My Review of TMWTGG
heartbroken_mr_drax
New Zealand Posts: 2,073MI6 Agent
A review of mine from my Blog.....
James, you must be good.
The big rocks of Phuket, Nick Nack’s Fun House, the Golden Gun and Roger Moore, these fascinating parts of The Man with the Golden Gun made me remember them for a couple of years, I was only 5 when I saw this on late night TV. It was my first Bond, it started an obsession and when I saw the others my overall opinion of Gun slid but still remained a memorable outing. A popular and less serious Bond movie, which approach for writer Tom Mankiewicz’s three Bonds; Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die and Gun was to create a lighter style Bond to take audiences away from the less than fun feeling of the early 1970’s.
Guy Hamilton came back to direct Gun, after successfully introducing Roger Moore to the world in Live and Let Die. Hamilton had directed the popular and quintessential Goldfinger in 1964 and seemed a reliable choice to keep directing. This was Hamilton’s fourth and last Bond.
Gun follows what was happening at the time, a story line following a fictional item called a Solex Agitator which converts solar power to electric energy. Bond needs to recover this as it will lead to solving the energy crisis. The man who ‘stole’ the agitator is Francisco Scaramanga, a memorable villain as the performance of Christopher Lee really stays with you, memorable not only for his performance but as Bond tells M he has a “superfluous papilla...a third nipple, sir”. Scaramanga is a hit man, so getting the Solex will not be easy. He kills for millions, runs a fun-house for duals, lives well and has planned to kill Bond for years.
Gun would be most light-hearted Bond of them all, similarly after the previous Live and Let Die. This really shows, Moore delivers plenty of funny one-liners, there’s a midget (how un-PC of me), triple nipples and names like Mary Goodnight and Chew Me. It’s all very funny. If a Bond like this was to come out now I would be disappointed, but to have it part of the collection is great, there should be a couple of racist, misogynist and below the belt Bonds.
Despite this humour, there are moments of well written sincerity and great acting. Scaramanga is a challenging and complex villain, his plot elements are well written and is one of the more popular and complicated nemeses. In many ways, Bonds equal, with excess, girls, hits and sex. This is fun to watch. Scenes like their conversation at the wrestling match and lunch on his island have great, smart and witty dialogue. Scaramanga and Bond both meet the challenge “You see, Mr Bond, like all great artists I want to create one indisputable masterpiece: the death of 007.” “You mean stuffed and mounted over your rocky mantelpiece?”Being Moore’s second he delivers his first comfortable Bond performance, although not his best, but still admirable. He delivers lines humorously, plays action well, looks good and works with what he is given.
Brit Ekland plays Mary Goodnight, an MI6 agent that has to work with Bond, I can see why Bond is reluctant to work with her, she is a terrible agent, and if I was a Briton I would fear for the nation’s safety. She proves to be a liability to Bond, she nearly burns a whole in him when her bottom pushes a button on the solar control panel, and walks around in a bikini for the last half of the film. Not Brit Ekland’s fault, but the material she is given. She plays a nothing Bond girl, who is there for looks; I’m not a fan of that. Maud Adams plays Andrea Andes, her first of three appearances in Bonds. She is Scaramanga’s girlfriend and ends up having it off with Bond, she doesn’t leave much of an impression and is killed off.
Gun has one of those different endings, where great dialogue takes over for a battle of skill and one-liners. We have a tremendous and suspense filled pistol dual that is a “clash between titans”. Finally Bond is having a good old battle with the villain himself.
John Barry comes back to score this film after a break. Barry produces a great soundtrack with regional music, sweeping strings and suspense and humour matching tracks. Lu Lu sings the suggestive and awful title song, which I will not go into.
Overall this is an enjoyable Bond, a good one to have in the series. Somewhat similar to Live and Let Die but far more pleasing to watch. The slapstick and dated humour is superb, Christopher Lee proves that a great villain makes the story that much better, Moore solidifies his Bond to one that can suit any material and Bond is not supposed to be taken too seriously. It would have been better if the female roles were far better written, and there was less importance placed on being too slapstick. This movie is fun, and a great laugh.
My Bond Rating: 3/5
My Summary: A fun Bond, great humour and brilliant villain. Gun proves that a funny Bond is a can be a good addition to the series.
A film for: A good laugh, ****ing off a feminist and to make you love Roger Moore.
James, you must be good.
The big rocks of Phuket, Nick Nack’s Fun House, the Golden Gun and Roger Moore, these fascinating parts of The Man with the Golden Gun made me remember them for a couple of years, I was only 5 when I saw this on late night TV. It was my first Bond, it started an obsession and when I saw the others my overall opinion of Gun slid but still remained a memorable outing. A popular and less serious Bond movie, which approach for writer Tom Mankiewicz’s three Bonds; Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die and Gun was to create a lighter style Bond to take audiences away from the less than fun feeling of the early 1970’s.
Guy Hamilton came back to direct Gun, after successfully introducing Roger Moore to the world in Live and Let Die. Hamilton had directed the popular and quintessential Goldfinger in 1964 and seemed a reliable choice to keep directing. This was Hamilton’s fourth and last Bond.
Gun follows what was happening at the time, a story line following a fictional item called a Solex Agitator which converts solar power to electric energy. Bond needs to recover this as it will lead to solving the energy crisis. The man who ‘stole’ the agitator is Francisco Scaramanga, a memorable villain as the performance of Christopher Lee really stays with you, memorable not only for his performance but as Bond tells M he has a “superfluous papilla...a third nipple, sir”. Scaramanga is a hit man, so getting the Solex will not be easy. He kills for millions, runs a fun-house for duals, lives well and has planned to kill Bond for years.
Gun would be most light-hearted Bond of them all, similarly after the previous Live and Let Die. This really shows, Moore delivers plenty of funny one-liners, there’s a midget (how un-PC of me), triple nipples and names like Mary Goodnight and Chew Me. It’s all very funny. If a Bond like this was to come out now I would be disappointed, but to have it part of the collection is great, there should be a couple of racist, misogynist and below the belt Bonds.
Despite this humour, there are moments of well written sincerity and great acting. Scaramanga is a challenging and complex villain, his plot elements are well written and is one of the more popular and complicated nemeses. In many ways, Bonds equal, with excess, girls, hits and sex. This is fun to watch. Scenes like their conversation at the wrestling match and lunch on his island have great, smart and witty dialogue. Scaramanga and Bond both meet the challenge “You see, Mr Bond, like all great artists I want to create one indisputable masterpiece: the death of 007.” “You mean stuffed and mounted over your rocky mantelpiece?”Being Moore’s second he delivers his first comfortable Bond performance, although not his best, but still admirable. He delivers lines humorously, plays action well, looks good and works with what he is given.
Brit Ekland plays Mary Goodnight, an MI6 agent that has to work with Bond, I can see why Bond is reluctant to work with her, she is a terrible agent, and if I was a Briton I would fear for the nation’s safety. She proves to be a liability to Bond, she nearly burns a whole in him when her bottom pushes a button on the solar control panel, and walks around in a bikini for the last half of the film. Not Brit Ekland’s fault, but the material she is given. She plays a nothing Bond girl, who is there for looks; I’m not a fan of that. Maud Adams plays Andrea Andes, her first of three appearances in Bonds. She is Scaramanga’s girlfriend and ends up having it off with Bond, she doesn’t leave much of an impression and is killed off.
Gun has one of those different endings, where great dialogue takes over for a battle of skill and one-liners. We have a tremendous and suspense filled pistol dual that is a “clash between titans”. Finally Bond is having a good old battle with the villain himself.
John Barry comes back to score this film after a break. Barry produces a great soundtrack with regional music, sweeping strings and suspense and humour matching tracks. Lu Lu sings the suggestive and awful title song, which I will not go into.
Overall this is an enjoyable Bond, a good one to have in the series. Somewhat similar to Live and Let Die but far more pleasing to watch. The slapstick and dated humour is superb, Christopher Lee proves that a great villain makes the story that much better, Moore solidifies his Bond to one that can suit any material and Bond is not supposed to be taken too seriously. It would have been better if the female roles were far better written, and there was less importance placed on being too slapstick. This movie is fun, and a great laugh.
My Bond Rating: 3/5
My Summary: A fun Bond, great humour and brilliant villain. Gun proves that a funny Bond is a can be a good addition to the series.
A film for: A good laugh, ****ing off a feminist and to make you love Roger Moore.
1. TWINE 2. FYEO 3. MR 4. TLD 5. TSWLM 6. OHMSS 7. DN 8. OP 9. AVTAK 10. TMWTGG 11. QoS 12. GE 13. CR 14. TB 15. FRWL 16. TND 17. LTK 18. GF 19. SF 20. LaLD 21. YOLT 22. NTTD 23. DAD 24. DAF. 25. SP
"Better make that two."
"Better make that two."
Comments
TMWTGG is great fun. Though i do have some questions.
Why so down on the Lulu theme? You say it is "suggestive". But, suggestive of what? Sexual innuendo?
Finally, I really love the "alternate" version, used at the end overlaying the shot of NickNack tied up on the junk ("good night good night, sleep well my dear"). Shows a real playfulness on the part of John Barry that I don't think has been exhibited in quite the same way in any other Bond movie before or since.
Anyway, I would love to hear your opinion/thoughts. We may agree to disagree here. {[]
Firstly thank you for liking my review
I dont like a couple of the Bond theme songs, I dont mind this in the movie sense but to listen on its own, compared with others, I find it awful.
But you bring up some points which I agree with, its a fun kinda song and it matches the film, especially as the villian has a powerful weapon
I like the final version during the credits, its a bit easier on the ears.
But hey its not as suggestive as FYEO's Make it Last All Night you can feel that one inside you..... lol
"Better make that two."
I find it refreshing that a TMWTGG review does not directly mention Pepper because, usually, a Pepper reference is used an example of how bad the film is (i.e., The film is bad, for example Pepper is awful). I sometimes wonder what is stronger, the I-Hate-Pepper camp or the CraigIsNotBond camp. Incidentally I am a "member" of neither.
I totally respect the IHatePepper Camp because these people have a point: Pepper is a distraction. However, I think Clifton James brilliantly played Pepper, for whatever the character was on paper, and transformed him into an absolutely unforgettable character. ("Your that English Secret Agent from England!").
Also, in a unexpectedly touching way, he is the everyman, the little kid caught up in an adventure way beyond his comprehension. Forget for just a moment about his racist remarks and his dislike for elephants, he exudes an overwhelming amount of glee when he is in that car with Bond ("I'm with you all the way!"). He's like a little kid, and that is his greatest asset to this film and to that scene. In fact, at the end when he is handcuffed by the policeman, as a kid watching that I always felt sad knowing that we never saw Bond help Pepper by explaining to the police what happened.
I do, however, differ somewhat from many that hate this movie. I've always liked Lu Lu's song (guess I have no explanation as to why I'm in a minority except my brain must be wired differently), love (or perhaps more accurately, love looking at) Brit Ekland, and I like the character of JW Pepper, but I'll admit he's out of place here and his character has definitely been shoehorned into the plot.
And if I may make one last defense of Mary Goodnight, I know most complaints are how she's an idiot. Here's the thing though - she's SUPPOSED to be an idiot. That's, unfortunately, how the part was written for her, and she plays it superbly. I would argue this is much better than, say, Stacey Sommers, who's supposed to be a geologist but the attractive Tanya Roberts plays her as, well, an idiot. (Exhibit A: Zorin's Stealth Blimp sneaking up on her and snatching her from the relative safety of the Earth.)
Although TMWTGG is not top on my list, I enjoy Roger's cool performance, the locations and Chris Lee.
I have always had something for Britt, she has been incredibly good-looking and sexy then besides her role of being a dumbo.
The discovery of the Phuket island world is magic and very well captured.
I enjoyed the return of JW Pepper. Of course he's racistic and stupid, but the movie is now over 35 years old, so, I would not expect too much PCness.
And I have never heard someone complaining SC's Dink butt-slap in GF by the way.
I don't like the aero car scenes and the whistle but it is one of the very exotic Bonds which I always enjoy watching.
Infact, it grew very much over the years for me.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I didn't like that scene.
Here's a person who completely places her trust in Bond and hesitantly overcomes her fear of Scaramanga. For what? So the pair can nonchalantly watch the game and discuss elephants right beside her stiff dead body. (Pass the peanuts)
One of my least favorite moments from Rog. And I'm a big fan.
Sounds like you gave a short summary of my review! {[]
"Better make that two."