You Only Live Twice (1967)

Tiger Tanaka: Place yourself entirely in their hands, my dear Bond-san. Rule number one: is never do anything yourself - when someone else can do it for you.
James Bond: And number two?
Tiger Tanaka: Rule number two: in Japan, men come first, women come second.
James Bond: I just might retire to here.

Tiger Tanaka: I must say I am disappointed with the ease with which I could pull you in. The one thing my honourable mother taught me long ago was never to get into a car with a strange girl. But you, I'm afraid, will get into anything. With any girl.

You Only Live Twice (YOLT) is simultaneously a pretty good movie and wasteful garbage. In terms of how to tell a story, the special effects of 1967, the gadgets, the rising action of the plot, and the pacing of intrigue, YOLT is first rate. It is the first of what could/should be/are snappier Bonds with less time between action. So, this is when that started. I also liked the aerial photography for the helicopter sequences, as well as the miniatures of the Volcano lair.

In terms of dialogue writing, story climax/resolution  and my own social feelings, YOLT is pretty abysmal. *point of order in that I am not Japanese, but have spent considerable time there. This is from my perspective. I would welcome the perspective of others.*

1. Roald Dahl as in the BFG, The Witches, and James and the Gian Peach wrote this...so I am kinda at a loss. The best oneliner they had for when a man gets eaten by pirañas is "Bon Apetit".  No good. Such a waste.
2. Japan is a pretty sexist place. Japan in the 1960s most certainly was more so. This account of a handsome Englishman's journey of sexual discovery in Japan was so blatant and I kinda cringed. It was as if the perfect combination of orientalist perspective and male gaze came together in an odious blend. 
3. Bond has to go "undercover" as a Japanese man. 
4. There are ninjas.  Because, of course, there are. No real need for them, but it's Japan so gotta have ninjas.
5. Finally, final act of the raid of the Volcano lair spirals off into the hysterical. It jumps the shark like 4 times while humming Bolero. Color-coded ant like men in jumpsuits fight on a miniature set, and then, for no reason, things start to explode. It also seems to take forever. They fight for what is a solid 13-17 minutes.  It could have been done in 10 -I think. 
6. Also- Bond's Japanese wedding doesn't seem to count. He is unmarried in the next one and Mrs. Bond (Kissy Suki) isn't assassinated so....huh?
7. The geography/local knowledge of Japan is pretty suspect.
1. No one can race through any streets in Tokyo. There are just too many turns and there is always traffic. Always. Even in the 1960s. 
2. The go from Tokyo to Kobe in 1 shot like it could be done in a run. It's an 80 minute-ish flight or a 160 minutes by the bullet train which didn't exist in 1967. 

But all in all if I put on my 1960s blinders YOLT is a fun if silly time. 

I have this lingering question for the film makers? Were they considering the percentage of their audience that was a GI in WWII or Korea and might have spent considerable time in Japan? Did they see YOLT as an introduction to Japan or as reheating the memories of Japan that those GIs had? 

On a scale of Tsuki Tawdry to Kissy Suki, I give You Only Live Twice 3.18 out of 5 stars. 

Oh and the Nancy Sinatra song ain't half bad.