MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret Agent 007 in his penultimate Bond outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Fragments of Ian Fleming's original 1954 novel remain, including the characters of the alluring Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and fey hitmen Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith). The remainder of Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz's script diverges dramatically from the novel, involving Bond in a scheme by the insidious Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) to force the world powers to disarm so that he can take over the globe. Folksinger Jimmy Dean shows up briefly as a Howard Hughes-like reclusive billionaire, while Lana Wood (Natalie's sister) participates in one of the film's edgiest cliffhangers. Agreeing to make Diamonds Are Forever only because of the money offered him, Sean Connery parted company with the role for 12 years after this film; he returned to the role once more in 1983, for Irvin Kershner's underrated Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Mono
• Screen: Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 (Cinemascope)
• Features:
  • Feature film with frame-by-frame digital restoration and DTS 5.1 audio
  • Audio commentary featuring director Guy Hamilton and members of the cast and crew

AWARDS

• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•     Nominated Best Sound - 1971 (Alfred J. Overton, John Mitchell, Gordon K. McCallum)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Sean Connery - James Bond
       Jill St. John - Tiffany Case
       Charles Gray - Ernst Blofeld
       Lana Wood - Plenty O'Toole
       Jimmy Dean - Willard Whyte
       Bruce Cabot - Saxby
       Bernard Lee - M

• Director:

  Guy Hamilton

• Producer:

  Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman

• Screenwriter:

  Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz

• Book Author:

  Ian Fleming

• Cinematographer:

  Ted Moore

• Composer (Music Score):

  John Barry

• Editor:

  Bert Bates, John W. Holmes

• Production Designer:

  Ken Adam

• Art Director:

  Bill Kenney, Jack Maxsted

• Set Designer:

  John P. Austin, Peter Lamont

• Costume Designer:

  Donfeld, Elsa Fennell, Ted Tetrick

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Al Overton, John W. Mitchell

• Special Effects:

  Albert J. Whitlock, Whitney McMahon, Wally Veevers, Les Hillman

• First Assistant Director:

  Derek Cracknell

• Stunts:

  Paul R. Baxley, Jr., Gerry Crampton, Bob Simmons, Bud Ekins

• Musical Performer:

  Don Lusher

REVIEW:

• Many people pinpoint Live and Let Die as the start of the self-deprecating campiness that soon came to dominate the James Bond series, but this trend really began with its predecessor, Diamonds Are Forever. As a result, Sean Connery's final official go-round as Bond is nowhere near as satisfying as classics like From Russia With Love or Goldfinger. The biggest problem with Diamonds Are Forever is its muddled script. The plot confusingly juggles a diamond-smuggling scheme, an attempt to ransom the world with an intergalactic weapon (an element recycled from You Only Live Twice), and the return of arch-villain Blofeld, while the dialogue overdoes with it plethora of corny one-liners and groan-worthy puns. The film also suffers from an unwieldy tone that veers between bluntly sadistic violence and cartoonish slapstick, never finding a comfortable balance between the two. Worst of all, Connery seems bored with his role and delivers a performance that is competent but lifeless. Despite these problems, Diamonds Are Forever still offers a few diversions for the action fan. Individual action scenes are quite thrilling, the most memorable being a showdown between Bond and two female kung-fu fighters and a high-speed car chase through the streets of Las Vegas. There are also some colorful supporting performances, the best being Jimmy Dean's charming work as the country-boy millionaire Willard Whyte and the flamboyantly bizarre turns from Bruce Glover and Putter Smith as gay hitmen Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd. Ultimately, Diamonds Are Forever is one of the lesser entries in the Bond series, but boasts enough style and action to satisfy the series' hardcore fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, Rovi