Released in 1971, Diamonds Are Forever would see Sean Connery return to the role of James Bond and also truly be the last time he would play the role. I thought that George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was a damn fine Bond movie and it would have been good to seem him again as Bond in the sequel.
How to Download Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever was released on 17 December 1971. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
The Financial Impact of Connery’s Return
However, Lazenby dropped out after that one appearance as Bond. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service did not do as well at the box office, leading the studio to beg Connery to come back and offer him what at the time was a record breaking salary. From a financial point of view, it was a good move as Diamonds Are Forever was far more successful than the previous movie, and you have to think that Sean Connery playing Bond again was a huge reason for that.
A Sequel with a Sci-Fi Twist
This is a direct sequel to the previous movie, and it starts out pretty well. James Bond is out for revenge for the death of his wife and is trying to hunt down SPECTRE leader Blofeld. However, he finds a factory where Blofeld doubles are being created due to sophisticated plastic surgery techniques!
Revenge and Lasers: A Mixed Plot
I love the idea of an angry Bond out for revenge, but the plot does not really deliver on this promise. Instead, we get a weird story where Blofeld has stolen a bunch of diamonds to power a laser weapon he has in space! He is going to destroy various nuclear arsenals in the world and then auction off the remaining nukes to the highest bidder. If he has this incredible laser weapon in space, why go to all this effort to get money from other bad guys?
Memorable Villains and Action Scenes
My favorite part of the movie was Blofeld’s henchmen, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd. Wint and Kidd may not be the most iconic Bond villains, but they were pretty fun and they were quite crafty too. There are some good action scenes in the movie such as a really cool chase scene with Bond ending up driving on two wheels. However, there are also some rather goofy scenes too, most notably the one with Bond driving a moon buggy!
Bond Girls: A Missed Opportunity
Our Bond girls here are Tiffany Case and Plenty O Toole and I have to be honest, these are two of the most forgettable Bond girls in the franchise. Tiffany Case, played by Jill St. John is pretty annoying with her high pitched voice and out side of the awesome name of Plenty of Toole (played by Lana Wood) is not all that exciting either [or is she? – Editor].
Final Thoughts on Diamonds Are Forever
I would not say that Diamonds Are Forever is a bad movie, but it is also not a great one either. I think that this is a bit of a letdown, especially after the brutal ending of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I think they needed to lean into the Bond out for revenge thing far more than focusing on that dumb laser in space storyline! Hey, I love some of the goofy stuff that the Bond movies have in them, but this one just did not click with me as much as some of the others have.
