1979-2019: "Take a giant step for Mankind"

Alright chaps, we do it here. When one does TSWLM one most do Moonraker.

Moonraker

So it's 1979, Bond is film-wise, what 17 years old? This is Sir Roge's fourth film, the first since Connery to do so. Star Wars came out in 77, Star Trek's first movie the same year...hell even the Black Hole same year

So we have a neat shot of the 747 and shuttle. Our temporary HMS Ranger commander from TSWLM is now a co-pilot in the RAF.

Poor M, having to walk all the way to the door just for one line.

The beauty of Sir Roge's Bond, at least in the first four films, is how unperturbed he was by certain death. And what the fuck, Jaws!?

I'll be honest lads, as a child, like 6-7, Jaws terrified me enough I had to hide myself under my Dad's legs (on the armchair). God, what a fool!

Now, as I've said before, MR is a tale of two halves. A serious Bond film and a nutty one. So here we have in the PTS a fantastic stunt (complete with Wilhelm scream) only to be upended by Jaws going all fucking Disney. I'd dearly love to go back in time to be a fly on the wall of the production office.

"So, as Bond fucks off, Jaws flaps like a gormless idiot...
-But Cubby, won't that make an effective villain a bloody fool!
-Yes but it's 1979."

And it segues into a Dame Shirley song FFS. Not my fave Bassey song (I plump for DAF) but what a waste. I think Binder had a stroke by the Moore era. I mean no Bond before or since appeared more in the titles than Moore. A year later Binder provided the effects for The Final Countdown where the USS Nimitz enters a time vortex.

The Moore era was, titles wise, all about women doing somersaults and the rest.

"You don't believe me do you?"

No, I mean frankly you've done so much shit I've lost faith.

Now this is Grumpy Freddy. Poor Bernard Lee. I can't help but dwell on this being his final film, Bond-wise. He might not be a name that everyone reaches for acting-wise, but he did a job as I said in his appreciation thread. Imagine if in 1973, events worsened and dear Kenny More became M. Even Kenny by 79 was blighted by illness and so either way M would look past it.

One of the breeziest briefings. The Christmas line works so well.

The humble pilot line makes me chuckle every time. I don't know why but it sounds out of place.

Bond's reaction to Drax buying the Eiffel works every time too.

Drax surely has one of the best villain reveals ever. The panning camera, the piano playing etc. Like Walken, it feels a shame Lonsdale is wasted in a film like this,

Drax is one of the few villains who is onto Bond from the off. His see some harm comes to him line is one of the best of any villain.

Sexist Bond gets going but fuck it.

Credit to Holly, we of course years later she's CIA and so her reacting not too much to Bond is perfect.

I had a thing for brunettes before redheads and so I do like Goodhead.

The sets are something else. After FYEO there wasn't really the Ken Adam scope of sets and so this film remains epic.

As excellent as this scene is for tension would it have been too much, as Bond is pushed to the limit, to have flashbacks such as Tracy? Bond pushed to the edge remembering his past, unbidden?

Still, Bond flickering back to M's office works well.

The music cranks up, classic Barry. I still feel this is Bond at one of his most vulnerable. Staggering to the wall trying to recover, politely if firmly pushing Goodhead's hands away and recovering.

Got to love Bond's get up when he busts into Corinne's room. Plus how tech changes. Lazenby ten years earlier had to mess about with things and a fuck-off huge sake cracker whereas Moore uses a cigarette case.

He of course seals Corinne's fate.

So, here we go, one of the most curious, to me, scenes in a Bond film. The villain is blazing away hunting, Bond shirks up to bid farewell and yet Moore's Bond kinda has a Connery edge of picking something out.
Bond openly shoots the villain's hitman and buggers off. I can't help but feel in any other Bond film, Bond would scarper pursued by the villain's hitmen or dogs.

Indeed, this bring us to one of the most haunting scenes in a Bond film. As a child it scarred me, Corinne fleeing only to be brought down. Does Barry's music seal the deal? Probably. It's a fave Barry piece and the camera panning up at the end somehow makes it worse. I assume 007 has no idea of her fate.

Thanks to Sir Roge, I have certain lines in mind when an attractive woman says something to me and one is "I'm tempted to say yes immediately."

Always feels a bit strange how he's allowed to walk around the glass factory. Sure it's a tourist attraction but health and safety... :)

Oh look Goodhead.

I always chuckle at Bond behind that large glass, the eyebrow raise, I guess that's the idea.

But what about the guide faltering after that in her spiel? Has she spied Bond? Does she recognise him as an enemy of her boss? Or is she stunned by his handsomeness?

Goodhead is a good CIA agent but Bond is a better SIS agent

"Dr Goodhead!?" followed by her stunned look. C'mon on Felix, sort it out.

Just what are the odds Bond's man Franco is lurking nearby!?

Fuck CR, this is the best use of Venice.

That poor bastard having to lie in the coffin for God knows how long. At least Bond had quick reflexes.

Hang a tick, Barry's kicked into gear. C'mon whoever is responsible, a complete and extended MR score please.

There's Gilbert's ol mucker Alfie Bass coughing it up something fierce. Thanks Alfie.

Now imagine if Craig had the Bondola. Vesper wouldn't know what hit her.

Again, if Moore did anything right it's that gentlemanly expression doing something odd. In this case, riding a Gondola through streets.

Now poor Bond has to row himself still in his gear from Corinne's bedroom.

I wish Moore had written memoirs for other films but LALD. Sure he talks about Bond in his two main memoirs but Moore's Journals for 75-85 would have been something.

Is Close Encounters as the door chime too on the nose? Yes but it's 1979.

Again, a complete swivel to sillyness to the lab. Again, the death of the scientists is quite haunting. More-so as Bond watches. Incredible set though

We veer back to sillyness. I mean how the fuck does Chang get through Venice clad in cumbersome gear unnoticed?

Chang is fucking useless. All this noise would have Carver taking the piss out of him.

If only Cubby could've sprung a few quid for a Pavarotti cameo.

Always a quiet delight to see Bond getting one up on Goodhead.

Though poor Bond getting caught out. Freddie goes full grumpy here.

It's a delight to see M quietly come to Bond's side when he sees the sample. Though M appears in the final scene, I choose to see this as his farewell scene. Believing in Bond despite his superior's pissed off state. It's the equivalent of Q's goodbye in TWINE, to me.

Ah, Concorde in Rio. The scene ruined by knowing Moore was suffering from dysentery!

Again, unlike other Bond's, Moore's knew languages. No other Bond seemed to.

Love his reaction to the camp concierge. "I'm alright thanks."

Again as a child the scene with Jaws in the alleyway spooked me. The silhouette, the costume, the teeth to neck...

Bond saves the damsel and gives the best reaction to this killing machine. Personally if I was Bond, having saved the damsel and seen Jaws I'd go: "FUCK!"

Let's work together, okay then

No CGI, let's get it on.

It's a classic Moore fracas. Arse kicking, slaps etc. The music, though great, seems at odds. Stately almost.

And so Jaws firmly enters comic book villain hood.

Just like that Jaws meets a busty broad and they fuck off together. Would the MeToo movement have something to say about that?

Likewise, Bond and Goodhead leap off a cable car and start making out.

Bob Simmons though is not so convinced.

Ever the gent Bond apologises for face planting against Goodhead's legs.

The idiot driver continues not realising his doors have flung open.

The Magnificent Seven theme, though a fave of mine, pushes MR in the wrong direction. I like to think JB apologised to Bernstein: "They made me do it."

Oh look a random shot of the laser.

Bond seems quite weary here. Q doesn't believe him or snarks on him and he just wants to get going.

Oh look the bad guys found Bond almost straightaway.

And thus the last use of 007 in a Bond theme. Forever associated with Connery it seems out of place with Moore. Had it been used in OHMSS and TMWTGG maybe it'd seem more fitting.

Any other time a lot of attractive women leading him on but sway Bond but he's suitably doubtful. Again, decent music by JB. Similar to his Black Hole/ Raise the Titanic stuff but decent all the same.

Moore does a good enough job fighting a fake anaconda. The next best is Hogan and the fake croc in Crocodile Dundee.

Always like Bond's punch to Jaws' chest. He knows the game's up but he's pissed.

There's something about how Drax watches the Moonraker's blast off. He has this wonder, this freshness as if he's never seen the launch before and it's new to him. Drax is fascinated by the conquest of space and it's as fresh for him as it was the first time.

Always Bond's "thank God you're safe" is at odds with the tone of this film. Though brief it's touching.

"Bang on time," yes, well, you know it baby

And so we enter that bewildering moment. A good Bond scene and the worst.

Bond goes into space.

It feels realistic enough. Bond climbs into a shuttle to get Drax. And yet...Bond goes into space.

Flight into Space is one of Barry's best tracks and yet...it's in a Bond movie.

Forget your CGI, here we have it...Derek bloody Meddings!

JJ Abrams should look at this about using lens flare. That shot of the shuttle as the sun comes up works so well.

Something lacking on the soundtrack is that brief quietness, the sound of wind and then the track flaring up.

I believe the soundtrack overrides our doubts and scepticisms of the film. Barry's music envelopes everything. And makes that redhead better.
Now , usually when Bond makes his way into the enemy’s base after ‘being bumped off’, no one is any the wiser and yet I can’t help but think that him sauntering into the Moonraker is too obvious. It’s more contained (i.e in space), someone would surely recognise him or Goodhead (after all she was a prisoner of Drax’s for what I assume was a few days before Bond liberates her).
Indeed, MOONRAKER is the last of the Adam sets. After this things became more centred, not until maybe LTK (the cocaine plant), GE (the dish et al) or TND (the catamaran) was there a more ‘epic’ feeling set. I do like the fact that whatever we think of the setting, they make a serious attempt to depict things. Bond and Goodhead sluggishly walking until Bond shuts the door behind them for instance. As I’ve said in a separate thread, it is incredible that Drax does all this shit. That several shuttle launches apparently in this reality go either unnoticed or un-marked (in that NASA notes them but doesn’t think much more).
Always chuckle at Bond letting Goodhead do the fighting as he stands to one side in the radar room. “She can handle herself, I’m just the help.”
Hang a tick, NASA just happens to have an Orbiter ready. When you consider in reality that to get a shuttle ready for launch takes months if not longer, it’s incredible. (I seem to remember the first mission post Columbia-disaster, that NASA said if the next shuttle had issues in orbit it’d take a bloody long time to get another ready).
Ah, a great laugh at Moore’s face after thumping Jaws in the groin. Good God, Jaws doesn’t have a metal…? Well you know?
Check radar jamming system.
Er, well, I’ve only just noticed that it’s failed, sir.
Drax I still think is one of the best villains. He has great lines, great delivery and a quiet presence. His plan works better than Stromberg’s (it always felt half-baked in TSWLM, the plot, like OHMSS, secondary to everything else). Drax has a viable way of eliminating everybody on Earth and seemingly unstoppable plan at that.
Now, as much as Jaws has been reduced to a bloody cartoon here, Bond isn’t half clever dropping heavy hints to him that he’s essentially a freak as far as Drax is concerned. It makes you think that post-mission success, Jaws and Dolly would be ejected into space.
The way Jaws nonchalantly beckons the goons over works every time.
Got to like how the USAF chap who answers Gogol’s call takes charge of the shuttle (if I remember without googling again, the actor was French to American parents).
Oh, here we go. The classic juxtaposition of Moonraker. Men leaving in spacesuits to go fight the Marines whilst Barry does a fantastic track. I do wonder, as always, what folk thought in the cinema. Those who had seen Connery and Lazenby, the previous Moore’s and here’s a fight in space with lasers.
For its faults, as I say, it has some great images MR and the US shuttle docking, emerging from shadow, somehow is a great one. Plus this whole film has shown that you don’t need CGI to do a film. Sure there was no CGI as such in 79 but nowadays everything is green screened to the hilt. From 62 to 95, dear Derek Meddings could do a job and make it seem relatively realistic. One reason why I can never fault MR. The shuttle models from the Aztec base on and the rest are excellent. I like to think if we had a Meddings today, he could do a bang up job even in the this age of CGI.
There’s something quite brilliant about how Bond goes after Drax as it all kicks off. “HE’S MINE!” kind of thing. Plus, the shadowing on Drax’s face as he backs up.
“Heartbroken, Mr Drax!” oh, no other Bond could do these lines. “Take a giant step for mankind.”
Plus what does it say of MR’s engineering that as soon as it kicks off with lasers splashing about, things start exploding and falling to parts?
Bugger Brexit, the French clearly were in trouble years ago!
Again, in spite of the fact Bond is space, it feels quite natural that of course he and Goodhead hop into a shuttle do something. And yet, here we have little and large reuniting amidst utter carnage. Dolly’s breasts surely cushioned the fall to Earth but come on man. The solitary Jaws line…well, in spite of myself I love it.
“Can you help us?”
Yeah hang about, I have these fucking huge metal teeth that have killed loads and I’ll just bite into it or something or wrench it…
“It’s only a hundred miles to Earth.”
How do you know that thing can make it through re-entry and landing? Don’t overthink Hilly…
Goodhead comes into her own again, she’s piloting, she knows what she’s doing. Though the music is essentially a cropped part from Flight into Space it works quite well to build tension as they hunt the globes.
Barry not doing music for the moment Moonraker 5 skims the atmosphere is debatable. Do we need music for it prior to when it does kick in? Part of me thinks it’d build tension but then such is JB, who are we to question?
Job done.
So, Her Majesty the Queen has just made a cup of tea, she sits down with Prince Philip in front of the TV at Buckingham Palace. Prince Charles stands nearby and there she sees Bond attempting re-entry. Philip sniggers, Charles goes red…
“Well, I shan’t pay my TV licence after this!”
Goodhead’s final line is corny but fuck it, we have this disco thing and it’s my happening. Though what pushes me over the edge is the usual location list is ended with AND OUTER SPACE! Come on Cubby.
Sir Hilary returns with…well, who knows.

Wonderfully done as always. MR is soo vastly underrated and really needs both a new transfer to fully show off the visuals with a proper restoration of the audio mix that matches the LD quality-plus give us the 70mm mix darnit!

My only major qualms are Mr. Double Taking Pigeon, Jaws being made too goofy in spots so it becomes cartoonish, the visuals have the hazy look in places that betray the French production and was very common to late 70's films, and Bond's final line "Why not?" which is one of Roger's best moments in the series is a bit drowned out by the music.

The score cries out for a complete release and is unavailable seemingly like other Barry scores of this time especially Raise the Titanic. He reportedly hated how the Dolby mix was done and that the score suffered-but compared to most mixes of the early DS period it sounds great and actually better on the LD 2.0 than the later 5.1 remix. I would love to someday hear the 70mm discrete version that apparently only played the opening week in NYC and/or London.

Binder's titles are some of his best and I make no secret that MR is my favorite of the three Bassey songs. I love it all the more because it's a deeper felt ballad without her usual showstopper performance. It's much more intimate which ties perfectly with the somber mood, heartfelt lyrics and gorgeous piano riff. Plus it's got the kickass Disco end credits remix!

hegottheboot wrote:

Wonderfully done as always. MR is soo vastly underrated and really needs both a new transfer to fully show off the visuals with a proper restoration of the audio mix that matches the LD quality-plus give us the 70mm mix darnit!

My only major qualms are Mr. Double Taking Pigeon, Jaws being made too goofy in spots so it becomes cartoonish, the visuals have the hazy look in places that betray the French production and was very common to late 70's films, and Bond's final line "Why not?" which is one of Roger's best moments in the series is a bit drowned out by the music.

The score cries out for a complete release and is unavailable seemingly like other Barry scores of this time especially Raise the Titanic. He reportedly hated how the Dolby mix was done and that the score suffered-but compared to most mixes of the early DS period it sounds great and actually better on the LD 2.0 than the later 5.1 remix. I would love to someday hear the 70mm discrete version that apparently only played the opening week in NYC and/or London.

Binder's titles are some of his best and I make no secret that MR is my favorite of the three Bassey songs. I love it all the more because it's a deeper felt ballad without her usual showstopper performance. It's much more intimate which ties perfectly with the somber mood, heartfelt lyrics and gorgeous piano riff. Plus it's got the kickass Disco end credits remix!

thanks Boots,

I purposely skip the pigeon. I agree with you about Jaws becoming cartoonish.

MR along with VTAK is the Barry score I want the most released in its entirety. The PTS music alone.

Tremendous write-up, as per usual, Hilly.

Agree that MR has weird "dark" bits that are out of place tonally with a movie that's goofy beyond belief and, yet, I'd rate them as the best moments of the film (i.e. centrifuge, Corinne and the dogs, Jaws in the alleyway).

Barry certainly elevates the whole film. It's a classic, majestic score through and through. I think if you coupled a very 1979, Hamlisch-esque disco score with MR's slapstick sci-fi antics, you'd have a finished product that would feel even more trend-hopping and "out there" in comparison to other Bond films.

Hmm, does MR possibly have the most jarring tonal shifts of the entire series?

I've always felt that the Glen films were more jarring, as they have a baseline of seriousness yet have moments like Bond scoring people into the hockey net, Tarzan yell, ninjas in LTK, etc. Whereas MR has Bond going into space so of course a double-take pigeon fits right in. But I've never thought about it inversely, i.e. the darker moments in MR.

But I dunno darker bits interspersed in a sillier film seems to work better than the reverse.

Well, as the bishop said, here goes nothing. I got myself MR on blu secondhand and figured, why not. It seems I no longer can do succinct reviews so I apologise.

1979. The year of Star Trek The Motion Picture, itself spurred into action by Star Wars. The next Star Wars is yet to come out but Bond decides, fuck it, we'll have some of that. So, this is a film that yaws between one world and the next. However, if any Bond could pull it off, Moore could. Connery would look odd, Lazenby could've maybe but well, here we are.

As with Golden Gun, another film Barry does the score for after a hiatus. It opens with what is on the quiet a fantastic Derek Meddings effect. To all intents and purposes, it looks like the real 747 and shuttle. The RAF chap is one of Gilbert's brief favourites who appeared as the brief commander of HMS Ranger in TSWLM and some student in Educating Rita.

Dear Bernard Lee.

Last leg...aha, I see. Cracking wardrobe as always for Sir Roge. I do like how Bond is not outwardly perturbed by the bad guy shooting up the console. And here we go, that realism over CGI. It's actually someone falling, someone diving...But, christ, it's Jaws.

Bad guy, just as the theme kicks in, thinks all is dandy. He's sailing earthwards, all smiles, Bond's dead surely? In some respects this is the one time I'd say no music was needed at all. And yes whatshisface does his scream as he flies off. But no, we're not done yet. What was Bond's thought as he saw the shape approaching? "Didn't you die in a shark tank?"

However, as I've said before the PTS is the film in a nutshell. On one hand a fantastic stunt and then the bloody goofiness of Jaws trying to save himself. Does Bond think to make a note that Jaws is still with us in spite of Atlantis' destruction? No.

I usually skip the song regardless. I guess I'm one of those who though likes certain songs, just wants to crack on with the film. However, I'll give it a try. Much as I love Dame Shirley this is not the most memorable of her trio. It also feels slightly out of sync with the movie itself, much as I feel with the LTK song. This being said, the graphics unintentionally make me chuckle. When the silhouette of the woman is filled with red and blue, I think, British Airways.

I don't seek to nitpick but Bond explains his absence, to Penny, as falling out of a plane without a chute and M is "at last you showed up". I can only imagine that a few days passed and they know why Bond is late. Bond's line of course works best knowing he knows this but...ah well.

"You know Sir Frederick Gray...", yes since TSWLM our relationship has changed. I can no longer address him as Freddie.

"Welcome to California...", are you sure? I mean we're filming in France.

The humble pilot line always makes me wince in a way. I'm not sure if it's her delivery or just the line itself. Like if Bunt said in OHMSS: "I'm just a humble employee of the doctor."

I do love the Eifel Tower line, one for Bond's reaction (he's smugly turning away and as he still executes this, she hits him with the rest of the line) but for the image of Drax, Lonsdale to the max, strolling about like Hitler in 1940. "I do quite like this for my collection in California."

We have many intros to a villain and Drax's is one of the most surreal on one hand but also classy -the panning of the camera as he plays piano and the fact he plays piano.

First glimpse of the redhead.

"The loss of my space shuttle...," alright mush, it wasn't me who personally lost it.

The afternoon tea line is delivered so superbly. Quietly in line with Fleming's Drax, who he really was but who he pretended to be. Indeed, Drax here might not be similar to Fleming's in any shape or form physically but Lonsdale delivers this with gravitas. I'd love to have seen him go up against Dalton's Bond. He has some great lines such as the "see some harm comes to him."

From the off, unlike some villains, Drax is out to get Bond. He knows immediately who this guy is and what kind of problem he'll present.

Now, here's a moment that wouldn't make it past Whaller-Bridge et al.

"A woman?"

I'm surprised though after the "to my friends", Goodhead doesn't go: "Well, I'm not a friend pal."

In spite of myself I always find her a striking woman. She might not hit you over the head with sexiness like say Domino or Tiff but she has a beauty all of her own.

It is kind of funny how Bond so willingly ends up in the centrifugue. Surely he's just there to investigate not to try out the ruddy astronaut stuff.

"There's never a 70 year old around when you need one."

The set here does remind me of Thunderbirds' set ups (granted Thunderbirds was smaller in scope) but it has a feel of a Meddings set up. Chang must be one of the most useless villain allies though. Sorry but the man's a berk.

Without music there becomes something tense as Bond is throttled. The flashback of M's office is inspired for the era. It's basic but it works. And as always, it's a great moment as Bond staggers out. One of the few times, until now, Bond has been given a bloody great shock. He's dazed, vulnerable (in front of a woman too) but there's that clasping of her hands briefly (quite alright, I know you mean well but I'm fine). Now, I guess she knows who he really is being who we know she is but all the same, her concern is somehow touching.

However, this is the kind of Bond to shrug that off. In true fashion he breaks into a woman's bedroom.

Fiona's line of heavenly choir chimes here. With no effort whatsoever really, Bond has Corinne singing like a canary over what happens here and what goes on here.

A small measure of how things change. Ten years previous Lazenby needed a bloody crane or whatever to haul this safebreaking device in and by Moonraker it's done by a cigarette case.

Though as my dad pointed out once, Bond's camera having 007 on it. I mean come on. It's one thing to have a countdown end at 007 but a piece of equipment?

As always, the sniper scene is top notch. Lonsdale and Moore, the dialogue etc but then I always think, still, that in any other Bond film surely, it'd all kick off. The bad guy has set Bond up to be killed and Bond just strolls off. OHMSS, say, Bond knows Blofeld is going to kill him after rumbling him but lashing out leads nowhere, imprisoned. Moonraker, Bond blows away the sniper, and it's "well thanks for the sport."

Again, as before and always, the death of Corinne jars with Moonraker's overall term. It's part of the film that is quite serious. Barry's music is haunting, the lighting and camera work helps. You always will Corinne to make it but that shot of the dogs falling on her and panning up...well, every damn time.

"I'm tempted to say yes immediately."

To his credit Bond seems caught off guard by the question. She's a bit of alright though. I find it funny that you're allowed to wander about this glass place. Here, today, you'd be slapped about by Health and Safety.

Aye, aye it's Goodhead. You know I used to know a girl who had a similar nickname at school.

I do love how these Drax-nauts (the brunette, the redhead, the glass receptionist and glass tour guide) sort of have day jobs until they go up to Moonraker.

How can we not chuckle as Moore executes an eyebrow lift behind the glass?

"Why, Dr Goodhead! Isn't it funny our bumping into each other here?"

As Indy used to say, "Ah, Venice!"

If I was Bond I'd follow her to see if she really was giving an address. But no, never mind, who cares.

This is the first of the "bad guys just happen to find Bond" moments. Very elaborate set up really. That bloke must've been in the coffin for hours. "Have you found the Englishman yet?/No I took the wrong turn!"

This is all Venice in contrast to CR. I should say if I don't again, that this is another bit that makes me wish the score had a proper release.

But...well...shit...no...Bond drives onto the square, we get all kinds of dormless looks into the chap with his wine (FYEO later), the bloody pigeon, the dog who looks too distinguished to pass judgement...I like to think John Barry as he looked over the scene ignored it. Gilbert has a gander.
"John, what's with the music here?
-You don't serious expect me to waste my time on this?"

Bond reuses his wardrobe from California to sneak about Venice.

Close Encounters as the entry...

...

Barry has the right amount of broody tension as Bond watches the scientists. This is the time when he was doing Raise the Titanic, Black Hole etc. I like to think he usually gave the Bond films his best effort but who's to say?

This is one time that Bond's shall we say incompetence is costly. Sure he didn't mean to leave the thing precariously perched but it kills the boffins all the same.

Now, Essential Bond raised this point first and I must stick with it. How the hell does Chang sneak through Venice dressed like this? Surely someone notices this idiot?

Naturally Bond leads him into a place with a thousand breakable objects.

However, I do like Moore here. Something about his expressions as Chang comes at him. He looks pissed. Plus I love it when he picks up the sword. You imagine Sir Roge doing fencing in his youth.

Bond pauses to check the vial. James, let's be honest, if it broke by now you'd be kaputt.

Bond has time to check the boxes before nutter lands on him. Occurs to me Chang has no dialogue. No tangible dialogue beyond AAAIIIIGHR

Moore executes some typical moves, kicks up the arse, judo chops etc

Of course this is where our heroes unite. There's a certain weariness to Bond. (I should say Chiles in that gown isn't too bad but that's just me).

The subtle sparring isn't too bad. Though her handbag with the antenna looks a touch cheap.

Amusing of course that he notes her Air France ticket and she eyeballs her luggage.

I play bridge...well...yes

This is one of the times early in his tenure, that Moore's Bond is actually onto something and is undone by the villain clearing up before he can get Freddie and M into the place. It's notable that Bond waits for Freddie to clear off before showing M the vial. Plus, I know M reappears (and I don't know the order they filmed) but I choose to think of this moment as the perfect farewell for Lee. He's pissed at Bond but he's always trusting.

This being said, the shot of Moore coming off Concorde is forever jarred by the commentary where they said Moore had dysentery and they did the scene quickly.

Bond's interaction with the concierge does tickle. Moore's quite bemused. Plus, I gather the concierge was after a bit more.

Christopher Plummer once said that (for at least much of his career) he chose films purely on the basis of good hotels and locations. I wonder if that was true of Moore to a certain extent. Moonraker goes all over the place and by the time he wrapped up VTAK he had covered the globe more or less. Bond surely was a fine way of living a life of Reilly.

Now, as a child, six or so, Jaws terrified. Something about the metal teeth closing over ankles or whatever. The alleyway sequence had me hiding but even now it's faintly sinister. The image of the clown thingy approaching Maneula. Then Jaws dropping the costume, the grin, the lighting. Why the hell did Moonraker have to be half and half?

I say, they don't wear much in Rio when they party.

Do like how Bond realises it's Jaws, Jaws gives him the look ("alright bitches?")

Manuela recovers sharpish. "Did you find anything in there?"

Makes me remember Paloma in NTTD. I mean how can a film ignore something like her afterwards? Paloma had it all...focus, Hilly, focus.

I don't do heights terribly well and for some reason the wind sound effect here makes me dwell on that.

Oh, look, they focus on each other?

I'm sure the telescope going upwards is a double entendre out of the Carry On films but we'll skip it.

"His name's Jaws he kills people."

Well, that's a given.

Back screen or not, it's a good shot Bond and Jaws facing each other and then Barry kicks into gear. It's a bit sluggish action wise for the music but it works. Good stunt though as surely if it went pear shaped you're falling a great distance.

Then it goes south, the goofy Jaws look etc

But Hilly, Dolly...yes well, she has a healthy chest.

Something about Moore in the shot after, as if sees the pair walking off together and thinking "well why not?"

"We're in great shape."

Bad guys just happen to turn up.

Good ol' Bob Simmons. Moore's expressions though.

Ever the gent Moore apologises for faceplanting Goodhead's legs.

Goodhead's face after she snatches hair as if it's something much weirder than it should be.

Now...loook...Magnificent Seven!?

In fact I fell off a mountain but never mind you don't care or believe me

Bond after Q's "you seem to be right"...I do have my moments Q.

I like to think by this point Bond has just had enough. He's fallen off cable cars, been disbelieved by Gray, has to hitchhike...

Bond's out for a jolly. Isn't the Amazon nice this time of year?

But no, the bad guys have found him straightaway.

What this needed was Moore smoking a cigar.

And so for the last time in the franchise, the 007 Theme. Feels quite out of place here, what with all the previous uses being in Connery films. Had Barry used it in Golden Gun and maybe Octopussy I wouldn't find it so jarring. And yet, and yet, this isn't ripped off in NTTD!?

Jaws just happens to join the chase at the wrong time. Cue more goofy expressions.

I just don't know.

Out of Africaesque music as Bond glides to earth.

This is one time perhaps that Bond following a bit of skirt pays off. Though what are the odds?

Bond seems suitably wary seeing all these women turn up.

Without preamble, the ruddy anaconda which is made more terrifying by the music.

Bond's a little ticked and so his futile punch is great.

Some great camera angles here. Drax's set here is fantastic.

In a way this is the classic Bond villain lair but it still feels futuristic in spite of 40-odd years passing.

Whatever we think of this film, the set layout is impressive. It's all 'real', in the sense there's little back projection or whatever. The shuttles look real.

In spite of myself the bang on time line tickles.

Then just like that they're in a shuttle heading for space.

I do wonder if anyone groaned seeing this in the cinema.

But how can they when Barry kicks into gear?

Isn't it odd that one of his best pieces of Bond music and some of the best SFX in a Bond film comes here?

It's majestic, it's soaring. And you have the redhead in slow motion

and lens flare as lens flare should work, the music has a menacing sound as the shuttle approaches the camera.

Always like that echoey choir, the sound of wind before the music fades in.

Minor wonder how Drax did all this without anyone on Earth being any the wiser. But then in this reality Drax seemed to be going into space commercially.

Jaws seems wise as Drax starts his speech. The frown.

In complete contrast to anytime since, NASA is able to get a shuttle up straightaway. The Russkies likewise discover MR straightaway.

To his credit Drax is clearly unperturbed by everything.

Bond, no fool, lays it on thick so Jaws twigs it

Again, Barry kicks into gear in spite of the film as the astronauts EVA to face each other

On one hand it's quite something to see and on the other hand you put yourself to one side and think my God this is a Bond film

And within seconds the whole thing goes to pot, the set explodes etc.

Yet the lighting of the showdown with Drax is excellent and the dialogue too.

Amidst all the carnage, Jaws and Dolly

Only a hundred miles to earth

A classic enough ending for Moore's Bond.

Poor Queen though.

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

Two months? Well...when one requires Bond, time is immaterial (or some such). Besides, this was the first time seeing MR on blu-ray.

I reckon Connery's Bond was quietly glad he got rumbled before he boarded that rocket.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

After NTTD, anything is possible.

The thought of a Bond film in which he doesn't leave England (as in the MR novel) tickles.

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the series is not doing a proper MR adaptation. Imagine either Connery or Dalton doing battle with Drax at the Blades club...

CJB wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the series is not doing a proper MR adaptation. Imagine either Connery or Dalton doing battle with Drax at the Blades club...

I've had actual dreams along those lines. That, and picturing one of those two (Connery, nostrils in serious flare mode, or Dalton in LTK vengeance mode), driving one of my favorite pursuits ever, MR's Bentley chase, especially after Draw callously takes out the kid in the Alfa-Romeo. Plus, the part when Bond talks about how he will stop the launch by going out to light a last cigarette under the tail of the rocket, is something I always hoped Eon would be saving up to use for a very rainy day when they needed to wrap things up with a certain sense of ... finality, shall we say. (would also put a nice button on the disclaimer they used to put on the later films about smoking being hazardous for you.)

There was a guy who wrote an overly clever history of the Bond films about 10 or 12 years back, offering a very subjective take on the series up through QUANTUM, and while it was kind of fun reading most of the time, there were points when I practically wanted to chuck the thing, because he described MR's car chase as being something along the lines as a tame Sunday drive. GRR!

I picked up a hardcover of MR recently, which has a weird op-art cover and boasts one of the worst forgery signatures I've ever seen, inscribed 'love, Sean Connery' with penmanship that doesn't match the man's actual autograph at all. Even so, I love having a dedicated single novel of MR, as opposed to the omnibus editions I have for most of the other books. I've also got CR and FYEO in the centenary hardcovers, but don't even open those up, as I figure the value on that pair just keeps escalating with the passage of time.

CJB wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the series is not doing a proper MR adaptation. Imagine either Connery or Dalton doing battle with Drax at the Blades club...

Agreed. How sad that arguably Fleming's greatest novel was never faithfully adapted to the silver screen.

trevanian wrote:

CJB wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Blunt Instrument wrote:

A little over 2 months since the last time is certainly quite a rapid revisit, Hilly.

On Connery looking odd if he'd done MR ... well, he comes very close to going into space in YOLT. Fun to ponder how that might've played out. Also, here's a thought ... imagine Connery in MR, but earlier in his tenure and done as a closer adap of the novel (early Sixties would still maybe just about be a credible timeframe for Drax's 'revenge for the outcome of the war' plot to destroy London.)  

It would have been terrific. A missed opportunity. Unless we get period films in the future.

Perhaps the biggest missed opportunity of the series is not doing a proper MR adaptation. Imagine either Connery or Dalton doing battle with Drax at the Blades club...

I've had actual dreams along those lines. That, and picturing one of those two (Connery, nostrils in serious flare mode, or Dalton in LTK vengeance mode), driving one of my favorite pursuits ever, MR's Bentley chase, especially after Draw callously takes out the kid in the Alfa-Romeo. Plus, the part when Bond talks about how he will stop the launch by going out to light a last cigarette under the tail of the rocket, is something I always hoped Eon would be saving up to use for a very rainy day when they needed to wrap things up with a certain sense of ... finality, shall we say. (would also put a nice button on the disclaimer they used to put on the later films about smoking being hazardous for you.)  

There was a guy who wrote an overly clever history of the Bond films about 10 or 12  years back, offering a very subjective take on the series up through QUANTUM, and while it was kind of fun reading most of the time, there were points when I practically wanted to chuck the thing, because he described MR's car chase as being something along the lines as a tame Sunday drive. GRR!

I picked up a hardcover of MR recently, which has a weird op-art cover and boasts one of the worst forgery signatures I've ever seen, inscribed 'love, Sean Connery' with penmanship that doesn't match the man's actual autograph at all. Even so, I love having a dedicated single novel of MR, as opposed to the omnibus editions I have for most of the other books. I've also got CR and FYEO in the centenary hardcovers, but don't even open those up, as I figure the value on that pair just keeps escalating with the passage of time.

I also love that car chase--"Pim-pom! Pim-pom! Wunderschon!"--and Bond's abortive cigarette gambit. But there's so much unpanned gold in that novel--the steam-hose, the unmasking of Drax's diabolical plan ("London. But not London! No, no NO!"), the collapse of the cliff on Bond and Brand and then Drax and Co.'s utter shock when they return for dinner, "Hell is here," the character Willy Krebs, Drax's bashing of bound Bond in the chair after being goaded by 007 ("Get on with it, you great hairy-faced buffoon!"), etc.

A close MR adap as Connery's 2nd or 3rd movie ... a tempting thought, although would we be prepared to sacrifice FRWL or GF for it? And speaking of GF, would Gert Frobe possibly have been cast as Drax?

It would have been daring as all get-out to do MR instead of TB, though Maibaum might have had to be on overdrive to retcon SPECTRE into this convincingly. To go small at that point probably wouldn't have been considered by Eon, and the way to do MR right is to stay FYEO-small.

You could have perhaps added a Volpe-style character to get a second BondGirl into things, but as much as I love and adore Lucianna Paluzzi, I'd hate to lose Krebbs (though I have an unfortunate mental picture of him, since I always envision that little guy with the hand-cranked heart or whatever it was from Joanna Pettet's Berlin section of CR 67. Oddly, I also have a tendency to picture that Rip Taylor guy from THE GONG SHOW as Drax, I guess because of the red hair. Hey, it could be worse, I could have imagined Cesar Romero.)

I used to actually do that 'you great hairy-faced lunatic' line when practicing a Conneryesque accent as a teen. I got to be really good with the whole nature of evil dialog from CR too, but never quite mastered Connery's voice (though I inadvertently found I could do a killer Max Von Sydow, sounding just like him in DUNE and HANNAH AND HER SISTERS.) It's kind of weird, because I don't think I got into monologs at all till I heard and taped the Connery voice over from THE WIND AND THE LION. After that, I was seriously into that for quite awhile, well into my 20s. After that I didn't need to practice how Bond 'should' sound because my personal reprieve in the form of Dalton had finally shown up!

Pianist Alfred Brendel is who I always imagine as Krebs. Spose he'd have to grow a scraggly beard, though.