Never Say Never Again



An "unofficial" James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and directed by Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes Back). It follows the events of Thunderball, with two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE and used in a blackmail attempt against the nations of the world. Bond is sent to investigate the only lead, a sister of the pilot who performed the operation. The film was the result of an odd legal situation whereby Kevin McClory, who had co-written Thunderball with Ian Fleming, was allowed to retain the rights to that film's story and the characters who appeared in it. This included SPECTRE and Blofeld, who consequently were retired from the official Bond films.

It was in competition with the official Octopussy, which came out the same year.

This film uses the following tropes:
"Nigel Small-Fawcett: (yelling) Mr Bond! I say Mr. Bond! Nigel Small-Fawcett, British Embassy, Nassau." James Bond: Nice to meet you Nigel. Nigel Small-Fawcett: Sorry I'm late, but as you're one of these undercover jollies, I took the precaution of not being followed. James Bond: And that's why you shouted my name across the harbor? Nigel Small-Fawcett: Oh God, did I? Oh I'm sorry! Damn! Damn! Sorry I'm rather new to all this!"
 * Adaptation Overdosed
 * Ax Crazy: Largo. Literally.
 * Bastard Boyfriend: Largo. Also insanely jealous, and once he thinks Domino has fallen for Bond turns into a Domestic Abuser.
 * Berserk Button: Fatima is outraged that Bond would even insinuate she wasn't the best woman he'd ever had sex with.
 * Black Best Friend: This movie's version of CIA agent Felix Leiter, played by Bernie Casey.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Domino's brother, thanks to some heroin encouragement.
 * Broad Strokes
 * Choke Holds: James uses a sleeper hold on a Mook guard during Unwinnable Training Simulation opening and an assassin uses a sleeper hold on one of the attendants at Shrublands.
 * Conspicuous Trenchcoat: Lampshaded by James Bond, when Nigel Small-Fawcett is yelling Bond's name to attract his attention, then acts furtively when talking to Bond. The fact Nigel is played by Mr. Bean makes it funnier.

"Bond: "Not perfected yet"!"
 * Die Laughing:

"You're quite a man, Mr. James Bond, but I am a superior woman. Guess where you get the first one?"
 * Do Not Adjust Your Set
 * The Dragon: Fatima Blush. As played by Barbara Carrera, she's one of the more memorable to cross swords with 007 (and mostly the best reason to watch this movie).
 * Driving Into a Truck: While James Bond is riding a motorcycle the enemy Mooks force him to ride up a ramp into a truck so he can be captured. However, as the ramp is rising up to trap him he guns it and jumps the motorcycle over the ramp and out of the truck.
 * Everything's Even Worse with Sharks
 * Expospeak Gag
 * Freudian Excuse: Fatima is overjoyed to kill Bond's female assistant.
 * Giant Mook
 * Groin Attack: Fatima threatens this.

"Small-Fawcett: M says that without you in the service, he fears for the security of the civilized world. Bond: Never again. Domino: Never? (The soundtrack begins, "Never, never say never again, never, never say never again!" as Connery winks at the audience.)"
 * Hello, Nurse!: One of Fatima's many outfits.
 * Indecisive Parody
 * Improvised Zipline: During the Unwinnable Training Simulation.
 * Instant Sedation: During the Unwinnable Training Simulation (so it probably wasn't real).
 * Kneel Before Zod
 * Magical Security Cam
 * Mistaken for Servant: Domino mistakes Bond for the masseur. As she is an attractive woman in a towel, he doesn't correct her and does the job.
 * Not Distracted by the Sexy
 * Nothing Can Stop Us Now: Blofeld says this as the warhead is being sent to the target.
 * Older Hero vs. Younger Villain: Though not younger by that much, but Bond is definitely showing his age.
 * Punch-Punch-Punch Uh-Oh
 * Punny Name: Nigel Small-Fawcett. Think about it.
 * Race Lift: Felix Leiter, who is played by African-American actor Bernie Casey.
 * Reality Subtext / Meaningful Name: The title of the film refers to Sean Connery declaring he would never play Bond again after Diamonds Are Forever. Lampshaded in the final lines.


 * Revealing Coverup
 * Running Gag: The bit about "eliminating Free Radicals."
 * Shoe Phone: Subverted at least once. The "gyroscopic bomb" disguised as a cigar case turns out to be just a cigar case.
 * Soundtrack Dissonance: The theme is a light, easy listening tune, and it's first played during the opening training sequence where Bond beats the crap out of everyone.
 * Spanner in the Works: Keep in mind, James stumbled onto the plot while he was on holiday in a health spa.
 * Stockholm Syndrome
 * Stocking Filler
 * Superior Firepower Bombers: The B1B Lancer.
 * Tap on the Head
 * Tranquillizer Dart: James uses a sleep-poisoned blowgun dart on a Mook guard during Unwinnable Training Simulation opening.
 * Trouble Magnet Gambit
 * Unwinnable Training Simulation:
 * Weapons Understudies
 * We Are Not Going Through That Again
 * Wouldn't Hit a Girl
 * You Are Number Six: Largo calls Fatima "Number 12" at one point to remind her that they have a strictly professional relationship. This, when she was going to kiss him for giving her an order to kill Bond's female assistant.
 * You Have Outlived Your Usefulness