Diamonds Are Forever

007__#7__A strange Bond film with a weak script and directed quite badly, but with intriguing characters (the stylish hitmen Wint and Kidd), some interesting moments (Bond in the coffin, the moonwalk chase, the car chase in Las Vegas), but unfortunately a pretty bland story. And speaking of Bond, I would never have believed it would be possible to age so much in four years. Sean had gotten a bit chubbier, no longer resembling the sexy athlete he was in his early days, but more like a middle-aged uncle. (10/01/2005)

I like how, already in the introduction, they play with the idea that Sean Connery is once again the new Bond. His entrance on the scene is not entirely impressive, but the creators still put effort into it. It's as if they are saying: You wanted him, so here he is. And the producers had to shell out a decent amount of money to bring Sean back. It's sometimes quite funny, sometimes quite messy, but you can't deny that Connery tried. In essence, a film was created where the movie element itself plays an important role because part of the film takes place behind the scenes. The imperfection is also reflected in some scenes. (03/04/2014)

Not a strong screenplay, but the action scenes are inventive. This is quite a respectable departure by Connery, the Bond charm is still there, but compared to the slim figure of the past, he’s getting a bit of a belly. Finalization of the Blofeld storyline is well-engineered, the chase in the moon buggy was a blast from the past and it seems that the slick murdering duo inspired Frank Miller in Sin City. (02/22/2015)

Connery's weakest Bond film = three and a half stars, rounded up. The biggest problem with Diamonds Are Forever is the script. It is uninteresting and confusing story-wise, especially the entire second third of the film. Fortunately, there is no shortage of interesting skirmishes and various "tricks". The three best moments are definitely the fight in the elevator (a truly imaginative scene), the great coffin scene and the car chase (the one in the moon buggy and the Las Vegas one at night). The ending of the film doesn't offend either, but somehow it doesn't have the proper Bond-esque grace. John Barry's song and music are of a traditionally high standard, and Bond has a number of pretty ladies at his disposal here. Like I said, three and a half, no more. (04/18/2010)

It is beautifully visible how the creators at the turn of the new decade didn't know where to go and drowned the franchise in various absurdities that make no sense or are in any way innovative. Sean Connery is noticeably older, but he’s still the same old good James, who exchanged his charm for George Lazenby's athleticism – a positive thing. Unfortunately, the pace is considerably uneven and the Vegas setting is disgracefully underused. So all that's left are excellent killers, one decent car chase, and then it's just a messy carnage. The story is also woefully uninteresting and unfortunately unpolished. Roger Moore's advent and the playful 70s full of irony and exaggeration were approaching. (01/14/2014)