Never Say Never Again Reviews and Ratings


  • jackgbowman
    November 13, 2009
    jackgbowman
    Sean is back with a new director and a vengence.
  • erikggrep
    October 11, 2009
    erikggrep
    When I watched this I wondered if this title was officially ever part of the James Bond collection because the weirdest thing about Never Say Never Again is...I couldn't find it in the 007 reference guide. I was like, "What, no blood red-shot opening, no trace of the Ja...( read more)mes Bond instrumental theme?" But with its release year the same as Octopussy's, it's still fun to watch, even with Sean Connery being too old to play the good-looking secret agent yet he can still flirt with the women. Here his assignment is to save the world from nuclear terrorists, with Largo, Blofeld, and Fatima bent on destroying the world. And 007 is not far from death due to very good action and fighting sequences. BONUS: In a secondary role that surprised me years before being Mr. Bean (oh my!), Rowan Atkinson makes a memorable appearance here. :)
  • hypathio7
    September 28, 2009
    hypathio7
    Warner Brothers released this non-cannonical James Bond picture the same year Octopussy came out. Connery basically redoes his role from Thunderball.

    This time Brandauer appears as the confident and slightly flamboyant villain Largo. Though top billed von Sydow only appears ...( read more)briefly as Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. Largo's henchwoman is given a new name, Fatima Blush, and played wickedly by Carrera. Basinger is stiff as the dancer Domino, Largo property and Bond's damsel in distress. Bernie Casey is the sixth man to portray Felix Leiter. This was the first time the character was presented as a black man. The movie's lack of budget is most evident in Q's grousing about a lack of funding for his inventions. Actually, McCowen's character is called Algernon, not Q. Fox and Salem get to represent M and Moneypenny. And Rowan Atkinson adds some silliness.

    Due to legal haggling the plot of Thunderball was redone in this film, but I really don't understand why producer Kevin McClory insisted on fighting for this one. In this version Domino's brother has an artificial eye to fool a security system into thinking he is the president of the United States, thereby allowing SPECTRE to get a hold of two atomic warheads. Bond, who appears quite aged in this outing, is still able to keep up physically in fighting the bad guys, in bedding the women, and in slipping in some humorous remarks. The only other thing I care to comment on is the video games. I was not aware that in the 80's arcade video games like Centipede were prevalent in casinos. The scene looks so funny now. And instead of the villain competing with Bond at a high stakes game of cards (in other words engaging in macho posturing), they play a WarGames like video game with joysticks that shock the loser! It's laughable!
  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    Never Say Never Again? Don't worry, I wont!
  • perr2fam125
    September 8, 2009
    perr2fam125
    I'm dispointed that connery had anything to do with this crap
  • gatorbuck
    August 29, 2009
    gatorbuck
    Never want to see it.
  • imparnham
    August 22, 2009
    imparnham
    Classy James Bond, with all the elements you would want :)
  • enigma9565
    July 15, 2009
    enigma9565
    This was a bootleg 007. He wasn't willing to work with the Bond producers over at MGM/UA and it didn't feel Bond-ish.
  • jesusjames1
    July 9, 2009
    jesusjames1
    got the DVD. I think the script was not that great to be performed by the classic Bond
  • JimG944
    June 21, 2009
    JimG944
    Who is the best Bond? Sean Connery gets my vote.
  • psyclock7
    June 18, 2009
    psyclock7
    Oh the lovely Bond girls..."
  • UhnTisUhnTisUhnTis
    June 17, 2009
    UhnTisUhnTisUhnTis
    Just watched this again. Its not the best Bond movie and its not the best one that Connery did, but its the last one Connery did, so it has to go in there lol.
    I much prefer Thunderball, to be honest, but hey. Haha
  • Darksome
    June 9, 2009
    Darksome
    Want to see it again!
  • nappyboynaija
    June 9, 2009
    nappyboynaija
    this is probably my bst james bond movie of all tym
  • Kabita100
    April 15, 2009
    Kabita100
    (No. 13˝)
    Despite a twelve-year hiatus, Connery returns an older Bond who's still got what it takes in this remake of Thundreball. Released just four months after Octopussy, Director Kershner gives a more serious tone to Never Say Never Again, reminiscent of the original Bond fil...( read more)ms. Also reminiscent are in-camera action sequences and purposefully clumsy fight choreographies, while Brandauer's portrayal of eerie Max Largo is amongst the best of the Bond baddies and Kim Basigner is surprisingly one of the better of the babes. Despite the score sounding dated and bland, this unofficial release captures all the signature excitement and exoticness of this one of a kind franchise.
  • sononothing
    March 30, 2009
    sononothing
    What a ballsy film to do! Honestly, this is a James Bond film that doesn't have Monty Newman's theme, the gun barrel sequence, or Desmond Llewelyn. What it does have, back for one last go, is Sean Connery.

    Never Say Never Again is essentially a remake of 1966's Thunderball, whic...( read more)h finds Bond stumbling onto a conspiracy to hijack two nuclear warheads and ransom the world to avoid detonation. Along the way he runs into the femme fatale Fatima Blush (Barbara Carerra) and the innocent victim Domino (Kim Basinger) while trying to stop SPECTRE agent #1 Maximillan Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer).

    This film is really a novelty. It had been 12 years since Connery bowed out in Diamonds Are Forever and he is the main draw of this film. It's played as an older Bond, which is an interesting concept even though we've seen the same story before. This film was Irvin Kershner's follow up the the magnificent Empire Strikes back and even though this film doesn't come close to the perfection of that movie it is still a solid action adventure with a few surprises. It's hokey at times, but Connery proves even at that age he is still James Bond.
  • malacaynomuerto
    March 27, 2009
    malacaynomuerto
    La ultima de Connery como Bond, una vez mas contra Spectra que amenaza con detonar bombas atomicas!!!! Nunca digas nunca jamás jejejeje
  • jonsamfriedman
    March 25, 2009
    jonsamfriedman
    Smooth as silk, won't let you down. Watch every five years and call your doctor in the morning. note- Classic
  • mattdonovan2004
    March 11, 2009
    mattdonovan2004
    Enjoyable enough remake of Thunderball, but with Connery nowhere near his former prime, this shows why he was wise to quit when he did.
  • jamilyn0276
    March 5, 2009
    jamilyn0276
    I am really glad that Sean Connery made this aptly named film, after stating that he wouldn't do another 007 film.
    Never Say Never Again was Connery's first Bond film since 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, when he hung up the spy suit, and was replaced by Roger Moore.
    The story in ...( read more)this film isn't the best. But, it does have Kim Basinger looking beautiful as Bond girl Domino Petachi.
    I am a fan of scuba diving, and I love the water, so that was another element of this film that I enjoyed. Besides, in how many other films do you get to see the leading man make love to a woman, only to have that woman slip a tracking device into his wetsuit for her sonar enabled shark to attack? Classic. I had a little Dr. Evil moment while watching that and had a laugh. "All I wanted was frickin sharks with frickin laser beams attached to their heads."
    In my opinion Sean Connery is hands down the best and coolest James Bond, the original.
  • stefanradut
    February 14, 2009
    stefanradut
    Chiar asa, niciodata sa nu spui niciodata!!
  • RobynMaher715
    February 5, 2009
    RobynMaher715
    I HHHHAAAAAATTTTEEE Kim Basinger so damn much it makes my brain hurt.....dumb biotch
  • studmuffin0681
    January 22, 2009
    studmuffin0681
    James Bond (Sean Connery), who has been primarily teaching for the last few years, is quite happily yanked out of semi-retirement to deal with the deadly SPECTRE organization's newest plan for the destruction of the planet.

    Maximilian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer), has managed t...( read more)o steal two cruise missiles armed with nuclear warheads, and Blofeld (Max von Sydow), has threatened to explode them in areas with large populations if a huge, and almost impossible, ransom demand from the NATO countries is not met.

    also stars Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Bernie Casey, Alec McCowen, Edward Fox, Pamela Salem and Pat Roach.

    directed by Irvin Kershner.
  • Selenakitten
    January 13, 2009
    Selenakitten
    fyi: not really considered in the Bond series..plot is the same as Thunderball..but there was a big controversy over this...but still a pretty good movie! :)
  • SweetyTerrorxXx
    December 20, 2008
    SweetyTerrorxXx
    A very good unofficial Bond movie.
    Almost as good as the best official ones.

    Some kind of remake of Thunderball. Some kind and not really a remake, cause it's very very different, and contains references, winks, to other Bond movies.

    Cool to see Sean Connery playing once again ...( read more)the character who made him become the huge star he is, years after his last official Bond movie.
  • stopitgoaway
    November 26, 2008
    stopitgoaway
    Never Say Never Again got its title because Sean Connery had said in the 1970s (shortly after Diamonds Are Forever) that he would "never" do another Bond film. However, in 1983 he was persuaded to return to the role for a one-off special, a remake of his fourth entry Thunderball,...( read more) and his wife rather humorously said to him that in the future he should make a point never to say never again. This film actually came out close to a Roger Moore entry in the series (Octopussy), and although Connery had more admirers as 007 than Moore, it was surprisingly Octopussy that scored a bigger box office hit.

    Connery's Bond is older and more vulnerable than we remember him. His boss, M, doesn't hold him in very high regard and actually suggests that he take some time off in a plush health spa. During his time here, Bond uncovers a strange plot and the further he delves into the mystery the more he discovers. It seems that his old adversaries SPECTRE, fronted by the nefarious Blofeld (Max Von Sydow) have stolen two nuclear warheads which they will detonate if they are not paid an extortionate ransom. Chief overseer of this hideous plan is Emile Largo (Klaus Maria Brandeur), and Bond pursues Largo around the globe in an attempt to stop him, visiting such places as Monte Carlo and North Africa during the course of the mission.

    The music by Michel Legrand is poor by series standards. It sounds rather similar to his music for the sleazy 1981 movie Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid, and is really ill-suited to this Bond production. However, in terms of villains, they've come with a couple of great ones for this film. Largo, as personified by Brandeur, is smooth but deadly, and hench-woman Fatima Blush (the sensual Barbara Carrera) is uncommonly disturbing. Rowan Atkinson also has a fairly good role as a dim-witted agent assigned to "help" Bond. The big action sequences are quite good, especially the horse chase around the North African sea-fortress and the motorbike chase, although some of the underwater moments are tough to understand because it's hard to figure out who is who behind the diving masks.
  • Alcmeliel
    November 19, 2008
    Alcmeliel
    old bonds... same old stuff
  • rew69er
    November 7, 2008
    rew69er
    pretty terrible it has to be said, thats what u get for cheating ur way back connery
  • mingsysar
    October 27, 2008
    mingsysar
    Not strictly a Bond film, and not strictly good enough to be a Bond film. Plus Connery is too old.
  • Angelshunter
    October 17, 2008
    Angelshunter
    the best funny part is when bond ride the bike and the other agent preteneded to be an athlete and were goin one after the other. i like its action and story well its a bond movie so yeah 5 stars
  • cuddlesgb
    October 16, 2008
    cuddlesgb
    NOOOOO! OK, this is Sean at (sorry) his most unattactive, mid-life crisis in full force.
  • kurosawian
    October 13, 2008
    kurosawian
    A mere four months after the embarrassing release of Octopussy, Warner brothers takes a major risk competing with Broccoli. Two Bond movies out at the same time! Their remake of Thunderball often gets unfairly neglected. Sure it doesn't have the trademark opening logo, John Barry...( read more) score or regular actors but it is worth checking out just for the return of Connery. He has clearly aged much better than Moore. Fittingly, they also address the fact that Bond is getting older (check out the classic old-school fight in the massage parlor - think From Russia with Love). Plus, the villain is one of the all-time great Bond baddies (not to mention, Max Von Sydow as Blofeld.) Even Kim Basinger is one of the more memorable Bond women. Technically speaking, the film is accomplished thanks to the same director as Empire Strikes Back and the same cinematographer as Raiders of the Lost Ark. Despite the somewhat familiar plot (although, there are some significant changes from Thunderball), and the horribly dated 80s score, this is one of the better Bond films. Long live Sean Connery!
  • saltersheppard
    September 21, 2008
    saltersheppard
    Connery? always good. Carrera? Perfect. Everyone else and the music was awefull. Poor! Yeauck! Some good scenes but generally yhe worst Bond movie out there.
  • Deano78
    September 6, 2008
    Deano78
    A pretty good bond film from what I remember.
  • cannon5021
    September 1, 2008
    cannon5021
    I wanted better from Sean Connery's return to Bond. The movie had some nice moments,but not enough.
  • supershiftyspy
    August 20, 2008
    supershiftyspy
    He was just too old in this one.
  • theaterjordan
    August 19, 2008
    theaterjordan
    kinda funny, but gets boring after a while
  • PvtCaboose91
    August 9, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    Fatima Blush: "Oh, how reckless of me. I made you all wet."
    James Bond: "Yes, but my martini is still dry. My name is James."


    Never Say Never Again is the third "unofficial" entry in the James Bond film series. By using the term "unofficial", I

    ...( read more)refer to the fact that they weren't produced by the Broccoli family or EON productions, nor were they theatrically distributed by MGM/United Artists. Prior to this 1983 film, two other "unofficial" entries were produced - two renderings of Casino Royale (an early 1954 television production, and silly comic parody released in 1967).

    The story behind Never Say Never Again is a fascinating tale. This film is essentially a reworking of Thunderball, featuring the one and only Sean Connery reprising the illustrious role for the first time since 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.
    Back in the 1950s, screenwriter Kevin McClory collaborated with original Bond author Ian Fleming to adapt a Bond novel to the big screen. Eventually the two decided to instead compose a wholly original script. However, financing fell through and the project was abandoned. Unbeknownst to McClory, Fleming seized the ideas enclosed in their script and wrote the novel Thunderball. A furious legal battle ensued as McClory desired his share of the credit (which is why he's billed alongside Fleming in all current printings of the novel). From there, the rights to the novel were owned by McClory. He sold the film rights to Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. In return he asked for 20% of the film's box office profits, a producer's billing and the option to remake Thunderball ten years following the initial release. Ten years passed, and McClory wanted to green light his remake. Legal battles consequently burdened the project, as well as the studio's disinclination to fund it. Finally, the film was resurrected when McClory persuaded former Bond star Sean Connery to reprise the role.

    Never Say Never Again was released in 1983, up against Roger Moore as Bond in Octopussy. It boiled down to a competition between the die-hard Connery fans and the mainstream audience that preferred Moore portraying the character. The rest is history...Never Say Never Again earned meagre profits while Octopussy proved triumphant and came out on top. It's obvious why Moore's Bond film proved more lucrative: Octopussy flaunted better stunts, a bigger concept, superior actors, and far more excitement.

    The plotline of Never Say Never Again is wafer thin and frequently very pretentious. Basically, the idea of nuclear missiles being hijacked (as seen in 1965's Thunderball) is retained. Secret Agent James Bond 007 (Connery) becomes entangled in a SPECTRE plot to kidnap warheads and threaten key cities. SPECTRE basically holds the world hostage with plans to extort money from world leaders. The film's story creates a tediously overlong and disjointed 007 adventure. Things become dragged out to excess, with a shocking shortage on action and typical Bond moments. Not to mention the dreadfully formulaic structure in place. The script moves from one stupid situation to the next. Some of the worst Bond scenes in cinematic history are instigated here, for example Bond playing a video game with villain Largo (Brandauer). Credit must go to the screenwriter for developing some sophisticated dialogue though. There are a few typical charming Bond moments, one-liners and an assortment of impressive action. What's missing are the clever scenarios and the fast pace.

    Director Kershner isn't capable of keeping the proceedings taut and exciting. Things quickly become boring, in addition to becoming difficult to follow. You'll be none the wiser about the meaning of the events until you watch the film a second time. It also must be noted that it's impossible to stop thinking about the original Bond adventures and how vastly superior they are in every aspect.

    Sean Connery's reprisal of the role is what generated much of the film's marketing hype. The producers figured that audiences would love to see their traditional Bond return to action as opposed to Roger Moore. Many criticised Connery's performance due to his age, whereas Roger Moore is two years older than Connery and he was portraying the character until several years later! Here, Connery is 53 and still oozing his boyish charm. Kim Basinger is an average love interest. Still in her early acting days, she still needed a few more lessons. Klaus Maria Brandauer is an extremely weak and underwhelming villain. He isn't memorable, nor is he sinister or evil. It's very difficult to determine that he is the villain until halfway through the running time! Max von Sydow also appears as trademark Bond villain Blofeld. Rowan Atkinson, in his first screen performance, is the light comic relief. He has a minor role, but considering his current fame it's easy to notice him. (Atkinson later featured in a spoof of the Bond movies, entitled Johnny English)

    Overall, Never Say Never Again is a disappointing reworking of a classic Bond adventure. While the dialogue is occasionally sophisticated, everything else is very below par. It's undeniable that the action scenes are sometimes highly entertaining, but the climax is overlong and sapped of any excitement. The underwater battles are far superior in Thunderball. The classic characters are present without the familiar face attached. "M" is no longer stern and authoritative, while "Q" is now a very Cockney character. At times the film is very entertaining of course, and the title song is really catchy. Additionally, the filmmakers could not afford the trademark Bond theme...and this theme is sorely missed. As a result, the action is less exciting. Bond adventures never succeed without the trademark theme. Consequently, Bond fans can afford to give it a miss. It's interesting to note that the film's title references Sean Connery's stance to "never again" play the character of James Bond.

    Apparently Kevin McClory is interested in producing another remake of Thunderball (tentatively titled Warhead) and the legal battles still rage. Well, good luck to him.
  • jamesfergusonjr
    July 30, 2008
    jamesfergusonjr
    The ?unofficial? James Bond film, Never Say Never Again debuted in 1983 with Sean Connery returning to the role of 007 (12 years after his last performance as the secret agent). It?s not an official Bond movie as it wasn?t made by the same people. That being said, they should be ...( read more)glad that they didn?t make it. This one is pretty lackluster.

    I wish I could elaborate more on the plot, but I was falling asleep halfway through the movie. Some guy gets an eye transplant and steals some nuclear warheads and then this other guy holds the world hostage. Kim Bassinger runs around like a dumbass with a man face for a bit and then Sean Connery limps through the movie, showing his age and banging three chicks. There?s some weird 80s style video game, some fake sharks and a horse jumping off a cliff. The rest is a blur.

    Granted, at this point in time I?ve only seen 3 Bond movies (this makes 4), but they were loads better than this one. This film moves at a snail?s pace and it?s over 2 hours long. It?s almost painful to sit through. If I had to rate the film, it would get one star for being a Bond movie and another half star for it being a Connery Bond at that. I can?t see giving it much more of a rating than that.
  • therimboconnection
    July 15, 2008
    therimboconnection
    I didn't like this as much as some of the other Connery Bond Films but it was still charming enough to keep me entertained.
  • Ghw12158
    July 13, 2008
    Ghw12158
    not bad Bond but there are much better check them out first(also much worse!)
  • MetalMario2
    July 12, 2008
    MetalMario2
    For the makers of this film, the real coup had to be casting Sean Connery as the lead. Not only would the prospect of seeing Connery play 007 again draw audiences to theaters, but it allowed this competing, "unofficial" Bond flick to present a different kind of hero; an aging, se...( read more)mi-retired Bond who's thrust back into the line of fire to once again save the world from egomaniacal terrorists. It must have been like watching your favorite fighter making the comeback of a lifetime.
  • samanthaseaotter
    July 7, 2008
    samanthaseaotter
    Not too good. I like Klaus Maria Brandauer though. Didn't need Kim Basinger.

Summary

Never Say Never Again Summary