SirHenryLeeChaChing's For Original Fans - Favorite Moments In NTTD (spoilers)

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  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I think nearly all of us can agree certain things should have been eliminated, like the Tarzan yell and telling the tiger to "Sit!". Unsure what else I would have edited out of OP. That may have been all ...

    Without those elements, it would have been a better film. Back to the train thru circus/bomb moments ... Do you think that the gorilla suit should have been eliminated too? It did not bother me really. The film treads a line in that entire part of the film of real drama and tension and lightening it up a bit. They could have gone totally darkly serious for the entire section, but that would not have fit the overall Bond movie this was. I think they got it just about right.
  • Posts: 12,523
    The Roger Moore era has to be the era with the most to talk about after Connery. I enjoy Live and Let Die a lot; I thought it was a very unique, funny, and entertaining entry to the series. Man with the Golden Gun is typically severely underrated, albeit not one of the better Bond films - had a great villain in Christopher Lee, a good Moore performance, and good action scenes. Spy Who Loved Me is my favorite of the Moore era as well as one of my favorites in the series; I found it to be an instant classic. You have arguably Moore's best performance (maybe FYEO), an awesome memorable PTS, Jaws (w/o girlfriend), a great soundtrack, and one of the best collections of locations for any Bond film (Egypt and Underwater mix was excellent). Moonraker was where things got meh for me - I found it too silly, with a forgettable villain and forgettable girls, and just Moore in autopilot mode. Decent in the first half, horrible in the second. For Your Eyes Only is the most average Bond film in the whole series to me; nothing particularly amazing or bad about it. Moore was terrific, darker/realistic tone was welcome, and I personally loved the PTS. Octopussy was sillier again, and while it wasn't my favorite, a step-up from MR. Finally we have A View to a Kill - my least favorite Bond film. Because: Moore is way too old, Bond girls weren't good in this one, action was silly or blah, and the film just felt dull and forgettable as a whole to me; only thing I really liked was Christopher Walken as the Bond villain, and he still could have been better. Overall I have mixed feelings of this era, hitting a couple high points and falling far in others. My rankings:
    1. The Spy Who Loved Me (epitome of the Moore era - grand in scale and while not realistic, infinitely entertaining)
    2. Live and Let Die (unique and light-hearted - an appropriate and enjoyable debut for Roger Moore)
    3. The Man with the Golden Gun (very underrated - has its good and bad merits)
    4. For Your Eyes Only (has a lot of solid elements, but just too average at the end of the day for me)
    5. Octopussy (silly and far-out, but still entertaining in some parts)
    6. Moonraker (way too silly and suffers too many cons; Bond doesn't belong in space)
    7. A View to a Kill (least favorite Bond film at all with way woo many cons)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited March 2014 Posts: 17,830
    I think nearly all of us can agree certain things should have been eliminated, like the Tarzan yell and telling the tiger to "Sit!".

    Quick story as to why I actually get a hearty laugh out of the tiger scene: I used to live in a somewhat rural part of Long Island where it was not uncommon to see the occasional wild dog(s) at night, and one late night I was taking out the trash and a German Shepherd started growling at me from behind (was I poaching on his new feeding site-?) so I dropped the bag & walked back where I came from quickly and when I heard his paw thumps and growling getting close, I turned suddenly, filled with rage & resolve, and told him in a calm and measured voice "You can make me bleed, but I can kill you right here, so back the **** off." And he stayed where he was as I walked quietly away.
    So now when I see Roger pull that Woodhouse on the tiger, I just roll!
  • edited March 2014 Posts: 2,341
    I think nearly all of us can agree certain things should have been eliminated, like the Tarzan yell and telling the tiger to "Sit!". Unsure what else I would have edited out of OP. That may have been all ...

    Without those elements, it would have been a better film. Back to the train thru circus/bomb moments ... Do you think that the gorilla suit should have been eliminated too? It did not bother me really. The film treads a line in that entire part of the film of real drama and tension and lightening it up a bit. They could have gone totally darkly serious for the entire section, but that would not have fit the overall Bond movie this was. I think they got it just about right.

    In regards to the gorilla scene. I have no problem with it. My companion could not stop laughing at the sight of that ugly looking simian. When Bond overhears Orlov and Kamal Khan talking about the time to detonate the bomb, we see Moore in full gorilla regalia sneak a peek at his watch. This just cracks me up. I'm sure that Roger ad-libbed that on his own. (he was known to do this) I for one am glad they did not cut it out.

    Footnote on Roger's ad-libbing : Maurice Binder tells the story of how when shooting his gunbarrell scene, Roger would whirl and drop his trousers.

    The Tarzan yell, I think we all could have done without (like the whistle on the car stunt in Golden Gun and the Beach Boys audio in AVTAK) .

    The tiger is part of John Glen's trademark animal scare. OP was his second time at the helm and we see this trademark in all his films (Moore's final three and Dalton's two).
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,830
    OHMSS69 wrote:
    The tiger is part of John Glen's trademark animal scare. OP was his second time at the helm and we see this trademark in all his films (Moore's final three and Dalton's two).
    The 'animal scare' is something I actually quite liked, and still always get a smile from. Especially the monkeys. :))
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Thanks, FoxRox. :) Very nice to read your impressions of Moore's films. I am glad you liked TSWLM; it's my favorite It is understandable some fans have mixed feelings about Moore's era because it was a lengthy one and the films sure are a mixed group. I think a little something for everyone, in general.

    You had me scared during your German Shephard story, chrisisall. Did you look like this: >:/

    Great mention of Roger adlibbing and pranks on set, OHMSS69. :> I love hearing about those. And I do rather crack up every time Moore looks at his watch in that scene.

    I have Moore to say, but no time now. ;))
    Thanks for so many people chiming in here.

    Cheers!
  • This evening, on the way home from work, I stopped into a used book store in Berkeley CA. There I found a hardcover copy of Roger Moore’s autobiography, “My Word is My Bond,” on sale for only $7. I trust no one will be surprised to learn that this book now resides in the permanent collection that is the Library SansEarmuffs. I fully expect to enjoy it enormously, and will dutifully report back to this forum once I have finished it.

    Roger Moore was never my favorite James Bond…but I think he IS my favorite ex-Bond. Always ready to share a fond memory of his time as 007, always there with a generous review for the actors who have essayed the role since his days in the tuxedo and shoulder holster…Moore is every inch the gentleman he has invariably portrayed on screen. If anything, Moore’s Bond was a bit too much the gentleman for my tastes, and too seldom the blunt instrument that Ian Fleming depicted between vodka martinis and nubile, willing women. If George Lazenby was a great Bond during the action sequences but somewhat lacking when asked to deliver the dialogue, then Roger Moore was his polar opposite: absolutely sparkling with the repartee but sometimes a bit plodding during the action sequences. Nonetheless, Moore was Bond longer than any other actor, and the series’ remarkable longevity is due in no small part to Moore’s effortless charm in the title role. Before Lazenby took over from Connery, the critics were starting to grumble that the Bond films had become too formulaic to be a continued success and were urging Eon to diverge somewhat from that formula. With the release of OHMSS, they were practically aghast: “Sure, we said we wanted a change, but not like THIS!” the critical chorus proclaimed. Connery’s lethargic return to the role in DAF did little to satisfy them, and now the critics had concluded that perhaps Bond himself was passe’ and ought to be retired. This line of reasoning lasted for a few Moore releases…but finally, it was itself retired while Bond soldiered on for film after film and through actor after actor. Now, when the time comes for a Dalton or a Brosnan or, inevitably, a Craig to pass on the torch, no one is heretical enough to suggest, “Why don’t they just stop making Bond movies? The Cold War is OVER already!” And for that small favor, my friends, I suggest we have no one to credit other than Roger Moore.

    Not every moment of every Roger Moore Bond film was golden…but even the least of them had moments of greatness, and none of them was less than wonderfully entertaining. I think at first EON was too hesitant to allow comparisons between Connrey’s Bond and Moore’s; we are told that this is the reason LALD shows M coming to Bond’s home unannounced in the middle of the night to brief him on his new assignment, rather than summoning Bond to M’s office the way it was usually done in Connery’s day. If this is indeed so it was a mistake. Rather than seeing this new Bond as a professional in the field of international espionage we are introduced to him as the lead in a bedroom farce. But I am here to praise Roger Moore’s Bond, not to rebuke him for the broad servings of humor that leavened his films. Despite the moments of cartoonish antics it contains, LALD is also tense, exciting, and at times, downright spooky. Mr. Big’s gang is chock full of interesting characters, Jane Seymour is perfectly cast as Domino, and even the character of J.W. Pepper is appropriately placed in this particular film.

    Unfortunately, Sheriff Pepper was entirely out of place in the next film -- but at least the titular villain was perfectly cast, as Christopher Lee portrayed one of his cousin Ian’s most despicable creations, Francisco Scaramanga, TMWTGG. Lee’s interplay with Herve Villechaiez as Nick Nack, and his duel with Bond, are among the many highlights of this mixed bag of a movie to my mind. Scaramanga’s fun house maze is a visual treat, even if it does edge a bit too far into camp for my tastes…and yes, I’m as annoyed by the infamous slide-whistle as the rest of you…but for my money, the most regrettable moments of the movie come with Bond’s callous treatment of both Andrea Anders and Mary Goodnight. Connery’s Bond could get rough with the ladies whenever he felt it necessary (as shown in the PTS for DAD, as well as with Bond’s dip in the pool courtesy of Bambi & Thumper) but not Moore. He simply can’t get away with slapping Maud Adams as the sympathetic but doomed Andrea…and the contempt that his Bond shows for the gorgeous dim-bulb he is saddled with as a leading lady in this film is simply wrong for any Bond, but especially for Roger’s. Britt Ekland is done no favors by the scriptwriters for this film, and her blonde idiot of a non-character is simply not believable as a agent for MI-6...but Bond’s vaunted chivalry goes straight out the window in his dealings with Goodnight, and that point is perhaps the greatest creative misstep of this movie. Finally, after she’s almost gotten Bond killed with a literally insensitive wiggle of her perfectly formed derriere, Bond takes Goodnight to bed as the credits roll. She hasn’t done anything to redeem herself in Bond’s eyes or in our own. But the movie’s over and she’s gorgeous and available so -- let’s forget all the silly little misunderstandings of the past few hours. At least Nick Nack’s out of the way. So much for romance in the Bond Universe circa 1974...just don’t ask me what happened to all the plentiful solar power that was promised us once Bond delivered the solex agitator. He DID deliver the thing, didn’t he??? And the energy crisis was over, right? Yeah, the ‘70s…good times…

    After the creative misfire of the last movie, Cubby Broccoli pulled out all the stops for his initial offering as the solo producer of a Bond movie with TSWLM. This time…finally…the team got their New Bond down. The tone of this movie is exactly what the ensemble was looking for, immensely fanciful but somehow just barely shy of being over the top. A submersable car? An assassin with steel teeth and inhuman strength? A gazillionaire with an underwater city and a yen to wipe out humanity??? Tell us another one, Uncle Rog! And Uncle Rog just keeps going until implausible is left in the rear view mirror and unbelievable never even enters into the viewfinder. There’s lots of great stuff in this one -- like the legendary PTS with the Union Jack parachute…or the really atmospheric night scenes among the pyramids, with Jaws chasing Bond and Anya, and the audience uncertain whether to react in fear or laughter…or the battle between two armies in the submarine pens, in the scene the famous 007 set at Pinewood Studios was originally constructed to film. Not to mention (let’s keep our priorities straight here!) Caroline Munro’s brief but memorable appearance as the femme fatale Naomi. Is it just me, or does Barbara Bach visibly bristle with jealousy during the brief moment these two women interact on screen? With all the amazing but disparate elements involved in this story, it’s no wonder that this film routinely shows up in the Top 10 list of so many Bond fans -- including those like myself, who took awhile warming up the concept of Anybody Other Than Connery as 007!

    BeatlesSansEarmuffs will return soon with Part II of his appraisal of the Moore Era
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Fabulous post, @BeatlesSansEarmuffs!
    Thanks for all of the details; I love it.
    And first of all: $7 for Roger's autobiography? Lucky you!

    I not only enjoyed reading this, I agree with much of what you say. They were finding their footing with Bond (they = producers, scriptwriters, director, and Moore) through TMWTGG, then along came the spectacular TSWLM. That solidified the series and Moore for sure as Bond. My only real quibble is regarding the ever popular Naomi (sorry; I just don't see it guys, but that's understandable, right?). :-?? In my opinion (granted not the same slant as yours) Barbara was far more beautiful, alluring, and a great Bond girl than the rather blatantly cheap sexy kind of henchwoman Noami was.

    Well, I do think that. :)>-

    And now I am off to make some dinner, while eagerly anticipating Beatles' Part II of the Roger Moore Era!
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    OK folks - in a hurry - no internet at home; it will be 2 days probably before I can post anything at all after this (typing quickly at school).

    Have fun with our thread! Talk to you all later ... :)

    (If you heard about our earthquake, do not worry - I am fine. Thanks!)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,830
    (If you heard about our earthquake, do not worry - I am fine. Thanks!)
    Was it centred in a volcano by any chance---?
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Roger Moore is not my favourite Bond but he probably is my most beloved one. Let me explain, my mother is a huge Roger Moore fan. When I say she's a fan I mean she still sighs at the sight of him. She was a fan long before he became Bond, from the days when he played The Saint. Legend has it she only accepted to date my father because he reminded her of him (tall, elegant, good looking, light brown hair, curiously similar moles). All this meant that I probably started listening to Sir Rog's smooth voice still inside my mother's womb and I must have started watching his films at a ridiculously early age. In fact my earliest memory from TV is watching the title sequence of TSWLM, I guess that explains a lot of things about me... Now, on to the films.

    LALD - Rog's first entry is an interesting one, I don't think he's particularly good in it (still hadn't found his style) but is he good looking! I love the song and the title sequence for this one, and I do love Jane Seymour and her ridiculously glittery outfits and makeup but I was never very fond of the film itself. I can't find anything too wrong with it but it just doesn't appeal to me that much.

    TMWTGG - if I loved the previous film's title song I hated this one! Now that I left that clear let me tell you that I do enjoy this film. It isn't by far one of my favourites but there are so many amazing things in this one! Christopher Lee is magnetic, as always, and evil as only he can be. His fun house used to terrify me as a child. Nick Nack is positively mischievous. The locations are amazing! Some things I'm not too fond: Mary Goodnight is a poor excuse of a Bond girl, J.W. Pepper shouldn't be there, and Bond is really out of shape, that scene in the martial arts school is just silly [-(

    TSWLM - My earliest memory is fond memory indeed! I love this one, Moore finally finds his Bond style and gives us a memorable Bond film. The PTS is iconic, the title song and title sequence memorable, Barbara Bach might not have been a great actress but she looking amazing (oh that night dress), the story is interesting, the gadgets incredible, the locations outstanding... I won't go on, I'll just say it remains as one of my favourite ones, not because it's incredibly good but because it's so enjoyable, and that's all that matters in the Moore era.

    MR - Why, oh why did they have to do this silly thing? Seriously, I haven't watched it for years and I don't feel like doing it any time soon. And the least I say about it the better.

    FYEO - Now we're talking! After the nonsense of the previous film they got it right (they usually do). This film is in my opinion the best of the Moore era. I love almost everything about it except for the end and the soundtrack. Great performances, great locations, a stripped down Bond film that suits my palate.

    OP - I've probably watched this film more than any other Bond film, not because it's particularly good but because it's so bloody fun! OK, it has some silly moments, but apart from that we have a solid entry here. I love Maud Adams in this one and her chemistry with Moore is probably the best of this era. The locations are great, the cast is strong, the story is better than might seem at first sight... in a nutshell this is the Moore film I find myself enjoying the most. I like it so much that I had a persistent idea for years of getting an octopus tattoo. Who knows? One day I might ;)

    AVTAK - Moore should have retired with OP, I think we can all agree there. I still don't understand how he aged so much in two years. The Bond girls here didn't help it either! In the words of the first Doctor: Oh dear... dear, dear, dear. But we have Christopher Walken here, and we have a great soundtrack (except the Beach Boys silly moment) and a great title song, and we get an amazing sequencing with the Renault 11. Still I wish Moore had left before while he was on top of his game and not in such a cringe worthy film.

    Conclusion: he might not have been the perfect Bond, he will never be my favourite, but I can't help but love Sir Rog /:)
  • Posts: 11,189
    Just rewatched some of TMWTGG. A fairly limp, unremarkable film with some HORRID comedy and an atrocious Bond girl. As I said before this is one of the few films that genuinely makes me want to throw my remote at the tv in pure anger.

    Not without some good scenes but definitely in my bottom 3. Moore's pretty unremarkable too.
  • Posts: 11,189
    Birdleson wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    Just rewatched some of TMWTGG. A fairly limp, unremarkable film with some HORRID comedy and an atrocious Bond girl. As I said before this is one of the few films that genuinely makes me want to throw my remote at the tv in pure anger.

    Not without some good scenes but definitely in my bottom 3. Moore's pretty unremarkable too.

    No doubt, most of that is true, but at that point, like it or not, Bond films were family entertainment. It is fairly low in my rankings (high teens), but I fricking loved it when I saw it in the theatre at the age of 12. That's who it was made for, and it succeeded.

    Maybe I'm being a tad harsh but some of it REALLY angers me. I just can't understand how ANYONE would find the likes of Goodnight funny - even in the 70s.

    Something like YOLT for me would be a much better example of Bond as "family entertainment". Despite the sillier moments (Bond in disguise) it never feels like the series is scraping the barrel.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    When my son was younger he would have a friend over on visit. I would ask his father if they could watch a Bond film together. "What film?" would his dad ask, and when I said it was a Roger Moore film, he would say "Oh sure, that is fine."
  • Posts: 11,189
    Yeah I can't argue with that :(
  • Posts: 2,341
    @Birdleson
    You are spot on in regards to the way the films had devolved into this type of humor and film at the height of the Moore era.

    I had mentioned a comment a while back about seeing that article in a Mens Health magazine that listed "100 movies for men". The list had such films as "The Dirty Dozen" Clint Eastwood
    s spaghetti westerns, "Dirty Harry" "Predator" , etc and the only Bond movie on that list was DN. The article stated how DN was out at a time before the Bond movies became family entertainment, I always thought that was an interesting comment.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Back from the world of no internet and a level 4 earthquake that made me re-evaluate living here a bit ... and so nice to see these comments on this thread. Thanks, everyone!

    @Sandy, I really enjoyed your contribution about the Moore Era. And the ensuing discussing about Bond films becoming "family films" rings true for me. Especially, most definitely, the Roger Moore films.

    I will get back with this thread later, but just now I am finishing my lunch.

    Carry on, everyone ~

    And I am so glad to be back, and with our house still standing!
  • edited March 2014 Posts: 3,566
    THE MOORE BOND ERA Part II

    Every now & then the folks at Eon are possessed by an urge to repeat themselves. Sometimes a character just worked so well they want to bring him (or her) back. Such was the case with Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Other times, a stunt didn’t quite work as well as they thought it would, and they just want to have a second pass at it. I’d point at the PTS for both Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies as good examples here, as Bond hijacks a plane to escape a pending explosion in the early moments of both films. With Moonraker, for whatever reason, the producers went back to the well of the previous film, TSWLM, in two obvious ways -- and they really shouldn’t have. The more obvious re-tread in MR is Jaws -- only this time, evidently based on the suggestions of eight-year olds the world over, they turned Jaws into a good guy, probably expecting that they’d sell far more of his action figures if he could be either a good guy or a bad guy, depending on the mood of the players. “Hey James, I’m tired of losing! Let me play on your side for a change!“ “Okay, Jaws -- here’s my gun -- and a short, pig-tailed girl friend. Now help me crash this space station and we‘ll be finished in time for dinner!” The more egregious instance of self-plagiarism in MR, however, was in the lead villain’s plot, as both Drax and Stromberg intended to wipe out humanity and start over again with themselves in charge. Drax at least gives the viewer a good sense of how exactly he plans to attain his goal, with a Noah’s Ark of perfect physical specimens aboard his space station. Stromberg never really shared his intentions in this regard. I suppose everybody on board his undersea base was going to be the basis for a reborn human race, but we never really got much detail on his plans in this regard. I hope there was a sufficient quantity of both sexes aboard, or Stromberg was in for a big disappointment! One way or the other, whatever their intentions in making a second try with the same basic plot and a returning henchman from the previous film -- plus the added bonus of a space setting that was obviously intended to capitalize on the mammoth success of Star Wars -- Moonraker is one of the more spectacular misfires of the Bond series.

    But never let it be said that Eon refuses to learn from their mistakes. For the follow-up to the financially successful but critically panned MR, Eon realized that there was a crucial need to bring Bond “back to Earth.” So they went back to the source, grafting the particulars of two of Ian Fleming’s short stories -- For Your Eyes Only and Risico -- together with one of the most dramatic scenes from the novel “Live And Let Die,” curiously unused in Moore’s first film as Bond. I am among those who consider FYEO one of Moore’s best Bond films, stainless steel cafeterias, talking parrots, and Margaret Thatcher imitators notwithstanding. I think Carole Bouquet is one of Moore’s most memorable leading ladies as the crossbow-wielding Melina…and I actually think Lynn-Holly Johnson is entirely appropriate for this film, reminding us that Moore as Bond is starting to age and perhaps he shouldn’t be bedding every nubile young thing that happens to cross his path. The rivalry between Kristatos and Columbo is well played and quite believable…and the mountaineering scene is unusually realistic for the Bond series during Moore’s tenure, generating far more tension than could be found in any three exploding Ken Adams hideouts. Some folks think this particular film lacks some of the grandeur that any true Bond film should have…I personally think it was exactly the right film to follow the excesses of Moonraker. The film’s finale, with its’ macguffin destroyed and Bond discussing the finer points of detante with the Russian General Gogol, was perfectly in sync with the political realties of its time. I would suggest that FYEO is indeed the most realistic of all Roger Moore’s entries in the Bond canon, and “That’s détente, comrade…” is an accurate summation of the attitudes of the time.

    Besides, if anyone in the audience really needs a return to the camp flavor of so many Roger Moore Bond films, there is always Octopussy to satisfy that need, and it does so quite well. Maud Adams pairs admirably with Roger Moore -- they have a palpable chemistry together that requires us to simply accept the outrageous name given to Adams as the movie’s title character. Instead, we are caught up in a globe-trotting, world-shaking adventure with a gang of female smugglers/circus performers living on their own private island, an exiled Afghan prince, forged Faberge eggs, and a lunatic Russian general who plans to set off an atomic explosion in a European-based US Army facility, thereby altering the shape of the Cold War. Upon my original viewing of this film, I must admit that I caviled at the sight of Bond dressed as a clown; now I find this point far less objectionable than the sight of Bond facing down a tiger with the simple admonition, “Sit!” OP is another camp offering in the world of Roger Moore’s Bond; if one can accept that reality then one is forced to acknowledge that this is a very good example of its type. This is the film that Cubby Broccoli offered up as his entry in the “Battle of the Bonds,” as a counter-punch to Kevin McClory’s long-threatened Bond film featuring Sean Connery’s return to the character that made him famous. I think that it should come as no surprise to readers of this forum when I state that Cubby and Sir Roger emerged the clear victors in their battle with McClory and Sir Sean. I would also like to point out that in my opinion, one of the most important moments in the Bond film series history occurred in this film: as Q arrives at the battle between Kamal Khan’s men and Octopussy’s women, he lands his hot air balloon with perfect timing to rescue the besieged Magda, who promptly rewards him with a hug and a kiss. I honestly believe that this moment marks a real turning point in the relationship between Bond and Q, as Q suddenly is forced to reappraise his opinion of Bond’s methods of work in the field…

    And finally, we arrive at Roger Moore’s final outing as 007. Yes, he was probably handed the famous Walther PPK one time too many. Yes, he was just too old to play the role and Moore himself would be the first one to acknowledge that point. Yes, oh my yes, Tanya Roberts is one of the most annoying leading ladies any Bond has ever been given. But there are a number of mitigating factors at play in A View To a Kill, enough so to make it my own personal Guilty Pleasure of a Bond movie. First and foremost, the setting for much of the film, in the San Francisco Bay Area, does indeed make for a gorgeous view. As a long-time resident of this spectacularly blessed area, I am willing to forgive many of the film’s acknowledged faults, so great is my enjoyment at seeing Bond strutting his stuff in my own home town. Is it a sin to admit that I love seeing San Francisco’s City Hall in flames during the course of this adventure? The sight of Bond steering a fire truck through the city with half the police force in hot pursuit is also one of my favorite moments in series history. I recognize that many Bond fans find this film to be among the low points in the canon -- but from my own perspective I can’t really understand why. I don’t really consider Grace Jones to be a negative point in my assessment of this film, although I recognize that I am pretty much in the minority in this regard. I think I am solidly in the majority in asserting that Christopher Walken is completely without fault, though; he is one of the series’ most compelling villains and it is totally mesmerizing to see him laughing with pleasure as he shoots down his own employees. And the interplay between Roger Moore and Patrick Macnee is another positive point in this film’s favor to my mind. I don’t CARE that they’re both stiffer than boards in their fight scenes. AVTAK’s strong points far outweigh its’ weak points, and perhaps that’s the most appropriate sentiment I can find on which to rest my assessment of Roger Moore’s tenure as James Bond.

    For although Moore has never been my favorite actor to portray James Bond, I hasten to acknowledge one important point: he left the series in far stronger shape than it was in when he first entered the scene. So: thank you, Sir Roger Moore! Thank you for your many years of service, and for the twinkle in your eye during all those long, fascinating years. James Bond will return, again and again, and again… and in no small part, we have you to thank for that. Unstrap your shoulder holster and pour yourself a glass of champagne. You’ve more than earned it!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    You have earned your champagne as well, @Beatles. Wonderful read.
    And welcome back, @4EverBonded.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,334
    Indeed, lovely review again @Beatles!

    Perhaps entertaining to read, and for me signature Roger Moore, is what happened this weekend.
    In a desperate attempt to get my GF to love Bond I put on the movie she must like most. I'll give a clue: she doesn't like action movies, loves humour, and has an extreme love for everything India.
    Indeed, so the viewing of OP began. She only looked for a couple af moments before nodding off happily, but before she fell asleep she said: 'so which actor is that? he's not that good looking but he's very attractive and gentileman-like!'.

    Roger Moore winning another soul, alas, not for Bond, but for himself.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    Sounds like you've got your foot in the door @CommanderRoss! Keep trying. With each film that she sees there's bound to be something for her to like!
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 8,334
    pachazo wrote:
    Sounds like you've got your foot in the door @CommanderRoss! Keep trying. With each film that she sees there's bound to be something for her to like!

    Well ,as some wise men (though not from the correct era) said:
    If at first you don't succeed Mr. Kidd...?
    Try, try again, Mr. Wint.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    pachazo wrote:
    Sounds like you've got your foot in the door @CommanderRoss! Keep trying. With each film that she sees there's bound to be something for her to like!

    Well ,as some wise men (though not from the correct era) said:
    If at first you don't succeed Mr. Kidd...?
    Try, try again, Mr. Wint.

    But also: "She is very attractive...for a woman." So I would not be quoting them too much.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    @BeatlesSansEarmuffs, a fabulous Part II post - thanks! I do agree with much of what you wrote, although San Fran is not one of my favorite places. But I am happy that you get that extra enjoyment from seeing your town in a Bond film. :) And you definitely pointed out how the Moore films veered from one style to another, careening off a bit of a ledge for Moonraker and then righting itself with the excellent FYEO.

    I so enjoy reading all these comments, especially ones with personal memories and/or thoughtful examination of certain areas of the films. Thanks for everybody's participation. (And good luck, @CommanderRoss; you seem to have things well in hand.) ;)

    And now ... to top off my evening, I'd like to just post some of my favorite scenes of Roger Moore as James Bond: B-)

    ~ Telling Solitaire of course there is time for a second round of TLC; "Absolutely." (Roger was never one to go off half-cocked, indeed)
    ~ Bond and Anya chatting over drinks and letting each other they already know a good deal about each other; when Anya mentions his wife, Moore's reaction is quite realistic and touching; well played.
    ~ Again, with Anya at the very end, keeping the British end up
    ~ Bond shooting the hidden assassin in the tree, in front of Drax and his lovely remark, "Did I?" (in response to Drax's, "You missed, Mr. Bond.")
    ~ Telling Melina she should be prepared to dig two graves if she seeks to kill as part of her revenge, that whole scene was great; FYEO had some weightier, serious moments that gave it such a good balance and ambience
    ~ The lovely carriage ride, arguing with Melina, with her giving in at the end grudgingly - I like that he seems to respect her, understand her need for revenge, yet wants to save her; a real gentleman through and through
    ~ Bond kissing Octopussy, that whole bit seemed so ... real, like he meant it; and they were very well matched
    ~ Bond's entire sequence of being on that train, the fight, arriving at the circus and trying desperately to stop the bomb; I honestly love that whole part
    ~ Frolicking in the hot tub with Pola; they had such nice, playful chemistry

    I could add a good deal more, but that's enough for a basic countdown of some of my very favorite scenes of Roger Moore's Bond films.

    I hope a few more of you will be happy to continue our discussion of Roger Moore, the longest serving Bond and certainly the most gentlemanly. I will probably change to the Timothy Dalton Era on Thursday.

    Cheers!
    ;;)
  • Posts: 7,653
    When 007 survived the G-force centrifuge he really looked shaken up, well acted and believable by Sir Moore.

    The tenderness and pain when visiting his wifes grave.

    The anger in his eyes when he finaly looked down on Loque.

    The anger and sadness when Bond mourned Tibbet in AVTAK.

    A few more moments from what some people consider the lightweight among the 007 actors. Looking back I found Roger Moore an actor who gave 007 a wider range of emotion than SC did. And while his movies might have been outrageous sometimes he was quite the actor.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,830
    With the exception of MR (sorry, just too juvenile by the end) and AVTAK (sorry, the only movie with a robot dog I can watch is Brosnan's Live Wire, and even then just barely), Roger Moore delivered a huge chunk of entertainment as Bond.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    SaintMark wrote:
    When 007 survived the G-force centrifuge he really looked shaken up, well acted and believable by Sir Moore.

    The tenderness and pain when visiting his wifes grave.

    The anger in his eyes when he finaly looked down on Loque.

    The anger and sadness when Bond mourned Tibbet in AVTAK.

    A few more moments from what some people consider the lightweight among the 007 actors. Looking back I found Roger Moore an actor who gave 007 a wider range of emotion than SC did. And while his movies might have been outrageous sometimes he was quite the actor.


    Lovely thoughts, @SaintMark. Yes, I do agree. Those moments are easily forgotten in the joyfully fun, entertaining, and adventurous films that Roger gave us. Yes, @chrisiall, he gave us a lot of entertainment, ones we can turn to again and again.
  • edited March 2014 Posts: 3,566
    Seconded, @SaintMark. Nicely put.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    Oh, I could go on about Roger Moore for several more pages - and I will probably post some other thoughts later. And he is a nice photo of Roger during filming of FYEO: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/02/17/article-2561194-00188E1700000258-537_634x403.jpg

    But for today, I say ...

    It's time for the Timothy Dalton Era! B-)

    Again, any comments and thoughts about Roger Moore and his entire era are still very welcome. But onwards we climb ...

    https://sp1.yimg.com/ib/th?id=HN.608013209928990949&pid=15.1

    After Roger's long and entertaining series of Bond films, along came Timothy Dalton, an actor the producers had considered before and one they thought was perfect to portray a very different Bond from Roger's. They decided to take the series back to a more serious, grittier level and they certainly hired an actor who had the talent, as well as the looks, to portray Fleming's James Bond.

    When I first saw The Living Daylights, I did not know what to expect. I really did not know Dalton before this film. But I was immediately reassured straight from the great and exciting PTS that this was Bond and I was happy to enter into this world with Dalton. From the moment Timothy turned his face to the camera at the beginning of the PTS, I fell for him. That initial reaction was happily reinforced by his fine acting and his individual take on Bond's personality; I admire his performances as Bond to this day. ^:)^

    Dalton's Bond was many things, and I loved the complexity Dalton brought to the role. He had movie star looks, and fit Fleming's description just fine, but he gave more than that of course.

    The Living Daylights is near the top of my list; I enjoy it a lot and can watch it again and again. It isn't popcorn fun and it isn't all grim and dour - it has many sparkling moments and a genuine romantic streak. Dalton brings a fully realized Bond - bitter, struggling with disobeying orders, chafing at his job at times, yet completely committed to serving his country and doing whatever it takes. And this, all the while falling for Kara, in a believable way that is warm and at times lighthearted, at times with more depth. I enjoy them together very much, as well as the weightier, tense moments in TLD (I love his scenes with Pushkin especially). It was a refreshing change, and I feel the perfect change at just the right time. Dalton was different from Connery and different from Moore, yet still very much my James Bond. I left the theatre with my friend very happy indeed.

    So let us spend the next week enjoying our Dalton discussions! Please let us know what you think of Timothy Dalton as Bond (I think he has a great number of fans on this forum) and his entire far too brief era (just the two). Thanks for joining us!

    Cheers!
    :-bd
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited March 2014 Posts: 12,480
    computer glitch - same as last week or so, double or triple posting that I am NOT doing. Sorry - carry on!
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