You Only Live Twice
Rent & Buy
A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.
What critics thought
Contemporary critics were noticeably split on the fifth Bond outing: some found it a reliably entertaining mix of spectacle and wit, while others felt the franchise was beginning to buckle under the weight of its own formula. The most common complaints centered on bloated gadgetry, a weak script, and a visibly disengaged Connery — criticisms that have only grown louder as the film's reputation has settled.
“the formula fails to work its magic. Like its predecessor Thunderball, another below-par entry, this one is top-heavy with gadgets but weak on plotting and getting everything to work at the same time.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“there have been so many flamboyant imitations that the original looks like a copy.”
Time
“a large percentage of You Only Live Twice is disappointing, lacking the wit and zip, the pacing and punch, of its predecessors, especially the first three. Roald Dahl's script is larded with sex-slanted jokes that are either pathetically feeble or sophomorically coarse, Bond's patented puns are punier and even Connery's enthusiasm for his shrewd, suave, and sensual character seems to have waned.”
Clifford Terry·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Action, Adventure, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Lewis GilbertDirector
Sean ConneryJames Bond
Akiko WakabayashiAki
Mie HamaKissy Suzuki
Tetsuro TambaTiger Tanaka
Teru ShimadaMr. Osato
Karin DorHelga Brandt
Donald PleasenceErnst Stavro Blofeld
Bernard LeeM
Lois MaxwellMiss Moneypenny
Desmond LlewelynQ
Charles GrayDikko Henderson
Tsai ChinLing
John BarryComposer
Ian FlemingWriter
Roald DahlWriter
Freddie YoungCinematographyYou Only Live Twice
A mysterious spacecraft captures Russian and American space capsules and brings the two superpowers to the brink of war. James Bond investigates the case in Japan and comes face to face with his archenemy Blofeld.
What critics thought
Contemporary critics were noticeably split on the fifth Bond outing: some found it a reliably entertaining mix of spectacle and wit, while others felt the franchise was beginning to buckle under the weight of its own formula. The most common complaints centered on bloated gadgetry, a weak script, and a visibly disengaged Connery — criticisms that have only grown louder as the film's reputation has settled.
“the formula fails to work its magic. Like its predecessor Thunderball, another below-par entry, this one is top-heavy with gadgets but weak on plotting and getting everything to work at the same time.”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“there have been so many flamboyant imitations that the original looks like a copy.”
Time
“a large percentage of You Only Live Twice is disappointing, lacking the wit and zip, the pacing and punch, of its predecessors, especially the first three. Roald Dahl's script is larded with sex-slanted jokes that are either pathetically feeble or sophomorically coarse, Bond's patented puns are punier and even Connery's enthusiasm for his shrewd, suave, and sensual character seems to have waned.”
Clifford Terry·Chicago Tribune
Genres
Action, Adventure, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Lewis GilbertDirectorSean ConneryJames BondAkiko WakabayashiAkiMie HamaKissy SuzukiTetsuro TambaTiger TanakaTeru ShimadaMr. OsatoKarin DorHelga BrandtDonald PleasenceErnst Stavro BlofeldBernard LeeMLois MaxwellMiss MoneypennyDesmond LlewelynQCharles GrayDikko HendersonTsai ChinLingJohn BarryComposerIan FlemingWriterRoald DahlWriterFreddie YoungCinematographyRent & Buy