75 replies to this topic

[hrabb04]

The best things about Golden Gun...
Chris Lee is almost always singled out as one of the best villains. I happen to agree.
Guy Hamilton's last Bond film. Thank God he didn't direct another.
John Barry proved he can still put out a score in just 2 weeks, and it isn't half bad.

The bad....
Roger Moore proves again that he was miscast as James Bond. He is a total buffoon here. Lee's villain is so good, you end up almost rooting for him against this putz they got playing oo7. Connery's presence was just being screamed out for in this movie. It would have been more of an even match. Connery's age would have given some tension to the story, which was there in the book...yes, the book they forgot to adapt. In the book you had an aging, not at the top of his game Bond who was sent up against this top of the line marksman. Who will win? 1974 Connery would have nailed this perfectly, especially if he had a real director like Terence Young there to guide things along.
Roger was never convincing as the physical Bond. I just wish they could have gotten someone who looked like they could handle themselves in a fight. Lazenby had that in spades. Moore didn't. Watching the documentary on the Live and Let Die DVD, you see how scrawny Moore is. The guy is a pipsqueak in the fight scenes. They look so obviously choreographed that you laugh at the absurdity of it all. Look at how he handles the goons in the alley in New York City in Live and Let Die. Those guys are falling on the ground before Moore does his stupid fight moves that he does.
And finally, how in the hell can some of you guys go ga-ga over characters like Jaws and Sheriff JW Pepper and then comment on how bad Brosnan's movies are? Hell, even Wade has more believability than these two idiots. Every time I read about how some of you think Moore's movies are Flemingesque, I have to just shake my head. I guess if you look hard enough, you can see a little Fleming in the works of all 7 or 8 Police Academy movies, too....if you look hard enough, I suppose.

[Loomis]

[quote]Connery's presence was just being screamed out for in this movie.

[hrabb04]

In an alternate universe, I see Connery being made an equal partner in EON after DAF, and they do a gritty adaptation of Live and Let Die, followed by Golden Gun. Connery and Lee go head to head after the thing on the train, which could have been a nice parallel to From Russia With Love, and then Connery does the gunplay with Lee, and kills him, despite being wounded himself. This could have closed out the Connery era a whole lot better than what we got stuck with. End it with Connery making out with Goodnight in his hospital bed, and we fade out. Would that have ended the series? Maybe for a couple of years, but we would have been spared idiocy like Moonraker, which I could have done without. I would have rather seen gritty, faithful Fleming than the turds we got stuck with.

[Donovan]

I look at TMWTGG as evidence that the series at this point was getting tired and needed some re-organization. This film doesn't really deliver a satisfying and engaging story, and most of the characters (with the exception of Scaramanga and Andrea) are not particularly interesting. The film lacks scope. Although the cooling lab is impressive, it's really just a re-hash of Dr. No's radiation plant. In past films you have Aston Martins and Ford Mustangs. In this film you have an AMC Hornet. It closes out the first era of Bond films with a sigh before Broccoli could officially go it alone and inject modern production values into the series. It's nice to see Ted Moore's photography one last time, if only for old time's sake.

[HawkEye007]

I think two main things could have been dropped from TMWTGG to make it a better movie.

First off, the whole Solex Agitator plotline. I first saw the movie when I was kid and it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the movie. I'm grown-up now and it still doesn't seem to fit. The movie should have focused on duel of wits between Bond and Scaramanga. O07 having to hunt down Scaramanga in order to keep him from getting the upperhand would have worked fine. Now that might not have done much for the film, but it might have changed something.

The second thing that should have been dropped is JW Pepper. His character made sense in LALD, because they were in Louisiana and he was a local sheriff. But it was ludicrious to have Bond just happen to run into Pepper in Thailand and go on a car chase with him. It just made no sense what so ever. 007 on that car chase by himself would have been fine.

My final verdict, is that TMWTGG could have been a lot better, but extraneous plots and characters weighed it down too much.

[Turn]

I look at TMWTGG as evidence that the series at this point was getting tired and needed some re-organization. This film doesn't really deliver a satisfying and engaging story, and most of the characters (with the exception of Scaramanga and Andrea) are not particularly interesting. The film lacks scope. Although the cooling lab is impressive, it's really just a re-hash of Dr. No's radiation plant. In past films you have Aston Martins and Ford Mustangs. In this film you have an AMC Hornet. It closes out the first era of Bond films with a sigh before Broccoli could officially go it alone and inject modern production values into the series. It's nice to see Ted Moore's photography one last time, if only for old time's sake.

So what did they come up with -- a return to the formula widescreen caper which is a virtual retread of YOLT with different locations and several other moments lifted from other previous Bond films. The only really original moment in TSWLM is the ski jump in the precredits.

[Genrewriter]

I think two main things could have been dropped from TMWTGG to make it a better movie.

First off, the whole Solex Agitator plotline.  I first saw the movie when I was kid and it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the movie.  I'm grown-up now and it still doesn't seem to fit.  The movie should have focused on duel of wits between Bond and Scaramanga.  O07 having to hunt down Scaramanga in order to keep him from getting the upperhand would have worked fine.  Now that might not have done much for the film, but it might have changed something.

The second thing that should have been dropped is JW Pepper.  His character made sense in LALD, because they were in Louisiana and he was a local sheriff.  But it was ludicrious to have Bond just happen to run into Pepper in Thailand and go on a car chase with him.  It just made no sense what so ever.  007 on that car chase by himself would have been fine.

My final verdict, is that TMWTGG could have been a lot better, but extraneous plots and characters weighed it down too much.

That's pretty much where I stand as well but I'd also toss out Nick Nack and take the humor down a notch or two. As it stands, the film is more of a guilty pleasure for me.

[Janus Assassin]

I think two main things could have been dropped from TMWTGG to make it a better movie.

First off, the whole Solex Agitator plotline.  I first saw the movie when I was kid and it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the movie.  I'm grown-up now and it still doesn't seem to fit.  The movie should have focused on duel of wits between Bond and Scaramanga.  O07 having to hunt down Scaramanga in order to keep him from getting the upperhand would have worked fine.  Now that might not have done much for the film, but it might have changed something.

The second thing that should have been dropped is JW Pepper.  His character made sense in LALD, because they were in Louisiana and he was a local sheriff.  But it was ludicrious to have Bond just happen to run into Pepper in Thailand and go on a car chase with him.  It just made no sense what so ever.  007 on that car chase by himself would have been fine.

My final verdict, is that TMWTGG could have been a lot better, but extraneous plots and characters weighed it down too much.

I agree 100% with that Hawk. I never really did get the plot of the movie. Something about the Solex. Didn't it have something to do with Scaramanga wanting to sell it, but what did he have to gain? Pepper should not have been in it. Moore was not serious about Bond, he cracked way too many jokes. Nick Nack doesn't bother me, he was quite a unique villian. Andrea should have been the leading lady instead of Goodnight. M shouldn't have said "Bring Miss Goodnight with you." Thanks to him TMWTGG is what it is." I take TMWTGG as a fun but not a serious Bond movie.

[Loomis]

I never really did get the plot of the movie. Something about the Solex. Didn't it have something to do with Scaramanga wanting to sell it, but what did he have to gain?

Erm.... money?

Still, I presume your point is that he seemed to be "doing okay" anyway ("At a million dollars a hit I can afford to"). Then again, Max Zorin appeared to be swimming in money, and still he wanted to "end.... the domination.... of Silicon Valley".

What the heck, it's a Bond film - you're not looking for character or motivation, are you? Hey, your real name isn't Barbara Broccoli, is it?

M shouldn't have said "Bring Miss Goodnight with you."

Eh? Why not? What's wrong with that line? (Can't remember offhand whereabouts in the film it comes, so I'm not seeing the context here.)

I think Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn all do their best, funniest work in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

[Janus Assassin]

I know that Scaramanga would have gotten money (I'm stupid.. but I'm not that stupid) but the thing is what would have happend after that especially with his solar powered laser. He uses the solex to power that weapon after harnessing the sun radiation. But if he sold the Solex, he couldn't use it.

Eh? Why not? What's wrong with that line? (Can't remember offhand whereabouts in the film it comes, so I'm not seeing the context here.)

I never said that there was anything wrong with that line. It was M's orders to bring Goodnight with Bond to Thailand. What I meant was that Bond should not have brought Goodnight with him (because of the fact that people think bad of her that her role should have been smaller and that Andrea should have been the leading lady) (M said it during the briefing in that half sunk ship thing)

Q's role was pretty good in the movie after his absence in LALD
Moneypenny had a very small role only with a few lines of dialogue
M's role was OK, but he never hesistated to critisize Bond of his foul-ups

[Scottlee]

I like the film, but it's not as good as most of the others. The most notable thing it lacks are villains. There's only Scaramanga it seems, and you can hardly count Maud Adams (I forget the character name), Nick-Nack, or Hai Fat as posing much of a threat. Compare this situation with the previous Bond film, LALD, where you had Mr Big, Whisper, Tee-hee, Baron Samedi, and Adams.

The Bond women in TMWTGG are fine to look at, but Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight can all too often become annoying. It's hard to imagine she could actually be a real CIA agent. I wish the producers would have toned her character down a bit. Same goes for Sheriff Pepper. I've no objection to him being in the film, but his voice his way too screechy at too many points. Tone it down a touch.

My favourite bit in the film is when Bond escapes from Hai Fat's karate school, but how ridiculous is it to then watch two teenage girls beat up an entire army of ninja's? Then, to add insult to injury, they and their uncle, having initially driven all the way to that school to rescue Bond, then drive off without him rather than wait an extra few seconds for him to open the backseat door.

[HawkEye007]

Wasn't Goodnight an MI6 agent? Hence why M sent her to Thailand with 007. Either way, I couldn't see her being a MI6 operative or a CIA operative for that matter. She was decent eye candy, but she wasn't too bright.

[CharlieBind]

By the way, I loved JW Pepper in this movie. He had only one purpose, to amuse and he certainly made me laugh.

[Loomis]

Right, CharlieBind. Why do people rip into J.W. Pepper but give Jaws a pass? Why does Mary Goodnight get slammed but the even more laughable Anya Amasova doesn't? Why don't the Bond fans who complain about Britt Ekland's performance point out that Jane Seymour is pretty darn wooden in LIVE AND LET DIE? Why does THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN get stick for its supposedly shoddy production values but no one comments on the cheap and tacky look of LALD?

[Max Zorin]

Is TMWTGG the one where Mi6 has temporary headquarters in an old submarine?

[Qwerty]

Is TMWTGG the one where Mi6 has temporary headquarters in an old submarine?

Correct.

[Loomis]

Is TMWTGG the one where Mi6 has temporary headquarters in an old submarine?

Correct.

Incorrect.

[Mister Asterix]

Is TMWTGG the one where Mi6 has temporary headquarters in an old submarine?

Correct.

Incorrect.

Correct that it is incorrect.

[Qwerty]

My mistake.

[HawkEye007]

Isn't the headquarters in a half submerged oceanliner or freight ship?

[Mister Asterix]

Isn't the headquarters in a half submerged oceanliner or freight ship?

[mra]It

[freemo]

The Man with the Golden Gun- flawed gem or chaotic mess?

Can't it be both?

[Qwerty]

The Man with the Golden Gun- flawed gem or chaotic mess?

Can't it be both?

I'm sure it could be. Merely a title that might divide fans of it, Freemo.

[Max Zorin]

[quote name='Mister Asterix' date='26 October 2004 - 16:14'][quote name='HawkEye007' date='26 October 2004 - 14:59']Isn't the headquarters in a half submerged oceanliner or freight ship?

[/quote]

[mra]It

[The Next Bond]

The good - Christopher Lee.

The bad - everything else.

It's a shambles, it really is.

[Qwerty]

[quote name='Max Zorin' date='27 October 2004 - 09:49'][quote name='Mister Asterix' date='26 October 2004 - 16:14'][quote name='HawkEye007' date='26 October 2004 - 14:59']Isn't the headquarters in a half submerged oceanliner or freight ship?

[/quote]

[mra]It

[Scottlee]

There are still plenty of good points, despite my negative post..

- Scarmanga is wonderful (the obvious one)
- bond at the karate school is entertaining to watch, and well chereographed.
- The pre-credits sequence is a masterstroke in intrigue, and pays a nice homage to FRWL without actually copying it verbatim.
- The music to TMWTGG is delightful, on the whole. I'm in the grouop of people who actually like the main theme tune.
- The storyline is down to earth and believable, one of only about 5 or 6 times this has happened (I'm guessing without counting).
- Moore is in his cool 'Serious' Bond mode for much of the film, especially near the beginning and the end.
- How much more Bondian can you get than the sight of 007 sailing away on a junk with a beautiful blonde inside? Wonderful climaxing note.
- Q gets a nice change of track in this one. Instead of merely providing a gadget to Bond and telling him to get his hands off his lunch etc, he actually helps Bond solves a minor piece of detective work (finding out the origin of the bullet).

[JiveTurkey]

I too wonder why so many people underrate this film. It's probably my fourth favourite in the series. John Barry's soundtrack is excellent, especially after considering he only had two weeks to make it. The title song probably rates as one of the worst in the series, after NSNA. I found the story to be thouroughly entertaining throughout, and I like it's uniqueness as being one of the slower paced films in the series - not everything has to be about world domination and big explosions. The return of J.W. Pepper wasn't the best idea, especially when he joins Bond in the car chase, and aside from the sound-effect used for the films signature stunt, there's little else to complainm about in the film. The locales, the actors, everything about the film just shines. It certainly has a few bad points but so does every other film in the series.

Someone mentioned that Syd Cain did the production design for this film, when it was actually Peter Murton from memory.

[freemo]

I think that The Man with the Golden Gun (both the book and the film) is a victim of it's own interesting premise. A hitman, with talents equal to that of Bond, armed with a "Golden Gun" is such an intriguing idea with so many wonderful possibilites, that whatever is produced from it is destined to be a bit of a disapointment.

Watching the films for the first time, Golden Gun was one of the ones I was most keen on seeing, and about the only one that I was let down by.

[licensetostudy]

Perhaps the biggest flaw in Goldn Gun is that the only person whose not annoying, is likable, and that you root for is Scaramanga. The other characters are either not very smart, or just grouchy. M and Moneypenny for who knows what reason are always in rotten moods, and Bond is also very unlikable at times even though I too would have pushed that kid off the motor boat. Mary Goodnight is not among the smart and strong women such as Goodhead or Wai Lin. I don't mind Nick Nack, and I like his sneaky approach to the funhouse. Everything is just business to Scaramanga and his calmness suggests he is confident and is only concerned with whatever happens after a hit. I didn't really want to see this guy killed by Bond, and was hoping(yeah, I know Bond has to win in the end) that Scaramanga would continue his successful career as a hit man and energy specıalıst.