would Live and Let Die have benefitted from a tougher Bond?

Andy007

Despite this being the start of Moore's long tenure, and is popular to many fans but I have to disagree. Despite Live and Let Die meeting the 70's style at the time and a lighter tone, it's a rather disappointing Bond film overall. Leading me to wish a tougher Bond could've taken on this assignment. Several things come to mind, a tougher Bond (Connery/Dalton) would have fit better into the dark cult enemy scenes. Also to be less intimidated by the black gang, despite Moore keeping his cool & charm, he doesn't pose much physical threat to the villains in the way I'd like to have seen Connery/Dalton/Brosnan/Craig do. It has too many silly scenes albeit amusing at times. The film just seems to have a drab feel about it, and commits the crime of being boring in spells. I'd like to think others see the faults I do? I also regard it as Moore's weakest performance as Bond. He got much better as his reign goes on. I think his hair was cut a touch too short in this one. It was known that Moore had to get his long hair cut to play Bond, but it doesn't look quite right to me. Fortunately the hair issue is fine in his other movies. There are definitely things not right about Live and let Die. I think people get carried away with the theme song and forget the movie doesn't deliver much quality by Bond standards.

Mr_Osato

I kindly disagree. I am not a big fan of the Moore movies, but I do like LALD a lot. To me it has a lot of classic scenes, most notably the crocodile stunt (no way in present time this stunt would have been made!) a great boat chase, the chase with the bus and is it one of the few movies where the second half of the movie is pretty much of the same level as the first half.

It is a very enjoyable movie, Moore looked young and fresh, the soundtrack although not Barry I believe is very good and it has a strong villain, strong henchmen and a great Bond girl with an interesting back story.

It is nowhere perfect, but it was a good movie for the time with the right tone I believe.

The Red Kind

LALD has far more positives than negatives. Roger stamps his mark as the new James Bond. Interesting story, good stunts, supporting cast and one of my favourite soundtracks. LALD knocks on the door of my Top 5.

heartbroken_mr_drax

Andy007 wrote:

Despite this being the start of Moore's long tenure, and is popular to many fans but I have to disagree. Despite Live and Let Die meeting the 70's style at the time and a lighter tone, it's a rather disappointing Bond film overall. Leading me to wish a tougher Bond could've taken on this assignment. Several things come to mind, a tougher Bond (Connery/Dalton) would have fit better into the dark cult enemy scenes. Also to be less intimidated by the black gang, despite Moore keeping his cool & charm, he doesn't pose much physical threat to the villains in the way I'd like to have seen Connery/Dalton/Brosnan/Craig do. It has too many silly scenes albeit amusing at times. The film just seems to have a drab feel about it, and commits the crime of being boring in spells. I'd like to think others see the faults I do? I also regard it as Moore's weakest performance as Bond. He got much better as his reign goes on. I think his hair was cut a touch too short in this one. It was known that Moore had to get his long hair cut to play Bond, but it doesn't look quite right to me. Fortunately the hair issue is fine in his other movies. There are definitely things not right about Live and let Die. I think people get carried away with the theme song and forget the movie doesn't deliver much quality by Bond standards.

Despite my adoration for Moore's Bond, LALD is one of my more lowly regarded films. I enjoy watching it and IMO is one of the most original films in the series - it holds a really different tone - and is quite fashionable. Just look at this publicity shot:



It really signifies a different direction, the title song - a rock song - highlights this.

I just find that while it's odd, I just don't feel convinced by it as a complete Bond film. In a similar manner to DAF, although much better!