33 replies to this topic

[YOLT]

Allright, The Spy Who Loved Me versus Moonraker, what do you think?

I think that Moonraker, until the Jaws-blue eyed girl love scene, is one of the best films of the Bond series. I really couldnt like TSWLM like other people, I mean most do:) I think TSWLM is overrated and I am going with MR.

[Bondian]

The Spy Who Loved Me.

I love them both, and I cannot really explain why I like one from the other, except, both are in the middle of Roger's reign, and they're both very simular in quality.

We go from beneath the sea, to out of space.

[IndyB007]

TSWLM

[Qwerty]

The Spy Who Loved Me, but both are my top two.

[mccartney007]

I was a die-hard TSWLM fan for quite sometime and I still do love it, but over the last couple years I've come to like MOONRAKER more. And I think Roger looks great in it -- particularly the scenes in Rio where he's wearing his tuxedo.

[Baril]

The Spy Who Loved Me. I like Moonraker too but the Jaws love scene is just awful.

[zencat]

Spy is clearly the superior movie, but Moonraker is a great Bond film, better than most!

[JackLordIsFelix]

Both are fantastic visually. But TSWLM is superior in just about every other way: acting, dialogue, action. Funny how in a lot of way they're the same movie; TSWLM is just as silly in places as MR but -- for whatever reason -- it works better in TSWLM.

[License To Kill]

TSWLM, 'nuff said.

[Blofeld's Cat]

The Spy Who Loved Me is my favourite Bond movie, but Moonraker is up there in my top 5 as well.

[right idea, wrong pussy]

Both are fantastic visually. But TSWLM is superior in just about every other way: acting, dialogue, action. Funny how in a lot of way they're the same movie; TSWLM is just as silly in places as MR but -- for whatever reason -- it works better in TSWLM.

Couldn't agree more, JackLordIsFelix. TSWLM manages to have a good deal of suspence and tension to it(does anyone NOT jump when they first see the scene where Anya opens up her closet to find Jaws?). MR looks great, but there's far too much of a lounge lizard atmosphere about it. Even Moore, who I love as Bond, turns in a slightly subpar performance as Bond. He's too smarmy and self-assured to the point of almost being annoying. Much of the rest of the movie is too lazy or too silly.

TSWLM is about 6 or 7 on my list of favorite Bonds. I really like it. MR is somewhere around number 15 (out of 22 movies). It's enjoyable enough, but the individual laughs don't add up to a great movie.

[Bon-san]

Really like 'em both. Both films feature some of the best location scenery in the series, and excellent production design. Edge to TSWLM--less silly, more tension.

[[dark]]

I've always felt that The Spy Who Loved Me is overrated, but the last couple of viewings has seen the film slowly creeping up my rankings [some of the special effects are really quite ambitious for their time!].

That said, Moonraker is the film I'll often turn to for two hours of escapist hokum, so I'm gonna go with that.

[007forever]

It's a no brainer.

The Spy Who Loved Me. full stop.

[Kingdom Come]

I believe the reason or one reason why The Spy Who Loved Me is considered the 'better' of the two is because it came BEFORE Moonraker. If Moonraker came before Spy it would have been the favourite. (Both similar stories) Spy had lots of things going for it, in particular coming off the relative failure of Golden Gun and the break with Saltzman, it was very obviously the 1st film that was beefed up.

I love them both and both are probably the best examples of how Bond films should be. But I choose Moonraker as it is soooooooooooooooooo beautiful.

[Qwerty]

I love them both and both are probably the best examples of how Bond films should be. But I choose Moonraker as it is soooooooooooooooooo beautiful.

So true! That film looks terrific in so many scenes.

[Loomis]

Spy is clearly the superior movie, but Moonraker is a great Bond film, better than most! 

Agreed.

[Scottlee]

TSWLM wins hands down, but it would probably be a very close call if Moonraker was a bit more polished in certain areas (I.e whenever Jaws is on screen and looking silly).

Edited by Scottlee, 26 March 2005 - 04:58 PM.

[Taro Todoroki]

They are both close but Spy is more even, the last 30 minutes of Moonraker seem to drag. Making Jaws silly in several scenes does not help either.

[hrabb04]

Hmmm, one of them is sort of a James Bond movie, the other is a Buck Rogers movie...which one shall I ever pick?

[Mazinkaiser]

I love them both, but Spy is better than Moonraker.

[Janus Assassin]

I love both films but the edge slightly goes to The Spy Who Loved Me because the comedy could have toned down and good action scenes were ruined by Jaws and oh Anya is so damn fine.

[Mr. Somerset]

TSWLM is close to being my fave film. Roger is right on target this time.

[00Twelve]

Yeah, Spy is head and shoulders above Moonraker. If for no other reason, it is the original film. Moonraker is a remake of Spy. (Which, I guess, is a remake of YOLT...)

And besides, Moonraker didn't even attempt to be subtle in its outlandishness. I mean, we all bought Jaws, in both films, but look at Moonraker's centrifuge scene. If you were strapped into a NASA style centrifuge and some little trim Asian guy in a kimono is devilishly eyeballing you as he takes over for the real operator, wouldn't you just KNOW something was up? Great costume design choice, guys.

I'll take Wet Nellie over the Bondola any day of the week.

[Righty007]

The Spy Who Loved Me

I thought a poll would be a nice addition to this thread.

[Skudor]

I voted Moonraker, mainly because TSWLM is too obvious a choice given Moonraker's space extravaganza. Moonraker sports one of the serie's best villains and a really good story. It's only flaw, going to space, was really well executed and looks realistic for the most part. Jaws and his little girlfriend are an annoyance, but not that bad.

[Turn]

And besides, Moonraker didn't even attempt to be subtle in its outlandishness. I mean, we all bought Jaws, in both films, but look at Moonraker's centrifuge scene. If you were strapped into a NASA style centrifuge and some little trim Asian guy in a kimono is devilishly eyeballing you as he takes over for the real operator, wouldn't you just KNOW something was up? Great costume design choice, guys.

The centrifuge scene was one of the best in the film. I may be wrong, but I didn't think Bond saw Chang nor had he even met him by that point in the film. Bond's reaction and shaken appearance after getting out of the centrifuge was a refreshing change from the obvious quip. If anything kind of spoils the scene it't that he uses a handy gadget to stop the machine rather than his wits.

[DLibrasnow]

The Spy Who Loved Me - No real contest here.

Moonraker was headed to be one of the best of the series until 007arrived in Venice. Everything from then just went loopy with Jaws romantic comedy, Bond in a silly gondala turned hovercraft, Bond going into space.

The 1977 movie is far superior and I'm in good company - both John Glen and Roger Moore are on record as saying this movie is the best of the series. The stunts are solid (including the original parachute saving precredits), the music fun, the characters compelling and Jaws is actually a bad guy. I also think that Barbara Bach is the hottest Bond girl ever.

Moonraker would have been much better if they had stuck closer to the Christopher Wood screenplay.

[00Twelve]

I agree, Turn, the centrifuge scene is great, but Chang in his costume at a centrifuge provided that *little something* that drove the scene into COMPLETE fantasy (maybe I should see that as more of a plus...). I'm sorry, I just have to laugh at poor little Chang looking ridiculous in his kimono that he would probably have worn to Siberia if Drax had told him to go. Don't get me wrong, I do love that centrifuge scene, though.

For me, the most 'serious' scene in the film, the one that looked most like Fleming could have dreamed it up, is that simple scene in which Corrine gets run down by the dobermans. That is one of my favorite little scenes.

[Turn]

I agree, Turn, the centrifuge scene is great, but Chang in his costume at a centrifuge provided that *little something* that drove the scene into COMPLETE fantasy (maybe I should see that as more of a plus...). I'm sorry, I just have to laugh at poor little Chang looking ridiculous in his kimono that he would probably have worn to Siberia if Drax had told him to go. Don't get me wrong, I do love that centrifuge scene, though.

For me, the most 'serious' scene in the film, the one that looked most like Fleming could have dreamed it up, is that simple scene in which Corrine gets run down by the dobermans. That is one of my favorite little scenes.

Yeah, he does kind of stand out in that kimono. And wouldn't a highly trained agent such as Goodhead have smelled some kind of possible trouble at that moment?

The Corrine and the dobermans scene is also a great scene. It seems so out of place in a film that has Jaws and Dolly running into each others' arms.