Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Movie · 1971 · Action, Thriller · 2h · PG · English
Curator score: 1.8/10 (214.4K ratings)
The man who made 007 a household number.
Overview
Diamonds are stolen only to be sold again in the international market. James Bond infiltrates a smuggling mission to find out who's guilty. The mission takes him to Las Vegas where Bond meets his archenemy Blofeld.
Ratings
- Curator score: 1.8/10
- IMDb: 6.5/10
- Letterboxd: 2.87/5
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64%
- Metacritic: 59
- TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Guy Hamilton
Production
EON Productions, United Artists
Cast
Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot, Putter Smith, Bruce Glover, Norman Burton, Joseph Fürst, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Leonard Barr, Lois Maxwell, Margaret Lacey, Joe Robinson, David de Keyser, Laurence Naismith, David Bauer, Marc Lawrence
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, uneven Bond sequel that trades the grit of the previous film for camp, Vegas spectacle, and a looser, jokier tone. It’s often clumsy and dated, but it has enough style, wit, and franchise-era charm to work for viewers who enjoy Bond as pop entertainment rather than airtight spycraft.
Best for
- Bond completists
- fans of campy 70s action
- viewers who like Las Vegas as a movie setting
- people who enjoy breezy, self-aware spy movies
Skip if
- you want a tightly plotted thriller
- you’re sensitive to dated sexism or racial caricature
- you prefer the darker, more serious Bond entries
- you need consistent energy and polished action
Overview
Diamonds Are Forever is a strange pivot point for the series: bigger, sillier, and more openly commercial than its immediate predecessor, but also less disciplined. The movie leans hard into one-liners, gadgetry, and Vegas excess, and that gives it a playful surface even when the plotting feels thin and the momentum drifts.
Worth noting
Sean Connery’s return is part of the appeal, though the performance often feels detached rather than energized. The film’s best stretches come from its setting, its slippery supporting players, and the sense that the franchise is testing how far it can push camp before it snaps. It’s not the most elegant Bond film, but it is a revealing one.
Bottom line
If you like your spy movies with a loungey, sleazy, early-70s sheen, there’s enough here to enjoy. If you want suspense, coherence, or modern sensibilities, this one is more likely to frustrate than thrill.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ethan Colburn (2★) · 792 likes
This movie has all of the worst Bond has to offer; bad jokes, dumb women, and a lame performance. Sean Connery was paid a then record class="h-100".25 million dollars to return as Bond one last time, and this movie is tired in every sense. Connery, who seemed to be only in it for the money, phoned in his entire performance. This lack of energy carries throughout the film. There is a car chase in the film that should be quite… more
ScreeningNotes (1★) · 438 likes
"My God! You just killed James Bond!" It's a miracle Diamonds are Forever didn't kill James Bond. It might not be as potentially offensive as some of the more racist Bonds, but it's almost offensive how poorly plotted, poorly characterized, and ultimately boring and forgettable it is. It tries to cram every corner with some sort of comedy gag or action set piece, and in the process it loses sight of the basics of narrative storytelling. Everything down to the… more
CJ Probst (2★) · 394 likes
M here again. As You Were. Diamonds Are Forever sees the return of Sean Connery in the role of Bond in what promises to be a last ditch effort to revive the franchise’s popularity to its former glory. This installment fails in every way imaginable and reeks of an uninspired, low-budget, televisual cluster fuck. It suffers from terrible special effects, a lazy plot and weak performances, not least of which from Connery himself who appears to have shown up only… more M here again. As You Were. Diamonds Are Forever sees the return of Sean Connery in the role of Bond in what promises to be a last ditch effort to revive the franchise’s popularity to its former glory. This installment fails in every way imaginable and reeks of an uninspired, low-budget, televisual cluster fuck. It suffers from terrible special effects, a lazy plot and weak performances, not least of which from Connery himself who appears to have shown up only… more
Matt Singer (2★) · 386 likes
Everyone notes that Connery only did this one for the huge paycheck and you can see it in his performance. Actually, a sour, disillusioned Bond is a totally valid choice for the character. The bigger issue is the plot is way more nonsensical than the other Connery films, and largely built around a ho-hum diamond smuggling operation. I do like seeing the glimpses of vintage Vegas, along with the awesome car chase down the Strip.
Sam Thompson (2★) · 312 likes
This entry is stupid from top to bottom. It’s positively ridiculous but there is still quite a bit of fun to be had. I had to deduct points for how terribly this film has aged. I mean you literally see a Vegas illusionist TRANSFORM A BLACK WOMAN INTO A GORILLA. WHAT👏DID👏THIS👏ADD👏TO👏THE👏FILM. Bond 007 Ranked List
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Topics
spy thriller, camp, 1970s, Las Vegas, smuggling, action-comedy, cold war era, slick production design, satire, franchise sequel