This movie is the best kind of insanity. The plot is completely ludicrous in a way that could only come from the mind of Roald Dahl. As a spy thriller it doesn’t work at all, but as a spy fantasy? There’s very few films that can compete. S.P.E.C.T.R.E is hired by China to start World War 3, so how do they go about it? By building a secret base inside a volcano to launch a giant rocket-eating rocket and kidnap entire space shuttles in orbit! About the only thing that can compete with that level of lunacy is the heroes plan to stop them: disguise (poorly and offensively) Bond as a Japanese man and enroll him in a secret ninja school, then have him get fake-married and sneak onto S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s island in order to locate their base and summon an army of ninjas to destroy it. This film is absolutely absurd, and I love it.
It also looks incredible. Ken Adams’ set design is at its most brilliant here, with the volcano lair being the definitive Bond villain lair. It’s huge, it has a working monorail, and it manages to combine looking high-tech with the volcano environment perfectly. The cinematography is great too. Director Lewis Gilbert is great at capturing scale, and this film truly looks massive. From the size of the volcano to the sweeping shots of Li’l Nellie flying, to the spectacular tracking shot of Bond fighting a group of henchmen on the roof of a factory. There’s a real sense of energy throughout the film that even Goldfinger didn’t have.
It’s a shame that Sean Connery doesn’t share that energy. This is definitely his worst performance in the series, as his exasperation with the whole affair is on full display. Thankfully he’s the only cast member who doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Tetsurō Tamba is wonderfully jovial as Tiger Tanaka, and Akiko Wakabayashi is the coolest Bond Girl yet. She’s the first one to rescue Bond, and she even does so twice! On the villains side, Donald Pleasance is iconic as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and his reveal as S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s Number 1 is worth the wait. Mr. Misato and Helga Brandt aren’t quite as memorable, but they do get a fun introductory scene.
And the action sequences in this film are pretty spectacular. I’ve already mentioned Bond’s fight on the factory roof, but the aerial dogfight between Li’l Nellie and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is the best aerial action sequence in the entire series, and one of the most thrilling in cinema. And the final battle in the volcano lair is absolutely incredible. Even today it holds up as a giant spectacle of action and excitement.
Overall, I just love this movie. I don’t know if it’s good or so bad it’s good, but I always have a wonderful time watching it. It’s certainly a labor of love for the people behind the camera and most in front, and that helps carry a lot.
Film So Bonkers It's Amazing
This movie is the best kind of insanity. The plot is completely ludicrous in a way that could only come from the mind of Roald Dahl. As a spy thriller it doesn’t work at all, but as a spy fantasy? There’s very few films that can compete. S.P.E.C.T.R.E is hired by China to start World War 3, so how do they go about it? By building a secret base inside a volcano to launch a giant rocket-eating rocket and kidnap entire space shuttles in orbit! About the only thing that can compete with that level of lunacy is the heroes plan to stop them: disguise (poorly and offensively) Bond as a Japanese man and enroll him in a secret ninja school, then have him get fake-married and sneak onto S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s island in order to locate their base and summon an army of ninjas to destroy it. This film is absolutely absurd, and I love it.
It also looks incredible. Ken Adams’ set design is at its most brilliant here, with the volcano lair being the definitive Bond villain lair. It’s huge, it has a working monorail, and it manages to combine looking high-tech with the volcano environment perfectly. The cinematography is great too. Director Lewis Gilbert is great at capturing scale, and this film truly looks massive. From the size of the volcano to the sweeping shots of Li’l Nellie flying, to the spectacular tracking shot of Bond fighting a group of henchmen on the roof of a factory. There’s a real sense of energy throughout the film that even Goldfinger didn’t have.
It’s a shame that Sean Connery doesn’t share that energy. This is definitely his worst performance in the series, as his exasperation with the whole affair is on full display. Thankfully he’s the only cast member who doesn’t seem to be enjoying himself. Tetsurō Tamba is wonderfully jovial as Tiger Tanaka, and Akiko Wakabayashi is the coolest Bond Girl yet. She’s the first one to rescue Bond, and she even does so twice! On the villains side, Donald Pleasance is iconic as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and his reveal as S.P.E.C.T.R.E.’s Number 1 is worth the wait. Mr. Misato and Helga Brandt aren’t quite as memorable, but they do get a fun introductory scene.
And the action sequences in this film are pretty spectacular. I’ve already mentioned Bond’s fight on the factory roof, but the aerial dogfight between Li’l Nellie and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is the best aerial action sequence in the entire series, and one of the most thrilling in cinema. And the final battle in the volcano lair is absolutely incredible. Even today it holds up as a giant spectacle of action and excitement.
Overall, I just love this movie. I don’t know if it’s good or so bad it’s good, but I always have a wonderful time watching it. It’s certainly a labor of love for the people behind the camera and most in front, and that helps carry a lot.