Moonraker's space station - what do you think?

broadshoulder

I suppose at one point they have after the supertanker have to send Bond into outer space..

But what do you think of the space station? Its a bulky thing which is accurate with antennaes, aerials, corridors all over the place or sticking out from a central globe. The interior is one of Ken Adams interiors with consoles, windows, technicians and spiral staircases. It baffles me how these people intend to stay in space? Wheres the commissary or sleeping quarters. How do these people get any sleep with these 'beautiful people' wandering around?

The battle is superb. The way the shuttle opens up and allows the spacetroopers access to space. Of course, like the explosians, we cannot have no noise in space - so the sound of the lasers can be heard. But the effects are special. I like the way Pinewoods whole studio was put into them.

The whole battle - yay or nay?

AlphaOmegaSin

you do have to wonder where the Sleeping Quaters are ) There's no Way that the Battle could have been improved, it's one of the greatest Scenes in Bond History -{

There is one Problem that Drax forgot about, how was he going to clear up the Corpses of every Human on Earth?

Matt S

The space battle is absurd, but I like the space station. It's a very large space station, so we obviously don't see the living quarters. Just because we don't see those parts of the space station, it doesn't mean they aren't there. We only see where operations take place.

Thunderpussy

Being brought up on Thunderbirds and Space 1999 etc, I loved the space station. :x
I think it's a marvellous piece of design, and so well revealed in the film, slowly being
Unveiled by the sun light. -{
I guess Drax was going to stay there until nature had taken care of the dead bodies ?
Then repopulate the uninhabited areas first ? ( don't care as I'm one of the beautiful
people, so I'd have been OK !)
The space battle is simply brilliant, all done using " old school" techniques -{ no
Industrial light & magic needed the visuals mixed with the superb music of John
Barry :x makes for a very memorable scene. -{

AlphaOmegaSin

I've always liked the way that they destroyed the Model of Drax's Station

welshboy78

Often wondered where Storm Troopers all slept

Thunderpussy

They tried to strike Bond down, but he became more powerful than that
could ever imagine ! )

MilleniumForce

It's quite possibly my favourite villains lair. Looks great, interior and exterior. Very 70's.

broadshoulder

Thunderpussy wrote:

Being brought up on Thunderbirds and Space 1999 etc, I loved the space station. :x
I think it's a marvellous piece of design, and so well revealed in the film, slowly being
Unveiled by the sun light. -{
-{

That, slowly enhanced by John Barrys music - maybe the highlight of the film..

Penfold Heart

The Space Station is fantastic.

But the battle made me say "what the hell?"

Napoleon Plural

No washrooms either apparently...

My memory might deceive me, but in Christ Wood's book I think there was a scene where Bond happens upon a weightless sex orgy. I am not making this up. Not in the film, unless it got cut.

Thunderpussy

Yes, I remember reading,Bond looking through a window to watch, ( the Perv) )

AlphaOmegaSin

And he goes outside the Station.

Thunderpussy

Yes, I liked that part of the story, as it was very clostaphobic and somehow
Less Science Fiction,more like Sean Connery's " Outland", in that you're in space
But your weapons are just your fists or whatever you can pick up.

Matt S

broadshoulder wrote:

Thunderpussy wrote:

Being brought up on Thunderbirds and Space 1999 etc, I loved the space station. :x
I think it's a marvellous piece of design, and so well revealed in the film, slowly being
Unveiled by the sun light. -{
-{

That, slowly enhanced by John Barrys music - maybe the highlight of the film..

Barry's score is indeed the best part of the film. It keeps it down to earth. The serious tone of his music balances the ridiculous things in the film. If it had either score that came before or after it, it would feel just like the 1967 Casino Royale.

AlphaOmegaSin

There's nothing more claustrophobic then Space.

The Wicker Man

As TP says the reveal of the space station is brilliantly filmed.
The whole space battle is absurd, totally over the top and perfect for Moonraker - I love it

Absolutely_Cart

I'm in the rare camp of people who really enjoyed the spacey bits of Moonraker, but disliked the rest of the movie.

The atmosphere was excellent, the humor, the drama, the sense of scientific exploration but also cold isolation were all there. The problem was having to watch 90 minutes of Roger Moore following breadcrumb trails and going through typical Bond-formula motions in order to find that space station.

Golrush007

If you can get your head around the idea of Bond in space, and accept that the film is going there I feel that there is much to enjoy in Moonraker's space scenes. They are crafted and executed with aplomb. The scenes hold up extremely well on blu-ray, in fact they look incredible!

Like others, I think that the space station itself is a great bit of Ken Adam design. He sidesteps the cliched '2001' style space station, and gives us his vision of a child's mobile on a grand scale. The shot which reveals the station, combined with the score is actually one of the most grand cinematic moments in the entire series. Moonraker was my first Bond film experience so I am slightly biased, but I think it is hard for even the most vociferous MR-hater to deny that the space scenes are pulled off with great skill.

Will Once

Yes but if we wondered about the practicalities of the Bond sets, we would have handrails next to shark tanks and seatbelts on monorails. Never mind the practicalities if it looks good.

AlphaOmegaSin

Don't forget Ken Adams Set Design on the Jungle Launching Post -{

broadshoulder

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

Don't forget Ken Adams Set Design on the Jungle Launching Post -{

I enjoy the Brazilian sets of Moonraker

However the travel fan does enjoy Iguacu Falls on the Brazilian/Argentine border and then it moves to Tikal in Guatemala

There were no Mayan natives in the Brazilian amazon, Honduras was as far south as they got...

Thunderpussy

Not having " handrails " round your shark tank, makes sure your evil minions
stay on their toes ! , where do you think the last " Evil, health & Safety " guy
Ended up ? )
The Brazilian locations were a bit sparse, perhaps the budget had to be " Shaved" a
Little in that area. )

AlphaOmegaSin

I knew you were going to make a Brazilian Joke

Thunderpussy

" I haven't changed my act in 40 years "

Although on a serious note, I love the meeting room set, where Bond and
Dr Goodhead are placed, under the Moonraker Engines. -{ The way everything
Folds into the floor, I always thought was a brilliant design idea. I have read a
meeting room scene was filmed ( but not used) which explains why such an
elaborate set was built for such a short scene.

AlphaOmegaSin

)

broadshoulder

Thunderpussy wrote:

" I haven't changed my act in 40 years "

Although on a serious note, I love the meeting room set, where Bond and
Dr Goodhead are placed, under the Moonraker Engines. -{ The way everything
Folds into the floor, I always thought was a brilliant design idea. I have read a
meeting room scene was filmed ( but not used) which explains why such an
elaborate set was built for such a short scene.

I have read that. I have also seen a still of the scene..

Moore Than

Very much a fan of the sequence in space apart from the laser battle. Would have a higher opinion if the battle was confined within the space station. The rest is terrific, and that includes the space station itself plus the reveal, the effects, the music, Drax's speech, ordering Jaws to obey him, the chasing of the globes, etc.

AlphaOmegaSin

Moore Than wrote:

Very much a fan of the sequence in space apart from the laser battle. Would have a higher opinion if the battle was confined within the space station. The rest is terrific, the space station reveal, the effects, the music, Drax's speech, ordering Jaws to obey him, the chasing of the globes, etc.

That's one of my all Time favorite Scenes in Bond History -{ What really adds to that whole Sequence is Barry's Score. It's telling you that the Rest of the Human Race is in Bonds Hands.

Matt S

Moore Than wrote:

Very much a fan of the sequence in space apart from the laser battle. Would have a higher opinion if the battle was confined within the space station. The rest is terrific, and that includes the space station itself plus the reveal, the effects, the music, Drax's speech, ordering Jaws to obey him, the chasing of the globes, etc.

I agree. Whilst Barry's music is fantastic and brings some gravitas to the scene, a more intense battle on the space station like in YOLT or TSWLM would have been more exciting. They could have done more inside the space station and less outside.

AlphaOmegaSin

Have you read the Christopher Wood Novelization of MR, Matt? It adds a few more Scenes to the Station Sequence.