Why The Man With The Golden Gun rocks!

chrisisall

Christopher Lee.
Moore's performance.
Goodnight's bikini.
Barry's score.
Medding's model work.
The theme song.
Nic-nack.
The Ted Moore photography.

Moore thoughts? )

BunsenPPK

Well Maud Adams is not too bad herself!
I loved the plot of the film too, energy crisis would have been a very relevant topic back then.

Also love the girl in the pool at Hi Fats "Chu Mi" )

Hardyboy

Christopher Lee: Underused and not particularly frightening. People who rank him high among Bond villains are responding to his other roles, not this one.

Moore's performance: Needlessly grouchy, borderline abusive toward everyone. Moore's worst performance as Bond.

Goodnight's bikini: Good, but Goodnight herself is an idiot.

Barry's score: Passable.

Medding's model work: Again, passable but underused.

The theme song: Decent melody, but overproduced and bubble-gum bouncy, further brought down by Lulu's screeching vocal.

Nic-nack: Just used for cheap laughs.

The Ted Moore photography: Decent.

Moore Thoughts? I still find this the worst film in the series.

chrisisall

Hardyboy wrote:

Christopher Lee: Underused and not particularly frightening. People who rank him high among Bond villains are responding to his other roles, not this one.

That his presence carries weight from previous roles is not my concern; my response to his role here is obviously affected, and I don't care. )

I still find this the worst film in the series.

OMG, are you trying that hard to make me laugh?

MR

DAD

Even, dare I say it, FYEO?????

BunsenPPK

True that Goodnight is not the brightest Bond girl (not many of them are though), but come on, the score is fine! As well as many other things you slander...

Like chrisisall says, DAD, MR and FYEO, laughable.

GordoLeiter

Gotta love Nick Nack



You all this time i thought the actor who played him was hispanic, i just learned he was french lol.

Hardyboy

I've been trying to find an ancient thread I started called "Cranky, Oh So Cranky," outlining all the things that are wrong with TMWTGG. I'll have to work harder, it seems. In the meantime, and thanks to the miracle of the online Wayback Machine, here's a Golden Gun topic from AJB's distant past, featuring intelligent discussion by several great members: some still here, some now infrequent visitors, some apparently gone for good:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060524230522/http://www.ajb007.co.uk/index.php?topic=25192&cpage=1

chrisisall

Hardyboy wrote:

Moore's performance: Needlessly grouchy, borderline abusive toward everyone. Moore's worst performance as Bond.

Have you even watched this movie in a decade? Your memory might be flawed, as mine was concerning TLD (hah hah, I shoehorned it in yet again!).

Barry's score: Passable.

There is no such thing as a 'passable' Barry score- even his music for "Game Of Death (1979) was fascinating!

Medding's model work: Again, passable but underused.

Once again, Medding's work is never 'passable' unless you're just not actually watching- the destruction of Scaramanga's facility was blow pop excellent!

The theme song: Decent melody, but overproduced and bubble-gum bouncy, further brought down by Lulu's screeching vocal.

She was near-Bassey brilliant (apart from some of the goofy "comes just before the kill" crazy lyrics).

Nic-nack: Just used for cheap laughs.

He was a seriously weird character. Or do you have a problem with short people?

The Ted Moore photography: Decent.

No such thing as merely 'decent' Ted Moore photography.

Hardyboy

Chris, let's just agree to disagree. I have seen the film several times over thirty years and I dislike it more and more every time I see it. I find the production values poor, the script a slumgullion of writers and producers who did not know the kind of movie they wanted to make, and the performances limp. Period. End of story. What you're trying to do is akin to trying to convince someone who does not like chocolate that he is wrong. It's a matter of taste--and I can't help it if my taste is better than yours.

GordoLeiter

Hardyboy wrote:

Chris, let's just agree to disagree. I have seen the film several times over thirty years and I dislike it more and more every time I see it. I find the production values poor, the script a slumgullion of writers and producers who did not know the kind of movie they wanted to make, and the performances limp. Period. End of story. What you're trying to do is akin to trying to convince someone who does not like chocolate that he is wrong. It's a matter of taste--and I can't help it if my taste is better than yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QGQtJL7hSk

chrisisall

Hardyboy wrote:

It's a matter of taste--and I can't help it if my taste is better than yours.

I must admit, the 'Kung fu' bits are sadly focused on the craze of the time, and the general tone was lighter than possibly you or I would have liked, but for the time it was made, I still contend it was the best Bond until TLD. :007)

chrisisall

GordoLeiter wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QGQtJL7hSk

)

DTReinsma

FYEO is way better than TMWTGG. It was Moore's best followed by LALD.

chrisisall

DTReinsma wrote:

FYEO is way better than TMWTGG. It was Moore's best followed by LALD.

We all have our favourites... let me explain my preferences-
LALD was killed for me by the balloon ?:) death of Kananga,
FYEO was sabotaged by the loopy PTS as well as the 'Thatcher' ending.
My favourite Moore movies are TMWTGG, TSWLM, and OP (in spite of the infamous Tarzan yell) in that order.

Higgins

First of all I am glad that chrisisall and me share mutually good feelings for the same movie.
I see that as a good start in an improving taste and maybe he realizes one day how pathetic the Dalton movies have been.

Now coming back to TMWTGG: I understand Hardyboys points to a large degree and I have to agree.

Thing is, when I watch that movie, I switch my brain out and enjoy the view!

I am always fascinated about the beautiful asian locations, the QE set, the rich colours and Barrys score when he's pulsing out the main theme (but then ruins it with a cheesy guitar solo).

Yes, Goodnight is a bimbo - but a terrific looking bimbo!

Yes, Barry had better scores as he's sometimes getting very chewing-gum like when playing with the main theme.
Yes, the niece part was horrible
Yes the take-off of the flying car and it's concept is terrible
Yes, the plot has holes and the climax is not convincing

If you pick out single elements of the movie it works phantastic to prove that the movie is crap.

But seeing the movie as a whole, I always feel well entertained and enjoy it to a high degree.

But I'll always admit that FYEO and TSWLM are far better movies

chrisisall

Bondtoys wrote:

maybe he realizes one day how pathetic the Dalton movies have been.

Never, I say never.... again! )

Thunderpussy

When I first watched TMWTGG, I hated it, Thought it was the weakest of the series. Although with time
my views have softened to it. I do enjoy it but it would be near the Bottom of my list of Favourite
Bond films.
Bondtoys is just in denial over the Dalton movies.

Higgins

wait until I deny your existence, TP

zaphod

Hardyboy wrote:

I've been trying to find an ancient thread I started called "Cranky, Oh So Cranky," outlining all the things that are wrong with TMWTGG. I'll have to work harder, it seems. In the meantime, and thanks to the miracle of the online Wayback Machine, here's a Golden Gun topic from AJB's distant past, featuring intelligent discussion by several great members: some still here, some now infrequent visitors, some apparently gone for good:

http://web.archive.org/web/20060524230522/http://www.ajb007.co.uk/index.php?topic=25192&cpage=1

Thanks for finding that. Was the quality of debate/discussion higher back then (before I joined so draw your own conclusions :007) )

Q-Branch_2012

TMWTGG is strange, as far as Bonds go, I rank it low, I feel that it was going to much with pop culture of the time and not focusing on the actual plot, Scaramanga's fun house, the Kung Fu scenes (Although Moore is quite amusing in the Tula scene) and the flying car, but it is hard to take this movie seriously. I can watch it and kind of enjoy it but it doesn't take itself seriously.

BunsenPPK

Q-Branch_2012 wrote:

TMWTGG is strange, as far as Bonds go, I rank it low, I feel that it was going to much with pop culture of the time and not focusing on the actual plot, Scaramanga's fun house, the Kung Fu scenes (Although Moore is quite amusing in the Tula scene) and the flying car, but it is hard to take this movie seriously. I can watch it and kind of enjoy it but it doesn't take itself seriously.

If you think about it a lot of the Bond movies have themes/scenes relating to popular culture, in this it was the energy crisis and kung fu. (Another example off the top of my head is the terrorism and to a lesser extent the parkour in CR).

Jarvio

TMWTGG certainly has some redeeming features. Christopher Lee as Scaramanga, the exotic island, the funhouse.... but the story and the way the whole film flows lets it down so much for me. Nothing happens in this film IMO. The action is sub-par and the story just doesn't go anywhere.

I like the film. But I can understand why others wouldn't.

BIG TAM

I've always enjoyed THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. It's more a nostalgia thing for me than a consideration of quality, though. There's a lot wrong with the film, especially in the second half where comedy takes precedence, but the first half's cracking. Good pre-credits sequence (better than the climactic fun house duel to my mind), a decent fight scene, a nice mystery element with Maud Adams, Chris Lee lurking in the shadows & Moore looking in fine fettle. Alas it goes a bit awry in the second half with JW Pepper & baby elephant antics. The other problem for me is the overcomplicated story. It really doesn't need the Solex stuff & would have been better to just concentrate on the manhunt angle. But I overlook all the nonsense & enjoy it all. Perhaps I should do the same with YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - just put prejudices aside & enjoy the damn thing!

Jarvio

BIG TAM wrote:

I've always enjoyed THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. It's more a nostalgia thing for me than a consideration of quality, though. There's a lot wrong with the film, especially in the second half where comedy takes precedence, but the first half's cracking. Good pre-credits sequence (better than the climactic fun house duel to my mind), a decent fight scene, a nice mystery element with Maud Adams, Chris Lee lurking in the shadows & Moore looking in fine fettle. Alas it goes a bit awry in the second half with JW Pepper & baby elephant antics. The other problem for me is the overcomplicated story. It really doesn't need the Solex stuff & would have been better to just concentrate on the manhunt angle. But I overlook all the nonsense & enjoy it all. Perhaps I should do the same with YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE - just put prejudices aside & enjoy the damn thing!

I agree with a lot of what you've said here. Evident flaws in the film, but nostalgia does help for me also

Moore Than

BunsenPPK wrote:

If you think about it a lot of the Bond movies have themes/scenes relating to popular culture, in this it was the energy crisis and kung fu.

We all take electricity for granted nowadays but that wasn't the case in 1974. Through a combination of inflation, industrial action by coal miners and the Arab oil crisis, electricity was in very short supply here in the UK. Things were so bad the then Conservative government introduced a three day working week. Power was cut to homes and businesses across the country regularly in order to save electricity. I can remember numerous evenings when all the family would be sitting in the front room under candle light.

The Solex Agitator, with the power to harness energy from the Sun seemed very relevant at the time.

BIG TAM

An interesting viewpoint on Moore in his first two Bonds is that he's being encouraged to be Connery. I don't really see that. Giving Maud Adams a hard time aside, I don't see Moore's performance as significantly different to that of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

In the same year as THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN he made GOLD for Peter Hunt. Now in this film he really is much more Connery-esque & proof positive he could play it tough without losing any his own characteristics. One wonders if he felt the character in GOLD required an acting performance whereas Bond just needed an extension of his own personality. He certainly said as much in an on-set interview during THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.

Blackleiter

TMWTGG was the second worst Roger Moore Bond after A View To A Kill if you ask me.