NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN [1983 / 2013] [Blu-ray] [UK Release]
Sean Connery is James Bond!
Sean Connery is back for his final performance as agent James Bond in this high-velocity action thriller. Agent 007 is hurled into a pulse-pounding race to save the world from Armageddon when two atomic warheads are hijacked by the evil SPECTRE organisation.
FILM FACT No.1: Awards and Nominations: 1984 Golden Globes: Nominated: Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for Barbara Carrera. 1984 Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA: Nominated: Best Fantasy Film. Nominated: Best Special Effects for Ian Wingrove. 1984 Golden Screen, Germany: Win: Golden Screen Award.
FILM FACT No.2: Due to Great Britain's strict policy with regards to animal violence, one scene showing a horse falling into the ocean was cut, brought on by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [RSPCA], which is the largest animal rights group worldwide. This is only available to be viewed on an uncut German PAL DVD. The music for ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ was written by Michel Legrand, who composed a music score similar to his work as a jazz pianist. Phyllis Hyman also recorded a potential theme song, written by Stephen Forsyth and Jim Ryan, but the song, an unsolicited submission, was passed over given Michel Legrand's contractual obligations with the music. Neither the famous opening credits nor the James Bond Theme or the 007 Logo were allowed to be used.
Cast: Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Bernie Casey, Alec McCowen, Edward Fox, Pamela Salem, Rowan Atkinson, Valerie Leon, Milos Kirek, Pat Roach, Anthony Sharp, Prunella Gee, Gavan O'Herlihy, Ronald Pickup, Robert Rietty, Guido Adorni, Vincent Marzello, Christopher Reich, Billy J. Mitchell, Manning Redwood, Anthony Van Laast, Saskia Cohen Tanugi, Sylvia Marriott, Dan Meaden, Michael Medwin, Lucy Hornak, Derek Deadman, Joanna Dickens, Tony Alleff, Paul Tucker, Brenda Kempner, Jill Meager, John Stephen Hill, Wendy Leech, Roy Bowe, Lewis Alexander (uncredited), Roy Alon (uncredited), Andy Bradford (uncredited), Tony Cyrus (uncredited), Ron Gregory (uncredited), Walter Henry (uncredited), Billy Horrigan (uncredited), Marsha A. Hunt (uncredited), Aileen Lewis (uncredited), Chris Parsons (uncredited), Peter Ross-Murray (uncredited), Peter Roy (uncredited), Rocky Taylor (uncredited) and Reg Thomason (uncredited)
Director: Irvin Kershner
Producers: Jack Schwartzman, Kevin McClory and Michael Dryhurst
Screenplay: Ian Fleming (based on an original story), Jack Whittingham (based on an original story), Kevin McClory (based on an original story), Lorenzo Semple Jr. (screenplay), Dick Clement (uncredited) and Ian La Frenais (uncredited)
Composer: Michel Legrand
Cinematography: Douglas Slocombe, O.B.E., B.S.C., A.S.C. (Director of Photography)
Image Resolution: 1080p
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH
Running Time: 134 minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 1
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Andrew's Blu-ray Review: ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ begins with James Bond unsuccessfully taking part in a series of simulated missions for MI6. There's a new "M" [Edward Fox] in town who isn't fond of the "00" branch; he's relegated Bond to assignments as an instructor and has all but disbanded the "00" forces. James Bond isn't getting any younger at this point, so he's ordered to clean up his act and to get into better shape by checking into a health spa. There, Bond accidentally uncovers a plot put in motion by SPECTRE, and the organization's ruthless leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld [Max Von Sydow], to steal several nuclear warheads, threaten the world and collect a giant ransom. When the warheads go missing, MI6 panics, reactivates Bond and sends him on a mission to the Caribbean to work his double-0 magic on the situation. Once in the Bahamas, Bond encounters Maximilian Largo [Klaus Maria Brandauer], an agent of SPECTRE who lives on a giant high-tech yacht. Bond will re-team with his old pal, CIA Agent Felix Leiter [Bernie Casey], and Largo's girlfriend Domino [Kim Basinger] to put a stop to their nefarious plans.
‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ features a number of great action sequences, from underwater fights, to motorcycle chases; as well as an unfortunate reliance on some primitive blue screen work. Fortunately, the film is so effortless in its direction and story, that none of this is particularly bothersome. ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ also benefits from one of the strongest villains in James Bond history; Klaus Maria Brandauer turns in a bravura performance as Largo, while managing to stay within the realm of reality and avoiding the megalomaniacal histrionics that often accompany James Bond villain performances. He's simply fantastic in the role. Kim Basinger is an acceptable Domino, but comes across as something of a hard sell when compared to Thunderball's Domino, Claudine Auger. Finally, Max Von Sydow is an effectively creepy Blofeld that seems to have a bit more personality than those of the Eon Productions films. His addition to the cast, along with that of Mr. Brandauer's, gives ‘Never Say Never Again’ one of the strongest rosters of villains in the history of the franchise, bar none.
Invariably, the question always arises: is ‘‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ as good as ‘Thunderball’ not really. The story is virtually identical, of course, but ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ doesn't have the style of the original. ‘Thunderball’ was one of the pivotal James Bond films and helped to cement many of Bond's signature trademarks. James Bond sense of style, along with his decidedly sexist behaviour, was an aspect of James Bond's character that has followed him through the decades. It's fresh and almost charming in ‘Thunderball,’ while already looking dated in ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.’ Regardless, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ is very entertaining and faithful to the James Bond character. It might not achieve the heights of the other James Bond films from the sixties, but is just as good.
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN MUSIC TRACK LIST
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (Music by Michel Legrand) (Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman) [Performed by Lani Hall]
UNE CHANSON d'AMOUR (Music by Michel Legrand) (Lyrics by Jean Dréjac) [Performed by Sophie Della]
Blu-ray Image Quality – ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ Blu-ray release represents the first serious attempt at presenting the film in a manner befitting a Sean Connery Bond film. Presented in a nice 1080p encoded image and the film's original theatrical aspect ratio of 2.35:1 and ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ looks pretty darn good. The primary problem with the release is print damage; there are a number of scenes where print scratches and dirt become obvious, marring this otherwise excellent presentation. I noticed more issues cropping up during the film's special effects shots, particularly during obvious optical composites. Clearly, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ hasn't been run through the restoration process at Lowry, like EON Productions' films have. Regardless, the good elements outweigh the bad in ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.’ Contrast is generally impressive, with rich black levels. Colours are slightly washed-out, but that's probably the nature of the film's early-eighties photography. Detail is moderate, but appropriate given the source material. Grain is slightly inconsistent, with heavier grain appearing in special effects shots where optical printing was used. It's nothing out of the ordinary for a film of the early eighties. Lastly, there aren't any noticeable compression-related issues with ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ and the film has been given a high quality encode. While the film doesn't rise to the same video heights as most of the other James Bond films, this is still a worthy upgrade from any previous version of the film. ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ looks better than ever on this Blu-ray disc.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – I was fully expecting ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ to be a disappointment in the audio department. Surprisingly, the film has been given a substantial update in its sound mix, thanks to a potent helping of 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio encoding combined with some serious audio remixing. There's a nice atmosphere throughout the film that mixes in a number of rear directional effects in action sequences. Dialogue is for the most part, isolated to the centre channel, while the film's somewhat awkward musical score takes root entirely in the front soundstage. For a James Bond film from the early 1980s, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ will never sound as up-to- date as, say the film ‘Quantum of Solace.’ Not that it necessarily should, for that matter. I was duly impressed with this updated soundtrack's restraint. It would have been easy to remix the track to the point of being ridiculous. ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ is again highly recommended.
Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
Audio Commentary with Director Irvin Kershner and James Bond Historian Steven Jay Rubin: Director Irvin Kershner is joined by 007 Historian Steven Jay Rubin, who claims that this is one of his favourite films. Something tells me that any film with James Bond in it would qualify as one of his favourites. For a James Bond historian, Jay Rubin makes some surprising factual errors, such as stating that the Blofeld character hadn't been seen in a 007 film since ‘On Her Majesty's Secret Service,’ when in fact he made appearances in both ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ and ‘For Your Eyes Only.’ The track also has a little too much play-by-play recapping of the action on screen. Regardless, this is a pretty engaging conversation, especially when director Irvin Kershner describes his problems with how much of the novel he had to include versus how much of the previous ‘Thunderball’ film he wasn't allowed to use. So all in all, this audio commentary was slightly disappointing and only gets a 2 star rating from me.
Special Feature Documentary: The Big Gamble [1983] [480i] [1.37:1] [16:24] With this special feature it follows the “unofficial Bond” film’s sticky path to the screen, the script and the adaptation of the source material, story issues and rewrites, and some legal wrangling. We have an overview of the history of the James Bond project, development of the script, and the legal problems that the producers faced. Director Irvin Kershner admits to being bored by the script and the final action scene. Contributors include: Rubin, Irvin Kershner [Director], John Hyde [Producers of Sales Organization], Jack Schwartzman [Producer], Lorenzo Semple, Jr. [Screenwriter], Dick Clement [uncredited screenwriter], Ian La Frenais [uncredited screenwriter] and Barbara Carrera [Actress].
Special Feature Documentary: Sean is Back [1983] [480i] [1.37:1] [8:04] The cast and crew reminisce about working with Sean Connery and offer him their highest compliments. We also get some passable piece but not a particularly insightful one. Contributors include: John Schwartzman, Barbara Carrera [Actress], Irvin Kershner [Director], Lorenzo Semple, Jr. [Screenwriter], Talia Shire Schwartzman [Wife of Producer Jack Schwartzman], Dick Clement [uncredited screenwriter], Ian La Frenais [uncredited screenwriter] and Pamela Salem [Actress].
Special Feature: The Girls of ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ [1983] [480i] [1.37:1] [10:05] A discussion about the casting of Kim Basinger, who was intimidated by the cast and her husband, and had a bad experience making the film. The still-lovely Barbara Carrera says that she enjoyed improvising much of her role. Plenty more interesting facts we get to hear, like director Irvin Kershner gets into conflicts with Kim Basinger, and Barbara Carrera – who really doesn’t look like she’s aged more than 15 minutes since 1983 – spills the beans on many aspects of her work. I feared this would be a silly special feature piece, but instead it comes packed with cool tales. Contributors include: Irvin Kershner [Director], Barbara Carrera [Actress], Talia Shire Schwartzman [Wife of Producer Jack Schwartzman], Pamela Salem [Miss Moneypenny] and Valerie Leon [Actress].
Theatrical Trailer [1983] [480i] [1.37:1] [1:00] This is the Trailer for the film ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.’ The Blu-ray disc menus calls it a theatrical trailer, but this is clearly a 1.37:1 aspect ratio pan and scan TV spot advert. This was probably because M-G-M/20th Century Fox couldn't get the trailer material out of Warner Bros.
Finally, the inspiration of 1980s fads dates ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ this film, besides the title song sung by Lani Hall with Herb Alpert trumpet solo (it's the exception and not the rule, after all, when a James Bond title song isn't dated) and a terrible music film score by Michel Legrand, the plot nods to a pop culture dominated by Jane Fonda workouts and video-game arcades, especially one suspense sequence pits James Bond against Largo in a wired-to-kill game of "Domination." Instead of Desmond Llewelyn as "Q" and ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ offers Alec McCowen as Algernon. In one of the film's most dry funny scenes, is when Algernon tells James Bond, "Good to see you, Mr. Bond. Things have been awfully dull around here. Bureaucrats running the old place, everything is done by the book. Now you are on, and I hope we're going to have some gratuitous sex and violence." While it certainly isn't the best of the James Bond films, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ is far from being the worst. In fact, it's a remarkably entertaining diversion in the James Bond universe that manages to entertain while showcasing Sean Connery's final take on the legendary spy he helped create. James Bond fans will love the film's tongue-in-cheek manner and will get a kick out of seeing a slightly older Sean Connery in an unexpected return to the role that made him famous. This Blu-ray release of ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ is clearly the finest presentation of the film that has ever graced home screens, though an unfortunate amount of print damage does detract slightly from the experience. The film's audio presentation is generally impressive, if restrained; supplements are, however, lacking in depth. Ultimately, ‘NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN’ is a strange footnote in cinema history that manages to be genuinely enjoyable, while showcasing a number of exceptional performances and it was a brilliant film for Sean Connery who finally bowed out of the James Bond franchise and now I have the final Sean Connery James Bond film added to my other James Bond Blu-ray Collection. Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
