NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983) in review

I know this was not really an official Bond movie and it could have been better directed in places, but I still have a fondness for it and it was great to see the original 007 back, even if it was a remake of Thunderball. I thought Connery still had it as Bond. He was still suave, witty, charming, tough and relentless. He played him more as an investigator in NSNA, rather like he did in Doctor No and FRWL and it's worth remembering that at this point, Sean felt that the Moore Bond movies had become too mechanical (he actually once said that FYEO started off brilliantly with the Blofeld teaser before descending into mediocrity).

I thought Barbara Carerra was deliciously sexy and nasty as Fatima Blush (her demise at the hands or rather pen of Bond is spectacular), Klaus Maria Brandauer was a fine Largo and this also beat CR to the punch by having a black Felix Leiter (Bernie Casey).

Best moments of the film were the Domination game, the hi-octane car/motorcycle chase and Bond & Domino escaping from the castle. The final action sequence could have been a lot more gripping (it was nowhere near as exciting as the Thunderball climax) and Bond's fight with Lippe (Pat Roach) was done purely for laughs that it wouldn't have been out of place in a Moore flick.

These are very good. They would have added something to the movie :

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Best moments of the film were the Domination game, the hi-octane car/motorcycle chase and Bond & Domino escaping from the castle. The final action sequence could have been a lot more gripping (it was nowhere near as exciting as the Thunderball climax) and Bond's fight with Lippe (Pat Roach) was done purely for laughs that it wouldn't have been out of place in a Moore flick.

I loathed the domination game. Absolutely ridiculous. The fight with Lippe is more ridiculous than anything in the Moore Bond films. The "hi-octane" bike chase was drab with a lack of intensity and a lack of fun. Bond and Domino's escape from the castle was ludicrous. I mean that shot of the horse jumping into the ocean can't be anything less than comical - which isn't something I believe they did intentionally. Highlights for me would be Barbara Carrera's and Kim Basinger's beauty. Oh and that martini line. Cons? Everything else.

You can hardly call Klaus Maria Brandauer a con, in any film.

Compared to Thunderball it falls short in every regard.

Actually I lie, I like the design of the SPECTRE rings better here.

Will complete a more detailed write up about it when it's not 2.30 in the morning.

Vesper wrote:

Compared to Thunderball it falls short in every regard.

Compared to Octopussy, it's superior in every respect except music. Which d'you think is the fairer comparison?

Brandauer is one of the best things in Never Say Never Again. Shame the producers didn't agree,

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Brandauer is one of the best things in Never Say Never Again. Shame the producers didn't agree,

What's this? Who didn't like him? :scratch:

Vesper wrote:

Compared to Thunderball it falls short in every regard.

Except the villain, IMHO. They should have gone with Celi's real voice, not the pantomime Italian villain dub he got. Brandeur is not only chilling, but also strangely sympathetic I find.

ambler wrote:

Compared to Octopussy, it's superior in every respect except music. Which d'you think is the fairer comparison?

As fossilised as Roger was by 83, I think he gave a solid, stoic performance in the film, that towers over Berkoff's cartoonish hammery. Sean seems largely nonplussed and half asleep. I also prefer Maud Adams to Kim Barbie Doll Basinger, in not only her restrained performance, but her Swede looks.

NSNA simply aims to high, and comes crashing down somewhere in the Atlantic. OP, by aiming for a baseline mediocrity, actually holds more surprises along the way. In other words, it feels more together, rather than a schizoid mess.

NSNA has its moments and Brandauer made for a solid villain.

In the end though, it feels like a made-for-TV version of Thunderball. A Barry score would have enhanced the film immeasurably but it wouldn't be enough. Connery was way past his use-by date as Bond. Very little energy and magnetism. It should've been quite obvious by that stage that simply chucking Sean into a Bond film wouldn't result in a DN/FRWL/GF-esque performance. NSNA is left with no sizzle and no steak.

I like Never Say Never Again, It is a bonus Bond film and very entertaining as it looks great and has a colourful cast: it's great fun.

Given all the legal, budget and script problems I'm surprised that a decent watchable film was produced. Lots of fans seem to dislike NSNA because it could have been a much better film but all the problems weakened it substantially.

I agree with Captain Arthurs here, I especially like the description of NSNA as a "bonus Bond film".

I remember well that in 1983 I was more thrilled to see the return of Connery than seeing another Moore flick. NSNA remains a highly watchable film, especially its first half. It has wonderfull moments (Bond returning to the villa, eating an apple and finding the girl dead), is great fun, does not try to hide the Bond actor's age, and a very charming Connery seems once more to enjoy the role that made him famous.

w7 wrote:

a very charming Connery seems once more to enjoy the role that made him famous.

Yeah, at least he's having fun with this film, unlike You Only Live Twice.

Well, I enjoyed rewatching this a few months back, compared to some of the lesser films in the franchise. To be honest, I'd much rather see an Irvin Kershner Bond film than one by Roger Spottiswoode or John Glen. It's just a shame that the traditional elements that give the series that welcome familiarity are missing, such as the music and the Ken Adam sets.

If anything, the biggest problem the film has is its lack of energy, that even the worst John Glen films tend to have. Everyone seems to have explained the film's quality, but I'll agree with the idea that the film is too ambitious for its own capabilities.

ambler wrote:

Vesper wrote:

Compared to Thunderball it falls short in every regard.

Compared to Octopussy, it's superior in every respect except music. Which d'you think is the fairer comparison?

Given McClory's pathology (which is far more interesting than this film), not to mention what it set out to achieve according to Connery and crew before filming (something closer in vein to From Russia With Love and the pre-Mankiwicz era) I'd say the fairer comparison is to Thunderball.

Personally, compared to Octopussy, I'd say its better in a lot of ways, (casting - at the very least on paper, certain aspects of production design) but not in the crucial areas. NSNA still probably edges it out when it comes to direction but the script is weaker. The characterisation of Domino is a mess, as is just about everything after Fatima bites the dust. The humour is piss-poor (almost in a literal sense...), and the film is constantly in a tonal clash to try and prove the EON films outdated and behind-the-times while Bond himself is still relevant. The action scenes are hopelessly dull. Don't get me started on the Algernon nonsense.

Not to mention its attempts to be cutting edge at the time have dated the film horribly - from the arcade games in the casino to Carrerra's vinyl pirate costume.

I'm of the firm opinion that Bond films should not take themselves seriously. There should be a wink to the audience that this is ridiculous, but it shouldn't literally wink at them. The film truly borders on parody at times.

It's a shame because there's a lot of potential and some sequences that genuinely work well.

Sharky wrote:

Vesper wrote:

Compared to Thunderball it falls short in every regard.

Except the villain, IMHO. They should have gone with Celi's real voice, not the pantomime Italian villain dub he got. Brandeur is not only chilling, but also strangely sympathetic I find.

I agree about Celi's voice, since it wasn't that thick an accent, but the dub works fine within the context of the film, in my view. I'm sure it broadens the characterisation, but the combination of music, the way SPECTRE and his support are handled, and the script are more than enough to make him a menacing preserformance in the film, that towers over Berkoff's cartoonish hammery. Sean seems largely nonplussed and half asleep. I also prefer Maud Aence.

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ambler wrote:

Compared to Octopussy, it's superior in every respect except music. Which d'you think is the fairer comparison?

As fossilised as Roger was by 83, I think he gave a solid, stoic pdams to Kim Barbie Doll Basinger, in not only her restrained performance, but her Swede looks.

NSNA simply aims to high, and comes crashing down somewhere in the Atlantic. OP, by aiming for a baseline mediocrity, actually holds more surprises along the way. In other words, it feels more together, rather than a schizoid mess.

Sums up my opinion far more conscisely.

In the review for NSNA in the Time Out film guide, it gets a positive review. The critic reviewing it says that it is great to have the original Bond back who struts his stuff very well and lethally purrs like a cat while putting Roger Moore's ageing 007 in the shade. I think he also commended the movie for going back to the roots more than simply copying the recent EON adventures. I too liked this part of the film which is probably what drew Sean Connery back to Bond as it is obvious he was a lot fonder of the early '60s 007 movies.

I can understand the cons of this movie as mentioned before, but 1983 was indeed a fine year for Bond as we saw three actors play him - George Lazenby in The Return Of The Man From UNCLE, Roger Moore in Octopussy and Sean Connery in NSNA. BTW I've heard that there is a director's cut of NSNA available somewhere and that the Region 1 edition has more extras than the Region 2 one.

w7 wrote:

I agree with Captain Arthurs here, I especially like the description of NSNA as a "bonus Bond film".

NSNA remains a highly watchable film, especially its first half. It has wonderfull moments (Bond returning to the villa, eating an apple and finding the girl dead), is great fun, does not try to hide the Bond actor's age, and a very charming Connery seems once more to enjoy the role that made him famous.

I'll go along with that, as I find it better than at least half a dozen of the "official" films.

JohnDrake wrote:

BTW I've heard that there is a director's cut of NSNA available somewhere

That's something I've been campaigning for ever since registering at MI6 Forums about 7 years ago, but it's maybe more a pipe dream than ever now with Kershner having passed away. I still think the film only needs a few fairly minor adjustments, which don't even include adding a gunbarrel, and definitely don't include someone lumping blatantly recognisable cues from decades-apart "official" Bond films over the film's soundtrack, an even greater crime when cuts turn up with David f*cking Arnold cues lumped over it. :roll: .

A few points stand out for me in NSNA. Sean Connery to me seems to be taking the role seriously. Whereas in his previous two Bond's it's like he's just "showing up" for the job. He looks good in the action and he handles the lines with such deadpan delivery that only he can do.

I agree on the stronger villain. Maximillian's Largo's character is more fleshed out as a supposed humanitarian disguising his evil plans. It gives his character more depth and charm than Emilio Largo.

I also think Kim Bassinger is a better actress than Claudine Auger. She has more range and emotion and her relationship with Maximillian Largo is more convincing, which makes the decision to leave him for Bond all the more conflicting. I get the impression she actually did truly love him. Whereas TB's Domino, seems to have this weird older man mistress thing going on, merely Largo's plaything. But don't get me wrong if we're going for Bond fantasy--Claudine Auger is far more gorgeous no doubt IMO.

The rest of the cast is all enjoyable, if passable at the very least. Barbara Carrera is excellent and fiery in this, despite here outlandish dress. Max Van Sydow is an excellent Blofeld--commanding, but not esaggerated in his demeanor. Bernie Casey is one of the 'coolest' Felix Leiter. I didn't really care for M, Q or Moneypenny and Rowan Atkinson is non-offensive comic relief.

I do think the overall look and feel is not as sexy as the EON productions and OP or TB to use direct comparisons. The Domination game perhaps feels inspired from the "time". But I think it still holds up--I have yet to see a video game with holographic display like that. The music does pale compared to Barry, but it hangs in the background enough to not bother me. The Bahamas location and Tears of Alla setpiece are satisfying components. The action is pretty exciting--the fight in the clinic at the beginning is one of the most choreographed of the Bond films, and that scene along with the bike chase are pure popcorn fun.

Overall, I think NSNA is often overlooked because it lacks the EON sheen and has some dated qualities. But looking past the superficial elemets, there is a pretty decent film here.

I will never ever forget the first time I saw NSNA. It was the ITV (UK) premiere on Christmas Day 1986 and we were all in the living room. It was me, my mum, my sister and I think my brother. I can remember seeing Domination, the kiss between Largo and Domino, Bond and Domino dancing, Fatima exploding and the grand finale which for some reason I felt lacked the presence of Russ Abbot's Basildon Bond ;) . I also recall my sister saying that Fatima was the lady out of Dallas (Barbara Carrera played another femme fatale who got involved with JR). And that bike chase was awesome to watch as a 7 year old! 8)

I also remember seeing the trailer on TV in either late 1983 or early 1984.

I think I would have to agree that Largo and Domino's relationship is more fleshed out, rather than just a simple mistress relationship, we got in Thunderball.

I don't think NSNA is near as bad as so many make it out to be. It's not necessarily a good Bond movie, but it's not terrible. If I were to rank this among the EON series, I would stick this one in at around #16. That doesn't mean it's one of the good ones necessarily, but it's not of the worst either.

NSNA is a very surreal concept in the 007 franchise, when you think about it. Connery leaving after YOLT, coming back for a halfhearted performance in DAF, and then waiting years to come back later and compete against Moore with a remake of the exact Thunderball movie he made earlier in his career? When has an actor ever come back to remake a movie that they did well in, like we saw here?

Could you imagine if Craig's Bond 25 came out, and there was also a remake of Tomorrow Never Dies that also came out the same time, with Brosnan back in the lead role but noticeably older, and all the Bon elements like the barrel sequence and the title song missing.

I thought Connery actually did better in NSNA cause in TB he looks bored and tired of playing Bond, as he called it quits after YOLT, but in NSNA he looks re-energized.

Plus I don't think it's fair to say the elements are missing in NSNA just because it's not produced by EON.

That's like saying The Seven Percent Solution is a bad Sherlock Holmes movie cause it's not part of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes series, or something like that.

I thought Connery actually did better in NSNA cause in TB he looks bored and tired of playing Bond, as he called it quits after YOLT, but in NSNA he looks re-energized.

Plus I don't think it's fair to say the elements are missing in NSNA just because it's not produced by EON.

That's like saying The Seven Percent Solution is a bad Sherlock Holmes movie cause it's not part of Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes series, or something like that.

KingCobra686 wrote:

NSNA is a very surreal concept in the 007 franchise, when you think about it.  Connery leaving after YOLT, coming back for a halfhearted performance in DAF, and then waiting years to come back later and compete against Moore with a remake of the exact Thunderball movie he made earlier in his career?  When has an actor ever come back to remake a movie that they did well in, like we saw here?  

Could you imagine if Craig's Bond 25 came out, and there was also a remake of Tomorrow Never Dies that also came out the same time, with Brosnan back in the lead role but noticeably older, and all the Bon elements like the barrel sequence and the title song missing.

strangely I wouldn't mind a TND remake with an older Brozzer. Couldn't be as bad as anything else Bondwise.

Connery does better in NSNA because they sold him on the idea of playing Old Bond and he tries his darndest to still make it work.

KingCobra686 wrote:

Could you imagine if Craig's Bond 25 came out, and there was also a remake of Tomorrow Never Dies that also came out the same time, with Brosnan back in the lead role but noticeably older, and all the Bon elements like the barrel sequence and the title song missing.

I know which Bond film I'd prefer to see...

Fun fact on that score: The gap between TB and NSNA is not only greater than the gap between TND and a hypothetical rival remake coming out, say, next year, but also greater than the gap between TWINE and such a film. Also, Brosnan is over a decade older than Connery was in NSNA.

Basically, we're all getting old #only90skidswillremember.