The fifth entry in the Bond series is an unexpected surprise. For me, this is the sleeper hit of the series so far. It’s a movie you never hear people talk about it, yet it’s a lot of fun. This was a lot more entertaining to me than Thunderball. Bond goes to Japan this time to get to the bottom of disappearing spacecraft. The conflict is threatening to start a war between America and Russia. I was surprised to find children’s author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) wrote the screenplay. It differs greatly from the book. The action scenes are a huge step up from Thunderball too, including ninjas, an air battle, a car chase with a fun twist, and a volcano hideout.
The main villain in You Only Live Twice
Blofeld (Donal Pleasance) is the main villain. This is the character’s third appearance after From Russia With Love and Thunderball. This is the first time we see Blofeld’s appearance. Before, we have only been able to see the lower part of his body and his trademark white cat. This is also the first time we see Bond and Blofeld in the same room together. Blofeld is obviously the inspiration for Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers films. Blofeld, like CIA agent Leiter, is a character that is recast for every film. (I’m looking forward to seeing Telly Savalas play the role.) Unfortunately, there still isn’t a henchman as interesting as Oddjob from Goldfinger. Instead of killer sharks, the villain’s weapon of choice this time is deadly piranhas.
Gadgets in You Only Live Twice
Q meets Bond in the field again when Bond requests Little Nellie. This turns out to be a small helicopter outfitted with machine guns, explosives, rocket launchers, heat-seeking missiles, flame guns, smoke ejectors, and aerial mines. Q also gives Bond a helmet with a camera on it. Disappointingly, there is no witty dialogue this time, as Q warns Bond he doesn’t want any of his wisecracks. Later, there are small rockets hidden inside cigarettes.
The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App
The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.
Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)
You Only Live Twice statistics
Opening stunt: An American space capsule is swallowed by an unknown spacecraft. One of Bond’s many lovers sets him up and he is SPOILER ALERT shot to death in bed.
Bond girls: Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), Helga Brandt (Karin Dor), and Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama). Women continue to be disposable in the Bond films. While Bond seems to have genuine affection for Aki (just as he did for Jill Masterson in Goldfinger), he doesn’t mourn for her very long.
Title theme sung by: Nancy Sinatra. The song has a pleasant easy-listening quality and is a vast improvement over Tom Jones’s “Thunderball.”
Connection to previous films: Blofeld, the head of S.P.E.C.T.R.E., who appeared previously in From Russia With Love and Thunderball, takes the spotlight as the villainous mastermind in this one.
Final thoughts on You Only Live Twice
If you can get past the fetishization of Asian women and the cringe-worthy concept of “turning Bond Japanese,” this is one of the more enjoyable Bond outings. Along with Goldfinger, this sets the standard by which I will judge all other Bond flicks. It’s fun, surprising, and has a strong villain.
Grade: A
About The Peetimes: We have a good Peetime at around the halfway point.
What people are saying
about the RunPee app.
This is a great app. I wish more people would support it
This app provides info about movies, reviews, ratings from people who have seen it before and after viewing. It has links to info about the movies. It let’s you know when there will be a lull in the action and how long it will last. If you want to know what happens during that time, you can check the brief synopsis (you have to click a link, so no accidental spoilers). It has a timer you can set (silent) to alert you to a break. It also tells you whether there is anything extra during or after the credits. It’s really a wonderful app. I’ve subscribed for a couple of years to support the developers, but I noticed some of the links to provide feedback didn’t seem to work today. They also made it free, with voluntary donations to see the pee-times. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to do so, and subscribe if you like it. I really hope the app is supported so it can continue to be maintained!
Developers note: RunPee doesn’t make much money but it supports itself nicely. Donations are appreciated, but not required. We’ll add as many movies to the database as we can until there are no more movie theaters.
View all reviews
Apple App Store | Google Play Store
Download RunPee app
There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of You Only Live Twice. (What we mean by Anything Extra.)
| Rated: | (PG) NA |
| Genres: | Action, Adventure, Thriller |
| Starring: | Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama |
| Director: | Lewis Gilbert |
| Writer(s): | Harold Jack Bloom, Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming |
| Language: | English, Japanese, Russian |
| Country: | United Kingdom, Japan |
Don’t miss your favorite movie moments because you have to pee or need a snack. Use the RunPee app (Androidor iPhone) when you go to the movies. We have Peetimes for all wide release films every week, including Red One, Venom: The Last Ride , Transformers One, The Wild Robot and coming soon Wicked, Gladiator II, Moana 2 and many others. We have literally thousands of Peetimes—from classic movies through today’s blockbusters. You can also keep up with movie news and reviews on our blog, or by following us on Twitter @RunPee. If there’s a new film out there, we’ve got your bladder covered.
Leave a Reply