Diamonds are forever (1971)

Though George Lazenby probably was underrated, he was certainly no Sean Connery. So the studio threw a pile of money at Connery and persuaded him to don the 00-digit one last time. Was it worth the splash?

Well the introduction is fine as he punches his way towards Blofeld, including strangling a pretty girl with her on bikini. Most determined man. He even kills Blofeld before the vignette (we're led to believe).

The henchmen are quite delectable this time around as Putter Smith and Bruce Glover kill with indiscriminately with a sly smile and more puns than Bond by a mile. Glover speaks slow and meticulously, with exaggerated facial motions, whereas Smith has a rather daft grin on his face. Most worthy opponents.

The action is all right, but as with most things, less is often more, as the best scene is a two-man brawl in an elevator. And there are quite a few attempts at killing here (mostly successful as Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint are most efficient and love their jobs). No real set-pieces apart from the end-game, just a very cool stunt with the Mustang. As this is mostly set in Las Vegas in the early seventies, there is no shortage of big, beautiful American cars.

Blofeld is played by Charles Grey (he actually had a small role in YOLT, most unusual). His British arrogance impeccable, but the menace of Donald Pleasance is most missed. Particularly when he's losing. He has plenty of swagger, but not any real threat. That is probably the reason why there is no real fight between him and Bond, only tinkering with toys of threat, whoever is in charge.

The tone of the film is mostly light. There are some great expressions from Connery as he struggles to fathom the stupidity of human kind, St. John plays it very light and the name Plenty O'Toole also sets a bar.

Barry's score is good, and the theme for the henchmen is spot on. Sneaky and a bit strange but with a steady beat.

This flick never gets the feeling of a true Bond. There is much murdering and sneakyness, the car and the women are there, but the suspense and grandeur not so much.

6/10

Best car used: Ford Mustang Mach 1 (1971) (though the moon-buggy is great fun)
Most memorable drink served: Sherry Solera, 1851.
Henchmen: Mr. Kidd & Mr Wint. A gay couple. Most peculiar pair (particularly Putter Smith who was specifically cast for his appearance)
Villain: Ernest Stavro Blofeld.
Best one-liner: "Provided the collars and cuffs match"
Song: Diamonds are forever, Shirley Bassey. Dramatic, but the dull synth-riff does it no good. Bassey tries her hardest, though.
Bond-girl: Jill St. John. Nowhere near the most memorable apart from the fact that she wears about 5 different sets of lingerie in the first half of the film.