James Bond (Sean Connery) is informed by M (Bernard Lee) that a beautiful Soviet Agent Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) has fallen in love with him and wants to defect. She promises to steal a decoding machine called the Lektor which MI6 desperately want.007 is warned that the scenario is a trap and indeed it is. Unbeknown to the defector Tatiana, the Soviets and British are being used as pawns in a scheme master minded by SPECTRE. Tatiana is unaware her superior, Colonel Rosa Kebob is really working for SPECTRE.

The plan is for Bond and Tatiana to steal the Lektor and then be executed by the assassin Red Grant. SPECTRE will recover the machine and sell it back to the Soviets embarrassing MI6 in the process and avenging the death of Dr No by murdering Bond.

Bond flies to Istanbul for a rendezvous with Tatiana, and with the help of local intelligence chief Kerim Bey, steals the Lektor and escapes aboard the Orient Express. On board is Red Grant, who kills Kerim and in turn is strangled by Bond.007 and the girl escape to Venice where they are menaced by Rosa Klebb, who is killed by Tatiana.

Sean Connery gives an excellent performance as 007. He is well supported by a great cast that includes Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya and the beautiful Daniela Bianchi. The direction is fisrt class by Terrence Young and the exotic locations add to the intrigue in this classic cold war thriller.

The films huge success firmly established the 007 films as a cultural phenomena.

Rating:5/5