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Moonraker- Greatest Bond movie ever?


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#31 Zen Razor

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Posted 04 June 2014 - 03:51 AM

I'm not sure I can say it's the best but I can definitely say it's one of the underrated ones. I have to go with Casino Royale to take this spot. I just loved that film completely it had a mixture of everything.



#32 00Twelve

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Posted 04 June 2014 - 05:18 PM

Moonraker is ridiculous.

 

And glorious. :)



#33 Double Naught spy

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Posted 07 June 2014 - 01:41 AM

Moonraker was my "first", so it will always have a soft spot in my heart. 

 

Is it the best?  Compelling points have certain been made, but it ultimately comes down to the eye of the beholder...  or, what exactly is it that a 007 fan looks for in a Bond film?  For me, a couple of things I'm (still to this day) impressed with in Moonraker that make it better-than-average:

 

1) The freakin' over-the-top pre-credits scene in which the powers-that-be actually had the balls (can I say that here?) to have our hero fly!  Sure, the scene falls (no pun intended) apart when Jaws flaps his arms like a bird and lands into the circus trapeze net, but that was as cool (if not more so!) as when Brosnan jumped off the cliff to catch up with the plane in Goldeneye!  If nothing else, it was a response to the Union Jack parachute escape in The Spy Who Loved Me.  Tag line - This time around, we've made sure 007 isn't wearing a parachute!

 

2) Roger Moore's ultra-serious performance of a man who just faced death in the face after getting out of the sabotaged G-Force machine.  Smack-dab in the middle of this over-the-top movie, someone had the good sense to "dial back" the levity a bit.  That scene is arguably up there with Sir Roger's (all-to-rare) 'serious' scenes like telling Agent XXX the way the game is played in the spy world in The Spy Who Loved Me or kicking Locque's car  off the cliff in For Your Eyes Only

 

I don't know if I'd say Moonraker is "the best", but I always enjoy it and, equally admire it's spunk.


Edited by Double Naught spy, 07 June 2014 - 01:43 AM.


#34 Iceskater101

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Posted 10 June 2014 - 02:21 AM

I understand that everyone has a different idea about James Bond and who there "Bond" is and what their favorite Bond movie is, but I hated this Bond movie.. I didn't like how that one woman got mauled by dogs.



#35 Professor Pi

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Posted 15 June 2014 - 06:42 PM

I understand that everyone has a different idea about James Bond and who there "Bond" is and what their favorite Bond movie is, but I hated this Bond movie.. I didn't like how that one woman got mauled by dogs.

 

That scene is the most haunting of all Bond films, with Barry's score almost elegaic, and a tragic ending to the sexiest Bond Woman of all, Corrine Clery.  I seem to remember reading about her working with a foundation saving animals, but maybe not as I can't find traces of that on the internet.



#36 sharpshooter

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Posted 16 June 2014 - 07:24 AM

Moonraker is amazing and one of the reasons why I love James Bond. We can have dark and mean seriousness in LTK, and fun adventure in MR. The pre-title sequence is one of the best, seriously. Bassey's song is good, along with Barry's score. Ken Adam does what he does best, and the locations, particularly Rio, are lovely. Hugo Drax is one of the finest villains, and with some terrific dialogue. Above all, I really enjoy Moonraker. It's a good time with more depth than some people give it credit for.


Edited by sharpshooter, 16 June 2014 - 07:31 AM.


#37 glidrose

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Posted 16 June 2014 - 06:36 PM

One of the best, sure. It #4 for me and my fave Moore Bond film.



#38 Monsieur Scaramanga

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Posted 16 June 2014 - 09:10 PM

Just was thinking how no one can just agree what the best Bond movie is: is it frwl? ohmss? gf? cr? Or quintessential , dn? gf? tswlm? ge? Every Bond you tout as something someone else comes in saying why it's not quite the best…. this is where Moonraker comes in. The worst someone says about this one is that it is "over the top". Except when someone says this about another Bond movie, like Goldfinger being over the top, this is an apparent reaction against the more down to earth Dr. No or FRWL, or Goldeneye when it is compared to the "down to earth" Daltons, while those better movies face their own never-ending circle of which is better of them.

 

About the other over the top movies, they all also have something to "prove", Goldfinger was trying to top its predecessors as really only the 3rd Bond but now since everyone sees how those predecessors needed no topping, so it is currently mired in this Bond-swamp now amongst us (and also reactionary against being "Best Bond Movie ™" by the public). It was also coming on the heels of "it could do no wrong" as only the 3rd Bond, Thunderball suffers the same fate of an endless tug of war between whether it's as good as FRWL or just secretly GF in FRWL's clothing, and again "could do no wrong" as just the 4th movie. YOLT's critique is heavily reactionary-caused, as it is going against ALL the 60s Bonds as way too OTT and not quite like them, not falling in line with them.

Then you come to the struggle … of the Moores, TSWLM was the ONE that people agree he finally assumed something, and it was also acting a bit against the previous two as trying to make this actor call something its own. The movie is still trying to figure out things on its own, even though it succeeds. It is the obligatory movie that "cements" the actor that he is here to stay. Then comes Moonraker in probably the most unique moment in time for any Bond -- this is before the series got "serious" as a knee-jerk reaction against its excesses [the whole Dalton-Brosnan-Craig era which is like one long Arthurian epoch lol of trying to reach nobility] for 3 reasons:

1. It is not trying to live up to anything, not reacting against anything, at all.
I basically went through all of this in the previous posts, but Moore is given one movie time, right after he finally proved himself in TSWLM and now the series is in this zen state of mind, and before the series would react against itself. The series is now the late 70s, the series has found its foundation, went through born iconistry over a decade ago, went through its "new actor" hurdles already while it grew up, and now the latest actor had cemented himself with his previous movie, now the previous movies already showed it can be serious, it can be zany so there was no shock factor. I guess Star Wars that is merely the laser shootout. But then again Star Wars is credited with "making movies fun again" and Moonraker was the only Bond movie that prospered from this, literally they instantaneously left this with FYEO and that was in prime SW mania! There was topic here once that said "Is Octopussy the most fun Bond?" and many in there actually said Moonraker was the most fun, and they were right! 

 

2. It achieves probably the only equilibrium and balance of over the top. 

This movie cannot be called shamelessly OTT, it was so wholly OTT, and was so confident in its OTT, it believed in itself so much without 1 nanosecond of any second guessing or insecurity, that because of this everything about it just seems so true. It is in this self-made universe where a winking pigeon is treated as pretty normal even. That is how hiddenly strong the world is in this movie. When a talking pigeon was attempted in LTK - it felt as brutally out of place. DAF's craziness reaches parody levels, it is just winking and laughing at itself [yet Connery is owed one of these against his 60s seriousness], however it is not like Moonraker. Moonraker was never laughing at itself -- however unreal and insanely crazy some of the things in this movie were, they were sincere to the utmost of the word. 

Now even the Moore movies after this one, firstly FYEO was extraordinarily reactionary against it; ultra serious, they became too insecure and thought "oh crap what were we thinking", then OP weirdly went off being OTT again but it didn't let go and still remained not quite knowing what was going on, and tried to reel it in. 

 

3. Timing: this is purely luck factor but luck belongs in here too, before the series started to get revisionist against itself, and before other movies so strongly would react against it even, there was given one movie window of opportunity; Moore was the Bond in this time, the most unflappable -- what did Moore have that was SOOO beloved by the producers ? What was his hidden uniqueness? I cannot describe but only every moment of him in this movie is why, he is basically walking on top of the world in his form. Every other of his Bond movies, there are glimmers and figments of other Bond actors, you could say "oh this guy could have done this scene i see it", none in Moonraker, it his him in his most purest of essence, he goes "fuggit, this is just me guys". No other time could a movie like this be made, definitely not in this day and age. Even Die Another Day could not pull it off as it still lapsed into moments of seriousness and "drama". Moonraker was given free reign with itself -- there are moments in here that are surreal in a good way, the whole Cowboys arriving on horseback, the coffin attackers, even Moore accidentally killing the scientists and reacting by merely looking confused at the canister, Moore shooting Drax's henchman in front of him just driving off, the opening, the cable cars. And they're not treated as "this is us being serious" or "this is being zany and crazy", but just "this is just this". Only in the late 70s this could occur, before the cold war made things more serious in the 80s. Could the series still achieve a Moonraker? Yes actually! I am an optimist, even though we are currently mired in the "darkness is good" phase of movies -- there will be as perfect a movie as Moonraker, but the timing will be there when one will be wholly and truly over the top without pulling any stops.

Best movie of 1979, alien? apocalypse now? no i'll just take Moonraker thanks. Moonraker, an anomaly of the entire series and probably the best Bond movie because of this.

I leave just this, #9 18:04 on this person's top 25 Bond moments and leave it at that:
https://www.youtube....h?v=RNLLPbMThGM

 

LOL no.



#39 Janus Assassin

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Posted 17 June 2014 - 11:40 AM

Still sits at #5 and my favourite Moore film.



#40 ChickenStu

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Posted 17 June 2014 - 05:45 PM

Great topic Colossus! I LOVE talking about this one! Anyone who knows me in here knows that Brosnan is my favourite and Goldeneye is my favourite of the movies cause it's the first one I saw at the cinema as an older kid.

 

However, having said that I do remember watching Moonraker as a young kid. I was born just after the big Star Wars boom and I grew up with a lot of space opera sci-fi sort of stuff. Buck Rogers In The 25th Century and Battlestar Galactica are the two things along with Moonraker I remember most. As a kid I loved the space stuff and couldn't really tell the difference between the other movies in the series. I remember every time I saw a Roger Moore one I was thinking "is this the space one?" and really hoping it was!

 

This isn't my favourite but it is certainly one of them. Probably in my top five if I'm honest with myself. When I first got really into Bond years ago I got Dr No - Tomorrow Never Dies all on VHS. The first 18 movies (I've since got them and the ones that came after on DVD and Blu Ray). I found myself re-watching Moonraker a lot and asking for the soundtrack album off my parents for Christmas. 

 

A lot of my friends who know I'm a Bond nut are often surprised by how much I love this one. They kind of expect me to be stuffy and dismiss it as one of the "dumber" ones. My response is always "HEY - DON'T YOU DISS MY MOONRAKER!!"

 

They often look at me incredulously and I just say. "It's Bond. In outer space. With lasers. What's NOT to like!?!?"



#41 tdalton

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Posted 18 June 2014 - 03:41 AM

The pre-title sequence is one of the best, seriously.


On that, I definitely agree. Moonraker's pre-titles are right up there with the very best in the franchise.

#42 Colossus

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Posted 22 June 2014 - 07:17 AM

Great topic Colossus! I LOVE talking about this one! Anyone who knows me in here knows that Brosnan is my favourite and Goldeneye is my favourite of the movies cause it's the first one I saw at the cinema as an older kid.

 

However, having said that I do remember watching Moonraker as a young kid. I was born just after the big Star Wars boom and I grew up with a lot of space opera sci-fi sort of stuff. Buck Rogers In The 25th Century and Battlestar Galactica are the two things along with Moonraker I remember most. As a kid I loved the space stuff and couldn't really tell the difference between the other movies in the series. I remember every time I saw a Roger Moore one I was thinking "is this the space one?" and really hoping it was!

 

 

Yeah if they were to take it to space it might as well have been here in 79 and they did while the window was open, pretty sure no one would buy it in modern times. The only thing left would be Bond vs. Dinosaurs or Ghosts/Vampires or something.



#43 Iceskater101

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Posted 22 June 2014 - 05:33 PM

 

I understand that everyone has a different idea about James Bond and who there "Bond" is and what their favorite Bond movie is, but I hated this Bond movie.. I didn't like how that one woman got mauled by dogs.

 

That scene is the most haunting of all Bond films, with Barry's score almost elegaic, and a tragic ending to the sexiest Bond Woman of all, Corrine Clery.  I seem to remember reading about her working with a foundation saving animals, but maybe not as I can't find traces of that on the internet.

 

 

I think this scene in Moonraker is very haunting! When she gets mauled by the dogs and I don't really know if I can explain why I think this way. I mean it could be because normally we don't really see dogs as vicious. They are household pets! They are usually friendly and very devoted creatures and to see them being trained to hunt and kill a human being is scary. Also what a terrible way to die! You're scared out of your mind running through a forest that you have no idea how to escape these vicious things chasing you and their teeth are sharp and made to cut through flesh. 

I think this scene really makes Drax a very ruthless villain. That scene when she arrives at the golf course and he is there with his rifle.. I always cringe because I know what's coming. 



#44 Turn

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Posted 23 June 2014 - 01:39 PM

Maybe back in 1979 it was a little more shocking to have vicious dogs, but, sadly, today vicious dog attacks are commonplace. I see and hear news reports it seems like weekly of children getting mauled by pit bulls and Rottweilers whose owners can never seem to understand how they got loose or seem to want to take responsibility for such incidents. 



#45 ChickenStu

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Posted 23 June 2014 - 02:59 PM

Back on topic away from those nasty mutts... who could hate a film with THIS scene in it?
youtube.com/watch?v=pG5v7ng0o4A

Moonraker kicks ASS!

#46 AMC Hornet

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Posted 23 June 2014 - 07:02 PM

... who could hate a film with THIS scene in it?

No star Wars/Star Trek fanboy worth his salt, that's who.

 

No argument that it's a visually stunning scene, and that it fit the overall tone of the movie, but consider one thing:

 

How, in 1979, did a space station 200m in diameter get built in space without anyone knowing about it??!!!



#47 Grard Bond

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Posted 23 June 2014 - 09:02 PM

That my friend is "movie magic"! ;)

 

 

And about the dogs scene:

 

I always think when I'm watching that scene: Why does she keep running? Why is she not climbing a tree, so the dogs can't get to her?

 

I also think that this haunting scene is ruined at the end, because you can clearly see that it's not realy Clery, but some stuntguy or woman with a wig, who's attacked by the dogs.



#48 Guy Haines

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Posted 24 June 2014 - 06:53 AM

in answer to AMC Hornet, how did the Drax space station get built without anyone knowing? Because he hired the same people to do the job who built the Blofeld rocket base in Japan under the noses of everyone. Sadly, with a similar end result! ;)



#49 New Digs

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Posted 30 June 2014 - 10:33 AM

Moonraker fans may like to know Genesis Cinema in London is showing Moonraker in October, as part of the film's 35th Anniversary. http://www.genesisci.../comingsoon.php



#50 ChickenStu

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Posted 30 June 2014 - 02:45 PM

Nice one New Digs! I just booked tickets for that mofo! 



#51 dtuba

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Posted 20 July 2014 - 01:22 AM

Of Course MR makes no sense!. But that is the point that Colossus is making. MR is a big, beautiful, lovable Great Dane of a Bond film, and makes no bones about it. (oh dear, that pun was awful, my apologies) It simply doesn't care if it makes no sense or not.

 

It's not in my Top 5 (or anywhere near) but I can't hate on the 'Raker. It was the first one I ever saw at the cinema, and yes, I was 12.



#52 Colossus

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Posted 12 August 2014 - 08:15 AM

Yes it doesnt make sense but it is confident in this assurance which is what trips other movies that attempt kookiness but still reel it in sometimes. Also'i would've loved to see it in cinemas as a first time bond.



#53 dtuba

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Posted 23 August 2014 - 08:58 PM

It was amazing as a first Bond in the cinema - especially that jaw dropping PTS. IIRC the poster tag line was "Where All Other Bond Movies End- This One Begins!!" or something to that effect. Amazing stuff.

 

Although sometimes I wish Jaws would have died falling on that circus tent, I do think the moment when he turns on Drax is a moment of actual emotional depth. The fact that MR has one or two of these moments (centrifuge, dog attack) in between all the OTT silliness keeps it out of the cellar of rubbish Bond films for me.



#54 Call Billy Bob

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Posted 25 August 2014 - 02:27 PM

It was amazing as a first Bond in the cinema - especially that jaw dropping PTS. IIRC the poster tag line was "Where All Other Bond Movies End- This One Begins!!" or something to that effect. Amazing stuff.

 

Although sometimes I wish Jaws would have died falling on that circus tent, I do think the moment when he turns on Drax is a moment of actual emotional depth. The fact that MR has one or two of these moments (centrifuge, dog attack) in between all the OTT silliness keeps it out of the cellar of rubbish Bond films for me.

I'd throw Bond and M's conversation on the canal, where M shows he still has confidence in 007, into that category as well.



#55 PPK_19

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Posted 25 August 2014 - 07:11 PM

Everything up until they are on the Moonraker is fantastic. But Jaws suddenly defecting and the naff space laser effects in a vain attempt to keep up with Star Wars is pretty crappy. 



#56 ChickenStu

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Posted 09 November 2014 - 04:15 PM

Moonraker fans may like to know Genesis Cinema in London is showing Moonraker in October, as part of the film's 35th Anniversary. http://www.genesisci.../comingsoon.php

 

I went to this event! It was very interesting to see the movie on a cinema screen! Ken Cartlidge, a stunt guy and an effects guy did a little talk after. It was pretty interesting but I didn't think much of the venue. Talk about Hipster Hell! 



#57 glidrose

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Posted 10 November 2014 - 07:33 PM

Ken Cartlidge, a stunt guy and an effects guy did a little talk after.


There's no such person. William P. Cartlidge was the film's associate producer. John Richardson was the film's special effects supervisor.

#58 Bond of Steele

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Posted 11 November 2014 - 12:30 AM

It's good, as with the previous comments, the pre-titles are pretty phenomenal.  But for me it's; "You missed, Mr. Bond."........"Did I?"  As ridiculous as the set up is, that scene still makes me smile, along with a bunch of other moments in the film.

 

This was a big video rental for me back in the 80's when I was a young lad, the space battle will always make me nostalgic, even if it doesn't hold up too well.