You only live twice (4½ Stars)

This is the fifth James Bond film, made in 1967. In my opinion, it's the best film in the series so far. It's beginning to display the camp elements that made the films outstanding works of art.

The film's title refers to the fact that James Bond fakes his death in the opening scenes. This has nothing to do with the rest of the film, except to set up MI6 as having a new headquarters on a submarine. We were told in the previous films that James Bond had previously been a member of the Royal Navy, but we now see him in a naval uniform for the first time.

Even Miss Moneypenny is shown wearing a naval uniform. This seems rather ridiculous, but it doesn't bother me. It's just part of the film's camp nature.

In this film we finally see the face of the mysterious Number One, after only seeing his hands in the previous films. He introduces himself as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, which only means something to those who've read Ian Fleming's novels. He's played by Donald Pleasance, who was a superb choice for the role. Just look at his evil stare in this photo. It's sad that he didn't return and was replaced by other actors in the following films.

Blofeld has a fiendish plan to conquer the world. He's stealing the rockets that America and Russia are shooting into space. They're swallowed by his own spacecraft, which is far superior to anything America or Russia is able to build. He knows that the two countries will blame one another, so his intention is to provoke a nuclear war between the two countries. He is sitting out of harm's way on a small Japanese island.

Why does Blofeld need to take over the world? Why doesn't be just sell his spacecraft technology to the highest bidder? That would immediately make him the world's richest man.

Once more, there are three Bond Girls. The bad Bond Girl is Helga Brand, played by the German actress Karin Dor. She's Number Eleven in Spectre, and a skilled assassin.

Bond should be careful who he's kissing. She soon has him tied up in her cabin. She only lets him go because she doesn't realise how dangerous he is.

The usual pattern is that the secondary good Bond Girl appears briefly before getting killed. In this film Aki, played by Akiko Wakabayashi, has a lot of screen time before she's finally killed.

Mie Hama plays Kissy Suzuki, who marries James Bond to help his undercover activities on the island. It's supposed to be just a business relationship, but she can't help falling for his charms. She's the main good Bond Girl, even though she doesn't appear until late in the film.

But James Bond has lots of girls in this film. The film poster exaggerates slightly. It shows him with eight women in a bathtub, but in the film there are only three Japanese girls washing him. But what's the difference? Three Japanese girls would get any man just as hot and steamy as eight girls.

Even one Japanese girl is enough to raise James Bond's blood pressure.

It's sad that Sean Connery has passed away, but he had a good life. He kissed as many women as Willaim Shatner in his distinguished career. Rest In Peace.

Success Rate:  + 9.7

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