James Bond in film process. Connery, however, was somewhat resigned to the project, lacking the enthusiasm he sported for "Thunderball". A press conference on his arrival had been tense, "soured by aggressive questioning of Connery's crumpled, jet-lagged appearance". Primary and secondary photography finished in December; the special effects filming for the space scenes were undertaken between January and March 1967, prior to the film's release on 12 June. The cinema posters for the film stated "Sean Connery IS James Bond", to distance the Eon-produced picture from the independent "Casino Royale", which had been released two months earlier. However, during the production, Connery announced that
James Bond filmography to play Bond once more, asking for (and receiving) a fee of $3 million ($ million in dollars), a percentage of the profits, as well as casting, director and script approval. The script has several references to Bond's advancing years—playing on Connery being 52 at the time of filming. David Robinson, reviewing the film for "The Times" considered that, "Connery ... is back, looking hardly a day older or thicker, and still outclassing every other exponent of the role, in the goodnatured throwaway with which he parries all the sex and violence on the way". In 2003 Bond, as portrayed