why did Jaws go from a terrifying character to a clown?

Andy007

In The Spy who loved Me Jaws was a terrifying villain. A genuine menace who Bond couldn't match in combat. He had to out-think him to have any chance. Yet in Moonraker the terrifying presence is there, but portrayed as a clown. Literally at times, falling on to a circus tent from a plane to survive, crashing into buildings from a speedy chair-lift etc. I don't mind that he teamed up with Bond, but why did his scenes become so moronic & comedic in Moonraker?

Dirty Punker

Andy007 wrote:

Moonraker(!)

You answered your own question.
It was a luxury that they even got Jaws back for Moonraker. I mean, Richard Kiel got so much fanmail for Spy that the producers were convinced that they wanted him back.
(...or something along those lines, if I'm wrong please correct me. Be sure that there will be no hard feelings. We all make mistakes.)

hehadlotsofguts

Children wrote in, asking for Jaws to be a good guy. I think making him a buffoon in MR, was the filmmaker's way of making him kid- friendly. He was still menacing, but not in the same way he was in TSWLM.

Matt S

He's a buffoon in TSWLM too. It's hos own clumsiness that gets the temple to fall on him. He crashes a car into a house and walks out the front door. His face gets stuck to a magnet. He was a joke from the start, and one reason why he's so great in TSWLM.

Joshua

I liked Jaws the villian in tswlm but as people say, he was turned into a clown. Was it really for the children? were children then the audience?

Firemass

Matt S wrote:

He's a buffoon in TSWLM too. It's hos own clumsiness that gets the temple to fall on him. He crashes a car into a house and walks out the front door. His face gets stuck to a magnet. He was a joke from the start, and one reason why he's so great in TSWLM.

You beat me to it. The idea that Jaws went from a "terrifying character to a clown" is yet another common misconception among Bond fans who are too eager to jump on the anti-Moonraker bandwagon.


Bond didn't seem the least bit terrified of Jaws while he was demolishing the van in TSWLM. The scene ends on a laugh as Jaws drops a brick on his own foot. Plus, the other points that Matt mentions above.

Moonraker was just more of the same.

Wadsy

Looney Tunes and Star Wars mate, the Bond producers had to improvise ) )

Chriscoop

I for one (as a child at the time) found aspects of jaws both frightening and comedic in BOTH films, in MR the scene in rio where he is about to off manuella is quite disturbing until bond gets involved. And while we are on MR Corrines death by dogs is also a dark scene.

The Red Kind

Chriscoop wrote:

I for one (as a child at the time) found aspects of jaws both frightening and comedic in BOTH films, in MR the scene in rio where he is about to off manuella is quite disturbing until bond gets involved. And while we are on MR Corrines death by dogs is also a dark scene.

+1

The image of a giant clown walking down a dark, secluded alley was pretty frightening as a child, and to be honest would still put me on edge today if I was in that situation! ) Corrine's murder is still one of the darkest scenes in all the films and I really don't look like watching that bit.

superado

Joshua wrote:

I liked Jaws the villian in tswlm but as people say, he was turned into a clown. Was it really for the children? were children then the audience?

I too was a child at the time and TSWLM was my first Bond theater experience. Ahh, that Saturday when a friend and I were dropped off by his mom in their station wagon at the theater is still vivid in my mind, and when I woke up that day I had no idea I would be watching Bond! The movie house was full and we had to sit on the front row, which is okay when you’re a kid and the theater was certainly full of other kids! Cubby always geared the series as fun for the whole family. The producers enjoyed the big draw for younger audiences with the Aston Martin in GF, brought it back for TB (when the marketing of Bond merchandize for children really took off) and topped that with a submarine car for TSWLM…so I think it’s safe to say that TSWLM as well as the space-themed MR were made with kids in mind.

Chriscoop wrote:

I for one (as a child at the time) found aspects of jaws both frightening and comedic in BOTH films, in MR the scene in rio where he is about to off manuella is quite disturbing until bond gets involved. And while we are on MR Corrines death by dogs is also a dark scene.

In my child mind then, I wondered who'd win in a fight, Jaws or Dracula? Of course Jaws would need to wear goggles with crucifixes painted on them to prevent Dracula from hypnotizing him )

caractacus potts

Joshua wrote:

... were children then the audience?

I was 11 when I saw it in the theatre
same year STAR WARS and Close Encounters came out. Seeing those three films that year made me a film buff for life!

Wint & Kidd, Teehee, and Nicknack were all played pretty silly too. This was the formula for the henchmen at this point in the series (i.e. all through the 70s).

Chriscoop

caractacus potts wrote:

Joshua wrote:

... were children then the audience?

I was 11 when I saw it in the theatre
same year STAR WARS and Close Encounters came out. Seeing those three films that year made me a film buff for life!

Wint & Kidd, Teehee, and Nicknack were all played pretty silly too. This was the formula for the henchmen at this point in the series (i.e. all through the 70s).

They were indeed, one of my favourite hapless henchman moments is in lald
" leroy slow down "
" do as the man says"
" I can't I can't find the brakes"
) always makes me laugh.

Joshua

Thank you for the replies. I thought until this time that any Bond films were not to be shown to children in the cinema of perhaps 15 years old. I did not realise that they were to be shown to all the family. This explains much with jaws.

DieAnotherDay

IMO his most terrifying moment comes in Moonraker when he's in that alleyway with the huge creepy clown suit on. That whole scene is incredibly suspense filled because it seems like Bond won't actually be there to save the girl from him. My favourite scene in the film alongside the centrifuge!

Thunderpussy

I found Jaws to be awesome in Both films, and agree on the Moonraker scene with him dress as a carnival
Clown. -{

Silhouette Man

DieAnotherDay wrote:

IMO his most terrifying moment comes in Moonraker when he's in that alleyway with the huge creepy clown suit on. That whole scene is incredibly suspense filled because it seems like Bond won't actually be there to save the girl from him. My favourite scene in the film alongside the centrifuge!

Agreed, that scene is brilliant. For once, it's not played for laughs and is all the better for it. -{

hehadlotsofguts

Silhouette Man wrote:

DieAnotherDay wrote:

IMO his most terrifying moment comes in Moonraker when he's in that alleyway with the huge creepy clown suit on. That whole scene is incredibly suspense filled because it seems like Bond won't actually be there to save the girl from him. My favourite scene in the film alongside the centrifuge!

Agreed, that scene is brilliant. For once, it's not played for laughs and is all the better for it. -{

What about when Jaws starts dancing with the crowd?

Silhouette Man

hehadlotsofguts wrote:

Silhouette Man wrote:

DieAnotherDay wrote:

IMO his most terrifying moment comes in Moonraker when he's in that alleyway with the huge creepy clown suit on. That whole scene is incredibly suspense filled because it seems like Bond won't actually be there to save the girl from him. My favourite scene in the film alongside the centrifuge!

Agreed, that scene is brilliant. For once, it's not played for laughs and is all the better for it. -{

What about when Jaws starts dancing with the crowd?

Ah, yes, true. Still, it is quite funny how he just gives up and realises that if he can't get turned back he might a well do with the flow. It's all there in his shrug of the shoulders.

superado

Silhouette Man wrote:

hehadlotsofguts wrote:

Silhouette Man wrote:

Agreed, that scene is brilliant. For once, it's not played for laughs and is all the better for it. -{

What about when Jaws starts dancing with the crowd?

Ah, yes, true. Still, it is quite funny how he just gives up and realises that if he can't get turned back he might a well do with the flow. It's all there in his shrug of the shoulders.

I love that part!

superado

Joshua wrote:

Thank you for the replies. I thought until this time that any Bond films were not to be shown to children in the cinema of perhaps 15 years old. I did not realise that they were to be shown to all the family. This explains much with jaws.

Perhaps they should have restricted admission for little kids. Imagine my pleasant surprise as an 11-year old seeing a quick flash of bare breast!

Matt S

superado wrote:

Joshua wrote:

Thank you for the replies. I thought until this time that any Bond films were not to be shown to children in the cinema of perhaps 15 years old. I did not realise that they were to be shown to all the family. This explains much with jaws.

Perhaps they should have restricted admission for little kids. Imagine my pleasant surprise as an 11-year old seeing a quick flash of bare breast!

I don't even remember that from watching it on TV as a 5-year-old! MR is family-friendly Bond film, if there is such a thing. James Bond doesn't even carry a real gun in the film! And any kill he makes otherwise is on the level of Get Smart where it's not to be taken seriously.

Thunderpussy

Depends on your definition of a family film. As a Kid I remember enjoying " The Thing "
Still think it's fantastic.