21.01.2020
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Dr No (1962)From Russia With Love (1963)Goldfinger(1964)Thunderball(1965)You Only Live Twice(1967)On Her Majestys Secret Service(1969)Diamonds Are Forever(1971)Live and Let Die(1973)The Man With The Golden Gun(1974)The Spy Who Love Me(1977)Moonraker (1979)For Your Eyes Only(1981)Never Say Never Again(1983)Octopussy(1983)A View To A Kill(1985)The Living Daylights(1987)Licence To Kill(1989)Goldeneye(1995)Tomorrow Never Dies(1997)The World Is Not Enough(1999)Die Another Day(2002)Casino Royale(2006)Quantum Of Solace(2008).
Thunderball and Never Say Never Again are unique pair of films. The latter is a remake of the former and bothstar the same actor, Sean Connery. It isnot uncommon for a remake to feature an original cast member in a differentrole (a la Michael Caine in Sleuth in which he played one of the two leads inthe first film version and then theother one in the -far inferior- second one).The remake of Cape Fear, which I like more than the original, featuresthe original stars Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum in small but crucialroles.
In my for Vanilla Sky Idiscussed that Penelope Cruz played the same role in both the Spanish languageoriginal and the English language remake a few years later, but she was the secondlead. Generally remakes castdifferent leads either because they are made many years apart or in a differentlanguage. Never Say Never Againcuriously takes the original James Bond, pairs him with different behind the scenestalent and retells one of his stories with him as an older man. The history of Thunderball and Never Say Never Again is moreintriguing to me than either production, and would make an interesting filmitself.
The bookdetails the battle over the rights which to summarize began in the late 1950swhen Bond author (and creator) Ian Fleming tried to produce a Bond film basedon an original idea. Over the course ofseveral months he worked with two other collaborators, Kevin McClory, a youngIrish producer, and Jack Whittingham, a screenwriter. When the film did not come together Flemingwrote the novel Thunderball (1961) using the basis of the ideas without thecollaborators’ permission and also did not acknowledge them. McClory sued Fleming and won the rights to afilm version. By the time the lawsuit was settled in 1963 the Eon filmseries starring Sean Connery as Bond (headed by producers Albert R. Broccoliand Harry Saltzman) was active and McClory, after briefly attempting to producean outside film, teamed up with Eon to make Thunderball, which was released inDecember 1965.
In McClory’s agreement withEon McClory got 20% of the profits and was credited as the sole producer butThunderball remained an Eon film. McClorywas awarded the rights to remake Thunderball 10 years after the original film andbegan efforts to do so in the mid 1970s.After several years McClory, with the help ofentertainment lawyer, Jack Schwartzman, was able to launch the remake in the early1980s. The Eon film series was still going with Roger Moore now playing Bond.McClory’s ace card was Sean Connery, who was a formerdisgruntled employee of Broccoli (Saltzman by now was no longer involved),feeling he had never been paid enough and was more than willing to play Bond ina rival series in part to stick it to his old boss.
McClory only owned the rights to Thunderball so hedid not have a lot of flexibility in creating the story, which needed to bebased on the Thunderball story. Broccolitried to stop the film (not wanting a competing Bond series which could damagethe brand). Broccoli was also inpre-production on The Spy Who Loved Me and was planning to use the criminalorganization SPECTRE (and its head Ernst Stavro Blofeld) as theantagonist. In retaliation McClory claimedthe rights to SPECTRE (and Blofeld), since the criminal organization hadfirst been conceived during his collaboration with Fleming and they firstappeared in the Thunderball novel.McClory’s claim on SPECTRE is interestingly timed since both Dr No andespecially From Russia With Love, which were made prior to Thunderball, pitBond against SPECTRE (and their novels did not) and McClory never complainedabout it. In a ranking I posted Thunderball is 19 th and I did not rank Never Say Never Again since it is not part of the official series. Ironically Never Say Never Again was the first Connery Bond film (orConnery anything) I saw so when I started watching the older films and heardthat Thunderball had the same plot I did prioritize seeing it.
I believe Connery is a great Bond havingoriginated the role on screen and both films showcase him well, but the plot,which has a great hook, is a little thin to justify two films and clearly wasdone so only because McClory’s desire tomake more money off Bond. Nonethelessboth films have their strong points. Thebook is a fun read with great characterizations and a fast moving plot. Thunderball is a far more faithfuladaptation.
As inspired by the columns I will compare the main elements of both films here. As always, I include spoilers in these discussions. Opening Sequence: Thunderball’s pre-title sequence opens withBond unearthing a SPECTRE operative, named Bouvard, who has faked his own death which leads toa full (similar to the one in Goldfinger’s pre titlesequence but I like this one better with Bond and Bouvard throwing furniture ateach other) in a French mansion. Bondescapes afterwards using a jet pack and the Aston Martin briefly appears toshoot water at the bad guys chasing him. Connery also performed the himself for the first time. Never Say Never Again opens with Bond on a training mission infiltratinga compound to rescue a kidnapped young woman who then stabs him. However the suspense and impressive stuntwork is undercut with the song over-imposed on it.
Imdb Thunderball
Here is a fan made version with John Barrymusic. Winner: Thunderball’s pre title sequence is like anappetizer sampler.
In under five minutesit has a glimpse of real life (a funeral and a home), glamour (the mansion),gadgets (the jet pack and the Aston Martin), and girls (the pretty Frenchcontact), and action (the fight), intrigue (Bond can tell something is notright about this funeral). The waterfrom the car segues perfectly into the titles, which appropriately have a watertheme. Villian’s Scheme: Inboth films SPECTRE operative, Largo organizes the theft of two nuclear warheadsand holds the West to ransom. Bond is assignedto locate and retrieve the missing devices before the ransom is due. The ransom amounts differ slightly as are thethefts. In Thunderball a SPECTREoperative has plastic surgery to resemble a pilot of a Vulcan fighter carryingthe warheads, and kills the original pilot right before the flight.
In Never Say Never Again SPECTRE threatensthe life of the sister of the same pilot so that he gets an eye implantidentical to that of the U.S. President to be able to access the bombs. Both surgeries occur at Shrublands where inThunderball Bond is recovering from a wound sustained in the pre-title sequenceand in Never Say Never Again he is getting a cleansing from years of hardliving. Winner: Close but I like the twoyear commitment of Angelo in impersonating the pilot only to be betrayedhimself by SPECTRE, thus giving the edge to Thunderball.
Game Face Off With Largo:In Thunderball Largo is playing baccarat and Bond comes to the table andeasily defeats him in three hands in front of Domino, while Never Say NeverAgain has a much more suspenseful video game face off. Winner: Very tight but I will give this oneto Never Say Never Again. Thunderball’s is lifted almost verbatim from the bookand Connery is in fantastic form baiting Largo, but the stakes are higher inNever Say Never Again and Largo’s attempt to show Bond up in front of Dominoadd a lot to the scene. Climax: Thunderballhas an underwater battle between SPECTRE operatives and the US paratroopersnear Miami followed by a blow-out fight aboard the Disco Volante as Bondattacks Largo and a few of his henchmen.The scope of the underwater battle is impressive, even by today’sstandards, but it is a little slow. Theboat fight is thrillingly staged but badly marred by poor backscreenphotography and sped up film. Never SayNever Again has a climax mostly above ground with Bond and Leiter attackingSPECTRE operatives in a lit cave and then Bond has a fairly limp battle withLargo underwater while trying to disarm the bomb.
In both versions Domino saves Bond’s life byharpooning Largo. Winner: Thunderball,with all of its weaknesses the climax’s highs compensate though the underwaterphotography in Never Say Never Again’s scenes is more clear (the benefit of thepassing years).
Finale: Both filmsend in or near water. In Thunderballafter Bond and Domino are in the Caribbean Sea after the Disco Volante is blownup. A US Navy jet drops a raft with asky hook which hauls them into the air, making this the first film in theseries not to end with Bond in coitus. NeverSay Never Again ends with Bond and Domino at a pool in a villa in the Bahamas(apparently McClory’s house). Nigel appears claiming M wants Bond back. Bond: InThunderball Connery is in top form as Bond.He is charming, sharp, callous, improvises well, and has fantasticquips.
I feel Connery did his best workas Bond with Terence Young (who also directed Dr No and From Russia WithLove). Young really understood thecharacter of Bond in part because he had some of the same qualities. In Never Say Never Again Connery plays anolder Bond (he was 52 during filming) with a lot of panache and seems to beenjoying his return. Conneryimpressively looks fitter in the remake than in the original. However he does not show much ruthlessnessand this Bond does not seem to be familiar with SPECTRE. Winner:Thunderball, but it is close.However, any of the other Bond actors could have made Thunderball whileNever Say Never Again would only work with Connery. Domino: ClaudineAuger in Thunderball is one of the most stunning Bond women.
She has good andportrays someone a bit trapped by circumstance that develops courage throughthe story. Domino is pretty similar tothe character in the novel though not as cold.Bond spends an afternoon with her the day of the Junkanoo but it ismostly offscreen and the structure of the film divides Bond’s attentionsbetween Domino and Fiona in the second act.In Never Say Never Again Bond spends more time with Domino and she is a more developed character. Basingeris fine as Domino and shows a lot of warmth.Winner: Thunderball.
Personaltaste but I find Auger much more appealing, though her voice was dubbed by Nikki Van Der Zyl, who also dubbed Ursula Andres in Dr No. Femme Fatales: Therewas no femme fatale in the novel but each film has one. Fiona Volpe, played by Luciana Paluzzi, inThunderball, is a ruthless operative is always a step ahead of everyone.
Thunderball Movie Cast
Fiona uses her sexuality when needed but isjust as willing to kill in a more efficient manner. Fiona plays an interesting game with Bond intrying to first and then seduces him to that it willnot change her, even though both of them know she works for SPECTRE. Some of their dialogue is the best in thefilm and Fiona gets a memorable death.In Never Say Never Again Barbara Carrera plays Fatima Blush as anoutrageous character who can barely control her love of killing but combines itwith sex, a little similar to Xenia Onatopp in Goldeneye.
Fatima gleefully throws a snake at Jack whenwhile he is driving and then caresses the snake afterwards. She always wears flashy clothes and is cleverbut much less in control than Fiona. Fatimaseduces Bond only because she wants to be remembered as his greatestlover. Bond does not seem to suspect heruntil she tries to kill him and then only goes after her when Fatima kills hiscontact in Monte Carlo. Their is a lot of fun as Bond is vulnerable (ala From Russia With Lovewith Grant) and Fatima is completely unhinged.Winner: Fiona, by a hair. Fatima gives energy to a film that reallyneeds it, but I like Fiona’s wiles better.
Felix Leiter: InThunderball Rik Van Nutter plays Felix.The filmmakers have some fun with him early on since he is followingBond in the Bahamas and is wearing dark glasses but since the role has beenrecast the audience does not know who he is.Nutter looks the part as Fleming described him but gives overly emotiveline readings. In Never Say NeverAgain’s Bernie Casey is jovial,confident, and gets a great entrance, but overall seems to just be Bond’sassistant instead of a partner. Winner:Never Say Never Again. Blofeld: The head ofSPECTRE is portrayed without showing his face in Thunderball. The staging of this is a little curious.
One of the best scenes in Thunderball is thewhich all the operatives sit at a table (in a big coldlooking room) and Blofeld is in a control room above and off to the side. Shutters cover his face but his body andvoice are played by Anthony Dawson and Eric Pohlman, respectively (who bothperformed the same roles in From Russia With Love).
Watch Thunderball Online
In From Russia With Love though the audiencenever saw Blofeld’s face the other characters in scenes with him did. In Thunderball it makes no sense for Blofeldto hide his face from his own associates (maybe he just had surgery) but themechanical voice on the speaker make him a terrifying figure. In Never Say Never Again Max Von Sydow playsBlofeld with his face to the camera. Heonly appears in a few scenes and he does not project much menace. The scene in which Blofeld and Largo relaythe plan to the other operatives is completely undistinguished.
SPECTRE is less of a spectre in Never SayNever Again whereas in Thunderball Largo always seems to be a solider insomething bigger. Winner: Thunderball. Pace: Terence Young directedThunderball with more character shadings than other Bond directors might haveallowed. The film was a large productionmade quickly and could have been edited more tightly but it holds up well. There are a lot of water sequences and thethird act has no less than four, which slows it at a point where it needs befast. Irvin Kershner, who made one of myfavorite films, The Empire Strikes Back, was hired for Never Say Never Again,the first American to direct a Bond film.Although certain sections of the film are edited well (aka Bond’s rompwith Fatima Blush cutting directly into them both going into the water) thereare other areas where it is not clear why certain things are happening (whydoes Largo let Bond roam around on the Flying Saucer and why is Bond wearingdifferent clothes when Largo captures him) leading to an inconsistent tone.
Winner: Young. Score: In ThunderballJohn Barry delivers a that captures the slow movement of thewater. He also uses the quitea bit. It is not one of my favorite Barryscores but it fits the tone of the film.Since the producers of Never Say Never Again did not have the rights tothe Bond theme they had to go in a different direction. Michel Legrand, who created an effectivescore in The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), here delivers a dreadful jazz scorethat is completely out of place, especially in the action scenes (although theinstrumental version of the title tune is acceptable). I read in that producer Schwartzman wanted to use James Horner butConnery overruled him in favor of Legrand.Horner was less known at the time but eventually became a top composerwho wrote the scores for Aliens, Braveheart, and Titanic and a few years later,The Name of The Rose, starring Sean Connery.Our loss, as I would have loved to hear Horner’s interpretation ofBond.
Winner: Thunderball. Thunderball is better. Never Say Never is a poor imitation of the original, and should have never been made. It ruins the continuity of the films. The music sucked in comparison to Thunderball. There was no Desmond Llewelyn as Q. It has been stated that the original Largo was drab, he was iconic, a true leader in Spectre, not a psychopath.
The underwater battle at the end in Thunderball is epic, and so is the ending. Never Say Never's ending was anti-climatic. I do not count Never Say Never Again as a Bond movie, just like I ignore the Incredible Hulk in the continuity of the Marvel movies.
It is not needed (especially since they changed the main actor. Connery played Bond in Thunderball as he always played Bond, a playboy spy with a devil may care attitude, but down deep he cares about getting the job done. Thunderball is better.