You Only Live Twice (film)

You Only Live Twice (film)

You Only Live Twice is a 1967 British spy film and the fifth in the James Bond series. It is the first James Bond film to discard most of Fleming’s plot, using only a few characters and locations from the book as the background for an entirely new story. The film was the first in the series to have a decline in box-office revenue owing to the over-saturation of the spy movie genre.

About You Only Live Twice (film) in brief

Summary You Only Live Twice (film)You Only Live Twice is a 1967 British spy film and the fifth in the James Bond series. It is the first James Bond film to discard most of Fleming’s plot, using only a few characters and locations from the book as the background for an entirely new story. In the film, Bond is dispatched to Japan after American and Soviet crewed spacecraft disappear mysteriously in orbit, each nation blaming the other amidst the Cold War. During the filming in Japan, it was announced that Sean Connery would retire from the role of Bond, but after one film’s absence, he returned in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever and later 1983’s non-Eon Bond film Never Say Never Again. The film was the first in the series to have a decline in box-office revenue owing to the over-saturation of the spy movie genre contributed to by the franchise’s imitators including the recent competing film, Casino Royale, from Columbia Pictures that was released previously in the same year. It was a great success, receiving positive reviews and grossing over USD 111 million in worldwide box office. The screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming’s 1964 novel of the same name. Bond is sent to Tokyo, after faking his own death in Hong Kong and being buried at sea from HMS Tenby. Upon his arrival, Bond attends a sumo match where he is approached by Japanese secret service agent Aki, who takes him to meet local MI6 operative Dikko Henderson.

Henderson claims to have critical evidence about the rogue craft, but is killed before he can elaborate. Bond chases and kills the assailant, taking the assailant’s clothing as a disguise, and is driven in the getaway car to Osato Chemicals. The stolen documents are examined, and found to include a photograph of the cargo ship Ning-Po, with a microdot message saying the tourist who took the photo was killed as a security precaution. Bond and Aki drive to Kobe, where the ship is docked, and discover the ship was for rocket fuel. They are discovered, but Bond eludes the henmen until he wakes up in Brandt’s cabin; however, he is tied up until Bond gets away. The next day, Bond flies over the area in a heavily armed autogyro called ‘Little Nellie’ and defeats four helicopters. After finding out the ship unloaded, Bond flees before finding out where it explodes before he is attacked by four helicopters, which he flees in a helicopter. Bond goes back to the company to meet Mr. Osato himself, masquerading as a potential new buyer. After their meeting, he orders his secretary, Helga Brandt, to have him killed; both are revealed to be SPECTRE agents. Bond escapes the plane, but en route, she sets off a plane, sealing Bond in his seat and bails out, assuming Bond will die in the crash. After the plane lands, Bond manages to evade the trap.