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TSWLM was a Bond film both for a new generation and for Roger Moore: It shook the series by getting back to the sheer spectacularity of YOLT (well, we all know that TSWLM and MR are basically YOLT remakes), but, I think that even more importantly as years passed, it completely embraced Moore's performance style. Moore, being a very smart guy, knowing he was a limited actor and having that broad experience on action and adventure shows, consciously created Bond for all audiences to enjoy, and Richard Maibaum and Lewis Gilbert decided that - after Cubby, of course - he was the boss and followed suit.
So IMHO, TSWL combines the sheer spectacle of the movies from GF to YOLT with a serious intent to accomodate Moore completely into the series. And it succeeds in both ways.
- MR has his best score and cinematography
- TMWTGG has his best villain
- OP has the best action/pacing
- FYEO has his best climax
However all the films above have major flaws that keep them down in the rankings. My biggest issue with TSWLM is the dated late 70’s disco music, but I suppose that’s quite forgivable compared to, say, Bond in outer space or the racist tendencies of LALD.
I don't like the fighting in big battles per se or think they should be shown extensively, but you know there's something important going on; that's why I like the battle's finales very much.
AVTAK has my favourite finale, YOLT/TSWLM are great, I also like the TND finale set and plot. I find FRWL quite unspectacular, and I despise the dark SF very much. The FYEO and especially the LTK scenes are great, but for a finale I'm somewhat missing an impressive building and plot there.
Too bad that Barbara Bach is so lacking in the charisma issue: she always looks surprised.
I agree. Moore plays it impeccably.
That venomous look he gives to an American soldier that pats Bond to congratulate him after he defuses the bomb, like saying "For me, you bastards could have been all blow up”...
Yeah he's great there: it actually makes it all a bit more shocking for the most jokey Bond to turn very deadly serious and almost desperate- I don't think it gets as enough attention as it deserves for being one of the more successfully tense moments.
Agree. The entire sequence in Octopussy from the moment Bond steals the GTV6 to the defusing of the bomb is outstanding. Moore is underrated in those more serious moments. I'm watching The Spy Who Loved Me as I write this and I must say that it's far from Moore's best Bond film. It has it's moments such as the opening skii sequence, the Esprit and the Liparus attack, but I've always believed that Moonraker does everything that Spy setup far better, IMO.
I have to say I thought it was very uneven.
Obviously has the iconic moments and when it’s good it’s great but....
The whole Fakesh side plot takes about 20 mins and has no bearing on the story save a wooden fight on a rooftop and an illogical unnecessary scene that shoehorns in the pyramids.
Throughout, characters act illogically.
- Why does jaws drive them to Luxor temple again?
- why does Stromberg need to destroy humanity to live under the sea? At least Drax has a reason
- why does bond need to meet his ex Cambridge chum? To get information to meet someone. Who will give him information to meet someone. But when he is supposed to meet the first person he isn’t there are somehow Chandler is.
- speaking of which, why does the woman sacrifice herself at fakesh’s
Also large sections of the film are unscored for some reason.
I do enjoy it but you have to turn a blind eye to huge parts of the film.
Yep, can't argue with that. Stromberg is a bit of a... wet fish :)
The temple is likely a place far off Jaws can kill Bond and Anya and leave their bodies away from where everything is going on to take away and leads for their whereabouts to their bosses. And it looks nice and mysterious.
I don't think the woman sacrifices herself as Bond uses her as a shield to save himself, Fiona Volpe style, although that could be open to debate but seems in keeping with the harder Connery edge he shows dropping Sandor off the roof later.
One element TSWLM appears to lack is what Raymond Benson calls a "sacrificial lamb" character, i.e. a scharacter like a Bond colleague or Bond girl who gets killed by the villain or his underlings (e.g., Kerim in FRWL, Paula in TB, Vijay in OP, Mrs. Leiter in LTK, Mrs. Carver in TND, Plenty in DAF, Aki in YOLT, both Masterson sisters in GF, etc). Would Felicca (Fekesh's secretary) qualify as the 1977 Bond film's "sacrificial lamb"?
Agreed. I saw MR first of the 2 Lewis Gilbert late 1970s superepics so I freely admit that might have some influence on my decision making but I consider MR to be TSWLM slightly improved.
+1
The main elements I prefer in TSWLM to MR are as follows: the PTS with the ski chase/Union Jack parachute jump, the male ally(Commander Carter over Colonel Scott) and the beautiful helicopter pilot(Naomi over Corinne though both ladies are lovely).
Other than those mentioned elements, I generally prefer MR to TSWLM. Love both films though and have a fond memory of my father taking me to see a double feature of them:
Sir Roger Moore is a legend. But I do wish he’d been a bit more serious throughout his tenure. The way he was in LALD, TMWTGG and parts of FYEO showed what he could truly do as a Bond......a bit more nasty and therefore more Bond than ‘Moore.’
MR kick-started my real Bond fandom in the summer of '79 and as I didn't have cable TV then I couldn't watch it or the other Bonds that were playing on HBO or other channels back then and still hadn't seen TSWLM. It was the second feature at a drive-in that summer but it was long before I had a driver's license and was out of luck until it finally premiered on ABC that fall.
OP is a head spin of well done, serious scenes followed by silly, camp scenes. It just never hits a balance for me.
FYEO largely is a more down to earth entry, it has a better story and I like the Bond girl more.
TSWLM is my all time favourite Bond movie, so I am extremely biased, but I do agree with most of your points.
The only negatives (and even in the best films, they can always be found) is Bach's performance, and Stromberg doing little more than pushing buttons. But these are offset by Rog doing all the work for his and Bach's chemistry, and the menacing and equally amusing presence of Jaws.
I would have to agree with you! Hamlischs jokey music is really annoying!
Jurgens is indeed a weak villain, and Bach, though gorgeous, is very wooden! Never been one of my favourites, Rog has done a lot better Bonds!
Agreed. TSWLM was a mysteri for me for many years. On paper it should have all the elements of a classic Bond film, yet I have never warmed to it in the way I should. Through the years I have discovered that Hamlich's score plays a big role in my modest enjoyment of the film. It is downright annoying at times, overly cheesy in others. That damn saxophone makes me cringe and the 70s synth sound makes my ears bleed!
Adding to that there are some issues with many of the central characters: Stromberg is not nearly memorable enough, XXX is simply not convincing as a star agent and Jaws turns buffoon far to early. The third act has some serious pacing issues. The battle on the tanker is just bland. A bunch of people running around at a museum for what seems like an eternity... All in all the film is a bit of a mess with some iconic moments sprinkled in.
A film that was desperately needed to regain the public interest in Bond after the disappointing Golden Gun or so I think from what I read.
My favorite Moore film, no. That is held by its sequel.
Yeah, you can argue the disco-influenced sound, which he admitted to, may sound dated to some, but I love the action theme and although the title theme isn't one of my favorites, it's a classic and lends itself well to the more romantic aspects of the film. These remain in my head long after seeing the film or listening to the soundtrack. I've drowned out Newman and Arnold scores even as they play, they can be that unmemorable.
It's also a case of the soundtrack album varying from the film in many cases. I'd like to have a TSWLM expanded score as there's more to appreciate.
TSWLM is Moore's most famous outing, the same way Connery's is GF, and Craig's is SF. What do they all have in common? Three, is the magic number.
But for me LALD and TMWTGG are my favourites. I love the era they are set in, the same way I like DAF too.
Critically FYEO is the best Moore film, as its the most down-to-earth and the most in line with Fleming, but I find the pacing a tad off, and it drags in parts.
MR has Moore's best score, and probably the best individual set-pieces.
And OP and AVTAK are my least favourites. They sit just above the dreadful Brozza era for me.
It's better than Conti's score, also.