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1967

 

Sean Connery as James Bond

Akiko Wakabayashi as Aki

Tetsuro Tanba as Tiger Tanaka

Karin Dor as Helga Brandt

Mie Hama as Kissy Suzuki

Donald Pleasence as Blofeld

Screenplay by Roald Dahl (!); additional story material by Harold Jack Bloom; novel by Ian Fleming

Directed by Lewis Gilbert

 

You Only Live Twice…and “TWICE” is the only way to live!

Sigh. Whatever that means…

 

James goes to Japan to learn who is behind the hijacking of the U.S. space shuttle Jupiter 16. He meets an agent with information, who then dies from a stab wound. Next, James meets a different agent (a woman) who leads him to Tiger Tanaka, a leader in the Japanese Secret Service. Together, the team moves onto an island near where the rockets are disappearing after their captures. James “marries” a local girl (the other chick died…bummer), and they, along with Tanaka, find the secret base belonging to none other than Blofeld, head of SPECTRE.

This is a GOOD movie. The story is interesting (US vs. Russia—more space race stuff), the characters rock, the locations are amazing.

Want some specifics?

  • Tiger Tanaka is one of Bond’s best allies. He’s resourceful, he’s talented, and he holds his own while fighting alongside James. I mean, he’s a ninja. Pretty badass. Aaahhh. Bond-san. Love.
  • Little Nellie, the bright yellow autogyro that zips around after enemy aircraft and blows them out of the sky. Q (Major Geoffrey Boothroyd(!), played by the fabulous Desmond Llewelyn) is in top form here; he’s such a great character. And that takeoff shot…WOW.
  • The music. I love the 1960s action sequences. It’s so impressive and uplifting, then heroic and daring. And, of course, the original Bond theme. I’m listening to it on YouTube right now and geeking out. Such fun!
  • The badass women. Not a sappy flake among them. An agent, an adventurous fishing village girl, and a villainous henchwoman. Yeah, they all sleep with Bond, but why not? They do it because they want to.

Definitely worth being in the top half of the ranked films…You Only Live Twice earns its spot at #7 on my list.

Bond rating: 007. He’s pretty much impeccable here. He’s a few years older, but just as spry. And sexy.

Baddie rating: 004. The concept is cool, but Donald Pleasence (Halloween, The Great Escape) doesn’t cut it as Blofeld. And I’m not just talking about the eye scar.

Bond girl rating: 007. Pick one. Aki and Kissy are both awesome. Tough, respected, worth their salt. And Kissy even told James that she wouldn’t sleep with him because they weren’t really married! Go, girl. Save the world.

Photo credit: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0062512/mediaviewer/rm1076316928

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