This post will be a break from form, since I'm not going to dispute the place Moonraker has in the James Bond series. Many reviewers focused on bad movies in general usually tackle this one or Die Another Day whenever a new Bond film is released, and for good reason. But if I can find some well-done things in a "so bad, it's good" Bond, I shall.
Roger Moore as James Bond
Lois Chiles as Dr. Holly Goodhead
Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax
Toshiro Suga as Chang
Richard Kiel as Jaws
Corinne Cléry as Corinne Dufour
Walter Gotell as General Gogol,
a lovable Communist ally in the age of the other "Star Wars".
Make no mistake, Moonraker is everything you've heard it is. An overstuffed, massively-scaled Spy Who Loved Me rehash fresh off the success of Star Wars, its largest budget of a Bond film at that time allows it to leave no stunt-related, pop culture-referencing stone unturned.
And this is how you top the Union Jack parachute,
ladies and gentlemen.
Surprisingly, Moonraker got off easy compared to another film
featuring a Concorde that year.
Like General Gogol, Defence Minister Frederick Gray would
have a funnier, more memorable role in the next Bond film.
It's become more and more clear these days that even the bad Bond films are at least better when there's effort and a well-focused approach behind the scenes. As much as A View to a Kill is a two-hour advertisement for Roger Moore being too old for the role and the ensuing prevalence of visible stunt doubles, it at least benefits from having memorable villains that get better with age. And Moonraker is no exception.
Perfectly dry in stark contrast to the absurdity around him, Hugo Drax is a marked improvement over TSWLM's Stromberg, who seemed to do everything from his chair or table.
And come on, folks, that hunting outfit...
Also, Drax seems to have a direct connection to the
Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers Henchman Service.
I like Lois Chiles a great deal, but her flat line readings in this film add an unintentional hilarity at several points.
And it's too bad, because by the time she returned to acting in the 80s in films like Creepshow 2, her acting would be much improved.
I understand Chiles was pregnant during filming, but surely
Dr. Goodhead could distract the EMT with words rather
than just her face.
Moonraker boasts a well-done sequence in a centrifuge
chamber that isn't at all played for laughs.
Stuntman Richard Graydon nearly fell to his death
doubling for Moore in this cable car sequence.
I see Hugo Drax has subscribed to the "Uncle Shagworthy
from Scooby Doo" method of moving.
"Zeus! Apollo!"
Corinne's death is quite dark for one of the silliest Bond films to date.
Jean Tournier's cinematography is absolutely stunning.
It's a pity this is the only Bond film he ever did.
Ken Adam's last set designs for Bond are arguably his best.
Bond and the snake adds nothing to the plot
and looks hilariously absurd to boot.
Seeing M out with Bond in what would be
Bernard Lee's last entry is really quite lovely.
For Moonraker's breathtaking models, I'll forgive Derek Meddings
for leaving the production of Superman early to work on this film.
And finally, another element that's improved from the previous film:
P.S. For the record, I always preferred the ending credits' disco version of Shirley Bassey's title theme to the original.
Copyright © Chynna Moore
No comments:
Post a Comment