Review of You Only Live Twice (2007) by Kenneth L — 26 May 2011

This movie has James Bond and ninjas, so even if it didn't have anything else, it would still have that going for it. This was the fifth Connery Bond film, and while it's definitely not the best in the series, it's got its moments.

The biggest problem with the movie, I think, is that it's actually surprisingly slow and too long. After a strong opening in which Bond appears to die (but doesn't of course), the film kind of meanders around in a couple of different directions before getting back to the main plot, which concerns a scheme by arch-villain Blofeld to start a war between the USA and the USSR. The movie picks up in the big action climax, which takes place in Blofeld's excellent secret-base-inside-a-volcano, but a good bit of what comes in between feels kind of extraneous.

Sean Connery is Sean Connery as Bond. Donald Pleasence only gets a little screen-time as Blofeld, but he's a memorable villain with presence, and clearly inspired Mike Myers's brilliant Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers movies. Mie Hama might actually be one of the hottest Bond girls as Kissy Suzuki, who can apparently swim like a mile and then lead a bunch of ninjas into an assault on a secret base, like a badass. The other characters are less memorable, and I felt kind of sorry for one woman (played by Akiko Wakabayashi) who gets killed without anyone seeming to mind terribly much.

As a James Bond movie set in Japan in 1967, it goes without saying that the movie is a bit sexist and racist. Particularly absurd is the part where Bond supposedly gets treated to "look Japanese," but of course just looks like Sean Connery with a silly haircut. The movie actually doesn't have as many action scenes as you might hope, though one throwaway fight scene between Bond in a ridiculous toy helicopter and five real helicopters is pretty amusing. Overall, it's not one of the strongest Bond movies, but not the worst one, either.