Sean Connery posing as an Asian man in You Only Live Twice

You Only Live Twice

Published on

Following the knockout successes of “From Russia with Love” and “Goldfinger“, which improved on the original “Dr. No” and established the blueprint for the James Bond franchise, the series stumbled with “Thunderball“. Now, it’s up to “You Only Live Twice” to regain the audience’s trust in a series that appears to be slipping in quality.

After the mysterious disappearance of a U.S. spacecraft, Bond is dispatched to Japan, where he discovers a plot by SPECTRE to provoke a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Posing as a Japanese fisherman, Bond teams up with local allies, including Tiger Tanaka (Tetsurô Tanba) and the resourceful Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), to infiltrate SPECTRE’s secret volcano lair. There, he confronts the sinister Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) and his elaborate plans, racing against time to stop global catastrophe.

Sadly, “You Only Live Twice” fails to deliver and is, disappointingly, a step down even from “Thunderball”. The film opens with a scene that sets up its plot—though not as a standalone pre-credits sequence. Instead, it ends with the shocking “death” of James Bond. After the iconic title theme by Nancy Sinatra—one of the film’s rare highlights—Bond’s body is given a sailor’s funeral at sea. But, surprise! It’s all part of an elaborate ruse to convince the world, including the headlines, that Britain’s top spy is truly dead. Yes, this absurd twist even makes the front page of the newspapers!

The movie is solely set in Japan, where the entire story unfolds. By this point in the franchise, James Bond films had already established a globe-trotting reputation, so limiting the action to a single exotic locale feels strangely confined. In Japan, Bond goes undercover as both a businessman and, somewhat absurdly, a local fisherman. This includes donning prosthetics meant to make him pass as Japanese—an ill-advised and cringeworthy choice even for its time. Eventually, Bond infiltrates the film’s grand centerpiece, where all the production’s considerable budget seems to have gone: Blofeld’s lair, an extravagant hideout inside a volcano.

Almost everything leading up to the climax feels like a generic action movie, lacking the unique flair that defines James Bond. The only standout moment is Tiger Tanaka’s underground office, complete with his own private underground train—a cool and quirky touch. Unfortunately, even Q’s gadgets are underwhelming this time around. The sole offering is a small gyrocopter dubbed Little Nellie. While it might have wowed audiences in 1967, it feels unimpressive by today’s standards. Its only notable features are some basic weaponry, which isn’t saying much.

To make matters worse, Little Nellie is introduced, immediately taken out for reconnaissance, and then used in a brief dogfight against several helicopters. Bond wins the skirmish, but that’s all we see of Q’s gadgetry in this outing. Part of the charm of Q’s inventions is how they linger in the background until they’re cleverly deployed at a pivotal moment, serving as the James Bond equivalent of Chekhov’s gun. However, this setup falls flat when the gadgets are used right after their introduction, leaving no room for suspense or payoff.

Mie Hama in a bikini for a promotional photo of You Only Live TwiceThe Bond girls in “You Only Live Twice” are unfortunately defined more by their ethnicity than their personalities, and they remain largely forgettable. In the first half of the film, Aki, a capable operative for Japanese intelligence, holds her own alongside Bond. However, her role is abruptly cut short when she’s killed halfway through the story. Taking over as the primary Bond girl in the second half is Kissy (played by Mie Hama), whose most notable characteristic seems to be her wardrobe—or lack thereof—as she spends the remainder of the movie running around in a bikini. Her IMDb profile even features a promotional photo from this movie of her in said bikini as her profile picture. Neither character leaves much of a lasting impression.

Most of “You Only Live Twice” consists of James Bond moving from one location to the next, punctuated by predictable altercations every 10-15 minutes or so. The formulaic pacing feels perfunctory and quickly becomes tedious, with the film offering few genuine surprises along the way. Adding to the monotony is some truly terrible rear-screen projection—so poorly executed that it’s distracting even by 1967 standards. The lack of creativity in both the action and visuals makes much of the movie feel like it’s simply going through the motions.

Example of rear projection in You Only Live Twice

An example of truly terrible rear projection

Despite its shortcomings, “You Only Live Twice” does leave behind one lasting legacy: Donald Pleasence’s portrayal of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. For the first time, Blofeld’s face is revealed, and Pleasence’s take on the SPECTRE mastermind is the one everyone remembers. His scarred visage, menacing demeanor, and penchant for stroking a white cat became iconic, inspiring countless parodies—including Dr. Evil from the “Austin Powers” franchise. Pleasence’s Blofeld is a standout in an otherwise lackluster film.

However, while his villainous presence is memorable, Blofeld himself is no physical match for Bond, and his tendency to monologue predictably delays him from eliminating his nemesis. The absence of a worthy henchman further weakens the film, as there’s no proper one-on-one showdown to provide the kind of thrilling confrontation fans had come to expect. Without that crucial element, the movie feels incomplete.

While “You Only Live Twice” has a few memorable elements, such as Donald Pleasence’s iconic turn as Blofeld and the impressive volcano lair, it’s far from enough to elevate the film. In the grand pantheon of Bond movies, this entry stands out more for its missteps than its successes, ultimately making it another lackluster chapter in the series.


You Only Live Twice poster
You Only Live Twice poster
You Only Live Twice
  • Year:
    1967
  • Director:
    • Lewis Gilbert
  • Cast:
    • Sean Connery
    • Akiko Wakabayashi
    • Mie Hama
  • Genres:
    Action, Adventure, Thriller
  • Running time:
    117m

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


You might also like: