima.

[booyeah_]

I consider NSNA to be a Bond film, but not in the official series. It's still a pretty good film though. I might even rank it above TND as far as enjoyment and replay value.

Fatima Blush was great but still no Fiona Volpe. The dialogue and one-liners were great too. The opening sequence was well done and Connery makes every movie he's in better. I also like the song too. The absence of the Bond theme, Kim Bassinger, the new M_Q_Moneypenny, no title sequence, unoriginal plot, Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo(uncool and unconvincing IMO) and no gunbarrell take away from the movie though.

[booyeah_]

I'm not a fan of the video game match either.

[DLibrasnow]

In many ways I think NSNA is a great deal better than some of the EON entries...In fact it probably ranks in my top 10 somewhere...I love the dialogue and the fatima Blush character.

[Kingdom Come]

I was never fond of NSNA - I remember in the cinema not being able to hear the dialogue very well - and after hearing it many times on television and on different televisions, the sound is just as bad. Why do the majority of Bond films nearly always fall down in the dubbing of the films? Don't the dubbing people have hearing?

[Tanger]

Kind of off topic I know but there is a deleted scene from NSNA where Blofeld dies after getting poisoned by his cat's poisoned claw.

[booyeah_]

Originally posted by Tanger
Kind of off topic I know but there is a deleted scene from NSNA where Blofeld dies after getting poisoned by his cat's poisoned claw.

too bad they didn't put that on the DVD. :mad:

[Tanger]

I know. They could have don so much with that DVD but as it stands it's just a bare bones release with only a trailer. I wish they had put as much effort into it as they did with the 19 official releases.

[Double-Oh-Zero]

I've always had a soft spot for this film. It was one of the first Bonds I saw, and I've always loved the casting and humour in it. Edward Fox, Bernie Casey, Max Von Sydow, Barbara Carrera and even (God help me) Rowan Atkinson are all well-cast in their respective roles. And Sean knows he's doing this for fun, so that makes this film even funnier. I at least find it more entertaining than AVTAK or LTK.

[Bond111]

This movie is great. While it has a few flaws, it still maintains an exciting storyline and interesting characters (most notably Fatima Blush, perhaps one of the greatest of Bond femme fatales yet). Bernie Casey is great at Felix, and I daresay he is better than many of the 'official' Felix's. It isn't Kim Basinger's greatest acting performance (but she is good in other ways ). The score is somewhat mediocre, but does not detract too much from the film itself. Connery is much better here than he was in DAF, IMHO, and the one-liners are as great as ever. Please give this film a chance, regardless of its "unofficial" status.