DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1971)

This was the last James Bond film starring Sean Connery (until he'd come back for Never Say Never Again twelve years later) - and, to me, by far the weakest of his part of the series.  Here Bond is first sent to Holland, when the trail of a major diamond smuggling operation points toward a more sinister purpose involving Bond's arch-enemy Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray). Jill St. John and Lana Wood provide Bond babe moments, but the film comes off more like a parody than an actual Bond movie; the chase/fight/action scenes are weak, special effects cheap (sometimes outright laughable), and with this film Bond starts in with his little quips and puns - some of which, here, are surprisingly suggestive for the time, yet come off dated.  Even with the addition of two very colorful "Bond-like" sadistic killers, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (who are obviously a gay couple), sadly the best adjective I can think of to describe this entry in the series is - gasp! - "boring."  Shirley Bassey aside, even the opening theme is dull as dishwater. (not rated)  C

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER trailer