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Comments
Just goes to show the sum of the parts are sometimes more than the whole! Personally I would rate the films thusly:
1. From Russia With Love
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Dr No
4. Thunderball
5. Goldfinger
7= You Only Live Twice
7= Diamonds Are Forever
My personal rankings for the first 7-
1. Goldfinger (and still my #1 period, quintessential Bond that made the series iconic. Those who don't appreciate it should remember we might not have Bond at all without it being the special film it is)
2. From Russia With Love (#4)
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (#6)
4. Thunderball (#7)
5. Dr. No (#8)
6. You Only Live Twice (#14)
7. Diamonds Are Forever (#19)
I'd also like to announce that NicNac, one of the Forum moderators, has agreed to come aboard as a reviewer. He ran a similar poll on the original Forum and what we've been doing here as far as reviews was inspired by his efforts. I feel his insights as such will be invaluable. He's an original fan, I've encouraged him to also review the Connery/Lazenby films as well if he wishes, and I look forward to what he'll bring to these discussions.
Bond- 2 out of 5. A pale imitation of the dashing young hero we saw in the first four films.
Women- 2 out of 5. Basically Jill St. John. Enough said.
Villains- 3 out of 5. Charles Gray as Blofeld is awful, but Wint and Kidd are interesting characters. Even if Fleming (and his James Bond character alter ego) are both certifiable homophobes.
Humor- 3 out of 5. "Bitten by the bug." I love that line! ""Named after your father perhaps." I didn't get this line until about five years ago.
Action- 3 out of 5. The fight with Peter Franks in the elevator. And Bambi and Thumper beating the stuffing out of a middle aged Connery (I mean Bond).
Sadism- 2 out of 5. Not much unless you count the deaths of Wint and Kidd and Bond's almost cremation.
Music- 3 out of 5. Title song ok, typical Barry background music always top notch.
Locations- 2 out of 5. Not a fan of early 70's Las Vegas!
Gadgets- 2 out of 5. The fake fingerprints. Whoopty friggin do.
Supporting Cast- 2 out of 5. Plenty O'Toole is sufficient eye candy. And the guy who plays Felix is adequate.
Overall- As has been stated by others, as the sequel to OHMSS, a wasted opportunity.
Or: all that Glitters at First Viewing is Not Diamonds or Gold, just Cheap Tin Foil
Let me first say I watched this film twice in the past few days, still trying to get more of a kick out of it, but alas not to be.
Bond- 2 out of 5. Bond MacLite. Sean came back in DAF and in my memory and heart he was at least still looking rather like he did in YOLT - but no. Merely a shadow of his former persona - still up for a charming smile mind you, and quips rolled off him, but looking at him you would never think he was fit to be an agent. In any regard. So yes, disappointment reigns. He was positively charged up in YOLT compared to this; he is close to walking through the role. The hairpiece didn't help, but if Sean's acting was up to his own quality standard he so ably demonstrated in FRWL and other early films, we wouldn't have even noticed the hairpiece.
Women- 2.5 out of 5. Jill St. John, however, was in great physical shape. I do remember watching her (I was age 13) and wanting to look like that in a purple bikini and wear shorts that short (I never did look like that in a bikini, but I did manage the short shorts the next year in high school; hot pants were all the rage). Her character started out maybe okay and potentially interesting, then just nosedived into a bad whiny American dame character. Not even a fun loving gum-cracking American dame; just annoying. Plenty had plenty of assets that I have noticed the guys paid attention to, but she was so dim and a true bimbo. Still, a nasty and unwarranted death, though with an underwater shot to please the guys. So except for Bambi and Thumper, the Bond women were of little brains. And even they weren't too bright really. Rather a waste.
Villains- 3 out of 5. Charles Gray as Blofeld was utterly forgettable. His facial expression ranged from wooden to slight tick to wooden. Was wooden supposed to be menacing? It so was not. Having him in drag was just stupid; how was that adding to the movie? But in Wint and Kidd we have two very strange, weird, and fun (in a creepy way) characters. They were sadistic and bizarre and funny. They were probably the highlight of the film in retrospect.
Humor- 3 out of 5. Definitely some decent humor, some decent quips. ""Named after your father, perhaps." Me, too; I didn't get that until later (I do love Peter O'Toole and one day the penny dropped). The claret discussion with "... and both times I've smelled a rat" that was quite good, too. Plenty of others.
Action- 3 out of 5. Not great, but everyone remembers the fight with Peter Franks in the elevator and that was truly well done (and brings this up to a 3). If only we had more of that in this movie. True gritty action pieces would have elevated the film overall. I loved the car standing on its side on just two wheels (great stunt) but you know, that was about it for this film. The other fight scenes and the finale were not very exciting to me, really. Moon buggy, no thanks.
Sadism- 2.5 out of 5. Wint and Kidd were sadistic and trying to cremate Bond was horrible; I remember really disliking watching that scene in the theatre. It seemed gruesome or about to be gruesome, and it had some real suspense for me.
Music- 3 out of 5. The theme song was quite good, I thought, and very Bond. But I didn't care for much of the rest of the soundtrack.
Locations- 2 out of 5. I really truly do not like Vegas in any regard; it does not appeal to me aethestically in the slightest. Wish there had been more of the story in Amsterdam (nicely filmed) or really anywhere else. But it was a big Vegas shoot; just not fond of it.
Gadgets- 2 out of 5. Was there anything memorable? The fingerprint machine? Blofeld's private mini sub? I cannot rmember anything special. Yawn.
Supporting Cast- 2.5 out of 5. This is rated this highly only due to Jimmy Dean (I like him, and his sausages, too) and Wint and Kidd. Q was nice to see (as always); wish he had been around more. The scientist guy/Dr. Metz (is that right?) was basically a bimbo, too. This entire movie had weak characters. I cannot think of another I would score as low at least as far as Bond women are concerned (possibly AVTAK or TMWTGG, but that has Maud and she is good ...).
Overall: Love is blind. I saw this movie at age 13, with my mom and dad ... sitting as far away from them as I could of course, and dad slept thru most of the film. But I was well and truly dazzled. This was my first James Bond film and from the opening theme song and credits, I was completely in love. What a crazy, exotic world! Dazzling and fun and worldly, and the actors seem to be having fun, and wow I want to look like that, and what are those two weird guys doing and ... on and on. I was overwhelmed. Bond to me was so cool and unflappable and of course he saves the day and is a Brit (I was a Beatles fan from first note on the radio; Stones, too; the British Invasion in the 60's won me over completely) so I was pretty happy just soaking it all in.
Now I say, not a good Bond movie, no - but it is frothy and somewhat fun. I never looked at it as a sequel or in any way a follow-up to OHMSS because I didn't have that background info yet. I went from DAF to reading all the novels and then falling in love with Roger in LALD - and its been a great part of my life since, this Bond James Bond. I caught up with the films via tv (back in the day when that was few and far between) and later videos. I won't be dusting off these Diamonds often, but I'm sure it won't be the last. I need to go watch FRWL soon just to balance my Sean fix. :)
Diamonds Are Forever
BOND- 2. For most viewers this is a lack-lustre performance from Sean, and considering he was paid the most amount ever (up to that point) for a starring role. Although if you watch the Inside Diamonds Are Forever docu, people concerned say that he was the total professional and in the interview he gives he is quite relaxed talking about the film, and says he thinks it is one of the best plotted (?) and full of funny lines. Not a performance to rave about but to most his is Bond.
WOMEN- 3. Tiffany Case and Plenty O'Toole look good but overall are quite annoying. And Bambi and Thumper aren't really eye candy, just an excuse for another average fight - mind the wig Sean!
VILLAINS- 3. Wint and Kidd are about the only villains worth a mention, I remember seeing this, aged about 11, and thinking it was funny having 'queer' villains (gay wasn't a word used then), having Charles Gray as Blofeld was a wrong move, a great actor giving the right role, but he was so not Blofeld (and as for the drag act - please!).
HUMOR- 4. This was the first film with overt humour, and was clearly written to Roger Moore's style (who could't do it because of commitments to Lew Grade's The Persuaders). This is fine if that's what you want, but I prefer the odd quip to lighten the mood, just too jokey for me
ACTION- 3. Hmm, car chase through Las Vagas with multiple cop car crash - boring, fight with Peter Franks in a lift, great - the film needed more of this. Most of the action is pretty redundant and lacks spark - the assault on the oil rig was just, so what…
SADISM- 4.For such a jokey and fun-filled film there is quite a bit of sadism, which would have been even higher if they had gone for the scorpion down the throat as was originally filmed and deemed just too nasty for the final cut. Bond in a coffin about the get cremated! (How will he ever get out? I found this bit really tense and frightening when I first saw it). Drowning old ladies and snuffing out ancient comedians - though with his shockingly awful show I'm sure someone would had topped Shady years before!
MUSIC- 4. Well it's Barry, and Bassey. A good enough score, probably better than the film deserved and a very popular theme song, but after OHMSS there was no way Barry could top that.
LOCATIONS - 3. Las Vagas is not somewhere you would go for the sights, quite a dull location but I'm sure the cast and crew got some good gambling done! Amsterdam is a nice of not exotic location, so overall like the action the locations are a bit meh.
GADGETS- 2. This is probably a film that could have done with more gadgets! The ones used were okay if not outstanding - though I did think at the time the fingerprint thingy was clever.
SUPPORTING CAST- 2. Take away Lee and Maxwell, and the support is pretty poor, even poor old Desmond seems to be badly written - would he really go to Vagas? (I was never a fan of M, Q and Moneypenny appearing 'in the field'), another miscast Felix, about the only saving grace are Professor Dr Metz and WW. Jimmy Dean, you just gotta love that fella.
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS-26 or 2.6 When I first saw this as an 11-year-old (I think, somewhere about that age), I thought it was the bee knees, I loved Bond, the moon buggys, the car chase, Tiffany in a 'nice little nothing', Plenty (of course) and the whole film seemed great. As I've grown, the plot holes have become more noticeable and it has moved down the rankings. I never saw this as a follow up to OHMSS, as I hadn't seen that film then, so I had no idea why he was trying to find Blofeld in the PTS, but it mattered not a jot, I was here for the thrills, fun and excitement.
Lancaster- Your scores add up to 30, not 26.
4Ever- You had an odd amount of half points in 3, which made the score come out to be 25.5- I rounded sadism up to 3 and your score to 26, if that's not OK let me know if you'd prefer differently.
Damn, thought I wasn't quite right! Still 2.6 seems more the score it should have, ha ha. I think I probably gave the locations too high a score!
"A man comes. He will oppose. He brings violence and destruction"
The year is 1972. After failing to convince Sean Connery to again return as 007 for the 8th Bond film, "Live And Let Die", Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman are forced to begin a search for a new Bond. At first, Clint Eastwood is approached and while admittedly flattered he declines, citing that Bond is British and should be played by someone British. Among the British actors to test for the part of Bond were Julian Glover, John Gavin, Jeremy Brett, Simon Oates, John Ronane, William Gaunt, and Michael Billington. United Artists however wanted an American to play Bond, with Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman and Robert Redford all considered. Cubby Broccoli ultimately insists that Eastwood is correct in his view and finally entices Roger Moore to take the role, with Billington as the next choice in the event that Moore would decline to come back for another film. Moore immediately adopts the philosophy that he did not want to imitate Connery or his own performance as Simon Templar in "The Saint", and screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz develops a screenplay more fitting for Moore's persona by writing more comedic scenes and bringing a lighter hearted approach for the character. In the film, which drops the SMERSH element of the novel, Bond is dispatched to investigate the sudden deaths of three British agents who were watching two persons of interest. The first is a Harlem drug lord known as "Mr. Big", who plans to distribute two tons of heroin free to put rival drug barons out of business and gain a monopoly on the market. The other is one Dr. Kananga, a corrupt Caribbean dictator who rules the fictional island of San Monique, where Mr. Big's stock is being secretly farmed. Bond finds himself in a very different world of both voodoo and deception as he tries to put a stop to the plans of both Kananga and Mr.Big, who turn out to be much more connected to the other than Bond, MI6, and the CIA could have anticipated.
Based on the 1954 novel, the second in Ian Fleming's series, principal photography began in October 1972 in Louisiana. Production moved to Jamaica in November as the location for the fictional San Monique. In December, production was divided between interiors in England and New York City. The producers allegedly were required to pay protection money to a local Harlem gang to ensure the crew's safety. When the cash ran out, they were "encouraged" to leave. The film debuted in the United States on June 27,1973, with the world premiere in London on July 6th. Budgeted for about $7 million ($37 million in 2012 dollars), the film would kick off the Moore era and set a new Bond record with a gross of $161.8 million ($847 million in 2012 dollars) worldwide, capitalizing both on a runaway hit title song released prior to the movie and a predominantly black supporting cast during the middle of the racially charged "Blaxploitation" era that led to a crossover audience driving ticket sales higher than ever.
THE CAST-
- Roger Moore as James Bond
- Yaphet Kotto as Dr. Kananga/Mr. Big
- Jane Seymour as Solitaire
- Julius Harris as Tee Hee
- Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi
- Gloria Hendry as Rosie Carver
- Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper
- David Hedison as Felix Leiter
- Bernard Lee as M
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Roy Stewart as Quarrel Jr
- Earl Jolly Brown as Whisper
- Tommy Lane as Adams
- Lon Satton as Harold Strutter
- Madeline Smith as Miss Caruso
BOND- For his first appearance, Moore does an excellent job in the role. He seems at ease with both the portrayal and script and shows the unflappable qualities of the screen characterization established during Connery's time. The focus on campy humor we saw in DAF continues but not nearly to the same degree here, and while sometimes alternately both good and bad over the next 12 years in which he would occupy the role, it was apparent and would also go on to be a hallmark of his tenure. I always thought it was a good decision made by Moore and the scriptwriters to try and distance themselves from Connery by way of not overly inviting comparison, plus it's well known Moore did not appreciate excessive violence and personally abhorred it. Not yet my personal favorite performance of his to come, but I thought it was it was the best performance of the character since 1965 and a better than average beginning for his era- 3.5/5
WOMEN- Relative English newcomer Jane Seymour appears as the lead female character Solitaire, who is the villain's "crystal ball" by way of her gift to read tarot cards and divine unknown situations and circumstances. Her beauty and portrayal of the naive and virginal character would go on to become one of the most memorable in the series. Another English actress in Madeline Smith also has a brief but enjoyable turn early in the movie as Miss Caruso, an Italian agent Bond brings home with him for some extracurricular activities after his latest mission. Unfortunately, the casting department has a major gaffe when selecting Gloria Hendry as Rosie Carver, a newbie CIA operative working in San Monique who in reality is a double agent loyal to the villain and responsible for leading one British agent to his death. As in the prior film, the script pushes the social envelope by featuring a brief romance with Bond, which I would have liked a lot better if they had selected the likes of Vonetta McGee, an actress who had looks and talent. Hendry is not only too ugly for a Bond girl, but her acting is a little too hammy as well and that reduces the score for me- 4/5
VILLAINS- An excellent cast led by American actor Yaphet Kotto, who portrays both Dr. Kananga and Mr. Big. Kotto's resume is well heeled, having started at the age of 16. He would go on to appear in popular movies and American crime dramas, as well as appearances on Broadway and in Shakespearean dramas. He's a great actor period and pulls off both roles with style and passion. He is assisted by some other terrific actors who are also great in their roles. His right hand man Tee Hee, whose gimmick is a metal arm he received after an encounter with a crocodile, is played by the now late Julius Harris. I am very proud that Harris was a native of Philadelphia and he brings a believable physical presence to the role as well as a little humor. Trinidadian actor/dancer/choreographer Geoffrey Holder is here as the living incarnation of Baron Samedi, the Vodoun god of magic, ancestor worship, death, and resurrection. He keeps the islanders afraid and away from Kananga's poppy fields and presides at voodoo ceremonies as Samedi when he's not at his usual night job, also playing Samedi, at the hotel where Bond stays. Holder was invaluable behind the scenes choreographing all the dancing sequences, and would win a Tony award 2 years later for this kind of work. Earl Jolly Brown and Tommy Lane round out the cast of Kananga/Big's muscle and killers as Whisper and Adams respectively and are also excellent in the roles. I always loved this cast, and thought all did a great job- 5/5
HUMOR- I love the humor in this film. Bond gets off his usual good quips, but the star of the show for this category is comedic gold personified in Clifton James' portrayal of Sheriff J.W Pepper, a caricature of a redneck, racist Louisiana law enforcement official who finds himself way out of his routine chasing Bond and a "swarm full of black Russians driving to beat the damned down here". Whether you like Pepper or not will likely influence your score, for myself I find the humor we get in this film to be the high point of the Moore era, mostly character based and unreliant on the sometimes cringeworthy and mostly unwarranted sight and sound gags that would come to plague later entries. This is the perfect balance to me and all that is good about the Bond films in this category- 5/5
ACTION- Like it's predecessor, LALD relies on a lot of chase sequences to provide action. We have the boat chase through the bayou country, the bus chase and escape from San Monique, the airplane sequence with Mrs. Bell, and the action packed final scenes when Bond rescues Solitaire from Kananga and again from Tee Hee aboard a train. A sense of humor is also evident here, it's all entertaining, done well, and paces the film nicely- 4.5/5
SADISM- The movie does have a very sadistic side to it. Kananga has no problem killing people and tries to feed Bond to both hungry crocs and gators as well as some pet sharks of his. He has one agent's brain sonically reduced to jello, two stabbed to death, one poisoned by a snake, and tries to do that as well to both Bond and Solitaire besides personally all but slapping Solitaire's lips off. Did I mention threatening to have Tee Hee snip off Bond's little finger? He has an army of killers willing to do his bidding and they enjoy doing whatever he asks. Great stuff- 5/5
MUSIC- With John Barry unavailable for the first time, and McCartney's price for writing the title song high, Beatles producer George Martin is brought on as the composer for the remainder of the budget, and it proves to be an excellent choice. With a strong title song in place, Martin wisely elects to follow Barry's formula of incorporating the theme into various places, and it works out very nicely as a romantic theme in "The Lovers" as well as in the occasional action cue. More often than not though, Martin reverts to a theme of his own first heard in "Bond To New York" when Solitaire alerts Kananga that Bond is en route to New York City. All in all, Martin creates a soundtrack that has a funky, urban vibe that fits the movie like a well worn glove, makes great use of traditional African musical instruments to capture the voodoo feel and blends in strings to create an eerie, supernatural vibe to accompany it. Interspersed liberally is the Bond theme, and of course the title song is a classic that reached #2 on the popular charts and remains popular and well known to this day. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't heard it. Only Barry's soundtracks get perfect marks in my book, but in that same book this is the best one Barry didn't write and remains among my favorite and most well loved in the series. Although I could name a few things here and there that were a little flat and could have been improved, there's very little not to like- 4.5/5
LOCATIONS- A nice mix of Jamaica, New Orleans and the surrounding bayou countryside, and New York City. I particularly loved the Jamaica locations and thought they were more visually appealing than most of those shown in Dr. No. The rest is good for what it is, just not as spectacular as certain movies seen prior and yet to come- 3/5
GADGETS- Other than Bond's highly magnetized wristwatch that also features a miniature saw, there really isn't a lot to talk about. Tee Hee's metal arm is effective but more everyday practical so that really can't be counted. However, the watch does come in handy and allows Bond and Solitaire to escape with their lives in Kananga's underground lair, so extra points for that- 2.5/5
SUPPORTING CAST- Disappointing not to have Q, and he is greatly missed. The appearances of M and Moneypenny are short but still very good. My 2nd all time favorite Leiter, David Hedison, makes his first of 2 appearances in the role. Roy Stewart makes an appearance as Quarrel Jr, the son of Bond's Dr. No ally, and is more useful than usual. Another Philadelphia native in Lon Satton also assists Bond as CIA agent Harold Strutter. Considering all the minor villains and bit parts, excellent, but the absence of Q and although unfortunately realistic for the time, some overtly racist dialogue from Pepper, Mr. Big, and minor members of the black cast was not a high point of the film or story- 4/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- Most of my memories about this started in 1972 with spirited discussions between the family Bond nuts about who would be the best choice for the next Bond. We were all very happy that Moore was chosen as we all agreed he was the candidate who best showed he had the necessary Bond-like attributes, and had particularly liked his work in both "The Saint" and "The Persuaders". My next recollection was hearing the title song on the radio in advance of the film and knowing upon my first listen that it would be as immortal as it turned out to be. So with high expectations, the gang went to the theater opening weekend and were not disappointed with the performance of Moore or much of anything at all. Dad fell in lust with Jane Seymour, we all laughed like hell at J.W Pepper, and being a "recovering Catholic", the voodoo themes expanded my interest in finding a religion that worked for me. Finally, for reasons I must choose to exercise my 5th amendment rights on, the poster inside the lobby doors somehow wound up at home under my bed and resides to this day with me, framed in all it's glory. Forwarding to present time, my late wife enjoyed the movie among her favorites, as does my son, and even my daughter (who doesn't much care for Bond) likes this one. It works on a lot of levels for me and ranks among my top 10 personal selections in the series, and scores 41 out of 50 points for an average of 4.1
If 4Ever indeed completes her mission, we'll have complete ratings for the first 7 within the next 48 hours short of NicNac possibly jumping in on those. Well done everyone, as always your hard work is appreciated and paying dividends. Now I'll drop out and look forward to thoughts on LALD, which as evidenced by my review is one of my favorites.
That's fine, thanks. Am I not allowed to do half points? (e.g., 2.5)
Yes of course you are, but they must be in even numbers so the overall point score comes out as a whole number rather than a .5
Anxiously awaiting your usual excellent reviews for TB and OHMSS :D
Ok, thanks. Math is not my strong point including just taking the time to add my totals (shamefully honest). Off to review Thunderball today - only one left for me after that (OHMSS) and that one I was not able to rent yesterday. Will try again today. I am determined to complete my mission (even though Macca and Roger are calling to me ... I love LALD).
Hope you enjoyed the LALD review!
One of the downsides to living in Japan is accessibility to the shows I love. I'm going to have to spend some money thru Amazon to get some sent to my friend in Florida; he can then ship it to me cheaper than if it is sent to me directly. I think I'll save some pennies and treat myself for Xmas that way. Along with watching Skyfall as much as I can afford here (1st week in DECEMBER!!), in the theatre in English (shown for 2, maybe 3 weeks only).
Sounds like your kids will have fun; reminds you of when you were a teen, eh? :)
Am surprised you don't have all the movies on DVD or VHS. I couldn't live without instant accessibility. I'll be at whatever store even at midnight when SF is released on DVD. I've got a very positive feeling about it and can't wait to see DC play Bond as an experienced agent with fully developed tastes.
Will check back later tonight to hopefully read your TB review.
I remember reading that Roger called Jane "Baby Bernhardt" on the set because she kept wanting guidance/reassurance about her character, her motivation. She was what, 21 years old? Anyway, the way he said it read affectionately, not as a complaint at all.
Bond - The first of seven films from the other Bond legend. Probably the weakest of any the Bond's debut. Roger doesn't seem to be quite sure what route to go. He delivers the quips he's famous for, but tricks Solitaire into surrendering her innocence and losing her visionary powers. But, the foundation for Roger’s Bond’s humor, suave, charm and cunning is built. (3)
Women- Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jane Seymour. Jane broke the Bond Girl curse of the 60s and had a great post-Bond career, most notably with East of Eden and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Perhaps the most helpless of the lead Bond girls, Solitaire still brings the beauty and charm. Agent Caruso is a very interesting distraction in the post MTS scene. I’d give a 5 for Solitaire alone, but anything involving Rosie Carver, cannot be given a max score. (4)
Villains- The Equal Opportunity version of the FRWL rogues gallery. Once again, we have a formidable lineup of villains. Yaphet Kotto plays the dual role of gangster Mr. Big and diplomat Dr Kananga. Yaphet does a great job of playing both characters with the ruthlessness yet sophistication we’ve come to know and love with our villains. Baron Samedi actually scared me as a kid. Mostly there for the comic scenes, but definitely has that air of menace about him. Tee Hee Johnson is also in the upper echelon of henchmen. His mechanical arm and loves of gators would make most people think twice about messing with him. Whisper, Adam, and the taxi driver round out a very formidable villainous group. (5)
Humor- Unlike DAF, LALD effectively mixes it humor and stops short of cramming it down our throats. Sheriff JW Pepper is there for comic relief. Sadly, it was a fairly realistic portrayal of a Louisiana sheriff in the early 70s. The taxi driver is an underrated minor character in his scenes in Harlem and the New Orleans airport. His lines are hilarious including taking Bond to a KKK cookout for $20. Always hilarious to hear an old lady say “HOLY S**T”! Humor is effectively used in LALD, but I must penalize for the excessive use of the word “honky”, which has fortunately stayed in the 70s. Very glad they didn’t go the other route. (4)
Action- The bayou boat chase highlights the action. With what will be come to be known as a trademark in Roger’s film, the action sequences mixes humor with the action sequences. Roger inspires the idea for the video game Frogger, sends Walter and company into a blazing drug lab and eludes Adam and Louisiana’s finest. The breakup of the voodoo ceremony and the train fight with Tee Hee are solid. The battle with Kananga is ridiculous. (4)
Sadism- Would you want to be in a coffin of snakes, deserted on an island with alligators, risk losing vital areas from Tee Hee and be part of a New Orleans funeral dirge. Me neither. Solitaire takes her fair share of abuse. (4)
Music- Paul McCartney provides a song still heard on classic rock radio today and arguably his best post-Beatles song. A lock for Top 5 MTS song. George Martin does an effective job subbing for John Barry. Love the up tempo music throughout LALD. (5)
Locations- We don’t get to see the good parts of New York, but do see the historic parts of New Orleans. Never been a fan of fictional places. Jamaica was used as San Monique, although San Monique was loosely based off of Haiti. I suspect the reasoning for this was to avoid any direct reference to Francois Duvalier, Haitian dictator at the time who, like Kananga, was heavily influenced by voodoo. (3)
Gadgets- The magnetic watch with the miniature buzz saw and compressed bullet served Bond well. (3)
Supporting Cast- WE WANT DESMOND! WE WANT DESMOND! This is going to cost you guys. Wouldn’t it have been funnier if Q discovered Agent Caruso in the closet instead of Moneypenny? Moneypenny and M only serve the one scene at Bond’s house. David Hedison is an improvement as Felix, but his best work is yet to come. JW is there for comic relief. A nice nod to the Quarrels character in bringing his fictional son into the mix. (2)
Overall- (37) Have you ever noticed that the Roger Moore films cash in on a popular trend of its time? In this case, the Blaxploitation genre, which LALD effectively captures. Roger stumbled out of the gates a bit with his debut as Bond. It seemed like he wasn’t sure at the time how to adapt his portrayal of Bond. Kotto and Seymour effectively pick up the slack. LALD is a surreal film. For one, there is the realism of drug dealing and breaking it up. Yet, the voodoo element adds to the macabre of LALD. LALD will never be confused for FRWL or OHMSS, but it is certainly an improvement upon DAF.
Running Rankings:
1. From Russia With Love (45, MVP: Pedro Armedariz)
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (45, MVP: Diana Rigg)
3. Thunderball (42, MVP: Luciana Paluzzi)
4. Dr No (38, MVP: Sean Connery)
5. Live And Let Die (37, MVP: Yaphet Kotto)
6. You Only Live Twice (37, MVP: Tetsura Tambo)
7. Goldfinger (36, MVP: Harold Sakata)
8. Diamonds Are Forever (32, Co-MVP's Bruce Glover and Putter Smith)
I agree with a lot of your review. The cabbie is a great minor role that added to humor and supporting cast for me. Quarrel Jr also had a really good sense of humor. And I get it regarding no Q. I hear Desmond was none too pleased that he was left out either. The look on his face upon finding Ms. Caruso in the coat closet could have been priceless- "Double Oh 7, really!". Moneypenny was cute during that scene so it came out OK.
I definitely noticed about the cashing in on trends during the Moore era, that's a good point. It was especially blatant in the 1970's releases, even more so in Spy and MR than LALD in my thinking because unlike those two, black characters were actually in the novel. More good business sense as far as timing the release than borrowing from non-Fleming stories and rehashing old plots for lack of original ideas. Haven't really thought about it much as far as the three 80's films though.
Women 4 Jane Seymore is one of my favorite all time Bond girls. She is beautiful, has a body to die for and her acting chops are right up there. She plays that innocence to the hilt that the role called for. Caruso is hot and good eye candy. Gloria Hendry was just okay. She gets quite a bit of screen time for her short stint in the film. she serves as the sacrificial lamb and is killed off pretty early. I thought she was attractive and her acting was okay.
Villains 5 This film has quite an assortment of colorful (no pun intended) characters as a gallery of rogues. Yaphet Kotto is excellent as the main villain and it is good to see a main villian who can handle himself in a fight with Bond. His henchmen are all high points of this film. Geoffrey Holder's Baron Samedi is a slam dunk. Several of them (including Hendry) had made names for themselves in Blaxploitation films. Tee Hee, Whisper, Adam, were all fun to watch and they deliver.
Humor 5 This film follows the tongue in cheek approach and Roger Moore pdoes an adequate job. The zany chase at the air hanger, Bond driving the bus chase, the boat chase scene has some good laughs as well. JW Pepper is very funny and his antics add to the tension of the boat chase. The things that come out of his mouth...
Action 5 I give this high marks. The film has a great deal of tension and action. the crocodile farm, the boat chase, the chase at the plane hangar, earlier bus chase, not to mention earlier attempts to assassinate Bond.
Sadism 4 Despite the light mood of the film there are plenty of sadistic actions. The dispatch of MI6 operatives, planned murders of Bond, Kotto's physical abuse of Jane Seymour...Kotto's death as well as Baron Samedi's.[death?]
Music 5 This was a non Barry score and George Martin does an excellent job. The theme song by Paul McCartney and Wings not to mention most of the score music: underground lair, boat chase, Bond meets Solitaire, Trespassers will be eaten. This is an outstanding score and rivals some of Barry's work.
Locations 5 The locations: Harlem, New Orleans, Carribbean are good and hot "black spots" and are utilized.
Gadgets 4 They serve the purpose of the film well. The watch, the shark gas pellet gun (not that believable especially when Kanaga is killed) I would have scored higher except for this hiccup.
Supporting Cast 4 The movie does itself well here. The regulars (minus Q) are in good form and the bad guys like the cabbie, the waiter in the club, etc.
Overall score 45 or 4.5
Not my favorite Moore flick, and not my least favorite. It falls in the middle but all in all the film is entertaining, the black villains fun to watch, Moore seemed well suited to the role though he would not actually hit his stride until his third outing but he was adequate. Connery's Bond was long gone and now it was time to make way for the Moore era because like a moving train it had started and it wasn't about to stop.
LIVE AND LET DIE
BOND- This Bond has a child-like enthusiasm for gadgets (he doesn't need to use a magnet to undo the girl's dress) and has the world's most complicated coffee maker in his flat. He dresses immaculately, smokes slim cigars, appreciates a beautiful lady but isn't above using underhand tricks to bed them.
Adept at the wheel of a power boat and drives a double decker bus with such skill one can only assume Bond took bus driving lessons in case he needed a vocation to fall back on if spying didn't work out for him.
Roger Moore as Bond makes an assured and entertaining debut 3.5/5
WOMEN- Virginal Solitaire who seems as confused as the audience as to whose side she is on; busty Miss Caruso, apparantly a spy but the usual Bond airhead in anyone else's language, double agent Rosie Carver, so efficient she screams at the sight of a hat. A mixed bag of leggy delights. Sadly not delightful enough 2/5
VILLAINS- Yaphet Kotto is Mr Big/Kananga, a drugs baron protecting his crops with the threat of a voodoo curse (or something). Kotto is superb, and is supported by Julius Harris as Tee Hee and Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi. One of the most underrated casts of villains in any Bond film. 5/5
HUMOR- In spades. Not quite the slapstick of later Bonds, the humour is still reasonably unsubtle, and the addition of Sherrif Pepper to the franchise was a decision that was met with delight and derision in equal measures. He still probably gets the biggest laughs, although Roger Moore proves himself nearly as good as Connery at the one-liners. Certainly good, if not great 4/5
ACTION- Chases a-plenty, as Bond is persude by car, bus, boat, plane and on foot. The stunt work is impeccable and rather difficult to fault. 5/5
SADISM- The threat of extreme violence is always simmering in LALD. Bond is fed to the crocs and the sharks, and worse still nearly has his little pinky snapped. Also, the sadistic element of Mr Big's relationship with Solitaire makes for uncomfortable viewing. 4/5
MUSIC- McCartney's fire cracker theme has become a famous peice, growing in stature over the decades. George Martin is also on board. Quite a distinctive score and rightly praised 4/5
LOCATIONS- Good use of Harlem, New Orleans and Jamaica. The film doesn't globe trot for the sake of it. 3.5/5
GADGETS- the opening scene threatens to lead to a veritable arsenal of great gadgets, but it doesn't happen, although the gas pellet is fun. Moore gets more heavilly equipped in later outings. 3/5
SUPPORTING CAST- M and Moneypenny are always great, but we also have a new Felix who is more like Bond's more sensible older brother, Quarrel Jnr, one of the proposed nods to the past that actually happened (Triple X was meant to re-appear in AVTAK, Goldfinger's twin brother idea etc), although his impact was fairly redundent.
Marks off for the lack of Q. 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- 37.5 out of 50. Cubby played it safe, pushing the action to a (then) extreme, making sure no one had the chance to criticise Roger Moore because they were too busy being wowed by the sheer spectacle of the film.
Much of LALD fails to make sense, the script is so full of holes it appears to have been chewed by the crocs (or are they aligators?) Somehow we all forgive this one its short comings, and it remains a fans favourite.
I saw it in a double bill with OHMSS in the mid 70s. I was young, but the memory is still there, and so is the soft spot.
Also really looking forward to 4Ever catching up and thoughts from Lancaster and DB5 on Moore's debut. The Moore era presents such a different perspective and contrast for the Bond character and the franchise in comparison to the Connery/Lazenby era, and thoughts on his tenure in general are as welcomed as the reviews. In particular, I am especially looking forward to what we have to say about the next film. TMWTGG seems to be one of those films that polarizes people one way or the other, some love it, some say it's the worst of the lot. It's kind of both for me and I hope my own review and the point total will help clarify the picture.
Rightly or wrongly I'm probably thinking about the tendancy for Bond to wander through his mission surrounded by villains who either simply watch him, chase after him or when they catch him mess around with elaborate ways to kill him.
Everything is set up to keep the film moving from one set peice to another. Maybe I'm unfair saying 'plot holes' though, as to be honest, the plot never really gets going and Mr Big's fields are destroyed before he gets the chance to put his plan in to action.
Also, I wrote my review from memory, as I haven't watched LALD for maybe 5 or 6 years. Now, maybe it's time to re-visit it......
1 (tie) From Russia With Love (7 reviews)- 4.07
1 (tie) Thunderball (6 reviews)- 4.07
3. Goldfinger (7 reviews)- 4.04
4 (tie) On Her Majesty's Secret Service (6 reviews)- 3.98
4 (tie) Live And Let Die (4 reviews)- 3.98
6. You Only Live Twice (7 reviews)- 3.51
7. Dr. No (7 reviews)- 3.50
8. Diamonds Are Forever (7 reviews)- 2.91
Thus far we've completed voting for 5 of the first 8 films, and hopefully next week we'll have all 8 finalized. Once again, below is a list of who hasn't reviewed a particular film, so you know which ones you have done and which you haven't. As always, you are under no obligation to do so, but it would be great if you could do each film when you can so we have a complete picture of how we all collectively feel. Also, please try to review your prior scores for different categories for the sake of consistency.
Just for everyone's edification, if I have to break a tie, it will be done by dropping the highest and lowest scoring reviews for each film. The average of the remaining 5 will dictate who gets the tiebreaker and an extra percentage point.
THUNDERBALL- No vote from 4EverBonded
ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE- No vote from 4EverBonded
LIVE AND LET DIE- No votes from Lancaster, DB5, and 4EverBonded
That's the latest from statistics central. Tomorrow I will review and release the ninth entry, "The Man With The Golden Gun".
Live And Let Die
BOND-3. A solid debut from Roger as 007, but although the credit says 'as Ian Fleming's James Bond' I don't consider Sir Roger as Fleming's Bond. Over 12 years and 7 films Moore made the part his own, but with too much reliance on humour and obvious use of stuntmen in the later films he was never my Bond. Though you can't hate him and he did keep the series going through the seventies and eighties.
WOMEN- 4. Jane Seymour is great as Solitaire (thankfully the producers didn't go for Mankewicz's choice of Diana Ross!), she is vulnerable and yet quite resourceful. Rosie Carver is a bit ordinary, and Miss Caruso is nice eye-candy for the little screen time she has.
VILLAINS- 4. Bond goes Blaxplotation! Mr Big/Kananga (though in the book he is Baron Samedi as well not Kananga), Tee Hee, Whisper and various other villains give this film a boost up from the previous effort. YK is excellent in his dual role, and the cabbie is brilliant.
HUMOR- 5. The overt humour that started in DAF continues in LALD and is more suited to Sir Roger's persona, and although I get a laugh out of it I don't go to a Bond to see a funny film, so if I was marking for personal preference it would be a 2!
ACTION- 3. Boat chases and car chases, both over long and I get fed up with seeing lots of police cars crashing into each other, Guy Hamilton on the other hand seems to think this makes a good film! The boat chase is good but overlong and most of the fight scenes lack a sense of threat and violence.
SADISM- 4. I suppose being blown up by a compressed gas pellet is pretty sadistic, also the threat of being eaten alive by crocs and then sharks is too! Knifings, sonic brain scrambling and snake bites too! for all the humour it can be seen as sadistic.
MUSIC-4. Perhaps the most famous theme song after Goldfinger, and one that has been covered by a lot of people, plus a damn good score from GM, one that suits the film and doesn't make you miss Barry - a very rare thing. I can't stand McCartney, but he came up with one hell of a theme tune!
LOCATIONS-3. You can't go wrong with Caribbean locations, but it was done so much better in Connery's debut, the bayou is great.
GADGETS- 2. Pretty forgetful list of gadgets for this film, only the magnetic watch with buzz saw bevel stands out. And a hair brush as a wireless signal sender? Look out Rog, next film the villain has all the gadgets!
SUPPORTING CAST- 4. Good solid support, Lee and Maxwell are underused and no Q in a 70s Bond - unforgivable. The black villains are pretty good with a special mention to the cabbie (again) who is just ace, 'Right on brother!'
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- 3.6. My views on this film as a 50-year-old man are quite different from the 12/13-year-old who first saw it. Back then I thought it was brilliant. Who cared if Simon Templar or Brett Sinclair was Bond, this was a Bond film and it didn't matter who Bond was you knew you were in for 2 hours of entertainment! Parts of the film are quite creepy, the Baron's head being blown off then replaced by another, very much alive Baron who dies in a coffin full of poisonous snakes…only to appear on the back of the train at the end of the film - wow. The gorgeous Jane looking gorgeous and being bedded by our hero (lucky sod). Crocs, sharks, car chases and boat chases - part of which had been seen as an advert for a men's fragrance on British TV and a hat full of one-liners and witty reposts, plus an excellent poster that just made you want to see this film, something the current posters just don't do (last real poster was TLD). But as a 50-year-old I've become more critical and this film is one of the middle Bond's for me, I still like it, but just not as much and as I said in my intro I don't consider Roger to be my kind of Bond.
Yes, it definitely seems that Hamilton was overly fond of crashes of some sort, especially police cars. We get another one in his final Bond film with the Thai police. You'd almost think he didn't appreciate those hard working men and women (except for coffee and donut time of course) in blue.
Agreed that Moore isn't my type of Bond either. I go for Connery, Dalton, and Craig, those are my kind of Bonds. However, on occasion such as in the next movie we'll review, he could pull off a harder edge that I prefer. I give him credit for that because I know it went against his grain as an actor and human being. But you have to love the guy even if you don't like his Bond, his contributions to society outside of films is something we should all aspire to, what a fantastic and yet humble human being he is and I will always have the greatest admiration and respect for him.
Excellent review!
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
BOND- 1.5 out of 5 Lazenby misses the mark for me in this role, by some substantial margin. Yes, the man can fight and move very well - action scenes were believable and had power. Good intro, too. And I believe he undoubtedly tried his best, but he is just not a very good actor. He looked the part enough (and I am maybe more flexible in my requirements in this area than other fans), but I just did not get any of the elements I want in Bond, that make me believe it is James Bond, the believability in that character - and that, truly as demonstrated in what is missing in this film, can only come from a fine actor.
WOMEN- 4 out of 5 Diana Rigg is outstanding, an excellent Tracy. She is fully believable, sparkling, serious, playful, witty, a well rounded fully fleshed-out character ... just beautifully played. It is heartbreaking that she died for she was so full of life and a genuine match for James Bond. This was in no way an easy role. I do not see how anyone can really complain about her acting in this movie. The Angels of Death bring this down to a 4; just eye candy and nothing special in any of them. I found them - and actually the main plot using them - boring.
VILLAINS- 4.5 out of 5 ... ah, yes! Who loves ya, baby? We do, Telly. At last, a menacing Blofeld who looks it and sparks in the role. Easy to see why so many prefer his portrayal of Blofeld. Telly Savalas has gravitas and easily shines in this film. How I wish he could have continued in that role! Ilse Steppat is excellent - her cruelness and calculating coldness penetrate every scene. Even when she tries to act nice to the girls, we can smell the evil coming off of her. All others seem to do a fine job. A very good supporting cast!
HUMOR- 2.5 out of 5 Some humor, not much. The playfulness with Moneypenny is nicely done in this film. Sometimes Lazenby's delivery re humor was just okay; I wasn't very impressed (I didn't like the way he tossed out "He had a lot of guts." for example.) And really this is a highly serious plot and downer ending, so I wasn't expecting (or wanting) much humor in this story. But the fun sexiness and chemistry with Tracy had to have that lightheartedness, and it did (especially thanks to Rigg).
ACTION- 4 out of 5 Some very good action scenes and lots of chases. Fortunately, I love watching snow/ice/Switzerland (I hardly tire of it). The action kept on coming, and Lazenby was good in those sequences.
SADISM- 1.5 out of 5 Evil yes, plot to conquer the world, yes - sadistic? Not really. What was sadistic? Only the feed-the-bad-guy-to-the-snow blower scene (suitably gross scene, spouting blood and then globs of flesh, not just blood). Yuk. And come to think of it, it still didn't have any sadistic flavor, just violent and bloody.
MUSIC- 3.5 out of 5 I know, I know, so many fans LOVE this soundtrack. To me, it is good, even really good, but not something to shout great about. It is quite good, and Armstrong's song is perfect, touching, and used well. Just my opinion, after all.
LOCATIONS- 4 out of 5 I love the snow/ice/Switzerland scenes (oh did I mention that already?) :) So very good indeed. I thought the locations were nicely filmed and fit the story. Loved the helicopters attacking Piz Gloria; Portugal was lovely, too. (But I cannot watch bullfighting at all, had to fast forward that bit.)
GADGETS- 1.5 out of 5. Er .. what gadgets? Do the gloves Bond wears while holding onto the cable count? The film could have used a really good gadget, but I didn't see any.
SUPPORTING CAST- 4.5 out of 5 Gabriele Ferzetti was excellent as Marc-Ange Draco; I don't think one should easily warm to a crime boss but he becomes a decent ally for Bond, reminded me a bit of Mathis when I watched OHMSS today. M and Moneypenny give very fine performances; I enjoy it when they have more to do in a Bond film. Lois as Moneypenny was especially effective: touching, spot on, the right shades of humor and affection and spunk; I think this was her finest film for sure.
OVERALL - There is no getting around the downer ending. Poor Lazenby! Really, truly - especially for a first film, to have to deal with that ending. Not easy. I do feel that the ending helped sink this film. Sure it has become a classic to many in years since its premiere, and many fans love it. I do appreciate its finer points more now than I did years ago. But I can't get around the two elephants in the room: Lazenby is not a strong or charismatic Bond and that does genuinely hurt the film; and the love of his life - and brand new wife - whom we have been growing fond of for two hours or so, is machinegunned to death in the last seconds of the movie. That's the emotional note that we leave the theatre on (or turn off our dvd player). Hmmm.
Overall, not one of my favorite films, not one I would enjoy watching often; but it has many excellent elements, especially Rigg and Savalas.
"You see, Mr. Bond, like every great artist I want to create an indisputable masterpiece once in my lifetime. The death of 007, mano a mano, face to face, will be mine."
The year is 1973. With the wildly successful "Live And Let Die" released 4 months earlier and still going strong, Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman decide to follow up as quickly as possible with the 9th James Bond adventure, "The Man With The Golden Gun". The movie once again teams director Guy Hamilton (his 4th and final turn) with screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz, who discard much of the novel save the title and lead villain. In this adventure, Bond's mission to retrieve the "Solex Agitator", a device that can harness the power of the sun, is interrupted by a personal threat from the mysterious and feared international assassin Francisco Scaramanga, called the "Man with the Golden Gun" for his solid gold weapon and bullets as well as his hefty asking price of $1 million dollars per contract. Forced to locate Scaramanga before he can carry out the contract on his life, Bond's search takes him to both the Middle and Far East, culminating in an old fashioned duel between them to settle the fate of the Solex.
Based very loosely on the novel of the same name, the 13th in Ian Fleming's series released posthumously in 1965, some footage around and on the capsized Queen Elizabeth was shot November 1973 in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, with principal filming beginning in April 1974. Thailand was used for much of the story, with both Hong Kong and Macao also being featured. Production ended 4 months later in England in August. Budgeted for $7 million dollars, the film debuted in London on December 19th, 1974 and with very little done in the way of promotion, would go on to gross 97.6 million at the box office, the fourth lowest gross in series history. Critical reviews largely panned the comedy element but almost all were universal in their praise of Sir Christopher Lee as Scaramanga, and it would be 2 and a half years before the next film would be released.
THE CAST-
- Roger Moore as James Bond
- Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga
- Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight
- Maud Adams as Andrea Anders
- Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack
- Richard Loo as Hi Fat
- Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip
- Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper
- Bernard Lee as M
- Desmond Llewelyn as Q
- Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
- Marne Maitland as Lazar
- James Cossins as Colthorpe
- Marc Lawrence as Rodney The Gangster
- Carmen du Sautoy as Saida
BOND- In his 2nd outing, with a serious storyline in play more reminiscent of the early Connery era, Moore has to give Bond a harder edge and does very well with it. The evident anger over his life being threatened is carried in Moore's eyes and actions and gives the film a tense atmosphere until Bond discovers that he is not being targeted. After that, the film and character relaxes and we see a little more playfulness as Bond returns to the Solex mission and focuses on having some typical fun, but that edge never entirely leaves Bond and since that threat of violence initially brought by Connery is something I look for in the character, this is one of my favorite performances by Moore as Bond- 4/5
WOMEN- Not a stellar cast for this adventure. The leading lady here is MI6 agent Mary Goodnight. played by Swedish actress Britt Ekland. Correctly assessed by a critic of the Daily Mirror as "an astoundingly stupid blonde British agent", the character is such a polar opposite of what she is in Fleming's novel and it's shame that we got this instead. She managed to get herself locked in a trunk/boot, accidentally blows up Scaramanga's lair, and nearly gets Bond killed while he tries to retrieve the Solex. Basically a comedy figure, albeit Britt is very easy on the eyes, I'm sure the real MI6 did not approve. Fellow Swede Maud Adams makes her first of two appearances in the series. Here she is Andrea Anders, Scaramanga's mistress. Adams described Anders as "a woman without a lot of choices. She's under the influence of this very rich, strong man, and is fearing for her life most of the time- and when she actually rebels against him and defects it is a major step". Maud's performance is easily the highlight in this category, and carries the day as much as the role would allow. Finally, we have Carmen du Sautoy as Saida, a Beirut belly dancer who had an affair with the late 002 Bill Fairbanks and carries a Scaramanga golden bullet Bond is after in her navel. I have some questions- was hiring ugly women to cavort with Moore a requirement? Wasn't Gloria Hendry ugly enough? Did Carmen come as a freebie with the 200 elephant shoes Harry ordered? Yecch. They could have cast better than this, but unfortunately the Moore era was full of women that just didn't fit what had been established, and not even Adams or the naked Chew Me that Bond finds in Hi Fat's swimming pool can save this mess- 2/5
VILLAINS- One of the true highlights of the movie is easily Sir Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga. A cousin of Ian Fleming as well as his regular golf partner, the producers give Lee a chance to play somebody other than Dracula for a change and it totally works. Did anybody notice Lee's front teeth in one scene are pointed like Drac? The thuggish character of the Fleming novel is replaced by a man of class and taste that in many ways makes him Bond's "evil twin". He greatly admires Bond for his skill as well and even has a likeness of him in his "fun house", where he displays other figures he respects and where he keeps his skills sharp by practicing on live targets. Bond of course sees him as an overpaid assassin who kills for money and for no other good reason, and as a "killer of killers" Bond relishes the chance to take him down. He is assisted by the late French actor Herve Villechaize, who would later come to greater notice in the popular American 1970's TV drama "Fantasy Island", as his vertically challenged henchman, Nick Nack. He is cultured like his boss and has an interesting side in addition to his usual household duties and watching Scaramanga's back- he hires killers to meet Scaramanga in his fun house and if one of them should kill the boss, he will inherit everything. Which makes little sense as he actually seems to be helping the boss more than hurting him. He's OK, but difficult to understand with his heavy accent and in the end he becomes the typical comedic stereotype of a little person. Finally, there is Chinese American actor Richard Loo as Hi Fat, Scaramanga's partner in the Solex venture. A veteran character actor, Loo does fine with the role but he and Villechaize just don't do enough to raise the score to perfection, even if Lee is amazing- 4/5
HUMOR- As in Moore's debut, the humor is largely brought by a return appearance of Clifton James as Sheriff J.W Pepper, who conveniently happens to be vacationing in Thailand when he and Bond once again cross paths. This time Pepper is on Bond's side and more hilarious interchanges and scenes ensue between the both of them. The part where Pepper is out the window yelling with what little hair he has blowing in different directions cracks me up to this day. I also laugh at Hip and his Thai nieces beating up the karate students and at Hi Fat cussing out someone at his karate school before meeting his end. The enterprising little kid swimming around selling elephants is a great bit no one much mentions, especially when Bond pushes him off of his boat and the kid yells "bloody tourist!". M's cantankerousness adds to the humor quite a bit as well and Bond has his usual good one liners even if in short supply here. Negatively, we have some bad humor in the form of the Goodnight and Hip characters and some unnecessary campiness in the action scenes that tends to lower my score- 3.5/5
ACTION- There really isn't a lot of all out type of action because the film is more suspenseful than anything. We have the Beirut cabaret fight with Bond fighting 3 guys, the karate school fight and ensuing boat chase where Pepper is first seen, and the Bond/Pepper chase of Scaramanga where one of the greatest car stunts in Bond history is nearly ruined by a juvenile and moronic slide whistle instead of having a great Barry musical buildup. That's mostly it except for the fun house sequences, for which I give an extra point for the terrific suspense and brilliantly well written ending where Bond outwits Scaramanga. The theater where I saw the film cheered at that much like they did during the Union Jack jump of TSWLM, as well as at the car stunt, and for me it is one of the all time great climaxes in the history of the series- 3.5/5
SADISM- Not really a lot of this either to be truthful. Bond slapping Anders around and twisting her arm could be considered, but he doesn't enjoy it and that's what sadism is at heart. Scaramanga is too gentlemanly to be sadistic and his kills are fast and mostly painless, even for Miss Anders. It's perfectly understandable that he would eliminate her for her betrayal, and he could have done much worse if sadism were his thing. I don't see any reason to give more than the minimum score for what isn't there for me- 1/5
MUSIC- Regular composer John Barry returns to the chair after sitting out the prior film. Before I start, it's interesting to note that Barry considered the theme tune, which was the only Bond film title track not to chart as a single in either the UK or US, and the overall score to be among the weakest of his contributions to the series. The title song, sung by Lulu of "To Sir With Love" fame, is very loud and brassy like Goldfinger but lacks it's class and style. We also hear a variation of the title song in the end which I prefer as well as a jazz version. While I agree that on the surface the Lulu efforts are not quite up to par, the song works exceedingly well as a romantic theme in "Goodnight Goodnight" and is one of my favorite themes in this respect. It also does well in various action pieces so it isn't a waste unlike other films where it doesn't otherwise figure into the movie. As in his prior effort, Barry's score is often atmospheric and he makes excellent use of Oriental instruments to capture the Far Eastern locations in such tracks as "Chew Me In Grisly Land". His best work here for me is far away both of the "Fun House" pieces, especially the incredibly awesome last two minutes of "Return To" and "In Search Of Scaramanga's Island", which build the atmosphere of the Bond/Scaramanga showdown and the overall soundtrack to a feverish pitch by film's end. This music had me literally on the edge of my seat in anticipation of the showdown as a 13 year old at the time of release, and remains indelibly etched as a memory as a result. Not Barry's best work, but considering he only had three weeks to write it, he did an admirable job and had nothing to be ashamed of here. I regard it all favorably as an overall effort and enjoy a listen to this very day- 4/5
LOCATIONS- Mostly filmed in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macao, the Phuket locations in Thailand where Scaramanga makes his home are impressive and give the film a unique quality. The sets that include the interior of the capsized Queen Elizabeth and Scaramanga's home and power plant are well done even if they weren't done by Ken Adam. Overall nice, but only an average score- 3/5
GADGETS- More than last time, not excessive but memorably effective and mostly villain based. One of the most famous James Bond guns, Scaramanga's golden gun, is made up of 5 components. These were a ballpoint pen (barrel), cigarette lighter (the chamber), cigarette case (handle), cuff link (trigger) and a bullet stored in Scaramanga's belt. Each component was made out of solid gold and could be assembled and disassembled within seconds, making it extremely easy to conceal and carry wherever he goes on a contract. I always thought it was incredibly ingenious. He also has a car that can be converted into an airplane. Q supplies Goodnight's dress with a button containing a homing device, and a third nipple that Bond uses to unsuccessfully impersonate Scaramanga. Probably the best collection of gadgets since YOLT, and ones that live in my memory- 4/5
SUPPORTING CAST- As stated, M is particularly very funny in his frustration with how the mission is going, especially in telling Q to shut up. Q also is featured a bit more and Moneypenny's one scene is good as well. As an ally, Bond gets Korean born Soon-Tek Oh as Lieutenant Hip, who is working with MI6. It's never too clear if he's an agent or just a local liaison, but he does his fair share of Goodnight-like bumbling and you can't take him too seriously past being a local guide. Anglo/Indian actor Marne Maitland does a nice job as munitions expert Lazar where Bond utters the "speak now or forever hold your piece" line while aiming at his groin, Englishman James Cossins is Colthorpe, an MI6 armaments expert, and American Marc Lawrence, who played the head mobster in DAF, plays another here as Nick Nack's hitman we see killed by Scaramanga in the PTS. Some of the Thai characters are good, but it's mostly Pepper and his antics stirring the pot. Just average and not overly memorable in comparison to LALD- 3/5
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- I remember being a happy new teenager for the 1974 holidays in that I was getting a new film so quickly, and was looking forward to where Moore went next. In respect to Moore's performance and the strength of the villain, the movie still works well for me and I'll always believe that the showdown between Bond and Scaramanga is one of the high points of Moore's era. I also like J.W Pepper so no issue there for me where it may be for others. On the downside, the lack of strong female characterizations in general is an area where the Moore era often fails, and here it is especially annoying and needless. The movie lurches in different directions at times and my impression is that it tries too hard to lighten up a very serious storyline, which makes the humorous aspects feel like they are forced rather than natural. As a result of the above, the film feels like it lacks an identity of it's own. Exhilaratingly high at times for me, painful and eye rolling at others, the film scores 32 out of 50 points for me, or an average of 3.2
Thunderball
Bond 4.5 out of 5 Ah Sean, you know this one's for you and it shows. The smooth confidence is all there as Connery does a masterful job in this movie, really the last we see of his best James Bond. Very comfortable with all aspects of this role; the slight humor, the give and take, the action, thinking on his feet, and oh yes - definite chemistry with the stellar cast of women in this film. All in all, I still prefer his Bond in FRWL. But a very fine performance here, too.
Women 5 out of 5 This movie really has the group of ladies that sizzles. Claudine Auger is beautiful, memorable, and gives a convincing performance. I especially like her in the beach scene with Sean and the final act of killing Largo. Molly Peters as Pat Fearing had me wondering if I wanted to change careers. All the women gave solid performances in this movie.
Villains 4.5 out of 5 And what more can be said about Luciana Paluzzi? Men rave about her to this day. I just feel that she was beautiful, sexy, alluring, evil, and had great chemistry with both Bond and Largo; one of the most memorable villains in the Bond series. Celi is definitely menacing and evil; he gives a strong performance but maybe I wanted more scenes showing his evil manipulativeness or ruthlessness; something was ever so slightly missing for me with his role (not him as an actor but I wanted his character to do something more ...). But I did loathe the guy and wanted to cheer when Domino killed him (so did Bond). Assorted other baddies do a commendable job.
Humor 3.5 out of 5 Not overly done and seemed to flow within the story well.
Action 3 out of 5 This is where the film lets me down. Some good action and the story moves along for a while. But I really felt the underwater scenes dragged. Didn't care for them; sorry. Either there were too many underwater shots for me or the pace of the whole last third just slipped, but I feel this area lets down the whole film; it lessens my enjoyment of the movie for sure. I wish they had done something else to add more action to the buildup toward the finale.
Sadism 4 out of 5 Both main villains seemed to really enjoy torturing and killing people, so yes they were sadistic not just evil.
Music 2.5 out of 5 I don't like the music much in this film; it is okay, but just okay for me. The theme song sounds ... well, not so great and maybe even stupid (just my opinon!) even though I like Tom Jones - and the music during the underwater scenes actually annoyed me, just annoying sounds over and over. Rather a letdown overall.
Locations 3.5 out of 5 The Bahamas were filmed very well, lovely. But it would have been nice to have at least one other location play a slightly larger role.
Gadgets 3 out of 5 Some gadgets that were well used and probably considered high tech at the time of the movie's release.
Supporting Cast 3.5 out of 5 Overall nice work by all and van Nutter as Leiter was okay in this one (always seems tricky to cast Leiter judging by the numerous actors over the years ...) Always enjoy Q and Moneypenny.
Overall - Memorable in parts and a fun Bond outing - mainly because of Connery, Paluzzi, and Auger. Yes, Celi was good ... but I felt this film lacked (for me) suspense, great action, and the soundtrack let me down. So not a heavyweight contender for me. I know it is a fan favorite or top 3 for many. I do like it, but mainly for the first three actors listed I have just mentioned. It is fun to watch from time to time, but I greatly prefer FRWL when I need my Sean as Bond fix. I think I rank this one close to Dr. No.