Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

007 - You Only Live Twice

Play trailer Poster for 007 - You Only Live Twice PG 1967 1h 56m Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
73% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
During the Cold War, American and Russian spacecrafts go missing, leaving each superpower believing the other is to blame. As the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, British intelligence learns that one of the crafts has landed in the Sea of Japan. After faking his own death, secret agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to investigate. In Japan, he's aided by Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and the beautiful Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), who help him uncover a sinister global conspiracy.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

007 - You Only Live Twice

007 - You Only Live Twice

What to Know

Critics Consensus

With exotic locales, impressive special effects, and a worthy central villain, You Only Live Twice overcomes a messy and implausible story to deliver another memorable early Bond flick.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More (52)
TIME Magazine There have been so many flamboyant imitations that the original looks like a copy. Oct 13, 2008 Full Review Variety Staff Variety Sean Connery plays 007 with his usual finesse. Jul 22, 2008 Full Review Dave Kehr Chicago Reader Tired, poorly paced Bond from 1967, with Sean Connery displaying his discontent. Jul 22, 2008 Full Review Carson Timar ButteredPopcorn You Only Live Twice is easily one of the cleanest and most well-built Bond films. Rated: B+ Aug 28, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy This one's a lot of fun. Rated: 3/4 Sep 25, 2021 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins The special effects aren't as visually pleasing as one might hope for, with many of the stunts clearly designed to be performed by actors in front of greenscreens. Rated: 4/10 Aug 27, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More (1000+)
Charles Classic Bond film with a great performance from Sean Connery Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/22 Full Review Oliver J Critics Consensus: “You Only Live Twice” is a visually spectacular and wildly imaginative Bond adventure, featuring some of the series’ most iconic imagery—but its over-the-top plot and uneven tone mark the beginning of Bond’s drift toward excess. Review: You Only Live Twice takes James Bond to Japan in one of the franchise’s most ambitious globe-trotting adventures. From spacecraft hijackings to secret volcano lairs, the film leans fully into cinematic fantasy, offering jaw-dropping sets, explosive action, and a sweeping John Barry score that captures the grandeur of 1960s Bond at its peak. Sean Connery remains the ultimate 007—cool, confident, and unflappable—but even his charisma can’t always ground the film’s outlandish story. The screenplay by Roald Dahl delivers plenty of fun but sacrifices realism for spectacle, and some cultural elements haven’t aged gracefully. Still, Ken Adam’s production design is astonishing, and the climactic assault on Blofeld’s volcano base stands among the most memorable sequences in Bond history. Verdict: A bold, visually dazzling entry that epitomizes both the strengths and excesses of the Connery era, You Only Live Twice entertains with sheer scale and style—even if it occasionally lives a little too large. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/28/25 Full Review Joshua H Yeah there were few things that haven't aged well but it is just a solid action movie. There are some big things that happen including putting a face to Spectre who had been the secret big bad for 2 of the pervious film. And there were a lot big fun action spectacles which a solid story that makes sense. But yeah a good enough watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/25/25 Full Review O g Has limitations but the remaster looks amazing, beautiful score and very amusing in places. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/27/25 Full Review Wayne K By the time You Only Live Twice was released, the Bond film franchise had truly hit its stride, but it’s iconic star had become burned out and tired of the part, and so decided to leave, only to return a few years later thanks to, I would imagine, a very hefty pay check. In light of this, I actually thought that Connery gave a more committed performance than some have claimed. He might not be fully invested like he was before, but he still has the swagger and the gift of the gab that the character always had. There’s a lot of odd creative decisions in this movie, and some elements, such as the ninja training, the performative marriage and making Connery into a Japanese man, which is just as laughable as it sounds, prove to be utterly pointless. Bond is already proficient in hand-to-hand combat, as we even see earlier in the film, so showing him training with bamboo canes and ninja stars, only to either barely use them or not use them at all is just a waste of screentime. The story is also convoluted and full of holes, but the actions sequences are exciting and fast paced, thanks largely to some great directorial work from series newcomer Lewis Gilbert. While the introduction of Blofeld, arguably the series’ most famous villain, comes so late as to give him few things of worth to do, Pleasance, as usual, acts the hell out of the role. Overall, it’s a solid outing for 007, and a great film for Connery to (almost) bow out of the series on. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/24/25 Full Review Marce S My favorite James Bond movie, with a setting in exciting Japan and fun villains. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/13/25 Full Review Read all reviews
007 - You Only Live Twice

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
Thunderball 85% 73% Thunderball Watchlist Diamonds Are Forever 64% 57% Diamonds Are Forever Watchlist On Her Majesty's Secret Service 81% 64% On Her Majesty's Secret Service Watchlist For Your Eyes Only 69% 64% For Your Eyes Only Watchlist The Spy Who Loved Me 82% 77% The Spy Who Loved Me Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis During the Cold War, American and Russian spacecrafts go missing, leaving each superpower believing the other is to blame. As the world teeters on the brink of nuclear war, British intelligence learns that one of the crafts has landed in the Sea of Japan. After faking his own death, secret agent James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to investigate. In Japan, he's aided by Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and the beautiful Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), who help him uncover a sinister global conspiracy.
Director
Lewis Gilbert
Producer
Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Screenwriter
Ian Fleming, Roald Dahl, Harold Jack Bloom
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Danjaq Productions, EON Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Action
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 13, 1967, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 56m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Most Popular at Home Now