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Home > Blogs > Sir Critic on Cinema > Archives > 2006 > November > 14 > Entry
Bond - James Bond, 1969-1979
For my second recap of the James Bond movies, I cover the ups and downs of the Lazenby/early Moore period. My reviews of the first films are here.
Some readers may note that I skipped over the 1967 version of “Casino Royale.” That was deliberate. It is not a Bond movie, but a bloated, labored, unfunny spoof, save for a few amusing Woody Allen Jokes. It’s not worth discussing any further. On we go:
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969): Among the general populace, this film gets short shrift because it’s “the one with that other guy.” George Lazenby may have lacked dramatic chops, but he handled the action scenes very capably, and those are among the best of the series, particularly the skiing scenes supervised by John Glen, who would make the Bond films of the 1980s. The movie also features the best romance with the best Bond girl, Diana Rigg of “Avengers” fame. Only some very dated trappings, such as bad late 60s fashion, keep this from hitting the bullseye. GRADE: A
Diamonds are Forever (1971): Some of the set pieces are a little too silly, especially Bond in the moon buggy, and the ending is a mess, but Connery makes one last appearance in the official series in great form, and his main Bond girl, Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) is quite fetching. The movie also features Bond’s best comeback. Tiffany Case: “Oh my god! You just killed James Bond!” Bond (undercover): “Is that who it was? Well, just goes to show, no one’s indestructible.” GRADE: B+
Live and Let Die (1973): Roger Moore makes a solid debut as Bond, Jane Seymour, in her first movie, is a luscious Bond girl, and the New Orleans locales are certainly colorful. Except for the boat chase over land, however, the action is pedestrian, and the film is too obviously trying to tap into the blaxploitation hits of the time. The title song by Paul McCartney is the series’ best, said this unabashed Macca fan. GRADE: B
The Man with the Golden Gun (1975): With only exotic locales and Christopher Lee’s strong villain to recommend it, this gun misfires, with way too much broad comedy, a bubble-headed blonde Bond girl, Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), and a truly terrible title song by Lulu. It’s a lulu indeed. GRADE: C-
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): Many have noticed that this movie is essentially a remake of “You Only Live Twice,” but this is the far superior film. The action is outsized without being silly, Moore fully grows into his part, the Lotus Esprit is the second-coolest Bond car, Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” is a terrific theme, and the series’ best stunt is still that seemingly unending ski jump. Wow. GRADE: A
Moonraker (1979): I must confess, I have a soft spot for the movie considering it was the first Bond film I saw. Still, there’s no escaping the fact that James Bond simply does not belong in outer space. Once again, the producers were following trends (i.e. “Star Wars”) instead of setting them. Great airplane junp scene at the beginning, though. GRADE: C+
Tomorrow: The latter Moore period, plus the unfairly maligned Timothy Dalton’s two entries. In the meantime, comment and tell me: What are your favorite/least favorite Bond movies/girls/gadgets, etc?
