Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Written by Wuchak on May 28, 2021

The series gets silly as James Bond goes to Las Vegas

Agent 007 (Sean Connery) is sent to Las Vegas to uncover a smuggling ring and suspects Blofeld (Charles Gray) is masterminding the nefarious operation; meanwhile a gay duo of assassins threatens the investigation. Jill St. John plays a smuggling contact while Lana Wood is on hand as a casino opportunist.

"Diamonds are Forever" (1971) marks Connery’s return to the series after four years absence and missing out on the previous movie featuring George Lazenby. This one’s entertaining throughout, but it introduced a silly, cartoonish element more glaring than anything up to this point. Then there’s the fact that the storyline is almost impossible to follow unlike the previous installments which were easy to grasp, like “Dr. No,” “Goldfinger,” “Thunderball” and “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.” You just have to kick back and enjoy the madness of it all.

Beautiful Lana Wood stands out on the female front, but her role is too brief (her apparel too, lol). Meanwhile Jill St. John is lots of fun, not to mention alluring.

Needless to say, Vegas makes for a great setting for a James Bond flick. There are neon lights, highrise hotels, casinos, swimming pools, deserts, circuses, showgirls, tourists and thrills galore.

The film runs 2 hours and was shot in Las Vegas & the Nevada desert; Netherlands; Pinewood Studios near London; Palm Springs, Ca (Willard Whyte's Desert House); French Riviera, France (pre-credits sequence); and the Pacific Ocean.

GRADE: B-