Thunderball vs. You Only Live Twice- which do you prefer?

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  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Dwayne wrote: »
    Lemme think here, Thunderball vs You Only Live Twice...

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    The choice is obvious.

    With a userid like @Thunderball you’re not exactly objective 😊.
    In any case, I’ll see your “Domino” and raise my “Aki”.
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    You win. ;)
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    Posts: 776
    Domino wins. My heart, anyway. Doubt I'm alone. One of my favorite aspects of Thunderball.
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    My other favorite thing about Thunderball.

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    Flawless victory.
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  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,009
    Can't fault that double-act, @Thunderball. Two of the very best.
  • Jordo007Jordo007 Merseyside
    edited March 2022 Posts: 2,483
    Connery is probably better in Thunderball and the Bond girls are more interesting but the scale in You Only Live Twice tips it for me.
    That volcano lair alone is worth the watch

    A big problem with Thunderball for me is we are told the plot immediately and are ahead of Bond throughout the majority of the film, whereas it was masterfully done in Goldfinger, how we were discovering the villains plot along with Bond
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    That's a very good point. Bond never discovers anything we don't already know in TB: there are no shocks or surprises. Waiting for him to catch up certainly makes it less exciting.
  • edited March 2022 Posts: 1,545
    Indeed. It is the nature of the story - ie, that TB is not a story in which Bond finds things out before or with the audience, and they should not all be the same. Considering that Bond has a license to kill, I always got the impression he was not waiting for proof beyond a reasonable doubt to do so. It turns out he usually or always DOES have complete certainty by the time he acts. It is not out of a concern for mercy, I think, but to understand the operation and know he's not only putting down a boss, but exterminating their enterprise. At least, I think that is his concern. In TB, for instance, the good guys know that nuclear weapons were stolen. They do not wish to act and merely think they were successful in eliminating the threat. They want the bombs back. At any rate, I appreciate it as a thriller, with great locations, characters and so on, regardless of knowing things before Bond knows them. My next note will address why TB has always been a favorite, despite the fact it compares less favorably for many fans to DN, FRWL and GF, not to mention YOLT.

    I like TB overall very much because of a variety of factors. The locations are FAR superior to the US locations in GF. I am fond of hot, wet places like the Caribbean, rather than a non-descript road mid-Kentucky with various tacky commercial establishments. I KNOW they were heading to a junkyard, so it won't be glamorous. The ladies in TB are stunning, and Connery himself looked terrific. Felix Leiter was played, for the first time since Jack Lord in DN, by a handsome tall guy who looked ready for action. (Underused, wasn't he ?) The glamor - a function of location, and of Largo living the high life. The sharks in the pool - I suppose they were the set-piece used in a manner like the buzz-saw in GF book and laser in GF film - a moment where Bond is in genuine danger, and he must find a way out of it. One aspect of TB I never liked was that it started the Bond-and-romantic partner-get-interrupted at the end of the film. Yes, they properly were on the water. Yes, they had a comfortable place to spend some time together before requesting rescue. But, also, yes - they got interrupted. This happened at the end of YOLT, too. Using a rather similar rescue float as was used in TB, which seemed rather lazy for the YOLT ending. Even in DN when Honey and Bond were rescued Bond let slip the tow-rope. Later, man, this was a time for the two to be together with no one else around ! TB also has Bond in a dinner jacket in a casino, for the first time since DN - though Bond's references to a word rarely used - "specter", as in spirit - was forced and not suave at all. It did, though, allow for a moment in which Largo reveals some of the baser aspects of his nature, despite the trappings of the high life with which he surrounds himself. Here's a question - and a timely one, given the bionic eye in NTTD - did anyone wonder much how Largo lost his eye ? Living a rough, violent life, sure. It might have made for an interesting bit of dialogue, though. For example - to heighten the weirdness between Largo and Vargas, if Vargas were the only person besides Largo who knew what happened. Perhaps even if Vargas did it, even unintentionally. There already was a very weird exchange between them, when Largo - in front of a person just met ! - said some VERY personal things about Vargas, and Vargas turned away. And then Largo just walks off as if it were nothing ! That weirdness between them is delicious. Not seen again until QOS, and only a bit. One might think it were present between Sanchez and Dario in LTK, but, nah, not really. At any rate, not that I want Bond films to be formulaic, but I like the way the settings, the glamor, the pretty ladies and handsome men, the dangerous and BIG villain's plan, the bit of globe-trotting, and Connery being in good shape and good form all came together.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,006
    Thunderball has my nod. While it has some underwhelming action pieces and glaring pacing issues, I can’t help but place it above YOLT because of the iconic Spectre elements, the locales, the style, and Connery’s excellent performance.

    While YOLT has a few superlatives including the cinematography, the score, and the insanely epic set design, the whole thing feels like a cartoon. I always shake my head through the whole “becoming Japanese” bit. I feel like this film set the stage for some of the most outlandish elements in the franchise.
  • Posts: 4,762
    Thunderball is the choice for me, though I like considering how both represent two entirely different styles of Bond movies while still being similar. TB is big without being ridiculous; YOLT is bigger but restrains itself from being overly ridiculous. My biggest issues with YOLT are its uneven pace (too dull in certain sections) and Connery's truly horrible performance. As many have mentioned, he really does look uninterested and, frankly, annoyed. Thunderball has a much better Connery and a more consistent pace, albeit a slow one. Those slower moments outshine YOLT's slow moments, however, because they have a more engaged Connery, a better cast, and better direction.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?
  • Very tough choice. I love them both. For me Thunderball just edges it. Gorgeous underwater photography, Connery at his best, wonderful Barry score.
  • I rank Thunderball higher, and consider it having among the best plots, atmospheres, Bond performances, and women in the series. A strong follow-up to both FRWL and GF. Despite that, I have a huge soft spot for YOLT, also ranking it in the top half of the films and would likely watch it before TB if given a choice on any given day.
  • Posts: 4,762
    mtm wrote: »
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?

    Maybe I have the wrong perception of it, but I find the sections between Bond's escape from the airplane and his and Kissy's ascent to the volcano much slower and less engaging. I especially hate that section with Bond's Japanese makeover and the fake wedding. It's all so silly and seemingly useless.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,006
    00Beast wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?

    Maybe I have the wrong perception of it, but I find the sections between Bond's escape from the airplane and his and Kissy's ascent to the volcano much slower and less engaging. I especially hate that section with Bond's Japanese makeover and the fake wedding. It's all so silly and seemingly useless.

    Bingo! Cringey every time despite some beautiful scenery.
  • Posts: 4,762
    00Beast wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?

    Maybe I have the wrong perception of it, but I find the sections between Bond's escape from the airplane and his and Kissy's ascent to the volcano much slower and less engaging. I especially hate that section with Bond's Japanese makeover and the fake wedding. It's all so silly and seemingly useless.

    Bingo! Cringey every time despite some beautiful scenery.

    That's my one regret with my opinion, haha- the scenery really is awesome!
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 14,861
    00Beast wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?

    Maybe I have the wrong perception of it, but I find the sections between Bond's escape from the airplane and his and Kissy's ascent to the volcano much slower and less engaging. I especially hate that section with Bond's Japanese makeover and the fake wedding. It's all so silly and seemingly useless.

    Can't really agree there. Maybe it would seem so after many repeated viewings, but it's all so varied I can't imagine many people get bored on their first watch of it. Not least because, as mentioned, it's all so beautiful to look and listen to.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    mtm wrote: »
    00Beast wrote: »
    mtm wrote: »
    Which bits of YOLT do you find dull? I'm not sure it ever slows down, does it?

    Maybe I have the wrong perception of it, but I find the sections between Bond's escape from the airplane and his and Kissy's ascent to the volcano much slower and less engaging. I especially hate that section with Bond's Japanese makeover and the fake wedding. It's all so silly and seemingly useless.

    Can't really agree there. Maybe it would seem so after many repeated viewings, but it's all so varied I can't imagine many people get bored on their first watch of it. Not least because, as mentioned, it's all so beautiful to look and listen to.

    Agreed. I also love how Bond seems pissed off to have to be walking around in the Japanese make-over. ;)
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