BOND IS BACK - Sean Connery is BOND

Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Woods, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot, Bruce Glover, Putter Smith, Norman Burton, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★★☆☆ - great

"Well, hardest substance found in nature, they cut glass, suggests marriage, I suppose it replaced the dog as the girl's best friend. That's about it." - James Bond when asked by M about diamonds

Why watch this? There's just no substitute for the original.

Plot Summary: James Bond is assigned to investigate a major diamond smuggling ring, leading him to adopt a false identity and follow the trail from Amsterdam to Las Vegas. While navigating the dangerous underworld, Bond uncovers a plot by his arch-nemesis, Ernst Blofeld, who is using the stolen diamonds to construct a space-based laser weapon. Working with Tiffany Case, Bond must race against time to stop Blofeld's evil plan.

Dad's Preview: There is something about this Bond film that always warms my heart. In many ways it's a return to simplicity, yet it has an off-the-wall quality, as well. Connery, by now in his career, voiced publicly that he was tired of the spy. However, he plays Bond here with an wry coolness, often making himself the butt of his famous one-liners. This was appropriate for an older man, confident in himself. In opposition to many fans and critics, I enjoyed the villainous duo if Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd - their dry psychosis cracks me up. This was Connery's last portrayal of 007 until his nostalgic one-and-done in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Harry Saltzman, Albert Broccoli, Eon Productions; United Artists