Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

The film excels at delivering the pleasures expected from a James Bond movie, with Sean Connery perfectly embodying the unflappable, dryly witty spy. It prioritizes exhilarating moments, gadgets, and chases over a coherent plot.

The critic calls it their favourite Bond film despite its flaws, praising its jaded, uncertain tone and blackly comic moments as a fitting transition in the series.

The film marks a turning point toward camp, self-parodic humour and Americanised extravagance in the Bond franchise. It remains highly entertaining with chases, fights and witty lines but went too tongue-in-cheek.

The movie is a nostalgic, absurdly fun return to Bond form that knows exactly what it is doing with its gadgets, décor, and cast, including Connery and director Guy Hamilton. It offers speedy sensations and escapes rather than logic, making it comparatively benign and enjoyable escapism.

The critic calls it a wry and exhilarating bit of entertainment apart from a clumsy climax. They praise the self-parody, intelligent script, handling of Las Vegas locations, and Jill St. John's presence, while noting the plot's weaknesses and overly elaborate escapes.

The pre-titles deliver a vicious, vengeful tone with Connery's return; the film shifts to a low-rent Vegas setting and features a camp, incongruous Blofeld performance amid the series' ongoing adventures.

Connery's return shows cracks with his ageing appearance and failure to recapture full swagger; the plot founders on a comic Blofeld and weak oil-rig finale despite some strong elements like the Vegas setting and henchmen.

This is described as one of the weakest Bonds, with a tiresome plot and Connery going through the motions. The Las Vegas sequences have some dash, and the gay hitmen Wint and Kidd make an intriguing double act.

The piece criticizes the film as overblown, daft and Americanised, arguing it made a fool of Sean Connery, though noting it was a commercial success with some positive contemporary reviews.

James Bond still delivers action and scantily-clad companions, but this entry lacks the quality and flair of its predecessors despite Connery's return and lively sequences in Las Vegas and the desert. The plot drifts away from the diamonds into a generic world-saving mission.

The critic calls for reappraisal of the film as a glitzy, glamorous, witty spectacle and joyous romp that delivers fantastic entertainment. He singles out the sharp script by Tom Mankiewicz and Connery’s mature, unflappable performance for particular praise.

The critic sees the film as a lightweight, cartoonish step backwards from the emotional weight of its predecessor, with a moribund Connery and garish Vegas setting underscoring a series in decline. Yet its implausible, dysfunctional elements give it a battered panache and wry smile that the reviewer rather likes.

The critic finds the film flawed and tired without being completely unwatchable, describing it as fun in a so-bad-it’s-good way but not the send-off Connery deserved. He singles out the Mustang chase through Vegas and some classic 007 one-liners for praise while lamenting the return to formulaic sci-fi trappings.