Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. But Bond has an ally in Largo's girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls for Bond and seeks revenge.
Never Say Never Again is an unofficial Bond remake of Thunderball, produced outside the Eon Productions umbrella, which fundamentally limits its novelty — it recycles a known plot beat-for-beat with little fresh invention. The plot is serviceable but derivative, lacking the tightness of the best Bond entries. Acting is a modest highlight: Connery's return adds charisma, and Klaus Maria Brandauer brings genuine menace as Largo, elevating the film above its script. Cinematography is functional but unremarkable, lacking the visual flair of contemporary Eon productions. The ending resolves predictably with minimal tension. Its main distinction is Connery's swan song in the role, but that alone can't overcome the fundamentally recycled nature of the enterprise.