The Man with the Golden Gun
For years the only James Bond movies in my DVD collection were the ones with Sean Connery. However, I've always liked Roger Moore, and so I began to collect his Bond series as well. The Man with the Golden Gun was the second Bond film by (Sir) Roger, and well, its not his best. Indeed, the ones that followed are much better, but it's the second Bond film set in an Asian location.
So, what's good about it. For one, Q is back. Desmond Llywellyn's "Q," aka Major Boothroyd, wasn't in the the first Bond film, and he was kept out of Live and Let Die, Moore's debut Bond film, because they wanted to de-emphasize the gadgets. That was a mistake, because the gadgets are one of the major fun factors of a Bond film. Another good thing is Herve Villechaize's Nik-Nak, who almost steals the film from Christopher Lee's Scaramanga, the Man with the Golden Gun (made by Calibri) who is the world highest paid assassin. Then there are the girls, Maude Adams as Andrea Anders, Scaramaga's mistress, and Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight, Bond's far east assistant. Miss Ekland's character has to be the most ditzy of all the Bond girls in all the films, but at least she's consistent. Some Bond women start off smart and savvy and end up as dumb broads, cf. Tiffany Chase in Diamonds are Forever.
I digress, however, Ms. Goodnight's unplanned trip in the boot (that's trunk to us in the USA) of Scaramanga's AMC two door Matador, sets off one of the more notable stunts in any Bond film. Bond tries to give chase, but he has to "borrow" a car from the local Hong Kong AMC dealership, where he comes crashing through the show room window in a 1972-72 AMC Hornet hatchback. I have to smile at this because I owned one, though mine had a 6, and Bond's is obviously a V8. Furthermore, along for the ride is Sheriff J.W.Pepper, the very same who tried to chase James down in the bayous in Live and Let Die. This time both of them are on the trail of Scaramanga's Matador, until they realize that Scaramanga is on the other side of the canal, and there is no bridge to cross it except a strange looking contraption that looks like part a bridge shaped like a corkscrew. This whole scene is notable for two reasons 1)Ford was the usual supplier for all cars other than the James Bond car in most of the movies, and 2)this is the only place you will see this particular stunt on film. It's the only time a car flies through the air and rolls 360 degrees. Why do it with an AMC Hornet? Well, all the calculations for the stunt were done with that particular AMC car, and even now the Hornet Hatchback is a great looking automobile.
Of course the supporting cast is there, Bernard Lee's M, and Lois Maxwell's Miss Moneypenny. And there is another interesting feature, the Queen Elizabeth, the largest Cunard Queen of its time, which still rests in Hong Kong harbor. However, the motivation of the whole movie is the energy crisis, and that is why Bond goes after Scaramanga, who has stolen a secret device which would allow solar energy to put the oil companies out of business.
So, if its not the best, what is it. I'd give it a 5 (out of 20, with 1 being the highest.) Its' an improvement over Roger Moore's first, but he'll get better. Still, put it on, get some champagne (or cold duck if you're on a budget)and enjoy. James did.Read full review
