The Roger Moore debate

2

Comments

  • LoeffelholzLoeffelholz The United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
    I'll always love and admire Roger Moore as an actor and as a humanitarian. His Bond wasn't my preference, but I never hesitate to watch his Bond films. Sir Roger is further proof that Bond evolves as the times demand. I too am a huge Connery fan...but lately...(check my signature). Craig arguably brings a lot of Fleming to the card table.

    Long life and good health to Sir Roger Moore! -{
    Check out my Amazon author page! Mark Loeffelholz
    "I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
    "Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    It is a real shame that the OTT silliness of double take pigeons, tarzan yells etc tends to overshadow Roger Moore's tenure as James Bond when in reality that is but a small fraction of the whole. There is so much more good stuff in those films, including humour. It is not as if the silliness is confined to the Moore era either. Bond's Japanese disguise in YOLT, Blofeld in drag (DAF), parasurfing sequence (DAD) are just three examples of many.

    Perhaps Roger's biggest legacy is that he proved there was life after Sean Connery. You did not have to be a Connery clone to succeed as Bond. One of the series greatest strengths has been the varying interpretations of Bond.
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    well said Moore Than, -{

    I count myself as very Lucky to off been able to watch TSWLM, Moonraker etc during what I like to
    think of as the second golden age of Bond. I can still remembed the goosebumps hearing the Bond
    theme at the start of SPY, It was a huge event movie, everyone I knew had seen it, same with
    Moonraker ( I know it's not on the top of many favourites lists ) Mates who'd seen it before me thought
    it was brilliant.
    I was raised watching Sir Roger with the saint, The persuaders etc and who knows mabey I wouldn't
    of got into Bond if he hadn't been playing him. Always funny in interviews and quick with a one-liner.
    I agree the sillyness in the Bonds is put there by the directors and Producers,Untill D Craig came along
    most of the actors had very little say in what went in the movies, e.g. R Moore didn't want to dress as
    a clown for Octopussy, or kick the car off the cliff edge in FYEO. But he's a professional so he did it.
    Recently I saw a video of Sir Roger meeting up with the Aston he had from the persuaders. He still looks
    fit and well. So may he have many years of good health and happiness ahead of him. -{
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    Thanks for the compliment, Thunderpussy. I will raise a glass to you also. -{

    I was also raised watching Roger Moore in The Saint and The Persuaders so was already a fan before he became Bond. Am almost certain I would have been and still a Bond fan if Roger had not played the role. Would have been hooked by the likes of FRWL & GF once I became aware of them.

    The fact is I am a Roger Moore fan and also a James Bond fan. But am not so blinded that I cannot see the faults. For sure there were minuses but the plusses far outweighed them. I just wish this was acknowledged more often.
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Recently I saw a video of Sir Roger meeting up with the Aston he had from the persuaders. He still looks
    fit and well. So may he have many years of good health and happiness ahead of him. -{

    Hey TP,

    would you mind to share, where exactly you have seen this.

    Would love to watch this also. Thanks!
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Mrs.BryceMrs.Bryce Posts: 139MI6 Agent
    I wasn't raised on the Saint or the persuaders, but I wish I had been..
    Bloody good t.v shows, a bit before my time, unfortunately.

    I really like the way you put this Moore Than:
    The fact is I am a Roger Moore fan and also a James Bond fan. But am not so blinded that I cannot see  the faults. For sure there were minuses but the plusses far outweighed them. I just wish this was acknowledged more often.

    To Rog! {[]

    Sorry, couldn't quote, on my ipod!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    http://youtu.be/Z7izUIEOIQs

    It's just a short clip of Sir Roger and the Great Aston Martin DBS from The Persuaders.
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Number24Number24 NorwayPosts: 22,434MI6 Agent
    First of all: Roger Moore is my least favourit Bond. Both his acting ability and handling of action was lacking in quality. But I still enjoy watching movies like LALD, FYEO and TSWLM. I also know that his movies were very popular and proved that Bond could function without Connery. And while I don`t consider him a good actor I believe he is the nicest man who has ever played Bond. I wish him a long and good life!
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,619MI6 Agent
    Thanks, TP! {[]

    Sir Roger looks very good and that color of the car is simply stunning!

    Love it!
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • TonyDPTonyDP Inside the MonolithPosts: 4,307MI6 Agent
    Moore Than wrote:
    roger_moore_et_daniel_craig_reference.jpg

    "I'd give my right arm for your Job "

    And who says Roger cannot do fight scenes. Look what he has done to poor Daniel. :D

    :)) Good one Moore Than; I knew I could count on you to defend your namesake. As for me, the subject of this thread has come up before so a simple cut and paste will convey my feelings (if I can't plagarize myself, who can I plagaraize?)

    I like the majority of Roger Moore's films and he was definitely a good fit for the character given the changing attitudes during the 70s and 80s.

    LALD and TMWTGG are both fun entries in my book and Roger has more of an edge to him, even roughing up the girls when necessary. TSWLM is my favorite Bond movie and the quintessential formula film. Roger is in top form and strikes a perfect balance between toughness and humor. MR has its share lapses into the absurd but you really can't blame Roger. He starts to get a bit long in the tooth by FYEO and OP yet still manages to put on a good show. AVTAK is the only real misfire for me as he's clearly too old to be a believable action hero and the story presented does him no favors.

    By the time Moore had arrived on the Bond scene, the attitudes and conventions of the Connery films simply didn't fit the times anymore. Audiences seemed to want escapist fare with a lighter tone and more spectacle. The role of the Bond girl also took a fundamental shift, parading out a seemingly never-ending line of "equals" for Bond to have to deal with. No matter how far out the situations got in his movies, Roger Moore almost always provided the necessary star power and a solid anchor for the action - qualities that other actors of the time would have been hard-pressed to emulate successfully. He shepherded the character thru some turbulent times when the definition of the cinematic action hero was very much in flux and all Bond fans should be in his debt for that.
  • Mrs.BryceMrs.Bryce Posts: 139MI6 Agent
    Completely agree TonyDP!
    Well written :D
  • Napoleon PluralNapoleon Plural LondonPosts: 10,486MI6 Agent
    Has anyone noticed Moore's signature look?

    It's sort of: "Well, I er..." looks to one side, comes up brightly "Thought I might prefer this instead." Not those lines, just a manner he had back in the Saint days. He dropped it for his first 2 Bonds, but then it comes back with a vengeance for his other films. It takes the edge off a straight line of dialogue, like he's thinking of what he's about to say before he comes out with the line. I know of no other actor who does this.
    "This is where we leave you Mr Bond."

    Roger Moore 1927-2017
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    TonyDP wrote:
    AVTAK is the only real misfire for me as he's clearly too old to be a believable action hero and the story presented does him no favors.

    As much as I love Roger AVTAK was probably a Bond too far. In saying that I don't think the film is half as bad as it is made out to be. The problem with Roger is that he appears to wear two or three facemasks. He had some plastic surgery prior to filming and was also ill I believe at one point during production and these things are apparent in certain scenes. In terms of the writing there's no apparent recognition of an ageing Bond like there was in FYEO (example, rejecting Bibi Dahl on the grounds of her age) and OP (example, the delightful Maud Adams as a more mature leading lady).

    These things no doubt hurt Roger's legacy, which is a shame.
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Mrs.BryceMrs.Bryce Posts: 139MI6 Agent
    Has anyone noticed Moore's signature look?

    It's sort of: "Well, I er..." looks to one side, comes up brightly "Thought I might prefer this instead." Not those lines, just a manner he had back in the Saint days. He dropped it for his first 2 Bonds, but then it comes back with a vengeance for his other films. It takes the edge off a straight line of dialogue, like he's thinking of what he's about to say before he comes out with the line. I know of no other actor who does this.

    I don't care what anyone thinks but I absolutely love his dozens of expressions. They're all so cute ;%
  • bernardbernard Posts: 2MI6 Agent
    bond_ski_lunch.jpg
  • Mrs.BryceMrs.Bryce Posts: 139MI6 Agent
    bernard wrote:
    bond_ski_lunch.jpg

    Have you heard the song on youtube?
    It's incredibly funny! A bit rude but very funny! :)) :))
  • Kissy SuzukiKissy Suzuki IrelandPosts: 66MI6 Agent
    To be fair, Roger Moore has always come across as both a likeable and decent bloke and a bit of a character, who doesn't take himself or his acting too seriously. However, I have to say I don't rate him either as Bond or as an actor in general. 8-)

    Off hand, I can't name one decent film he starred in - with the exception of the Wild Geese (which I actually saw in the cinema with my Dad, as a kid!)
  • DEFIANT 74205DEFIANT 74205 Perth, AustraliaPosts: 1,881MI6 Agent
    TonyDP wrote:
    Moore Than wrote:
    roger_moore_et_daniel_craig_reference.jpg

    "I'd give my right arm for your Job "

    And who says Roger cannot do fight scenes. Look what he has done to poor Daniel. :D

    :)) Good one Moore Than; I knew I could count on you to defend your namesake. As for me, the subject of this thread has come up before so a simple cut and paste will convey my feelings (if I can't plagarize myself, who can I plagaraize?)

    I like the majority of Roger Moore's films and he was definitely a good fit for the character given the changing attitudes during the 70s and 80s.

    LALD and TMWTGG are both fun entries in my book and Roger has more of an edge to him, even roughing up the girls when necessary. TSWLM is my favorite Bond movie and the quintessential formula film. Roger is in top form and strikes a perfect balance between toughness and humor. MR has its share lapses into the absurd but you really can't blame Roger. He starts to get a bit long in the tooth by FYEO and OP yet still manages to put on a good show. AVTAK is the only real misfire for me as he's clearly too old to be a believable action hero and the story presented does him no favors.

    By the time Moore had arrived on the Bond scene, the attitudes and conventions of the Connery films simply didn't fit the times anymore. Audiences seemed to want escapist fare with a lighter tone and more spectacle. The role of the Bond girl also took a fundamental shift, parading out a seemingly never-ending line of "equals" for Bond to have to deal with. No matter how far out the situations got in his movies, Roger Moore almost always provided the necessary star power and a solid anchor for the action - qualities that other actors of the time would have been hard-pressed to emulate successfully. He shepherded the character thru some turbulent times when the definition of the cinematic action hero was very much in flux and all Bond fans should be in his debt for that.

    That's an argument often presented when the question of why Moore's interpretation of Bond was so different to anybody else is raised. There may be an element of truth to it - I don't know, I wasn't born in the 1970s, but I was never fond of Moore as Bond. Fleming's Bond is cold and ruthless, and while I get that impression from Dalton, Connery, Lazenby and Craig, I'm finding it difficult to accept Moore's Bond as anywhere near cold and ruthless. Maybe he has his moments - most of them in TSWLM, and while I find that I do laugh at his comedic moments, I'm just not sure that that's what Bond is meant to be. Of the seven Bond films that Moore had starred in, I find that I dislike The Man With the Golden Gun; Moonraker and A View to a Kill, because they were just far too ... well, 'out there'. On the other hand, though, I really did enjoy For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me were ok, I can take it or leave it.

    I really wish Moore would portray a more serious side of Bond more often than not. Fleming's Bond isn't a jovial guy.

    As for Moore's Bond girls being 'equal' ... what about Mary Goodnight? I thought she was the worst Bond girl, portrayed as a ... forgive the language, 'dumb blonde'.
    "Watch the birdie, you bastard!"
  • Agent SidewinderAgent Sidewinder Posts: 223MI6 Agent
    TonyDP wrote:
    Moore Than wrote:

    And who says Roger cannot do fight scenes. Look what he has done to poor Daniel. :D

    :)) Good one Moore Than; I knew I could count on you to defend your namesake. As for me, the subject of this thread has come up before so a simple cut and paste will convey my feelings (if I can't plagarize myself, who can I plagaraize?)

    I like the majority of Roger Moore's films and he was definitely a good fit for the character given the changing attitudes during the 70s and 80s.

    LALD and TMWTGG are both fun entries in my book and Roger has more of an edge to him, even roughing up the girls when necessary. TSWLM is my favorite Bond movie and the quintessential formula film. Roger is in top form and strikes a perfect balance between toughness and humor. MR has its share lapses into the absurd but you really can't blame Roger. He starts to get a bit long in the tooth by FYEO and OP yet still manages to put on a good show. AVTAK is the only real misfire for me as he's clearly too old to be a believable action hero and the story presented does him no favors.

    By the time Moore had arrived on the Bond scene, the attitudes and conventions of the Connery films simply didn't fit the times anymore. Audiences seemed to want escapist fare with a lighter tone and more spectacle. The role of the Bond girl also took a fundamental shift, parading out a seemingly never-ending line of "equals" for Bond to have to deal with. No matter how far out the situations got in his movies, Roger Moore almost always provided the necessary star power and a solid anchor for the action - qualities that other actors of the time would have been hard-pressed to emulate successfully. He shepherded the character thru some turbulent times when the definition of the cinematic action hero was very much in flux and all Bond fans should be in his debt for that.

    That's an argument often presented when the question of why Moore's interpretation of Bond was so different to anybody else is raised. There may be an element of truth to it - I don't know, I wasn't born in the 1970s, but I was never fond of Moore as Bond. Fleming's Bond is cold and ruthless, and while I get that impression from Dalton, Connery, Lazenby and Craig, I'm finding it difficult to accept Moore's Bond as anywhere near cold and ruthless. Maybe he has his moments - most of them in TSWLM, and while I find that I do laugh at his comedic moments, I'm just not sure that that's what Bond is meant to be. Of the seven Bond films that Moore had starred in, I find that I dislike The Man With the Golden Gun; Moonraker and A View to a Kill, because they were just far too ... well, 'out there'. On the other hand, though, I really did enjoy For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me were ok, I can take it or leave it.

    I really wish Moore would portray a more serious side of Bond more often than not. Fleming's Bond isn't a jovial guy.

    As for Moore's Bond girls being 'equal' ... what about Mary Goodnight? I thought she was the worst Bond girl, portrayed as a ... forgive the language, 'dumb blonde'.

    Many of the coldest and most ruthless people in real life never come across as being such. There's nowt less realistic than reality itself.
  • zaphodzaphod Posts: 1,183MI6 Agent
    TonyDP wrote:

    :)) Good one Moore Than; I knew I could count on you to defend your namesake. As for me, the subject of this thread has come up before so a simple cut and paste will convey my feelings (if I can't plagarize myself, who can I plagaraize?)

    I like the majority of Roger Moore's films and he was definitely a good fit for the character given the changing attitudes during the 70s and 80s.

    LALD and TMWTGG are both fun entries in my book and Roger has more of an edge to him, even roughing up the girls when necessary. TSWLM is my favorite Bond movie and the quintessential formula film. Roger is in top form and strikes a perfect balance between toughness and humor. MR has its share lapses into the absurd but you really can't blame Roger. He starts to get a bit long in the tooth by FYEO and OP yet still manages to put on a good show. AVTAK is the only real misfire for me as he's clearly too old to be a believable action hero and the story presented does him no favors.

    By the time Moore had arrived on the Bond scene, the attitudes and conventions of the Connery films simply didn't fit the times anymore. Audiences seemed to want escapist fare with a lighter tone and more spectacle. The role of the Bond girl also took a fundamental shift, parading out a seemingly never-ending line of "equals" for Bond to have to deal with. No matter how far out the situations got in his movies, Roger Moore almost always provided the necessary star power and a solid anchor for the action - qualities that other actors of the time would have been hard-pressed to emulate successfully. He shepherded the character thru some turbulent times when the definition of the cinematic action hero was very much in flux and all Bond fans should be in his debt for that.

    That's an argument often presented when the question of why Moore's interpretation of Bond was so different to anybody else is raised. There may be an element of truth to it - I don't know, I wasn't born in the 1970s, but I was never fond of Moore as Bond. Fleming's Bond is cold and ruthless, and while I get that impression from Dalton, Connery, Lazenby and Craig, I'm finding it difficult to accept Moore's Bond as anywhere near cold and ruthless. Maybe he has his moments - most of them in TSWLM, and while I find that I do laugh at his comedic moments, I'm just not sure that that's what Bond is meant to be. Of the seven Bond films that Moore had starred in, I find that I dislike The Man With the Golden Gun; Moonraker and A View to a Kill, because they were just far too ... well, 'out there'. On the other hand, though, I really did enjoy For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me were ok, I can take it or leave it.

    I really wish Moore would portray a more serious side of Bond more often than not. Fleming's Bond isn't a jovial guy.

    As for Moore's Bond girls being 'equal' ... what about Mary Goodnight? I thought she was the worst Bond girl, portrayed as a ... forgive the language, 'dumb blonde'.

    Many of the coldest and most ruthless people in real life never come across as being such. There's nowt less realistic than reality itself.


    I love fortune Cookies don't you?
  • Agent SidewinderAgent Sidewinder Posts: 223MI6 Agent
    zaphod wrote:

    That's an argument often presented when the question of why Moore's interpretation of Bond was so different to anybody else is raised. There may be an element of truth to it - I don't know, I wasn't born in the 1970s, but I was never fond of Moore as Bond. Fleming's Bond is cold and ruthless, and while I get that impression from Dalton, Connery, Lazenby and Craig, I'm finding it difficult to accept Moore's Bond as anywhere near cold and ruthless. Maybe he has his moments - most of them in TSWLM, and while I find that I do laugh at his comedic moments, I'm just not sure that that's what Bond is meant to be. Of the seven Bond films that Moore had starred in, I find that I dislike The Man With the Golden Gun; Moonraker and A View to a Kill, because they were just far too ... well, 'out there'. On the other hand, though, I really did enjoy For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me were ok, I can take it or leave it.

    I really wish Moore would portray a more serious side of Bond more often than not. Fleming's Bond isn't a jovial guy.

    As for Moore's Bond girls being 'equal' ... what about Mary Goodnight? I thought she was the worst Bond girl, portrayed as a ... forgive the language, 'dumb blonde'.

    Many of the coldest and most ruthless people in real life never come across as being such. There's nowt less realistic than reality itself.


    I love fortune Cookies don't you?

    Not sure.....if trolling.....
  • sivapcsivapc Posts: 8MI6 Agent
    his movies were the most entertaining even if they are cheesy. exotic locales, awesome bond girls and they're funny as standalone movies.
  • CmdrAtticusCmdrAtticus United StatesPosts: 1,102MI6 Agent
    sivapc wrote:
    his movies were the most entertaining even if they are cheesy. exotic locales, awesome bond girls and they're funny as standalone movies.

    Exactly, and very well stated, and I'm glad they have nothing to do with Fleming's Bond.
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    I agree that they were entertaining, light-hearted comedy-adventures - but not Bond!
    sivapc wrote:
    his movies were the most entertaining even if they are cheesy. exotic locales, awesome bond girls and they're funny as standalone movies.
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Agent SidewinderAgent Sidewinder Posts: 223MI6 Agent
    I agree that they were entertaining, light-hearted comedy-adventures - but not Bond!
    sivapc wrote:
    his movies were the most entertaining even if they are cheesy. exotic locales, awesome bond girls and they're funny as standalone movies.

    In what way weren't they Bond, Jeff?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I know he wasn't everyones favourite, :#
    But I have to say I loved the Roger Moore Bonds and find Myself watching them More than
    any Others. :D
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    I know he wasn't everyones favourite, :#
    But I have to say I loved the Roger Moore Bonds and find Myself watching them More than
    any Others. :D

    It is a shame that Roger is not more popular given his contribution to the series (then and now). He will happily comment (even on DVD)/attend functions etc whenever invited. He's always charming and ready to send himself up at the first opportunity. In fact, Roger is the perfect ambassador for Bond.

    Be careful, Thunderpussy, you were only one letter away from infringing my copyright. :D
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • Agent SidewinderAgent Sidewinder Posts: 223MI6 Agent
    Moore Than wrote:
    I know he wasn't everyones favourite, :#
    But I have to say I loved the Roger Moore Bonds and find Myself watching them More than
    any Others. :D

    It is a shame that Roger is not more popular given his contribution to the series (then and now). He will happily comment (even on DVD)/attend functions etc whenever invited. He's always charming and ready to send himself up at the first opportunity. In fact, Roger is the perfect ambassador for Bond.

    Be careful, Thunderpussy, you were only one letter away from infringing my copyright. :D

    I'm not Roger sending himself up is entirely a good thing. It reflects well on him as a person, no doubt, but I think it also contributes to the perception of Moore-Bond as the "goofy uncle" of the series.
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Too much emphasis on the comedic aspects and not enough of the feeling of danger and suspense that I enjoyed in most of the other Bond films, especially Connery's. That's my take, although I know many other Bond fans disagree. That's one of the things I appreciate about 50 years of 007 - there's something for almost everyone! :)
    I agree that they were entertaining, light-hearted comedy-adventures - but not Bond!
    sivapc wrote:
    his movies were the most entertaining even if they are cheesy. exotic locales, awesome bond girls and they're funny as standalone movies.

    In what way weren't they Bond, Jeff?
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • RJJBRJJB United StatesPosts: 346MI6 Agent
    There are elements in each movie that define Moore's interpretation for me.
    LALD- when he first squares off against Kanaga in the underground lair. His stance and smile were actually convincing.
    TMWTGG - when he pretends to be Scaramanga and tries to talk tough. Not convincing at all. Moore trying to pay a hard guy is just laughable.
    TSWLM - when he mugs for the camera when Barbara Bach blows smoke and knocks him out on the boat. Poor acting but indicative of his "strong suit"--silly facial experessions.
    MR - "I discovered he had a crush on me." Crappy line and equally crappy delivery
    FYEO - He's wearing a brown cardigan sweater when he goes after Gonzalez. Whooo--the esence of cool. Yeah right
    OP - when he kisses Octopussy at the very end of the movie. Not convincing at all. Bad acting again.
    AVTAK - the fight with Zorin's goons in the basement facility. No convincing at all. Silly and carton like, especially when one of the guys ends up being biound by the machinery.

    There are so many things wrong about Roger Moore. I coould write a lot more, but I already have a full time job.
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