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Diamonds are Forever

Diamonds are Forever

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ONLY ONE JAMES BOND...AND IT'S SEAN CONNERY!
Review: What a joy to see Sean Connery return to show 'em how to do it, after several pitiful performances by other actors. I watched "Diamonds" after witnessing the chaos of "World Is Not Enough" where I spent two hours searching in vain for a meaningful story line or a credible leading man. The stark contrast between what a REAL Bond film was and what it has become made "Diamonds" an even greater standout! There may be a few technical points that could have been handled differently but to a true Bond believer there was and always shall be only one James Bond and one "Chubby" Broccoli! If you love vintage Bond, you'll love the wonderfully restored "Diamonds Are Forever"!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fun Connery Bond
Review: "Diamonds Are Forever" is the most comedic Connery Bond adventure. This is Connery's first time back as 007 after a one picture break. While not the best of 007, it is certainly fun to see the best Bond fight S.P.E.C.T.R.E. one last time (not counting "Never Say Never Again").

There are some problems though. While "Diamonds" is very lighthearted and funny, it doesn't pay much respect to the 007 myth. In the Bond film previous to this; "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", 007 suffered a great emotional loss by Blofeld. In this film the stakes should have been raised higher and the tone much more dark.

Still, "Diamonds Are Forever" is fun for true 007 fans.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great Movie!!! A fun Bond film...
Review: This was a great tie-in with On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Imagine seeing OHMSS (I thought Lazenby did a great job in OHMSS) for the first time in the theaters and in the end you were hungry to see another movie with Bond getting Blofeld. Then with the release of Diamonds are Forever, in the opening scene Connery is back with a vengence. But halfway through, you find out that Blofeld is still alive and the plot still deals with the arch-villain. I thought that was a great twist. Anyway, I loved the character names and the actors and actresses who played them, the humor, and the one liners. I believe they were thinking to have a fun Bond movie and poke some fun at the series with the subtlety and style of the previous films. A great (and fun) Bond movie...

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Music is forever, Jill st. John, yes....movie, NO!
Review: As much as I try to like "Diamonds are forever", I can't. Connery looks old/tired and the script has him do everything in a sort of go-through-the-motions jest. The musical score is good, Jill St. John is a delight and the ending finally had Bond acting like Bond. Then the movie is over. It seems like the 1970s malaise had settled into the Bond film. When Roger Moore takes over in the thrilling "Live and Let Die" the Bond films become fast-paced action adventures with it difficult to deliver a realistic story line. Why Connery and company let "Diamonds are forever" drift into self-parody is a mystery to me, this was the whole point of Connery; he was believable and we were watching something that could really happen. My view is the last REAL 007 movie made by Connery was "You only Live twice".

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: THE BEST SEAN CONNERY JAMES BOND MOVIE
Review: THE BEST SEAN CONNERY JAMES BOND MOVIE

When I first saw "Diamonds Are Forever" I thought it was really good. It was the last Connery James Bond movie I had viewed. I had already watched the first 5 that he made. They were a little too serious. "Diamonds Are Forever" was more like Roger Moore's James Bond movies. "Diamonds Are Forever" was very different from the earlier ones, especially "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." It was closer to "The Man with the Golden Gun" and "A View to a Kill."

Watching the movie I kept finding it so much funnier from the earlier Connery ones and very enjoyable. All the villains were acting so cool, cool cool. It was as if I put on a Moore Bond movie. I think they were making a satire of their own series and the 60s spy craze.

The first six Bond films were played too straightforward. If there was any comedy at all it was played in a very indirect and dull manner. It was never lively but it was never done as a detriment of the story. It was always outlying the scene and meant to enhance it, not be the focus of it. This was wrong. It should have been central to the plot in such a way to advance each story in a more interesting way for greater audience interaction.

The villains in first six Bond films always played their parts way too seriously! They lacked any humor from within themselves. Some of the villains were kind of funny like Kleb, Benz and Oddjob. Kleb added some comic relief as she tried to kick Bond to death with a poisonous steel-pointed shoe in "From Russia With Love." "She's had her kicks," remarks Bond. Not bad! Otherwise the villains in first six Bond films were all too serious and too threatening to James Bond. They should have lightened up.

The villains in "Diamonds Are Forever," with the exception of Peter Franks, are all real unadulterated cool, very cool! They all make it that much more enjoyable and entertaining.

Bruce Glover as Mister Wint and Putter Smith as Mister Kidd, Blofeld's henchmen, are the coolest! Red Grant and Vargas were much too serious. When you think about however, Vargas, in "Thunderball" was sort of funny going around all the time in that black outfit in broad daylight!

Blofeld's other bad guys in "Diamonds Are Forever" include Burt Saxby, Shady Tree, Mrs. Whistler, Slumber, Bambi and Thumper. Burt Saxby comes to his end in a funny scene; he gets fired literally by Willard Whyte. Whyte was supposed to be guarded by Bambi and Thumper, but Bond gets them all wet in Whyte's swimming pool. They don't stand a chance against Bond! There are just so many good actors in minor parts in this film. Don't forget Klaus Hergersheimer "checking radiation shields."

Even the good guys are plentiful in amusing roles. Jimmy Dean as Willard Whyte and Norman Burton as Felix Leiter are good. Jill St. John as Tiffany Case and Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole are among the best "Bond Girls." "Q" has a good scene with Tiffany Case in the casino at a slot machine.

Many Bond fans didn't like Charles Gray's performance as Blofeld. He was not the same Blofeld we saw in "From Russia With Love," "Thunderball" or "You Only Live Twice." He was better than all of them.

This was Sean Connery's best performance as Bond. It looks like he had an amusing time coming back. He delivered an exceptional self-parody of his previous performances of James Bond 007.

John Barry's score was much better than his earlier ones. In fact, it is one of his better James Bond scores. It is second only to "The Man with the Golden Gun." He brought back his 007 theme to score the helicopter attack on the Blofeld's oilrig. We didn't hear that again until "Moonraker."

Ken Adam's designs for the Willard Whyte penthouse and Blofeld's mud bath hideout were similar to sets that were to come latter in the series. His best design was for the lunar surface set used at Willard Whyte's laboratories in the Nevada desert. The pipeline where "Bond smells a rat" was also very good.

This film set up theRoger Moore James Bond epics that were to come.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: As much fun as a trip to Vegas
Review: This was the first James Bond film I ever saw as a kid. I still find it a total hoot. It was in its time the fasted grossing film of all time. It broke all sorts of records. It may not be as good as the previous effort, the wonderful OHMSS starring George Lazenby, but it's much more fun. Jill St. John makes a credible Bond girl along for the ride and Jimmy Dean in his pre-sausage days does a nice Howard Hughes take-off. Much better than the stanky Roger Moore films, with the possible exception of TSWLM.Shirley Bassey's rendition of the title song is perhaps the best ever done for a Bond film. It has just been remixed in a new album of remixes done by the Propellerheads and other DJs enamored of Miss Bassey's talent.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: 180 degree turn
Review: When I first saw "Diamonds Are Forever" I left the theatre slightly shaken and definitely stirred. That was in December 1971. I remember getting the soundtrack album for Christmas. The soundtrack album: that was about the only thing I thought was good about this film, but even that wasn't much consolation for my unsettling reaction to this Bond movie. It just didn't sit quite well with me. Something about "Diamonds Are Forever" was very wrong.

As I had sat watching the film I kept thinking why is this film going out of its way to be funny? Why were all the villains acting so hokey? It was as if I walked into a Matt Helm movie. Looking back, it was if the filmmakers were making a parody of their own series.

The first six Bond films were played straight. If there was any comedy at all it was delivered in a very subtle and sophisticated manner. It was never diverting or done at the expense of the story line. It was always peripheral to the scene and meant to enhance the scene, not be the focus of it. In fact all the humor of the first six Bond films usually emanated from James Bond himself. He frequently threw off paradoxical droll commentaries to accentuate the scene at hand, but always took his job seriously and was dedicated to the bitter end of each assignment.

The villains in first six Bond films always played their parts with deadly seriousness lacking any humor from within with the exception of the "bad girls," Pussy Galore, Fiona Volpe and Helga Brandt. Honor Blackman, Luciana Paluzzi and Karin Dor, respectively, played their roles as the female counterpart to the mystique of Connery's Bond. They were never silly as they exuded their cool sexuality with wry aplomb. Given the right time they each would have given Bond his comeuppance without batting an eyelash. Male or female, the villains in first six Bond films were all dangerous and a threat to James Bond not to be taken lightly.

The villians in "Diamonds Are Forever," with the exception of Joe Robinson as Peter Franks, never present any real threat. They seem to be there for the sole purpose of getting some chuckles like performers in a vaudeville act.

Bruce Glover as Mister Wint and Putter Smith as Mister Kidd, Blofeld's henchmen, are not even pale shadows to Robert Shaw's Red Grant, Harold Sakata's Oddjob, Philip Locke's Vargas or Yuri Borienko's Gruenther.

Blofeld's "front man" Burt Saxby, played by veteran actor Bruce Cabot, comes to his end in a most ridiculous scene, again just for laughs after he gives a credible performance. Other earlier "front men" such as Guy Doleman as Count Lippe and Teru Shimada as Osato were portrayed believably and disposed of just as believably in "Thunderball" and "You Only Live Twice." The preeminent mouthpiece for Blofeld was Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." She ultimately and tragically murdered James Bond's bride.

Blofeld's scientists also can't seem to retain credibility for the entirety of the film. Joseph Furst performance as professor Metz falls completely apart in the final act like some misguided schoolboy. David Healy as the Vandenburg Launch Director is just ludicrous. It's all just supposed to be so very funny.

When you think back to "Dr. No" and the likes of Professor Dent (Anthony Dawson), Mr. Jones - the chauffeur from the airport (Reggie Carter), the "freelance" photographer for the Daily Gleaner (Margaret Le Wars), Miss Taro (Zena Marshall), Sister Rose (Michele Mok) and Sister Lily (Yvonne Shima) the odds were definitely against James Bond. In "Diamonds Are Forever" the villains are a no-show.

Almost every scene in this film is either played with a comic slant or is directed as pure hokum. One scene that is played straight is when Bond slaps Tiffany Case across the cheek demanding the identity of her contact after finding the body of Plenty O'Toole in the swimming pool. The fight scene in the elevator between Bond and Peter Franks is also played straightforward until Tiffany Case enters the scene. That's about it.

The plot is very confusing and it really doesn't matter because the film does not take itself serious.

Many Bond enthusiasts were not pleased with Charles Gray's performance as Blofeld. He was not the same Blofeld we saw, or didn't see in "From Russia With Love," "Thunderball" or "You Only Live Twice." He was closer to Telly Savalas' performance in "OHMSS" but infinitely much more sophisticated. Given the tone of this film Gray's performance was on target. The continuity of the Blofeld character in this series, which showed signs of crumbling, disintegrated completely in this film.

I have never understood why so many critics through the years have stated that this was Sean Connery's best performance as Bond. It looks like he had fun making it, but again he was just going through the motions and delivered a good self-parody of his previous performances of the character.

John Barry's score was much more lightweight, not in substance, but in sound. He appropriately reflected the tone of the film. The string and percussion sections are much more prominent here than in earlier Bond films. Actually, it is one of his better Bond scores. The only weak part being the helicopter attack on the Blofeld's oilrig. He reverted back to his 007 theme, which he had used too much better effect in "Thunderball."

Ken Adam's designs for the Willard Whyte penthouse and Blofeld's cavernous mud bath lair were familiar and welcome additions from the man who helped set the visual style for the series.

There are just so many things different about this film from what I was used to seeing. The editing, costumes cinematography, plot, gadgets, and so forth were all changed.

This film is what changed the entire coarse of the series and was actually the vanguard for the Roger Moore's Bond.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Connery's worst Bond film.....
Review: Of course after You Only Live Twice, Connery vowed never to return to the Bond franchise. After OHMSS flopped, they pleaded with Connery to make one more film, to reclaim the series' good name. The first half of the film was actually interesting, but then the dirty sex jokes of the early 70s come in. By the end of the film, the budget HAD to have been low. For instance, look for the few explosions at the end of the film that appear in the distance. They look like someone just struck a match!!!! If anything, I would buy this DVD for the bonus features. Moore's first film, Live and Let Die, which followed this film is much better.........

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Diamonds Are Forever-The Best (and Funniest) Bond Film Ever!
Review: Diamonds Are Forever is my favorite Bond film of all time! Its also the funniest. From the first time I seen it I knew it was the best Bond flick! Everything I like about Bond is in this film. I think Sean Connery had his best performance as Bond in Diamonds. His performance seems more complete than his other Bond films. He also seems more into playing the role than he did before. Jill St.John(Tiffany Case) is a definite cut above most Bond girls(unlike most of the girls, Jill's good actress). Her presense complements Connery very well in the film. The pair are great together. Charles Gray was fantastic as Blofeld. He makes a great baddie. The rest of the cast is great as well. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are funniest characters in the Bond series. I could go on forever but to sum it all up: Diamonds Are Forever is the best Bond film, Sean Connery gives his best performance as 007, Jill St.John is arguably the best(and funniest) Bond girl, Charles Grey is fantastic as Blofeld, and the rest of the cast is great as well. If you have a good sense of humour, like I do, then get ready the best Bond film ever!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: James Bond Action Is Forever...
Review: 5 stars are not enough for this great movie... Plenty of action! Sean Connery is great. Lots of special effects and Bond Girls... The DVD edition seams to be good with great stuff and quality.


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