Directed by:
Guy HamiltonCinematography:
Ted MooreComposer:
John BarryCast:
Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Bruce Cabot, Jimmy Dean, Lois Maxwell, Norman Burton, Bruce Glover, Bernard Lee, Putter Smith (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
After extensive travels, James Bond (Agent 007) returns valiantly from South Africa, having completed his mission to kill his arch enemy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. However, Bond arrives only to discover that there's a pressing case waiting for him: a large amount of diamonds has been stolen from the South African mines and two offbeat assassins are killing everyone in the smuggling ring, one-by-one. Bond goes undercover as Peter Franks, diamond smuggler, in search of recovering the merchandise. When Bond investigates mysterious activities in the world diamond market, he makes a shocking discovery: that the evil Blofeld is still alive, and has been stockpiling the precious gems to use in his deadly laser satellite capable of destroying massive targets on the planet. Bond, with the help of beautiful smuggler Tiffany Case, sets out to stop the madman, but along the way, he must contend with a host of enemies. He confronts offbeat assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, two of Blofeld's best assassins. Bond must also navigate his way through the wiles of Bambi and Thumper--two gorgeous sexpots who are more than a match for Bond in hand-to-hand combat. Finally, there's the reclusive billionaire Willard Whyte who Bond suspects may hold a vital clue to Blofeld's elusive whereabouts. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (7)
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.
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A slightly weaker Bond movie, but still an excellent and entertaining ride in the unrepeatable style of Sean Connery, the greatest 077 of all time. Its violent charm and uniquely sarcastic "British" humor ("Thank you, gentlemen. I was out for a walk with a rat and got a little lost.") almost make Diamonds Are Forever into an action comedy in places. Blofeld as a villain is not very enlightening, but it works. A few action scenes are very good (the rough fight in an elevator, the chase in the lunar vehicle) and some situations are indelibly engraved into your memory (the cremation practices of the Slumber funeral home). So, we have beautiful women, fast guns and gambling... There are better films before and after, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the shine of diamonds again years later.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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What this film has going for it is definitely a witty script. I finally find Bond more likable because he can make fun of himself. The other characters are also great - Plenty O'Toole, a wacky pair of assassins, and Jill St. John, who is rocking the bikini.
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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.
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