The fifth installment of the Bond series has US and Russia blaming each other for disappearing space capsules. The pre-action switches to Bond in bed ( where else ! ) tasting a lady of the Orient and then being shot to threads with one of the best one-liners delivered not by 007 but a Hong Kong Policeman "At least he died on the job".

Opening titles and Nancy Sinatra's vocals with Barry's score sets the scene for the locations to follow. After his Navy funeral, Bernard M Lee instructs 007 that "This is the Big One" and You Only Live Twice is BIG with big characters, big musical score and big sets. Connery's back again in great form as super smooth James Bond 007 on a mission to avert World War Three.

Much was made about the £400,000 ( $1million ) spent on the volcano but the other Ken Adam's sets are outstanding ( i.e. Henderson's home and Tenaka's underground hideaway ).

No Aston Martin this time but dear old Desmond Q Llewelyn turns up with Little Nellie which gives 007 the chance to dispose of some 'aggressive' helicopters making advances on her.

It's one of the most colourful Bond movies due to its Japan story back-drop. This is typified when James has to marry a Japanese girl "with the face of a pig" at a formal Shinto wedding. Luckily she turns out to be the lovely Kissy Suzuki who aids 007 in the 2nd half of his adventure.

When 007 discovers the SPECTRE hideout, we finally get to see Ernst Stavro Blofeld
played menacingly by Donald Pleasence with a slightly high pitched voice. His disposal of his No.11 - Helga Brandt played by Karin Dor is most memorable. The second of James' love conquests coming to a deadly end, the other being Japanese Agent Aki who takes the poison for our super hero.

Watch out for Charles Gray ( later to become Blofeld in DAF ) as Henderson who gets the point and for the face of Burt Pink Panther's Cato Kwouk as Spectre 3 to follow his small role in GF. Also Gerry Anderson tv regulars: Ed UFO Bishop as the first Hawaii Space Tracker and Shane Thunderbirds Rimmer as the second one. Both have later roles in Bond movies, Bishop as a technician in DAF and Rimmer as a US Sub Captain in TSWLM. While on small parts, the guy who gets 'smoked' by 007 turns up getting 'dropped off' by May Day in AVTAK and also sat to the right of DN in the final scenes of the first 007 adventure. A busy guy - who is his agent ?

A Big Bond Epic - a must on wide screen - not to be missed.

To ... full movie menu * On Her Majesty's Secret Service