A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.A S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
Max von Sydow
- Ernst Stavro Blofeld
- (as Max Von Sydow)
Milos Kirek
- Kovacs
- (as Milow Kirek)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaA young Steven Seagal was the movie's martial arts instructor. One day, he got so angered by Sean Connery during a training session that he broke his wrist. Connery went along with that injury for a number of years, thinking it was just a minor pain.
- GoofsFatima Blush skis with one ski, but when she skis into James' arms, she has two.
- Quotes
Fatima Blush: You know that making love to Fatima was the greatest pleasure of your life.
James Bond: Well, to be perfectly honest, there was this girl in Philadelphia...
Fatima Blush: SHUT UP!
[beat]
Fatima Blush: *I* am the best.
James Bond: Yes. Yes, you're right. In fact, i was going to put you in my memoirs as "Number One".
Fatima Blush: Right.
- Alternate versionsUK version (rated 'PG') is cut by 8 secs to remove animal cruelty - a horse landing on its back in water after a high jump from a cliff.
- ConnectionsEdited from Ice Station Zebra (1968)
- SoundtracksNever Say Never Again
Music by Michel Legrand
Lyrics by Alan Bergman and Marilyn Bergman
Performed by Lani Hall
Featured review
Not terrible, just tired, flat, and uninspired
"Never Say Never Again", as everyone knows by now, was the second Bond film to be released in 1983, and was nearly as big a hit as "Octopussy" was (that film was still playing in some theaters when "Never Say Never Again" was released). Lacking the distinctive gun-barrel opening and famous Bond theme among other distinctive features of the EON franchise films, this lacks not only the feel of the EON Bond series, but of Fleming's work, leaving a seriously bloated mess of an American action thriller which happens to feature Bond as the lead character.
Why? That's the first question anybody should be asking about this film. A cynic (which I probably qualify as) would say 'for the cash', others might say it was just to get Connery back as Bond and give him a proper goodbye. Some might say it was in retaliation to the direction the Moore films were headed in, although "For Your Eyes Only" is a far superior and far less bloated film than this, so that argument doesn't quite work.
Of course, there's a lot to dislike here. Connery has moments of inspiration where he slips right back into character, but for most of the film he just looks really old and slightly ridiculous, which fits the plot but doesn't make his performance any less tired. Still, I'd argue that this is a better send-off for him as Bond than "Diamonds are Forever". Kim Basinger is a terrible Bond girl, and as much as I like Rowan Atkinson he shouldn't be anywhere near a Bond film. In addition, the villains here fall flat as well.
That said, "Never Say Never Again" is not a film I can hate, even if I wanted to (and I never want to hate anything), simply because little of it comes off as especially bad yet all of it comes off as flat, bland, and uninspired, and far, far too American for a Bond film. It's just sort of... there being the bloated, over-long, but not terrible film it is. I don't count it as a 'Bond film', as it doesn't feel remotely like one, but even just as an action thriller it doesn't quite work.
5/10
Why? That's the first question anybody should be asking about this film. A cynic (which I probably qualify as) would say 'for the cash', others might say it was just to get Connery back as Bond and give him a proper goodbye. Some might say it was in retaliation to the direction the Moore films were headed in, although "For Your Eyes Only" is a far superior and far less bloated film than this, so that argument doesn't quite work.
Of course, there's a lot to dislike here. Connery has moments of inspiration where he slips right back into character, but for most of the film he just looks really old and slightly ridiculous, which fits the plot but doesn't make his performance any less tired. Still, I'd argue that this is a better send-off for him as Bond than "Diamonds are Forever". Kim Basinger is a terrible Bond girl, and as much as I like Rowan Atkinson he shouldn't be anywhere near a Bond film. In addition, the villains here fall flat as well.
That said, "Never Say Never Again" is not a film I can hate, even if I wanted to (and I never want to hate anything), simply because little of it comes off as especially bad yet all of it comes off as flat, bland, and uninspired, and far, far too American for a Bond film. It's just sort of... there being the bloated, over-long, but not terrible film it is. I don't count it as a 'Bond film', as it doesn't feel remotely like one, but even just as an action thriller it doesn't quite work.
5/10
helpful•4833
- ametaphysicalshark
- Mar 22, 2008
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Warhead
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $36,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $55,432,841
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $10,958,157
- Oct 10, 1983
- Gross worldwide
- $55,433,185
- Runtime2 hours 14 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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