MOONRAKER ***
*NOTE* The mastermind behind the entire JAMES BOND PROJECT is the sweet, lovely, wonderful CRAIG KENNEDY who runs one of the best movie sites on the planet, LIVING IN CINEMA
Other participants include my dear friend DANNY at GETAFILM and MR. CHRISTIAN DIVINE at OH MY BLOG
I’ll be reviewing JAMES BOND films all week long. So make yourself at home and read to your heart’s content.
MOONRAKER kicks off with one of the most hilarious sequences ever filmed.
JAMES is making out with a flight attendant who unfortunately is – wouldn’t you know it? – a double agent. Both she and the pilot exit the aircraft while James is pushed out with no parachute in sight. Once airborne outside, BOND manages to get the parachute away from the pilot.
But what he’s completely unaware of – and the audience is just beginning to discover – is that JAWS (RICHARD KIEL, reprising his villainous role from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME) is also on that plane. He’s all ready made his jump and he’s in hot pursuit of BOND.
You’d have to see it to believe it.
From all that precious hilarity, the adventure begins…
MOONRAKER is actually the name of a space shuttle that disappears mysteriously. It belongs to HUGO DRAX (MICHAEL LONSDALE), a wealthy industrialist who all ready owns at least half the world.
Now he wants the other half. His obsession with the space program is just the beginning.
Drax is a rather bland villain. But he does have one great piece of dialogue: “Look after Mr. Bond. See that some harm comes to him.“
Jaws more than makes up for Drax’s lack of charisma. In every way imaginable. There’s not a dull moment when he’s around.
James’ investigation surrounding the whereabouts of MOONRAKER leads him to a meeting with DR. HOLLY GOODHEAD (LOIS CHILES), a stunningly brilliant NASA scientist.
Ms. Chiles is not a particularly talented actor. But she’s absolute perfection as a BOND woman. There is a graciousness, a clear eyed intelligence and a particular kind of class that emanates from her. You know that, despite her cool reserve, that it won’t be long until they decide to “pool their resources”, as James so cleverly remarks.
The action set pieces are top of the line. There’s an exciting gondola/high speed boat chase. There is also James and Holly fighting for their lives on top of two cable cars suspended hundreds of feet in the air above a sprawling aqua ocean. That particular sequence culminates in Jaws finding his true love.
The movie is beautifully shot and is an exacting evocation of the glamour of that sensually provocative period. Venice is spectacular and the clothes that Ms. Chiles possesses are glorious.
In one scene, she’s staying in a fabulous Italian hotel suite with an incredible balcony and golden light streaming through the room. She’s wearing the most magnificent white halter dress. There’s so much gorgeous luxuriousness packed into those few moments that it almost feels like sensory overload.
LEWIS GILBERT directed this picture with a keen eye and a genuine flair for the material. He knew what he was going for.
He’s had rather a mixed interesting resume (two other BOND flicks – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE – and he’s also guided MICHAEL CAINE to two OSCAR nominations and JULIE WALTERS to one respectively: in ALFIE and EDUCATING RITA), so he’s equally good with performers and top of the line stunts.
I profoundly enjoy ROGER MOORE’S take on JAMES BOND. I’d rank him MUCH HIGHER than CONNERY or LAZENBY but he’d be well below CRAIG, DALTON and BROSNAN in my estimation.
I tend to prefer my BONDS in more serious mode. But I’m fond of Mr. Moore’s dry wit and his terribly arch quips. The fact that he’s nice to look at doesn’t hurt at all either.
MOONRAKER is a fabulously lavish look at that particular time. For my money, it’s also one of the best BOND films of its era.
November 19, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Interesting how our different expectations of the Bond movies and our different preferences for the actors playing him add up to wildly different lists of favorite Bond films.
As I said elsewhere (in different words), the great thing about Bond is that there’s practically one for everyone.
All of this is my diplomatic way of saying I’m not a huge fan of this particular entry. The parachute sequence at the beginning is great, but the Jaws induced humor falls flat for me, plus it kind of felt like they were just trying to hard to capitalize on the success of recent sci-fi movies with the space theme.
I’d never kick a person out of the treehouse over it though….I mean, it’s still Bond and therefore inherently awesome, right?
November 19, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Ah, my hero.
Glad to have you join the party, honey.
I think I understand what you’re saying, Craig.
Really…
“Kick a person out of the treehouse”? Never heard that one before.
Is that anything like kicking someone out of bed for eating crackers…?
November 20, 2008 at 3:19 pm
This was the first Bond film I ever saw. I watched it with my brother when were both young, and I haven’t seen it since. Honestly, I could not tell you a single thing about the plot, but I remember Jaws very well.
November 20, 2008 at 9:51 pm
Hah hah.
k, I would say that JAWS was definitely memorable. Pretty hard to forget a man seven feet tall with metal teeth.
But MOONRAKER doesn’t appear to have left a very vivid impression upon you over all.
I would assume that you really didn’t care for it…?