Continuing my countdown to Skyfall by offering mini reviews on each of the films thus far, we come to the Roger Moore era, 1973 - 1985.
8. Live And Let Die. A truly surreal Bond outing that fuses the 'Blaxploitation' films of the 70s with Voodoo and Rednecks, as Bond traces a heroin smuggling operation from Harlem to the Caribbean by way of Louisiana. Though a refreshing change of pace to the Bond formula, none of the elements mesh particularly well, and in his first outing Moore stumbles through the role unsure of how to play it. Like this era as a whole, Moore's performance and the film can never quite work out what they want to be. 6/10.
9. The Man With The Golden Gun. Proof that his enemies favour outlandish gadgets perhaps more than Bond himself, the title character of Scaramanga is one of the few reasons to watch Moore's second entry, as Christopher Lee does away with the theatrics to present a quieter, but no less menacing villain. Though Moore himself begins to make Bond his own, the script does not fully allow for this, with the character being shown-up by his foe, comical car chases and even a couple of teenage girls. Not the worst of the Moore era, but far from the best. 6/10.
10. The Spy Who Loved Me. Often regarded the best of the Moore films and there is a lot to like here. Though The Spy Who Loved Me rehashes a tried and tested formula for Bond it does so in satisfying fashion, with the sets being the most impressive of the series to that point, the girl a refreshing equal to Bond and the submersible Lotus Esprit on par with the Aston Martin. Moore's Bond finally comes into his own, and the film remains a high-point to the series. 8/10.
11. Moonraker. For Your Eyes Only was the next planned in the series, with Moonraker being rushed into production due to the popularity of Star Wars. Like Live And Let Die before it, Moonraker doesn't quite know what to do with itself, and the absurdity of the laser guns and space battles don't suit the franchise in the slightest. It's hard to tell if the whole thing was a knowing parody or meant to be taken deadly serious, and to this day remains one of the weakest in the series. 4/10.
12. For Your Eyes Only. A thankful return to Earth in more ways than one after the space battles of Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only comfortably downplays a lot of what had driven the previous entries in the franchise. There is no outlandish villain or plot for world domination here and the action sequences remain slightly more grounded, more realistic. As Moore starts to show his age, so does the character, and for the first time we see a portrait of a man grieving for everything he has lost, including, as the pre-title sequence sets out to remind us, his wife. Though not quite as dark or serious as the series would become during Dalton's era, For Your Eyes Only is nevertheless a step in the right direction. 8/10.
13. Octopussy. Octopussy is another mixed bag in the franchise. For the most part it is a much more serious entry and features one of the most distressing pre-title sequences ever, but it is counteracted by the treatment of Bond himself, who in one scene emits a Tarzan cry as he swings through the jungle and is later caught dressing up in both a gorilla outfit and a clown, where he is publicly laughed at. The Indian setting makes for an engaging location and an increased role for Desmond Llewelyn is welcome, but not for the first time in the Moore era it's the handling of Bond that let's it down. 6/10.
14. A View To A Kill. Like Moore himself here, the franchise looks old and tired, with A View To A Kill simply rehashing a lot of what has come before. Though Christopher Walken breathes suitably malicious life into Max Zorin, there's no hiding the fact that we're watching Goldfinger all over again, simply replacing Fort Knox with Silicon Valley; Oddjob with May Day. The mine set and the finale atop the Golden Gate Bridge hold a little merit but they're not enough to save the film, and with them the Moore era bows out on a whimper. 5/10.
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