Review of You Only Live Twice (2007) by Paul D — 12 Feb 2014

You Only Live Twice immediately sets up an entertaining setting for itself by putting the context of the thrills in outer space, a turf that James Bond has not yet challenged.

Unfortunately, the story antics in You Only Live Twice are rather dull, because after four films in the series the fifth one just seems to go on for a while with the same repetitive plot elements. And the entertainment value is significantly lesser by this point. While it sounded cool at first with the idea of James Bond going into space sounding cool, the first hour of the film was all just a lot of conventional James Bond action and talking which isn't really refreshing by this point because it's all been seen and done before.

And the story proves to be very protracting and confusing, being paced too slowly over its 112 minute time period while it throws scattered story elements around without ever tying them together all that well.

Eventually, the film eventually becomes largely a rehash of the first 007 film, Dr. No. This is because in the second half the volcano setting is essentially all too familiar for anyone who saw James Bond stop the Project Mercury Space Launch, with the only key differences being that this time the budget is a lot higher, the space launch is a success and the villain is different. But it's not much new, and so it seems that the only thing You Only Lives Twice brings to the series is some more action. Granted the action sequences turn out to be entertaining once they stop being so conventional, as well as very well shot and edited well. But not even the large quantity of action in You Only Live Twice can overshadow its half assed storytelling lazily constructed script.

You Only Live Twice proves not to have much benefit from director Lewis Gilbert, who opposite of what he did as the director of Alfie decides to put all his focus in You Only Live Twice on the imagery instead of the characters or any intelligence in the script. And while the imagery is entertaining and memorable for its action which does become exhilarating eventually, You Only Live Twice it doesn't mask the cheap storytelling.

You Only Live Twice is a lot of repetition for the 007 series, and it repeats it's story elements constantly throughout the film, and so it's not much of a step forward for the series with the exception of the step up in visual effects.

But the character 007 is as good as ever thanks to Sean Connery's charismatic strength in the role which hasn't decreased in the slightest since he started in the role. He has the same determination, the same fighting spirit and the same attitude towards women that defined the secret agent from the beginning. He carries the story all the way to the end without ever tripping up.

And Donald Pleasence is a refreshing new cast member added to the James Bond series as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a character with iconic villainous qualities and an intense gaze of evil in his eyes. He had a distinct charm which he redirects into a villainous context and he works it to a great extent.

But despite the lead actors, some good action scenes and a slight sense of fun, You Only alive Teice is an entry into the 007 series which doesn't introduce anything really new to the series or tell a story that hasn't been told before.