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Live and Let Die Appreciation

00Beast00Beast
edited June 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 4,762
With LALD as my second favorite James Bond movie, I thought I might see if anyone ranks it as highly as I do.
Surprisingly, it has less action than some of the other Bond movies, which is my favorite part of any Bond movie, but somehow I just overlook it on this one. I love the locations, the pace of the movie, Roger Moore's superb debut, and, of course, the large lot of villains! What do you think of the 1973 Bond movie?
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Comments

  • ShakenNotStirredShakenNotStirred
    Posts: 1,398
    I love it! My favourite Roger Moore Bond film. I can easily look past its flaws and enjoy it for what it is. One of the most humorous Bond films to date...a stark contrast from other favourites FRWL, LTK, or CR... but I really enjoy the campy side to a Bond film :) You are right, the villains are excellent in the film! Everything just works -plot (not trying to take over the world re: every Bond before it) musical score, the action (the chase in the airport is fun!).

    10/10 for me. J.W. Pepper included!
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    I really like it. It's got a lot to offer and Moore does really well in his first film. Great action sequences, villains and locations all make this one work - and no Q for once!
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    I finally saw it a couple of years ago and didn't like it at all - probably my least favourite Bond film. I can't even go into detailed reasons because I can't really remember it!

    The one thing that I did take from it is that people who complained about Craig wearing a tee shirt on his boat in CR should go back and watch LALD. Moore's rocking a wife-beater with a jean jacket over top. OMFG...
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    It just has so much to make it an excellent Bond movie! The pace is one of the best in the series: they move from location to location quickly, but giving enough time for each one, and they don't waste time in between scenes. There really is never a dull moment! It's almost like if you blink, you'll miss it! This one just goes, goes, goes! The action sequences are quite thrilling, especially the airfield chase, the boat chase, and the final battle with Tee Hee. I also found the villains themselves to be some of the better groups in the series. There's Dr. Kananga, Tee Hee, Baron Samedi, and Whisper as the big four. That's just a perfect combination!
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I feel they cranked the action up deliberately to help ease Moore in. The plot was full of holes and the film has aged badly (probably worse than any other Bond film).

    It still has a likeability to it that is hard to ignore.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    I very good film !! A charming, charismatic Moore, great action (I love the boat chase !!) The birth of J.W PEPPER !!, Hedison the best Leiter, fantastic music, great atmosphere in Harlem, a memorable and odd villain... All in all a fabulous outing !!

    Why... It's a Roger Moore outing !! :-bd
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @DaltonCraig007: Agreed on everything! You and I usually seem to line up on opinions a lot!
  • anotherbondgeekanotherbondgeek
    Posts: 423
    Well, it's got Solitaire :)
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    Well, it's got Solitaire :)
    So does my 15 year old IBM desktop but it doesn't mean it's any good ;-)

  • Master_DaharkMaster_Dahark
    Posts: 4,813

    The one thing that I did take from it is that people who complained about Craig wearing a tee shirt on his boat in CR should go back and watch LALD. Moore's rocking a wife-beater with a jean jacket over top. OMFG...
    lol yeah Bond has definitely 'dressed down' once or twice before Craig. Remember the overalls from NSNA? LOL

  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    I love the 1-2 Guy Hamilton-Ted Moore combo, seen in such other Bond's GF, DAF, and TMWTGG. There is certain unique look and a campiness inherent and very similar to all 4 of these films. What I like about "the Die" is the characters: Baron Samedi, TeeHee, Whisper, the Cab Driver, heck...even Pepper: there all 'characters' in the informal sense. Guy Hamilton was always good at bringing out unforgettable, quirky characters: ala Klaus Hergesheimer. The alligator deserves a shout out too.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @JBFan 626: Yes, the characters were certainly a strength for LALD!
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    I've always been a fan of the large amount of villains and henchmen in LALD, the most noticeable evidently are Kananga/Big, Samedi and Tee-Hee, but I've always liked Adam and Whisper. With Solitaire and JW, LALD is filled with interesting character, where the movie fails for me is to put all parts together. I still enjoy it quite well though, even the never-ending boat chase ;)
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @Luds: Yes, Adam and Whisper were always great characters for me too. I've always wanted to know what happened to Whisper, if he ever got out of that shipping container or not.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I stumbled upon this in archives and seeing as LALD is my favorite of them all It's only proper I am allowed a say etc

    This was maybe the darkest Bond picture before LTK in 1989, and the plot of drugs and voodoo magic was an interesting idea and I've often thought (maybe at the time of release and some years later) this wasn't a movie for kids as there were some genuinely dark bits you wouldn't associate with the Bonds up to the time

    maybe it's because Jane Seymour was in it that appeals to me, never get tired of seeing this again, I know Clifton James gets castigated from here to there about his character but I genuinely did find him amusing as a deep south roughneck cop and some of the dialog still makes me smile, I have no issue with him being brought back for the next release in TMWTGG

    LALD brought to the screen a bevy of surreal characters, the croc farm I always look forward to that, but every time have to wonder why Moore went to the trouble of luring the Crocs and Gators out and leading them into the lab and then setting fire to it, burn it if you have to, but I just would of got out of there when no one was looking, not bring attention to myself

    The blowing up of Kananga is always a cringeworthy moment and one of the poorer Bond nemesis demises, and why did Bond say 'we get out on the train?', the action took place on a fictional island called San Monique so where could they possibly be going to

    also at the end with Seymour, (I assume they are back on the mainland somewhere), where are they supposed to be heading?)

    I try not to take much notice of these minor things and just concentrate on the action, I saw it in it's entireity just recently.

  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @Baltimore_007: I was hoping someone would get on this thread sometime soon! I created this one a while back, but not to much success. I re-watched LALD yesterday and was pretty pleased, but more half-and-half this time. The only reason for this is because there is a considerable lack of real action until the double-decker bus chase, but it is only mildly satisfying. Then there's the plane chase, but I've never really cared for it. The real action starts at the crocodile farm, and it's all good from there on out.
    Also, the locations are kind of bland and dull, but not as bad as those like Goldfinger's.

    Nevertheless, it's still a top ten worthy film, and one of my favorites of the Bonds!
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    Bond movies shouldn't be judged too heavily on the action. Whilst LALD is not as action-packed as others, it has real suspense and intriguing plot. The moment when Bond points his gun at Rosie is low on action but certainly had my full attention. I don't know about others on here but LALD is a stand out film for me in terms of it's darker feel and slightly disturbing scenes. Like when Bond is about to have his fingers cut off and when his arm is cut by the knife. This may seem pretty tame compared to watching many other movies, but for a Bond movie, especially Moore era, LALD created a darker, scarier style, which I found refreshing.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @myworldisenough: Yes, LALD was definitely darker toned, almost a prelude to LTK. The scene where Solitaire is going to be sacrificed is really creepy, especially when the voodoo people start screaming for her blood.
  • CrabKeyCrabKey
    Posts: 1,999
    I continue to believe Moore was less -- the worst Bond of all. He always seemed to be acting. But, as far as his films go, I believe LALD is the best of the Moore films.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    in Paul McCartney and Wings they had a winner for the title song, and Jane Seymour was in it, maybe the most beautiful Bond girl of them all, that may provoke some debate

    Yaphet Kotto was definitely more menacing as Mr big than when he masked off into Doctor Kananga

    arguably the most ridiculous bad guy demise of the entire franchise, many people can;'t watch that without turning their heads or bursting into a fit of mirth

    I'd still like to know about the end train bit, I believe Leiter said it would take fourteen hours or something so where were they heading, I presume they left San Monique and were back on the US mainland and heading off somewhere, but I'll let it lie

    Those scarecrow head things always upset me when I was a lot younger



    :-S
  • j7wildj7wild Suspended
    edited September 2011 Posts: 823
    so where did everyone go at the end?

    http://www.imagebam.com/image/16769f148255918

    http://www.imagebam.com/image/325cd3148255901

    http://www.imagebam.com/image/1b3fd6148255888
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    @j7wild: Hahaha! Interesting, I've never noticed that before. That is a really great question!
  • SirCLMDBCRaigSirCLMDBCRaig
    Posts: 205
    I like LALD quite a lot and it currently hovers around at the 9-10th spot in my rankings. Considering I still rate the 20th movie on my list about a 6.5/10, LALD is at a pretty good spot. I really enjoy the different blaxploitation/voodoo feel of the whole thing, Solitaire is a great and beautiful bond girl, the theme song is amazing, it's probably got my favorite bunch of henchmen in it and Kananga is a very underrated villain.

    Really the only thing stopping me from loving it is ol J.W.Pepper who looks as if hed got lost on his way to the next Smokey and the Bandit movie shoot. Oh and the rather poor death of Kananga (a balloon? seriously?)

    I'd also like to add that i've never found it racist in any way. It seems like people like to throw the word around way too easliy at things even the tiniest bit un-PC. A black villain paying off other black people in a black neighbourhood seems perfectly logical to me.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    I watched LALD the other day, and even though it slipped a bit for me, I still find it to be a wonderful Bond movie that really never gets old. It's an old favorite of mine that I will never put out of my Top 10.
  • JBFan626JBFan626
    Posts: 1,497
    I need to revisit "The 'Die". One of the ones I haven't seen in a while. I just remember feeling that Bond was really out of place to the point where it felt like he stumbled into the wrong movie. At least in DAF, he is in his element: a casino. There was just very little that was Bondian about the film, except for the villain's laire at the end.

    But for appreciation's sake: I did like the cab driver "Whas happenin' Jimmy!", the pimp mobile, Whisper, Tee Hee, Baron Samedi, and ok, yes I'll even give you Pepper. Plus Solitaire who looks gorgeous. Again, you get unforgettable characters with a Guy Hamilton directed Bond. That part I love.

    And of course Macca and Wings...George Martin is commendable too, especially giving the film a New York/Cajun/Voodoo feel throughout.
  • craigrulescraigrules
    Posts: 284
    my fave moore love the 44 magnum and the funky feel pity it all went to seed after
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    craigrules wrote:
    my fave moore love the 44 magnum and the funky feel pity it all went to seed after

    Yes, I wish Roger used that Magnum later on! It may have ruined the effect of the Walther PPK, but I still would have liked it to have returned later. Brosnan picked it back up in DAD briefly, but not to any extensive use.
  • Char35tChar35t
    Posts: 289
    Yes I agree Beast the 44Mag is an awesome weapon one all the later bonds should use...in fact it looked like a proper weapon in Moore's hand rather than that pea shooter. The 44Mag would fit very nicely into and with DC as the PPK looks so tiny too toy like tiny in DC's hand more so than any other Bond...he needs a bigger weapon! BRING ON A BIG BORE REVOLVER! 44mag is on the small side of the BBRs now.
  • RogueAgentRogueAgent
    Posts: 12,526
    was my first 007 movie! I think one of the main reasons for me loving this film so much was the Whole voodoo and Baron Samedi theme! And also the fantastic score! :D
  • baronsamedi76baronsamedi76
    edited February 2013 Posts: 174
    Absolutely love LALD, one of the best Bonds by far, so entertaining.
    I have never really felt it as a dark movie at all, as some have stated on here.
    I hardly stop smirking or laughing from the start (plastic snake) all the way to the end with the "just being disarming" quote.
    Its the humour and escapism in Moore's Bonds that I love and this is the best for that.
    So many quotes and characters that imo are some of the greatest in the series.
    Bond - "sheer magnetism darling"
    Kananga - " Names is for tombstones, baby! take this honky out and waste him!"
    Sheriff J.W -" Secret AGENT? On WHOSE side?"
    Sheriff J.W. " You picked the WRONG parish to haul ass through BOY! NOBODY cuts and runs on Sheriff JW PEPPER! And it's him who's speakin' by the by.
    Quarell jnr - My regards to Baron Samedi, man, right between the eyes (never liked this quote, Cant think why?) :)
    I also love the exchange between whisper and Bond involving the champagne, so funny.

    You also get Tee Hee, solitaire(my fave Bond girl) and imo the greatest bond villian........Baron Samedi.

    Even writing this makes me want to watch it again and Its on tonight. got to be an omen :)
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