Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

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  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: For some reason, Diamonds are Forever seems to catch a lot of flak these days, but in my opinion it's actually a pretty great Bond adventure on the whole. Partly that's because Connery's back on form (after the blip of You Only Live Twice) with most of his usual brutish arrogance and unflustered ease as he swaggers on through the thing like a bull in a china shop, upsetting all the careful, anxious gentlemen in his path. But also it's because Guy Hamilton largely does a pretty great job of unfolding the mystery of the plot. We begin with Bond seemingly assassinating Blofeld (an opening sequence made all the more powerful if viewed as a direct sequel to On Her Majesty's Secret Service) and then is sent on a smaller mission to impersonate a diamond smuggler and infiltrate the criminal network. The way he brashly pretends to be someone else though is pretty genius and builds a world of espionage very well, and as Bond continues on the mission, the story unravels and something more sinister emerges. It also ticks along nicely with some of the series' best action and arguably its very best car chase, and that - along with the fact it's perhaps John Barry's most lushly scored Bond of all - makes for a pretty fun romp with plenty of excitement and intrigue.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The only real issue is that as the plot unfolds, it does become a little incomprehensible, and as such there are some moments when the reasoning behind Bond's actions are confusing so it's hard to root for him.
  
  VERDICT: A largely well-executed James Bond movie with a great final performance from Sean Connery, the criticisms about 'Diamonds are Forever's confusing plot are reasonable, but for my money that doesn't stop it from being great fun on the whole.

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