Bovie Movie

After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret Agent 007 in his penultimate Bond outing, Diamonds Are Forever. Fragments of Ian Fleming’s original 1954 novel remain, including the characters of the alluring Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) and fey hitmen Wint (Bruce Glover) and Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith). The remainder of Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz’s script diverges dramatically from the novel, involving Bond in a scheme by the insidious Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) to force the world powers to disarm so that he can take over the globe. Folksinger Jimmy Dean shows up briefly as a Howard Hughes-like reclusive billionaire, while Lana Wood (Natalie’s sister) participates in one of the film’s edgiest cliffhangers. Agreeing to make Diamonds Are Forever only because of the money offered him, Sean Connery parted company with the role for 12 years after this film; he returned to the role once more in 1983, for Irvin Kershner’s underrated Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again.

As a child, a miscreant Frank Dux was taken in and trained by a champion martial artist, who went so far as to adopt Frank into his family after the premature death of his own son. Now, decades later, Frank is a skilled martial artist himself and a solider in the U.S. Military. Upon the death of his surrogate father and sensai, Frank is informed of a mysterious, no-holds barred, highly illegal martial arts tournament in Hong Kong known only as the “kumeti.” At the bidding of his sensai and against direct orders from his military superiors Frank travels to Hong Kong to participate and uphold his master’s honor. In order to succeed not only will he have to win the tournament; he must also evade capture by two military police sent to arrest him and the prying questions of a nosy reporter eager for a story.