105 replies to this topic

[Darksideoftheschwartz]

In my opinion Moonraker is the worst bond movie. Some people like it though. Why?

[mccartney007]

Why don't you tell us why you don't like it first?

[Athena007]

Some threads to check out...

CBn Reviews Moonraker

and

I LOVE MOONRAKER

[dinovelvet]

In my opinion Moonraker is the worst bond movie. Some people like it though. Why?

Because we're not all the same? Just a thought.

[Darksideoftheschwartz]

The reasons why I don't like it are

Bad title song

Non menacing villan

Is very confusing the first time you watch it

Way over the top

Horrible compared to the book

Bad plot

[dinovelvet]

Non menacing villan

I will leave the rest of the points for other posters to deal with, but I must take issue with this one. Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax is easily one of the top villains of the entire franchise, you don't need someone to shout or to be seven feet tall to be "menacing". Drax is eerily calm and passive throughout the film, this is the mark of true psychopathy; he's about to annihilate the entire human race and he shows no emotion about it. He kills a woman with a mere snap of his fingers, it is all a scientific, clinical, and almost mundane process to him. Drax's first scene is classic, he's playing a lovely piano concerto, while (presumably) in his head, he's plotting to kill 5 billion people. He then subtly insults Bond, intimidates him with his dogs, and then while sipping some afternoon tea, he casually orders Chang to kill Bond. Brilliant stuff.

[ComplimentsOfSharky]

Bad title song

I want this one. Moonraker is my least favorite actually...but honestly...bad title song?

Certainly Moonraker is one of the best with the haunting romance of DAF and neither the camp of it or Goldfinger. Bassey's vocals are spot on, as always and though it may not entirely suit the mood of the movie, it serves as a serious, classy beacon among campy Roger fun.

[Darksideoftheschwartz]

Okay I'm going to try to say one good thing about Moonraker. That scene where Jaws goes through airport security is pretty funny

[Turn]

Okay I'm going to try to say one good thing about Moonraker. That scene where Jaws goes through airport security is pretty funny

That's the best you could come up with?

And what's so confusing about Moonraker? It may be the most straightforward Bond film of all.

[rnblover1971]

Thanks for asking Darksideoftheschwartz. :-)

Well, a Bond movie that a person likes doesn't necessarily have to be the best one. I do concede that movies like GF or FRWL are GREAT movies and MR pales in comparison to them in an all-around way, but to have a favorite Bond movie takes much more than it just being a GREAT movie. It has to connect with that person in some special way, IMHO.
FRWL and GF didn't do that for me. But MR does.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and if you don't like Moonraker, that's totally fine too Darksideoftheschwartz. I understand that many other people don't like it either. To each Bond fan his/her own. But since you asked why I like it so much (it happens to be my favorite Bond movie), here's why:

- It's a really fun movie that doesn't take itself too seriously.

- Roger Moore looks great as 007 as does Lois Chiles

- Jaws always brings a good combination of laughs and menace

- I love the pre-title sequence where 007 steals a parachute in mid-air

- I love the soundtrack and the title theme (both versions)

- It was the first JB movie I ever saw

- I love the one-liners, especially "I think he's attempting re-entry sir", and "Balls Q?".

I could say these things about other JB movies, but not all of them had ALL these elements that could make them my favorite. :-)

Besides, I grew up in the Roger Moore era, so that also adds to my biased opinion for Moonraker.

Furthermore, I think that back in 1979, it fit perfectly in with the 'just have a good time and dance the night away' 70s. I find it hard to believe that it became a blockbuster (one of the highest grossing Bond movies up until that time) by accident. There must have been something about it that made people want to see it over and over again, and not just out of sheer curiosity.

I know that a lot of people think of Moonraker as the nadir of the series, but I'm still proud to be in the minority when it comes to liking this movie.

I love this movie and it was the first JB I ever bought on VHS.

So there you have it. I can't really explain in detail why I like it, but hey, watching it always, brings a smile to my face.

Thanks for asking.

[Bon-san]

Okay I'm going to try to say one good thing about Moonraker. That scene where Jaws goes through airport security is pretty funny

That explains a lot.

[Righty007]

In my opinion Moonraker is the worst bond movie. Some people like it though. Why?

I love Moonraker! You don't like Moonraker because your favorite James Bond film is The Man With The Golden Gun. Many fans (including me) think that The Man With The Golden Gun is garbage. I think once you've seen all 20 James Bond films, you'll learn to appreciate Moonraker.

[Quartermaster007]

Well Moonraker is the funniest Bond movie.

[Janus Assassin]

I also like Moonraker. Yes I know it is over the top once it hits Outer Space. But the space laser battle is always fun to watch. It's James Bond, it's supposed to take you out of the whole "out of reality" thing for a few hours. IMO, when it comes to James Bond it should not be like "Oh that could never happen or that could never happen in real life." It's fantasy and thats whats so good about it.

[Qwerty]

Is very confusing the first time you watch it

What?! How, exactly?

Moonraker is perhaps the most underrated James Bond film in the series. Often cited as being too humourous, too "out of this world", filled with too much fantasy and other things like so, I think this is without a doubt one of the best James Bond films in the entire canon.

This is Roger Moore as James Bond. He looks the part and acts well alongside Bond girl Lois Chiles and villain Michael Lonsdale. While there is alot of comedy in this film compared to some of the others, it doesn't detract from the story or film itself much at all.

Hugo Drax has, perhaps, the very best lines of any character in any James Bond film, thanks to some sharp writing by Christopher Wood:

"Look after Mr. Bond, see that some harm comes to him."

"Observe Mr. Bond, your route from this world to the next."

"You're not a sportsman Mr. Bond, why did you break off the encounter with my pet python?"

"Mr. Bond, you appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season."

...and many more. He is an excellent villain who has a quiet menace about him. One of the very best in the series.

Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead is also sorely underrated. She's an intelligent Bond girl who doesn't immediately fall for Bond's charm, making her very interesting as the film progresses. The scene between Bond and herself in the hotel room is excellent.

The action sequence between Chang and Bond in the glass museum is also rather amusing.

Moving on, we come to John Barry's score. The best, quite simply. Melodic cues in the space scenes, a terrific '007' Theme appearance, a strong theme on the whole running through the film and simply terrific on all fronts. It's a shame it is not better represented on the official soundtrack.

Shirley Bassey's title song is also my personal favorite of the bunch by far. Whether it's the main theme of the disco end-title, it never ceases to be the best. Furthermore, it's also matched with my favorite main-title sequence designed by master Maurice Binder in the film. The deep blue backdrops and acrobat women flying throughout are perfect.

Moonraker seems to have become regarded in a higher fashion lately, and I hope more fans come to enjoy it for the outstanding Bond adventure it is.

[Qwerty]

What don't you like about Shirley Bassey's title song as well?

[bryonalston]

I don't think that you're giving MR a chance here. Like the other black sheep movie of the series AVTAK, MR is judged on comparison to others, which is a big mistake. When MR is watched by itself, without comparison to any of the past 007 flicks, it's a very impressive achievement. However, when compared to movies like FRWL or TB, of course the movie pales in comparison due to overall quality, even though MR has a lot of things to offer that many of the other "great" (which is relative) movies of the series do not:
-MR has one of the best scores of the entire series,
-Hugo Drax (as highlighted above) is one of the series' best villains, mainly because he didn't need to be some fat slob or some mad scientist who loves white pussycats to be menacing as hell
-Drax had a great plot. While it wasn't necessarily down-to-earth (far from it, in fact,) it was well thought out and well crafted.
-MR contains the MOST exotic locations in one Bond film. No Bond film can touch MR when it comes to showcasing France, Venice, Rio de Janeiro and environs and even *outer space.* The breathtaking locales do not come across as gratuitous and are so magnificantly showcased that it's impossible not to have your breath taken away (especially when compared to some of the shoddy, dull locales showcased in TMWTGG (with the exception of Phuket))

In the past, I've said that you can't judge all Bond films on the same scale, meaning that you can't compare a film like LALD to GF. Both are entirely different movies that offer completely different things (it's like comparing the main Bond actors; Moore, Connery and Dalton all brought completely different things to the table that the others lacked...they can't be fairly compared.) In short, while MR might not be the best Bond film, it certainly has a lot to offer, as opposed to trash like TMWTGG, which barely scrapes the bottom of the barrel as far as I'm concerned.

[Turn]

It may have gotten crushed (but look at the competition!) in this Internet Movie Database poll, but somebody thought enough of it to include it in with the biggest blockbusters of the '70s.
http://www.imdb.com/...ults/2005-11-14

[Loomis]

You don't like Moonraker because your favorite James Bond film is The Man With The Golden Gun.

Hmmm.... well, my favourite James Bond film is also THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, and yet I like MOONRAKER. A lot.

[Colossus]

I wish they stuck to the book rather than cash in on the Star Wars craze.

[Streetworker]

In my opinion Moonraker is the worst bond movie. Some people like it though. Why?

Er, because such judgments are entirely subjective?

A friend of mine swears that Moonraker is his favourite Bond movie - by far - and won't have a word said against it. I, personally, don't agree (although I'd rather watch Moonraker than Thunderball which I happen to find the dreariest official Bond), but my opinion is no more valid than his - or anyone else's. End of.

Edited by Streetworker, 17 November 2005 - 09:15 AM.

[David Schofield]

Hey, Moonrake is a great film for settling down on the sofa with on Christmas afternoon after perhaps a little too much food and certainly too much wine.

Bit like most of Roger's, YOLT, DAF, NSNA - great entertainment, totally inoffensive - and absolutely crap (as films about Ian Fleming).

[Streetworker]

I wish they stuck to the book rather than cash in on the Star Wars craze.

But the basic plot of the book - villain changes appearance/nationality; creates a super weapon ostensibly for good; plans to use said weapon against the West - forms the backbone of DAD (which is one of the reasons I enjoyed DAD). But look how DAD gets dumped on by some fans.

Had every Bond film been the same in mood, I doubt the series would have limped past 1965. Look at FRWL and Goldfinger; two utterly different movies. Some Bonds are more serious than others; some are camp (DAF), some are straightforward and character-driven(FRWL, OHMSS, TWINE) and some are outlandish (YOLT, TSWLM, MR, DAD). This variety has ensured the series' longevity, but it inevitably means one likes some entries better than others - and that, as I state above, is entirely subjective.

And, as Bond's rather clumsy line in Moonraker claims, "That's what makes it more exciting, doesn't it?"

Edited by Streetworker, 17 November 2005 - 09:16 AM.

[Streetworker]

Hey, Moonrake is a great film for settling down on the sofa with on Christmas afternoon after perhaps a little too much food and certainly too much wine.

Bit like most of Roger's, YOLT, DAF, NSNA - great entertainment, totally inoffensive - and absolutely crap (as films about Ian Fleming).

Boy, you don't often see "NSNA" and "great entertainment" in the same sentence.

[David Schofield]

Hey, Moonrake is a great film for settling down on the sofa with on Christmas afternoon after perhaps a little too much food and certainly too much wine.

Bit like most of Roger's, YOLT, DAF, NSNA - great entertainment, totally inoffensive - and absolutely crap (as films about Ian Fleming).

Boy, you don't often see "NSNA" and "great entertainment" in the same sentence.

Well, I did say "after certainly too much wine"... That's what booze was invented for, wasn't it, to make disappointing rubbish seem entertaining?

[SecretAgentFan]

Just have to address all of them...

The reasons why I don't like it are

Bad title song

Non menacing villan

Is very confusing the first time you watch it

Way over the top

Horrible compared to the book

Bad plot

- Bad title song? Try great and one of the best title songs: haunting melody, great vocal performance, gets you right into the mood for intrigue and fantasy.

- Non menacing villain? Hey, Lonsdale is one of the most menacing villains ever. Not because he is physically imposing but because he really is a cold-blooded maniac behind his gentleman

[SecretAgentFan]

Hey, Moonrake is a great film for settling down on the sofa with on Christmas afternoon after perhaps a little too much food and certainly too much wine.

Bit like most of Roger's, YOLT, DAF, NSNA - great entertainment, totally inoffensive - and absolutely crap (as films about Ian Fleming).

Boy, you don't often see "NSNA" and "great entertainment" in the same sentence.

Well, I did say "after certainly too much wine"... That's what booze was invented for, wasn't it, to make disappointing rubbish seem entertaining?

Disappointing rubbish?

... Cleaning woman? CLEANING WOMAN?

[Loomis]

Hey, Moonrake is a great film for settling down on the sofa with on Christmas afternoon after perhaps a little too much food and certainly too much wine.

Bit like most of Roger's, YOLT, DAF, NSNA - great entertainment, totally inoffensive - and absolutely crap (as films about Ian Fleming).

Absolutely right about MOONRAKER, David. I wouldn't call any of those films Fleming-free zones, although, yes, as films about Ian Fleming, they are indeed crap.

[Streetworker]

Is very confusing the first time you watch it

What?! How, exactly?

Moonraker is perhaps the most underrated James Bond film in the series. Often cited as being too humourous, too "out of this world", filled with too much fantasy and other things like so, I think this is without a doubt one of the best James Bond films in the entire canon.

This is Roger Moore as James Bond. He looks the part and acts well alongside Bond girl Lois Chiles and villain Michael Lonsdale. While there is alot of comedy in this film compared to some of the others, it doesn't detract from the story or film itself much at all.

Hugo Drax has, perhaps, the very best lines of any character in any James Bond film, thanks to some sharp writing by Christopher Wood:

"Look after Mr. Bond, see that some harm comes to him."

"Observe Mr. Bond, your route from this world to the next."

"You're not a sportsman Mr. Bond, why did you break off the encounter with my pet python?"

"Mr. Bond, you appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season."

...and many more. He is an excellent villain who has a quiet menace about him. One of the very best in the series.

Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead is also sorely underrated. She's an intelligent Bond girl who doesn't immediately fall for Bond's charm, making her very interesting as the film progresses. The scene between Bond and herself in the hotel room is excellent.

The action sequence between Chang and Bond in the glass museum is also rather amusing.

Moving on, we come to John Barry's score. The best, quite simply. Melodic cues in the space scenes, a terrific '007' Theme appearance, a strong theme on the whole running through the film and simply terrific on all fronts. It's a shame it is not better represented on the official soundtrack.

Shirley Bassey's title song is also my personal favorite of the bunch by far. Whether it's the main theme of the disco end-title, it never ceases to be the best. Furthermore, it's also matched with my favorite main-title sequence designed by master Maurice Binder in the film. The deep blue backdrops and acrobat women flying throughout are perfect.

Moonraker seems to have become regarded in a higher fashion lately, and I hope more fans come to enjoy it for the outstanding Bond adventure it is.

I agree. Moonraker is slowly beginning to be appreciated more. Just like OHMSS before it, and Licence To Kill after it. I have no doubt that TWINE will come next, followed by DAD...

"Outstanding"? well, not quite for me - unless in the sense of standing out from the rest. But enjoyable, nonetheless. Moonraker is silly, occasionally childish; outlandish; overblown; has too much slapstick; castrates the character of Jaws dramatically... blah-de-blah-de-blah.

But, d'you what? For me, all its minus points are negated by one big plus...

It's fun...!!!

[Darksideoftheschwartz]

In my opinion Moonraker is the worst bond movie. Some people like it though. Why?

I love Moonraker! You don't like Moonraker because your favorite James Bond film is The Man With The Golden Gun. Many fans (including me) think that The Man With The Golden Gun is garbage. I think once you've seen all 20 James Bond films, you'll learn to appreciate Moonraker.

I just put that down without thinking about it that much. I also love the Connery films and Live and Let Die just as much as I Love The Man with the Golden Gun.