You only live twice

[Joab]

Does anyone here remember the James Bond movie, "You Only Live Twice"? In it they show what they claim is both ancient and modern ninja training, training that 007 himself undertakes. Is there any truth to the movie, or is it all typical cinematic nonsense? Is any of it even resembling true ninja techniques and training? Just curious, I watched the movie recently.

 

[bluekey88]

I remember the film fondly...I'd take it with a huige grain of salt. I mean, any movie where teh main plot conceit is that teh bad guy was able to build a high-tech secret base in an old voclano and employ hundreds of workers....in secret...hard to take seriously.

How did he get the earth movers in? How about all the contruction materials?

Anyhoo....the MA I saw looked like basic movie fu karate with some Ninja garb added for flair.

Also, as much as I love Sean connery as bond, when they did him up to look Japanese...it looked more like he had down's syndrome than anything else.


Peace,
Erik

 

[Joab]

Yeah, Sean wasn't convincing at all as Japanese. Your probably right about the authenticity of the ninja training, probably not close to the real thing.

 

[Omar B]

Oh god I hate that movie. Yet another case of the Bond film not even trying to correctly adapt the story as written by Fleming.

 

[Joab]

Oh god I hate that movie. Yet another case of the Bond film not even trying to correctly adapt the story as written by Fleming.

I thought it was fun, never read the novel.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Strange..all I seem to remember about that movie is "Suzuki"

 

[Shinobi Teikiatsu]

From what I've read, Soke Hatsumi oversaw much of the fight choreography in the movie..

 

[Omar B]

I thought it was fun, never read the novel.

You should. The Fleming experience is pretty transcendent. Plus the Bond on film is quite different than how he's written. Oh, and plot wise it's nowhere near the book (though it does have a couple people with the same names).

Oh, and the chick's name was Kissy Suzuki, mother of James's son James Suzuki (who does not even appear in the movie).

 

[MA-Caver]

Well not to mention that Donald Pleasence was the influence of Dr. Evil for the Austin Powers franchise... still don't know where the Pinky thing comes in yet.

Also interesting about the purty women in the film

(from IMDB) Akiko Wakabayashi However, in the Western Cinema, she is probably best known for her role as Bond girl Aki in the 007 epic You Only Live Twice (1967), appearing along side actor Sean Connery. When production of the 007 film began, Wakabayashi was originally chosen to play Bond girl Kissy Suzuki and her co-star, Mie Hama is to play Bond girl Suki. As Hama had a difficult time mastering the English language, the two actresses switched roles. In addition, Wakabayashi suggested her character name be Aki instead of Suki.

Either way... as a kid watching it that is when I first realized REALLY realized how pretty Asian women can be.

Yeah the ninja training is way way over the top. The modern stuff definitely to be a Q branch counterpart. That super expert swordsman was cool to watch... notice how his face was uncovered while his partners all had theirs covered... it's because he was cooler than the rest because he knew how to handle the sword better... :wink1: But of course he doesn't even get credit ... not even listed on the IMDB list.

Yeah gotta love the over the top secret underground lairs that Spectre villians seem to have. Not only were they able to manage a volcano and all that but to repeatedly launch a rocket and land it in the exact spot every time, all within a few days time ... something NASA must've been dreaming about for years.

I read the book too and often went ... HEY where's the ninja's where's the volcano? Where's the rockets? What a rip!
I got older and read the book again... it'd been nice if Hollywood hadn't gone WAY off into left field in their interpretation of the story.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Also interesting about the purty women in the film
Either way... as a kid watching it that is when I first realized REALLY realized how pretty Asian women can be.

Like I said Suzuki

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

I remember seeing the book Instant Japanese that James gets that book is a classic.

Some cool stuff here:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/yolt_trivia.php3?t=&s=articles&id=01587

 

[yorkshirelad]

As a child a read all of the James Bond books, but much preferred the movies. As an adult, I'm of the same opinion. I especially liked the movie "You only live twice", not just because of the martial arts componant, but also because the sceenplay was written by my favourite childhood author, Roald Dahl.

 

[Korisuya]

the ninja clan in you only live twice is togakure ryu, soke hatsumi was connected to the book and movie. there were a few japanese articles about it you can probably dig them up. also the thing with petting the cat is based on oda nobunaga

 

[MA-Caver]

I remember seeing the book Instant Japanese that James gets that book is a classic.

Some cool stuff here:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/yolt_trivia.php3?t=&s=articles&id=01587

Very cool stuff... also interestingly enough was this little tid-bit on the name of the film...

The title of "You Only Live Twice" comes from a haiku (or poem) included in the Ian Fleming novel on which the film is based. It goes: "You only live twice. Once when you are born. And once when you look death in the face."

I guess I'm living my second life then... or would it be third... hmm, maybe fourth? ... I've lost count.

 

[yorkshirelad]

I remember seeing the book Instant Japanese that James gets that book is a classic.

Some cool stuff here:

http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/yolt_trivia.php3?t=&s=articles&id=01587

Very cool stuff. I'm gonna watch the movie again and see if I can spot Hatsumi soke. I forgot, that he was so young when he inherited the schools from Takamatsu. I didn't know he had anything to do with this film.

Thanks for the link.

 

[elder999]

Well not to mention that Donald Pleasence was the influence of Dr. Evil for the Austin Powers franchise... still don't know where the Pinky thing comes in yet..

The pinky thing was a habit of Lorne Michaels, the producer of Saturday Night Live. Mike Meyers was making fun of his old boss.....:lfao:

While Hatsumi sensei served as an advisor on the set, and had a brief acting role, it's noteworthy that Donn Draeger, the well known martial arts historian and kiyoshi menkyo of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu, was credited as Martial Arts Coordinator, and acted as Sean Connery's stunt double.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

From what I've read, Soke Hatsumi oversaw much of the fight choreography in the movie..

Curse you Cuffee, I wanted to answer this.

 

[kenjutsushi]

While Hatsumi sensei served as an advisor on the set, and had a brief acting role,

This has been discussed before and screen shots were posted. The actor in the train scene with Tiger Tanaka was definitely not Soke Hatsumi. Do you know of any other scenes that show Hatsumi? I have the dvd and have never spotted him.

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Kenjutsushi Supposely here:

but also allowed him a few brief moments of screen time aboard Tiger Tanaka's private train, as he interrupts Bond and Tanakas Sake discussion to announce that the photographs are ready for viewing.

From the link http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/movies/yolt_trivia.php3?t=&s=articles&id=01587

If you see it on the DVD let us know.

 

[ElfTengu]

I didn't realise Hatsumi Sensei is IN the movie, I believe that in the end though they did not even use him for choreography etc.

They filmed him doing some stuff but didn't deem it showy enough, and that is about it. Someone else stepped in, I can't remember who. Frank Dux, who I do not hold in high esteem, claims that Tiger Tanaka is based on his teacher Senzo Tanaka, but that's like me making a movie and saying the main character is based on the real Easter Bunny, if you catch my drift.

However, Hatsumi Sensei and Takamatsu Sensei were definitely involved in Shinobi no Mono, a far more worthwhile movie featuring ninjas.

I sometimes wonder whether they created those awful grey outfits for the ninjas in You Only Live Twice after filming them in black outfits and not being able to see them very well on screen. Duh!

How to sneak into an enemy's stronghold: Abseil straight down into the middle of it in a pale grey costume, standing out like a baboon's bum, especially when the enemy are all looking straight up at you and have machine guns.