Sunday, September 26, 2021

25 Days of Bond (Day 14)

I'm not even going to come up with some snazzy introduction for this movie. I thought The Man with the Golden Gun was the worst this franchise had to offer. Boy was I mistaken.

1. The two previous actors to portray James Bond co-starred alongside women from the British television series The Avengers, and Roger Moore completed the trifecta with having Patrick Macnee as Bond's ally, Sir Godfrey Tibbett. Macnee is the perfect ally to Roger's aged spy as he is just as charismatic as Moore and doesn't ever threaten showing him up in the action sequences. Macnee's portrayal is perfect and it makes me want to watch The Avengers to see more of this gifted actor in his prime.

2. Roger Moore was 57 years old when this film was released in theaters. Any action sequences or stunts were going to obviously have to hide this fact by either hiding the stuntman with carefully placed camera angles or be something truly spectacular that another character takes part in. Luckily they came up with the Eiffel Tower parachute jump and it is an incredible feat of moviemaking. For the many faults I have with Moore's films, I will give him credit in that the stunts done in his movies were some of the best in the entire series.

3. Oh Stacey Sutton, how we loathe you and your exasperating screams. Tanya Roberts' portrayal of a state geologist makes Denise Richards' nuclear physicist deserve an Oscar (this is a reference you will get in five films). But boy is she pretty to look at.

4. Christopher "freaking" Walken is a Bond villain! That's all I've got to say about that.

5. "The bubbles tickle my ... Tchaikovsky!"

6. Everything about the climactic battle atop the Golden Gate Bridge is perfect. The action beats are exciting. John Barry's music is spectacular. Walken's chuckles as he realizes his fate is Joker-esque. I even don't mind the rear-projection work going on as it is blends in well with the set built to stand in for the top of the Golden Gate Bridge. It is all done quite well and gives Moore a really great ending to go out on.

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