TRAILER - YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1967)

If I were to guess which film in the James Bond series Mike Myers sat down and watched to get ideas to spoof in his Austin Powers films, it would have to be YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Along with THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, this film features more of what we think of as the Bond cliches than any other film in the series. So how about a cliche role call? Villain calling the shots from his hollowed out volcano base while stroking his white cat: check. Conveniently placed pool full of man eating animals (this time piranhas) that the villain uses to dispose of his enemies: check. Giant henchman: check. Sexy femme fatale: check. Multiple women for Bond to bed: check. Super gadgets (this time a high speed mini helicopter): check. And the list goes on.

Cliches aside, this is a Sean Connery Bond, so it's worth catching no matter how silly it can get. Even when he seems a bit bored in the role (as he does here at times), Connery delivers the toughest and coolest interpretation of Ian Fleming's super agent. Just check out the office fight scene where Bond fights off a giant henchman with a couch! Only Connery can pull this off and make it work.

One word of warning: the Connery Bonds could be extremely chauvinistic and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE is no exception. All in all though, a solid Bond effort worth repeated viewings.

Zevk,
Poe