[FILM] Moonraker (1979)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

A follow up to the highly succesful TSWLM. The first film Cubby Broccoli produced on his own after his split with Harry Saltzman. That film brought back a sense of scale that had been lacking in the last few films. Especially LALD and TMWTGG which were oddly shot in 1.85 : 1.

Moonraker sets out to outdo The Spy Who Loved me, like Thunderball had to outdo Goldfinger. In some ways they succeeded, because this film is epic in scope.

Sadly this is in many ways a remake of Spy, which was in many ways a remake of YOLT. This in itself isnt really a problem. Almost all Bond films reuse elements from previous films in some way. But in the case of Moonraker, it becomes a bit too obvious. Once again we have a super-villain with seemingly inexhaustible resources planning to destroy humanity to establish a new order. Just like the previous film.

This baddie Hugo Drax is so rich, that he has a fleet of 6 space shuttles (more the NASA ever had) and managed to build his own space station without anyone on Earth knowing about it. (the conceit is that the station has a radar jamming system. Built was that in effect while they were building the station???)

No matter really. Most Bond films never adhere to the strict logic of real life. If they did Bond would have been emasculated by Goldfingers laser. Or never even survived his encounter with Dr. No.

All Bonds depend on a suspension of disbelief. Whether its the silly ones like DaF, or the serious ones like Skyfall (which is why I dismiss those who hate Skyfall because of it's plot errors....it's a Bond film d'uh!)

The problem I have with Moonraker is that it's formulaic story is little more then a thin reason to stage a collection of action set pieces, starring 007 jn peril, and he usually get away alive and with the help of his gadgets. Gadgets are a big part of the series, but they dont work if all Bond needs to do to get out of trouble is use them.

Q gives Bond a nifty dart gun that straps to the right wrist it that saves the day twice. On his left wrist he wears a watch with has plastic explosives it it that really helps him out of a jam.

(if one pays attention one notices that when Bond uses the wrist watch, the dart gun on his other arn is no where to be seen...even though it's there when he needs it later...hmmm)

Also Moonraker contains not 1, but 2 boat chases. One in which 007 defeats his opponents by using a gondola fill of gadgets. It even has a built in hover craft so it can go on land. The other chase is reminiscent of From Russia With love. But instead of having to use his wits to get out of a pickle, Bond just uses gadgets again. All speed boats should come torpedoes!

I love Bond gadgets. But once the story relies too much on them. When all Bond has to do is press a button on the right moment. Thats when they start to be a problem rather then an asset.

It takes quite a while for 007 and the lead Bond girl to make it out into space. But before they do there is a series of ill matching action scenes in different countries and different settings. All under the guise of Bond "investigating".

Some of these action scenes are quite good. None better then the spectacular opening stunt where 007 is thrown from a plane and has to fight another guy for the only parachute. While the close ups of the actors are back projection, all the rest are real stunt men fighting mid air, and it looks truly epic. But even this great opening scene is ruined by the return of Jaws. That effective henchmen from the previous film brought back by popular demand. And since late in the story he becomes an ally of Bond, he doesnt actually kill anyone in this film and is reduced to a comic buffoon! Though he does get the prettiest girl in the film by far!

So the story is thin, the danger non existent, the comedy rather tepid. But at-least the film looks great! From the glorious vista's to the sumptuous sets by Ken Adam (his last Bond film) to the spectacular visual effects by John Stears and Derek Meddins. Moonraker is a great looking, and epic looking film. The scenes in outer space may be absurd, but by golly they look and sound great...

But even here I found my attention wandering after a while.

Roger Moore once again plays James Bond as Roger Moore and does a great job with it. Making the most of the often very tepid lines. Sadly he's given little help in the female department. Corrine Clerry is a dull Bond girl with a French accent who's quickly killed of, and Lois Chiles plays the American one. Which means she constantly gives Bond either an attitude or the cold shoulder....just before going to bed with him. Chiles has no screen presence whatsoever, and her line delivery is incredibly poor, ranger from over emphasized to bored. More believable as an astronaut/CIA agent then Denise Richards was as a nuclear scientist, but that's about it.

Michael Lonsdale plays the villain, Jerry....eeehhh Hugo Drax and actually does an excellent job. He's given nothing in the way of actual character development. But does have a number of good lines which he usually utters with an incredibly dry delivery. "James Bond. You appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season."

And the moment late in the film where he loses that almost incorruptible composure is quite effective.

Drax is essentially a redo of Karl Stromberg from the previous film. But Lonsdale does a lot better then Curd Jurgens did, mainly by doing almost nothing.

Another asset is John Barry. Returning after setting the previous one out.

Though this score doesnt have the though line that his 60's Bond scores did have, because Barry was fro the most part scoring a loose collection of set pieces, it does gain back some of the depth and excitement of those scores. The rather thing sound of MWTGG is exchanged for that deep, sumptuous "wall of sound" that Barry would start using in his 70's, 80's and 90's scores. It's also unusually romantic and the first Barry/Bond score to use a choir. Flight Into Space is the score's highlight. And since Moonraker was the first orchestra score I owned, on a dubbed take, it's one of the tracks that cemented my passion for soundtracks. Unlike DAF or MWTGG John Barry plays it straight with his score, leading to a incredibly effective scope with an almost Goldsmith-like effectiveness in rising above the subject matter. This would be his best Bond score up until The Living Daylights.

The song is excellent also. A balad, unlike the brassy barnstormers done previously by Barry and Bassey. Even the disco version for the end credits is good.

Depending on how you rate your Bod films, many see this either as the best or the worst of Moore's films. For me it's one of the lesser ones. But I prefer it over A View To A Kill, just slightly, because Moore looked in better shape and Moonraker had the better villain. Also Live And Let Die rates lower for me.

That still doesn't make Moonraker a particular good film. It's preposterous, but too often not in a good way. Too much of it is too obvious and therefore too boring.

** out of ****

[Ricard 2,245]

Thanks for your reviews Steef. Even if I don't agree with some of your thoughts I'm really enjoying them all

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

You grew up on the Moore films right?

What do you think of TMWTGG?

[King Mark 3,631]

This is my favorite Roger Moore bond film

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Really?

[King Mark 3,631]

I think it's the classic James Bond film formula, but taken to a new level

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

But it doesn't contain anything new or clever.

[Perdogg 1]

I dislike Skyfall because it is pretentious crap with a unsure and effete Bond. At least Cubby knew how to make a movie, unlike his children.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

But it doesn't contain anything new or clever.

No but it repackages it in a spectacular way. Although it's almost structurally identical to YOLT or TSWLM, I find myself enjoying it more than those other two, which were coincidentally directed by Lewis Gilbert.