You Only Live Twice has been receiving bad reviews that are sometimes unjustified. The fifth film in the series, taking place in Japan is, admittedly, overlong and episodic, but it is also a triumph in the most important level for the Bond films: it is very entertaining. Here are some pros and cons of the film:
The pros:
The cons:
Nevertheless, YOLT is highly enjoyable entertainment fit for repeated viewing, and is still one of the better Bond films made so far.
The pros:
- the exotic setting is well used, it is not merely a background, but a part of the story. The Japan of YOLT is modern and unstereotypical, unlike the exotic locations of average studio films of the period.
- Tiger Tanaka and the two Japanese Bond girls are somewhat strong characters that do not become racial or national stereotypes. Particularly the girls are more resourceful than previous Bond belles.
- the film looks glossy and slick, with great cinematography and Ken Adam's wonderful modernistic sets, particularly Osato's office and the volcano set.
- John Barry's score represents the musical peak of the series, with rich Japanese flavour, as in the gorgeous music for the wedding scene. Other musical highlights (in addition to the main title song) include the film's opening burial in the sea scene and the space music.
The cons:
- the film should have been about twenty minutes shorter, compressing the latter part of the story, such as the fight with the helicopters and 'Little Nelly' and the volcano scenes which drag on badly.
- Donald Pleasance is not the right man to portray Blofeld, even though he was a good actor. He is not menacing enough and looks like a pompous rat in the part.
- Helga Brandt's part is too small. After all, she represents an interesting first in the Bond cycle: a woman who appears to have been seduced by Bond but who is not. But she is way too easily disposed of after she fails to kill Bond. Karin Dor makes no impact in the role, despite being a charismatic actress capable of good performances, as in Hitchcock's Topaz, in which she gives the best performance in the film.
- despite much of the film was shot in Japan, the atmosphere is still very studio-bound, due to the constant use of obvious, shaky rear projections for the outdoor scenes and meticulous sets for the indoor scenes. I do not usually mind these type of flaws in older films but in YOLT they particularly stick out for some reason. This is why there is a certain claustrophobic feeling about the film. Some of the special effects are not that special, even for a 1967 film, even though You Only Live Twice was an expensive film at that time. Compare the space scenes to the ones that appeared in 2001 A Space Odyssey only a year later.
Nevertheless, YOLT is highly enjoyable entertainment fit for repeated viewing, and is still one of the better Bond films made so far.
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