You Only Live Twice (1967)
This is much more what I was thinking when I was ready for new hands to take over the James Bond franchise compared to Casino Royale. With Lewis Gilbert making his franchise directorial debut and Sean Connery returning in the classic role, You Only Live Twice brings Bond to Japan after a mysterious spaceship has caused multiple spaceships from the United States to disappear mid-mission. America blames Russia but Britain believes the group is actually from Japan and it is up to Bond to prove it before the United States and Russia engage in nuclear conflict with each other.
Especially compared to the mess which was Casino Royale it can't be stated how nice it is to have a strong and easy to follow plot like this. Where sure it isn't the most interesting or layered plot it is engaging enough to keep the audience invested and make logical sense while also being quite fun. One of the most enjoyable aspects of these early Bond films has been seeing the different locations and setting each film takes place in and this film is no different. Bond's journey through Japan feels completely different than any other Bond film before feeling new and much more engaging. In this way, it is easy to see why the Bond franchise has had such legs and continues to feel new and interesting, even if they keep the same formula of a plot they are able to change the setting enough to keep the films from feeling dull or lifeless. It also helps that Sean Connery is back with his swagger and charisma that he seemed to have lost going into Thunderball.
With that said though if you have had issues in previous Bond films regarding the morals when viewed in a modern light this movie definitely is not going to work for you. Easily this film comes off as having the worst power dynamics of the franchise so far with characters laughing about how society women are below men and how women are meant to serve men. Despite Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama) being one of the most badass Bond women up to this point really shining on her own in multiple action scenes, it is undeniable that this movie has aged badly in this context and it would be understandable if that would be a turn off for you. Beyond just that of the treatment of women, this film also has a questionable perception of race and Japanese stereotypes that would have been torn apart if the film came out in 2020.
This film is also the most ambitious Bond film up to this point when it comes to visuals and special effects which have a great deal of variety in quality. Where some of the big effects like the villains' lair which is hidden inside a volcano does look surprisingly good there are also plenty of effects that really look off. Especially whenever the film decides to try to use a green screen it really stands out, sure this was made in 1967 so you have to cut it some slack there also really is no need for them to push the visuals in these scenes. Unlike the underwater filming used in Thunderball for example, it is clear that the visual effects were not there so to add them despite not being needed makes it hard to truly overlook that for the film.
Still, overall You Only Live Twice is easily one of the cleanest and most well-built Bond films at least in this stage of the franchise. The morals are iffy but if you are able to get past those this is a clean and engaging enough story to keep audiences invested and on the edge of their seats as they wonder how Bond is going to get out of this one. Where this is far from an overly memorable film it is solid enough and was an enjoyable watch even if I wouldn't revisit it on its own at least for a while.
This film is also the most ambitious Bond film up to this point when it comes to visuals and special effects which have a great deal of variety in quality. Where some of the big effects like the villains' lair which is hidden inside a volcano does look surprisingly good there are also plenty of effects that really look off. Especially whenever the film decides to try to use a green screen it really stands out, sure this was made in 1967 so you have to cut it some slack there also really is no need for them to push the visuals in these scenes. Unlike the underwater filming used in Thunderball for example, it is clear that the visual effects were not there so to add them despite not being needed makes it hard to truly overlook that for the film.
Still, overall You Only Live Twice is easily one of the cleanest and most well-built Bond films at least in this stage of the franchise. The morals are iffy but if you are able to get past those this is a clean and engaging enough story to keep audiences invested and on the edge of their seats as they wonder how Bond is going to get out of this one. Where this is far from an overly memorable film it is solid enough and was an enjoyable watch even if I wouldn't revisit it on its own at least for a while.