I will probably get a bit of stick for my "first" and "last" in this list, but hey, it's how I like them -{
I was never a lover of TSWLM, even though it contains all the elements of a good Bond film, and it is pretty good, I have always thought it very overrated. Hence it is the bottom of Roger's pile for me because I just prefer all his others more (or Moore).
Heart ruled my head with LALD, TSWLM is technically and acting wise far superior while OP is a great tension builder, but LALD is just pure fun and fun can never be overrated -{
FYEO is a nice little diversion from the general trend of the Moore films in that plot and espionage are prioritised over lunacy and excess and it its done very well but for me the slightly unsatisfactory ending keeps it a bit lower.
AVTAK and MR are pretty interchangeable, an entertaining attempt to make Bond contemporary (for the 80's at least) and a nice little travelogue. Both technically flawed but entertaining and draws you in. TMWTGG I don't enjoy so much, some promise (spy stuff done well) but a little uneventful, pretty inane humour and missed chances.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Moonraker
3. Live And Let Die
4. Octopussy
5. The Man With The Golden Gun
6. A View To A Kill
7. For Your Eyes Only (will need to watch again, can't remember much about it)
Great idea. This'll be a good exercise for me as I haven't mentally revisited the Moore films in quite some time.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me- The ultimate Moore era Bond film, as others have already said.
2. Live and Let Die- A great early example of genre mixing. Bond meets Blaxploitation. Great introduction of Moore's Bond.
3. For Your Eyes Only- as "Fleming" as the Moore era gets. pretty solid. very good, tempered performance from Moore
4. Octopussy- Not perfect, but a solid Moore-style bond film.
5. A View to a Kill- Not that good, but Christopher Walken tho!
6. The Man with the Golden Gun- meh
7. Moonraker- worst Bond film ever
1 - The Spy Who Loved Me
2 - Octopussy
3 - For Your Eyes Only
4 - Live and Let Die
5 - Moonraker
6 - A View to a Kill
7 - Man with the Golden Gun
Top 3 is the same. May even be tempted to put OP on top. Putting LALD as the middle is fair. A pretty average Bond film with a lot of great elements but its share of weaknesses too. MWGG sunk to the bottom. I just found it boring, the least original and the least cohesive of the bunch. MR went up a little bit because I appreciate its scale of ambition, as an escapist film.
I need to rewatch, but from my best memory I would rank them:
1 - The Spy Who Loved Me
2 - A View to a Kill
3 - Man with the Golden Gun
4 - For Your Eyes Only
5 - Octopussy
6 - Live and Let Die
7 - Moonraker
1. AVTAK (strongest villain,cool locations)
2. OP (easy to watch,fun)
3. TMWTGG (good villain,fun at times)
4. FYEO (cool variation of the bond theme, serious all the way)
5. LALD (good first appearence of Roger Moore but just a bit to mystical)
6. TSWLM (Jaws is great,blandest and most unimposing villain ever!)
7. MR (not as bad as it used to be but still)
"You see Mr.Bond, you can't kill my dreams...but my dreams can kill you.Time to face destiny" - "Time to face gravity"
1. TSWLM - The high point in Sir Roger's tenure: great plot, dialogue, heroines... and the Lotus!
2. FYEO - less comedy, better plot, themes, and some great acting and stunts
3. Octopussy - a string entry with genuine tension and a great PTS
4. Moonraker - a sprawling adventure and, as Cubby said, every penny is up there on the screen
5. LALD - a good entry for Sir Roger and Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour are brilliant
6. AVTAK - good in parts but a bit uneven
7. TMWTGG - with the exception of one of the series' strongest villains, it's otherwise disappointing
1. AVTAK (strongest villain,cool locations)
2. OP (easy to watch,fun)
3. TMWTGG (good villain,fun at times)
4. FYEO (cool variation of the bond theme, serious all the way)
5. LALD (good first appearence of Roger Moore but just a bit to mystical)
6. TSWLM (Jaws is great,blandest and most unimposing villain ever!)
7. MR (not as bad as it used to be but still)
Nice to see AVTAK at Number One
1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
My opinion will be mostly different from everyone else here most likely, but here it is...
7. Live And Let Die - I used to love Moore's first performance and the film itself. Although I don't hate it, I don't like the dark deck of cards jokes, with it's sub plot. It feels like a weak edition of Dr No with a few added extras. I don't want to hate on the film, as it has an incredible boat chase, a nice scene with some hungry crocodiles (and one sneaky alligator) and Baron Samadie steals the show. Otherwise, a weak 70's Bond film along with it's predecessor. Moore's performance however is terrific.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - It's funny, as I used to hate this film to death. Now, despite it's stupidity I really enjoy it. I enjoy Scaramanga as the main villain, good character and enjoyable to see him plot his kills. He also has a fairly unique alliance with Nick Nack. The middle tier of the film is absolutely ridiculous and goes nowhere, sending Bond to a dojo school, watching some Thai chicks kick a few butt, and a boat chase which clones the one from Live And Let Die. The main Bond girl (Goodnight) is ridiculous and laughably unlikable, and it was a shame to see Maud Adams killed off so soon. The final climax is nothing special featuring cops and robbers and director Guy Hamilton seems bored by this point. It's an OK film with a so-so plot
5. Octopussy - It was hard deciding whether this was the superior or MR. This film is great because is directed by John Glen for starters, and I love his way of directing. He was basically the king of the five Bonds of the 1980's. I do love parts of OP, such as it's first half when it is set in Delhi, India. This was a very different location and unique to the series. As cheesy at it was, I enjoy Moore's performance even though his age is really beginning to show, and I love Kamal Khan as the villain. Not so much his henchmen which is a poor clone to Oddjob and Jaws. Once the movie heads to Berlin, it really begins to slow down and drag, like an endurance test. This, in my opinion was Glen's weakest film but it does introduce Robert Brown as 'M' and I loved the setting of India. Confusing plot I guess but I always forget about it and just enjoy it for what it is.
4. Moonraker - Many people hate this film, and it is easy to see why. It is cheesy, foolish, unrealistic and shocking at the same time. However, this film is just so damn entertaining. Love Moore's performance even though he basically 51 years of age at the time of release, and Hugo Drax, Chang and Jaws are hilarious villains. Love it, it's just like TSWLM, but with an even more absurd plot. The locations are brilliant, Moore is at his best here, great action and awesome stunts (X2 boat chases and a gondola scene). I must admit, space was boring but what the hell. I enjoyed MR a lot.
3. A View To A Kill - This film will always be my pick for the most underrated Bond of the entire series, even more so than LTK. Yes, Moore was 57 and was arguably too old for the role, and Grace Jones was weird for most viewers. However, the plot of this movie to me is one of the best in the series. It follows a similar story to GF, but I honestly prefer this one better in terms of the silicon valley plot and the build up to the best climax of the series - in the San Andreas fault and on the Golden Gate Bridge. I love San Francisco as a Bond location to death, and although the first half is slow in comparison, with obvious stunt doubles, it is a fun film with two different plots. Stacey is a decent Bond girl, and John Glen's direction here is a significant improvement over OP. Honestly, one of my favourite Bond films
2. The Spy Who Loved Me - It's obvious to say that many fans love this film, and you can see why. It is Roger Moore's best performance for many, and by his third time, he found his place in the role of James Bond. The are almost no flaws at all with this film, it blends campiness, action, seriousness and awesomeness together in a great plot. This film is incredible and flip flops between FRWL on my best-to-worst rankings list. The Lotus Esprit was the perfect car for Roger Moore, the car chase/underwater scenes were among the best in the series, and while Barbara Bach was wooden, the villain & Jaws did not disappoint, and the Egyptian & Italian locations are amazing.
1. For Your Eyes Only - This is Roger Moore's most down to earth, serious and thrilling performance. I am being honest when I say that this is my absolute favorite Bond movie. It has everything you can want in a Bond film - Best locations (Spain, Italy and Greece), best action sequences (car chase & long ski sequence), a realistic back to basics plot after the outlandish Moonraker plot. John Glen would continue that trend throughout the 80's, bringing a real Ian Fleming esq plot. This film also had my pick for best Bond girl (Melina Havelock) and a nice villain in Kristatos. Terrific film and one of my favourites of all time
It is very hard to rank the Moore-era films because I like them all so much...but there's no harm in trying.
1. Live and Let Die (Sets the mood for what is to come in a very stylish way. Not a Big fan of the villain, though.)
2. Octopussy (Had Roger and Maud been a bit younger and had different henchwoman it would be easily in the top 10)
3. Moonraker (Is it silly and implausible? Yes. Do I care? No. I love this film. It's a tie between these three.)
4. The Man With The Golden Gun (Talented supporting cast and never seems to get boring. I dislike Guy's directing here. Wish Louis had directed it.)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (First hour is great, it overuses Atlantis in the second one)
6. For Your Eyes Only (Living in Greece doesn't make this film as exotic as it makes it for everyone else but I do love Moore's take on the part here)
?. A View To A Kill (Great villain but never watched it a great deal, it will change in my ranking)
Great idea. This'll be a good exercise for me as I haven't mentally revisited the Moore films in quite some time.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me- The ultimate Moore era Bond film, as others have already said.
2. Live and Let Die- A great early example of genre mixing. Bond meets Blaxploitation. Great introduction of Moore's Bond.
3. For Your Eyes Only- as "Fleming" as the Moore era gets. pretty solid. very good, tempered performance from Moore
4. Octopussy- Not perfect, but a solid Moore-style bond film.
5. A View to a Kill- Not that good, but Christopher Walken tho!
6. The Man with the Golden Gun- meh
7. Moonraker- worst Bond film ever
My ranking has changed quite a bit since I posted this. I have a much greater affection for Moonraker than I used to. Revisited it recently and, despite the genuinely awful final act in space, I found it highly enjoyable, great in some parts even. Anyway, here's my revised ranking:
1. The Spy Who Loved Me - remains the ultimate Bond film from the Moore era.
2. For Your Eyes Only - A fun Bond thriller, brings Bond back to his roots while maintaining the wonderful camp of the Moore era.
3. Octopussy - Bond by the numbers, nothing inspired but totally adequate in every way.
4. Live and Let Die - Lots of fun. A strange, but exciting introduction to Moore's Bond.
5. Moonraker - As soon as it moves to outer space, the movie goes to crap. But before that, it's fantastic.
6. The Man with the Golden Gun - Christopher Lee rules as Scaramanga. Too bad the rest of the movie is just weak.
7. A View to a Kill - A bad 80's remake of GF, with a painfully old Moore and a bad case of overall blandness. But the Duran Duran theme is the BEST.
Roger's back-to-back Lewis Gilbert films are my favorite in the series and favorite movies overall of any genre. The rest of his Bond films are good, but not the same level.
SILVER
3. Octopussy 8/10
4. A View to a Kill 8/10
A pair of solid 80's Bonds. Octopussy is the most wildly entertaining and avant garde film in the series. AVTAK combines the glamour of Moonraker with a more gritty and realistic Bond.
BRONZE
5. The Man with the Golden Gun 7/10
6. Live and Let Die 6/10
This pair of Guy Hamilton movies are quirky and weird in a cool way. TMWTGG features the most Fleming-esque portrayal by Moore, but hampered by JW Pepper and some ditzy sidekicks. LALD has a great voodoo theme and some top notch villains, but the overlong boat chase drags it down a couple notches. Plus, the lack of Q, John Barry and Bond in the PTS don't help either.
HONORABLE MENTION
7. For Your Eyes Only 5/10
Moore dispatches of Blofeld, only to be faced with two greater foes: Bibi Dahl and Bill Conti.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
1. The Spy Who Loved Me - Has to be his best. Is in the Top 5 Bond films of all time and I'd go so far as to say that it is the most entertaining film in the series.
2. For Your Eyes Only/ Live and Let Die - A tie for me. Whilst they are very different entries I love them both equally. Live and Let Die is Moore at his cockiest and most flippant in a flamboyant first outing. For Your Eyes Only is a seasoned, more serious veteran in a thriller orientated action film. Both are very strong entries in the series and films I rate highly.
4. Octopussy - Highly entertaining and enjoyable entry. Only let down by daft humour which undermines the serious attributes of the film. Moore puts in a brilliant performance and there is some magnificent moments in this entry.
5. A View To A Kill - I used to consider this his worst film, but my fondness for it has grown greatly over the past two years. The ground it covers is so well trodden that there's something wonderfully familar about it. Moore, despite his age, still fires on all cylinders and delivers a fine final performance.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - I've always feld a soft spot for this one, probably due to the fact that I watched it a lot as a kid. And whilst there are many things I like about it, it just comes across as a bit sleazy. Bond films should be risque and cheeky, but not sleazy. This one is a tad too far in the latter direction. Moore is great, however they haven't written his role correctly in this one. Still, lots to enjoy.
7. Moonraker - Production value, music and the cast should have this above Golden Gun and A View To a Kill but the slapstick and corniness in this is too much. It becomes such a parody in parts that it's a piss take. However, it is quite entertaining so i'm more or less a fan. Moore is great of course, really in his prime here.
1. For Your Eyes Only - I find his more serious performance here stronger than it is in TSWLM. In some TSWLM scenes it's almost as if Moore broods a bit too much. In FYEO his performance is muted, but still strongly in the Moore style. He's gritty, determined, classy and strong. I get the feeling that he bought into FYEO's script and more rooted style the most out of all his films.
2. The Spy Who Loved Me - This film made him Bond. He owns the role, looks incredible and unlike a few Bond films - saves the day. He's the true hero. I adore the ending of the PTS where he comes into view and is shrouded by the hands and features within Binder's titles.
3. Octopussy - His most comfortable performance with some excellent acting - especially during the meal at the Monsoon Palace, the confrontation with Orlov and his first meeting with Octopussy ("I want to know why an agent was killed") and the clown suit. He moves well, the fights are less choreographed and when things get heavy Moore gets into the performance even more. It's a balanced one too allowing a few laughs but at the same time shining light on why he was a damn good Bond.
4. A View To A Kill - While he's getting too old he stands up to a big cast and for a swan-song performance as Bond. Like Octopussy when things get serious Moore turns serious and his performance really buttons down - unlike his first three films. I really like how he works with Mayday at the end of the film and in quite a few scenes is the older gentleman saviour.
5. Moonraker - I find he cruises a bit through Moonraker and isn't in the greatest shape, but at times delivers some great scenes like the Centrifruige, "Did I?", the final scene with Bernard Lee and the hunting down of the globes. Doesn't help that there's limited chemistry with Goodhead.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - More serious in places than LALD but still pretty silly and he's a bit of a dick.
7. Live and Let Die - He's in the film but doesn't really own the role yet. The style of the film doesn't totally require it. He's quite cool though - potentially cooler than he is in any other Bond film.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me - Has to be his best. Is in the Top 5 Bond films of all time and I'd go so far as to say that it is the most entertaining film in the series.
-{ Although I continued to be mystified by fans who rank TSWLM as #1 and MR as #7, considering they are so similar. No two Bond films are more alike. I haven't ever noticed "slapstick or corniness" in MR being more prevalent than other Bond films of that era. Octopussy is the most "jokey" of the Moore films by a wide margin. TMWTGG is probably second. The hockey fight in FYEO is cornier than anything in MR.
4. Octopussy - Highly entertaining and enjoyable entry. Only let down by daft humour which undermines the serious attributes of the film. Moore puts in a brilliant performance and there is some magnificent moments in this entry.
I totally agree. OP has enough brilliant scenes to be considered a top Bond film, but shoots itself in the foot with some awful attempts at humor. Not sure what John Glen was thinking here…..following FYEO and also going head-to-head with Connery, I would have expected the daft jokes to vanish. Still an excellent film though.
My current 10 favorite:
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
1. The Spy Who Loved Me - Has to be his best. Is in the Top 5 Bond films of all time and I'd go so far as to say that it is the most entertaining film in the series.
-{ Although I continued to be mystified by fans who rank TSWLM as #1 and MR as #7, considering they are so similar. No two Bond films are more alike. I haven't ever noticed "slapstick or corniness" in MR being more prevalent than other Bond films of that era. Octopussy is the most "jokey" of the Moore films by a wide margin. TMWTGG is probably second. The hockey fight in FYEO is cornier than anything in MR.
Respectively disagree on this one Firemass. They may be similar in structure and story but they couldn't be more dissimilar in quality. I find Spy to be a far superior product than Moonraker. Sure, Spy has its fair share of humour and outlandishness, however it is never done at the expense of the tension or thrills and it never compromises the action scenes. Whereas Moonraker goes overboard in the slapstick and self-parodying humour and often sacrifices the thrills completely. I look at scenes such as the gondola chase, and the cable car fight, both of which are completely lacking in excitement, which then go on to climax in silly humour with the Bondola and Jaws' / Dolly meet cute moments. I would also refute the statement that Octopussy is the more jokey. That film definitely is full of jokes, but there is also a solid, serious tone throughout that entry, whereas I just don't see that in Moonraker. It's not even the space climax, which is something I actually don't mind. Rather, it's more everything that preceded it. Take the boat chase and the waterfall climax in Raker and compare it to the lotus submarine sequence in Spy. The Lotus sequence is far superior IMO.
For a contrast of Spy and Moonraker I look no further than the character of JAWS, who in spy is definitely comedic, however he is also menacing, intimidating and a cold blooded killer. There are humourous moments with him but my pulse quickens when he is on the screen because he poses a threat. In Moonraker this is completely sacrificed as he is just a buffoon playing looney tunes with Bond before falling in love and turning good. It Completely throws out any danger and excitement that the character previously had. This is for me a microcosm of the film as a whole.
Also I'd take the hockey fight scene in FYEO over JAWS flapping his hands in midair, The Bondola scene, The JAWS/ Dolly scenes and the Waterfall scenes anyday. I think those moments are far more cornier.
Though I am still quite fond of the movie, it has plenty of good things in it. The pre-titles is easily one of the best in the entire series. But for me, Spy is far superior. -{
The big difference with Moonraker is that I simply cannot suspend my disbelief for three reasons:
1 Drax's plan — to annihilate the entire human race — is so insane that anyone learning about it would have notified the nearest mental hospital immediately and scheduled a pick-up.
2 We don't have the technology now to build a space station like that, let alone in 1979. Further, the notion that Drax could have constructed it, including multiple space shuttle flights to take up equipment and crew, without anybody noticing is absurd. The film does address this with reference to a "radar jammer", but whilst I'm happy enough with "cloaking devices" in Star Trek I don't expect to see them in a James Bond film.
3 Even if we accept the above points, Drax's behaviour on encountering Bond makes no sense. At the start of the film, Drax is not a suspect for the theft of the space shuttle: all he needs to do is welcome Bond courteously, ostensibly give him the run of the complex and instruct Chang to shadow him 24/7 so he doesn't discover anything he shouldn't, and he won't fall under suspicion. Instead, he acts like a pantomime villain, instantly making Bond suspicious, is as rude and condescending as possible, and attempts to have Bond murdered, even though this will bring down the entire secret service on his neck. Maybe we're supposed to conclude that Drax isn't just a criminal mastermind but a complete loony who cannot behave appropriately even for five minutes, but then how did such a man build up a huge business empire? This also destroys the tension established in the novel, in which the reader (given a clue that Drax is not whom he appears to be, as he cheats at cards) is screaming at Bond not to be taken in by Drax's charm and charisma and to see him for what he really is.
Comments
FYEO
TSWLM
LALD
OP
MR
TMWTGG
AVTAK
2. Live & Let Die
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. Octopussy
5. Moonraker
6. The Man With The Golden Gun
7. A View To A Kill
I was never a lover of TSWLM, even though it contains all the elements of a good Bond film, and it is pretty good, I have always thought it very overrated. Hence it is the bottom of Roger's pile for me because I just prefer all his others more (or Moore).
AVTAK
MR
TMWTGG
FYEO
LALD
OP
TSWLM
TSWLM
OP
FYEO
MR
AVTAK
TMWTGG
Heart ruled my head with LALD, TSWLM is technically and acting wise far superior while OP is a great tension builder, but LALD is just pure fun and fun can never be overrated -{
FYEO is a nice little diversion from the general trend of the Moore films in that plot and espionage are prioritised over lunacy and excess and it its done very well but for me the slightly unsatisfactory ending keeps it a bit lower.
AVTAK and MR are pretty interchangeable, an entertaining attempt to make Bond contemporary (for the 80's at least) and a nice little travelogue. Both technically flawed but entertaining and draws you in. TMWTGG I don't enjoy so much, some promise (spy stuff done well) but a little uneventful, pretty inane humour and missed chances.
1. TSWLM 10/10
2. MR 9/10
3. AVTAK 8/10
4. OP 7/10
5. TMWTGG 7/10
6. LALD 6/10
7. FYEO 5/10
1. Lewis Gilbert
2. John Glen
3. Guy Hamilton
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
2. The Spy Who Loved Me
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. Octopussy
5. The Man With The Golden Gun
6. A View To a Kill
7. Moonraker
ah well, i love them all and for me it's hard to rank Rog's films - he did so many
TIS - "The moment you think you got it figured - you're wrong"
Formerly known as Teppo
2. Moonraker
3. Live And Let Die
4. Octopussy
5. The Man With The Golden Gun
6. A View To A Kill
7. For Your Eyes Only (will need to watch again, can't remember much about it)
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. Live and Let Die
4. Moonraker
5. Octopussy
6. View to a Kill
7. Man with the Golden Gun
1. The Spy Who Loved Me- The ultimate Moore era Bond film, as others have already said.
2. Live and Let Die- A great early example of genre mixing. Bond meets Blaxploitation. Great introduction of Moore's Bond.
3. For Your Eyes Only- as "Fleming" as the Moore era gets. pretty solid. very good, tempered performance from Moore
4. Octopussy- Not perfect, but a solid Moore-style bond film.
5. A View to a Kill- Not that good, but Christopher Walken tho!
6. The Man with the Golden Gun- meh
7. Moonraker- worst Bond film ever
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wish-i-was-at-disneyland/id1202780413?mt=2
1 - LALD
2 - AVTAK
3 - OP
4 - FYEO
5 - TSWLM
6 - TMWTGG
7 - MR
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
1 - The Spy Who Loved Me
2 - Octopussy
3 - For Your Eyes Only
4 - Live and Let Die
5 - Moonraker
6 - A View to a Kill
7 - Man with the Golden Gun
Top 3 is the same. May even be tempted to put OP on top. Putting LALD as the middle is fair. A pretty average Bond film with a lot of great elements but its share of weaknesses too. MWGG sunk to the bottom. I just found it boring, the least original and the least cohesive of the bunch. MR went up a little bit because I appreciate its scale of ambition, as an escapist film.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
1 - The Spy Who Loved Me
2 - A View to a Kill
3 - Man with the Golden Gun
4 - For Your Eyes Only
5 - Octopussy
6 - Live and Let Die
7 - Moonraker
1. LALT
2 FYEO
3 TSWLM
4 Octopussy
5 TMWTGGG
6 Moonraker
7 FAVTAK (I hate the Beechboys music during the snowboard stunts at the start of the film)
"Do you expect me to talk? "No Mister Bond I expect you to die"
2. OP (easy to watch,fun)
3. TMWTGG (good villain,fun at times)
4. FYEO (cool variation of the bond theme, serious all the way)
5. LALD (good first appearence of Roger Moore but just a bit to mystical)
6. TSWLM (Jaws is great,blandest and most unimposing villain ever!)
7. MR (not as bad as it used to be but still)
2. FYEO - less comedy, better plot, themes, and some great acting and stunts
3. Octopussy - a string entry with genuine tension and a great PTS
4. Moonraker - a sprawling adventure and, as Cubby said, every penny is up there on the screen
5. LALD - a good entry for Sir Roger and Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour are brilliant
6. AVTAK - good in parts but a bit uneven
7. TMWTGG - with the exception of one of the series' strongest villains, it's otherwise disappointing
-{
Nice to see AVTAK at Number One
7. Live And Let Die - I used to love Moore's first performance and the film itself. Although I don't hate it, I don't like the dark deck of cards jokes, with it's sub plot. It feels like a weak edition of Dr No with a few added extras. I don't want to hate on the film, as it has an incredible boat chase, a nice scene with some hungry crocodiles (and one sneaky alligator) and Baron Samadie steals the show. Otherwise, a weak 70's Bond film along with it's predecessor. Moore's performance however is terrific.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - It's funny, as I used to hate this film to death. Now, despite it's stupidity I really enjoy it. I enjoy Scaramanga as the main villain, good character and enjoyable to see him plot his kills. He also has a fairly unique alliance with Nick Nack. The middle tier of the film is absolutely ridiculous and goes nowhere, sending Bond to a dojo school, watching some Thai chicks kick a few butt, and a boat chase which clones the one from Live And Let Die. The main Bond girl (Goodnight) is ridiculous and laughably unlikable, and it was a shame to see Maud Adams killed off so soon. The final climax is nothing special featuring cops and robbers and director Guy Hamilton seems bored by this point. It's an OK film with a so-so plot
5. Octopussy - It was hard deciding whether this was the superior or MR. This film is great because is directed by John Glen for starters, and I love his way of directing. He was basically the king of the five Bonds of the 1980's. I do love parts of OP, such as it's first half when it is set in Delhi, India. This was a very different location and unique to the series. As cheesy at it was, I enjoy Moore's performance even though his age is really beginning to show, and I love Kamal Khan as the villain. Not so much his henchmen which is a poor clone to Oddjob and Jaws. Once the movie heads to Berlin, it really begins to slow down and drag, like an endurance test. This, in my opinion was Glen's weakest film but it does introduce Robert Brown as 'M' and I loved the setting of India. Confusing plot I guess but I always forget about it and just enjoy it for what it is.
4. Moonraker - Many people hate this film, and it is easy to see why. It is cheesy, foolish, unrealistic and shocking at the same time. However, this film is just so damn entertaining. Love Moore's performance even though he basically 51 years of age at the time of release, and Hugo Drax, Chang and Jaws are hilarious villains. Love it, it's just like TSWLM, but with an even more absurd plot. The locations are brilliant, Moore is at his best here, great action and awesome stunts (X2 boat chases and a gondola scene). I must admit, space was boring but what the hell. I enjoyed MR a lot.
3. A View To A Kill - This film will always be my pick for the most underrated Bond of the entire series, even more so than LTK. Yes, Moore was 57 and was arguably too old for the role, and Grace Jones was weird for most viewers. However, the plot of this movie to me is one of the best in the series. It follows a similar story to GF, but I honestly prefer this one better in terms of the silicon valley plot and the build up to the best climax of the series - in the San Andreas fault and on the Golden Gate Bridge. I love San Francisco as a Bond location to death, and although the first half is slow in comparison, with obvious stunt doubles, it is a fun film with two different plots. Stacey is a decent Bond girl, and John Glen's direction here is a significant improvement over OP. Honestly, one of my favourite Bond films
2. The Spy Who Loved Me - It's obvious to say that many fans love this film, and you can see why. It is Roger Moore's best performance for many, and by his third time, he found his place in the role of James Bond. The are almost no flaws at all with this film, it blends campiness, action, seriousness and awesomeness together in a great plot. This film is incredible and flip flops between FRWL on my best-to-worst rankings list. The Lotus Esprit was the perfect car for Roger Moore, the car chase/underwater scenes were among the best in the series, and while Barbara Bach was wooden, the villain & Jaws did not disappoint, and the Egyptian & Italian locations are amazing.
1. For Your Eyes Only - This is Roger Moore's most down to earth, serious and thrilling performance. I am being honest when I say that this is my absolute favorite Bond movie. It has everything you can want in a Bond film - Best locations (Spain, Italy and Greece), best action sequences (car chase & long ski sequence), a realistic back to basics plot after the outlandish Moonraker plot. John Glen would continue that trend throughout the 80's, bringing a real Ian Fleming esq plot. This film also had my pick for best Bond girl (Melina Havelock) and a nice villain in Kristatos. Terrific film and one of my favourites of all time
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Craig 5. Lazenby 6. Brosnan
.By default really. This movie is a classic. Sir Roger at his best.
2 For Your Eyes Only 1981
.An espionage thriller with a sense of humor. Another brilliant movie.
3 Octopussy 1983
.Same as FYEO. A little lighter. But hilarious.
4 Live And Let Die 1973
.Where it began. Apart from the Kananga explosion it's hard to criticize.
5 A View To A Kill 1985
.A very 80s flick. Pure fun.
6 The Man With The Golden Gun 1974
.Enjoyable when in the right mood.
7 Moonraker 1979
.Not my forte but Roger makes it work.
If ever in the mood for a film that isn't too serious, is fun, has beautiful locales and great action, and a charismatic leading man, look no further.
RIP go easy on Desmond up there pal
-{
TSWLM (it might be overrated but still delivers imo)
OP
AVTAK
LALD
MR
TMWTGG
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Craig 5. Lazenby 6. Brosnan
1. Live and Let Die (Sets the mood for what is to come in a very stylish way. Not a Big fan of the villain, though.)
2. Octopussy (Had Roger and Maud been a bit younger and had different henchwoman it would be easily in the top 10)
3. Moonraker (Is it silly and implausible? Yes. Do I care? No. I love this film. It's a tie between these three.)
4. The Man With The Golden Gun (Talented supporting cast and never seems to get boring. I dislike Guy's directing here. Wish Louis had directed it.)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (First hour is great, it overuses Atlantis in the second one)
6. For Your Eyes Only (Living in Greece doesn't make this film as exotic as it makes it for everyone else but I do love Moore's take on the part here)
?. A View To A Kill (Great villain but never watched it a great deal, it will change in my ranking)
My ranking goes as follows.
7. A View To A Kill
6. Moonraker
5. The Man With The Golden Gun
4. Octopussy
3. For Your Eyes Only
2. Live And Let Die
1. The Spy Who Loved Me
My ranking has changed quite a bit since I posted this. I have a much greater affection for Moonraker than I used to. Revisited it recently and, despite the genuinely awful final act in space, I found it highly enjoyable, great in some parts even. Anyway, here's my revised ranking:
1. The Spy Who Loved Me - remains the ultimate Bond film from the Moore era.
2. For Your Eyes Only - A fun Bond thriller, brings Bond back to his roots while maintaining the wonderful camp of the Moore era.
3. Octopussy - Bond by the numbers, nothing inspired but totally adequate in every way.
4. Live and Let Die - Lots of fun. A strange, but exciting introduction to Moore's Bond.
5. Moonraker - As soon as it moves to outer space, the movie goes to crap. But before that, it's fantastic.
6. The Man with the Golden Gun - Christopher Lee rules as Scaramanga. Too bad the rest of the movie is just weak.
7. A View to a Kill - A bad 80's remake of GF, with a painfully old Moore and a bad case of overall blandness. But the Duran Duran theme is the BEST.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wish-i-was-at-disneyland/id1202780413?mt=2
1. The Spy Who Loved Me 10/10
2. Moonraker 10/10
Roger's back-to-back Lewis Gilbert films are my favorite in the series and favorite movies overall of any genre. The rest of his Bond films are good, but not the same level.
SILVER
3. Octopussy 8/10
4. A View to a Kill 8/10
A pair of solid 80's Bonds. Octopussy is the most wildly entertaining and avant garde film in the series. AVTAK combines the glamour of Moonraker with a more gritty and realistic Bond.
BRONZE
5. The Man with the Golden Gun 7/10
6. Live and Let Die 6/10
This pair of Guy Hamilton movies are quirky and weird in a cool way. TMWTGG features the most Fleming-esque portrayal by Moore, but hampered by JW Pepper and some ditzy sidekicks. LALD has a great voodoo theme and some top notch villains, but the overlong boat chase drags it down a couple notches. Plus, the lack of Q, John Barry and Bond in the PTS don't help either.
HONORABLE MENTION
7. For Your Eyes Only 5/10
Moore dispatches of Blofeld, only to be faced with two greater foes: Bibi Dahl and Bill Conti.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
2. For Your Eyes Only/ Live and Let Die - A tie for me. Whilst they are very different entries I love them both equally. Live and Let Die is Moore at his cockiest and most flippant in a flamboyant first outing. For Your Eyes Only is a seasoned, more serious veteran in a thriller orientated action film. Both are very strong entries in the series and films I rate highly.
4. Octopussy - Highly entertaining and enjoyable entry. Only let down by daft humour which undermines the serious attributes of the film. Moore puts in a brilliant performance and there is some magnificent moments in this entry.
5. A View To A Kill - I used to consider this his worst film, but my fondness for it has grown greatly over the past two years. The ground it covers is so well trodden that there's something wonderfully familar about it. Moore, despite his age, still fires on all cylinders and delivers a fine final performance.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - I've always feld a soft spot for this one, probably due to the fact that I watched it a lot as a kid. And whilst there are many things I like about it, it just comes across as a bit sleazy. Bond films should be risque and cheeky, but not sleazy. This one is a tad too far in the latter direction. Moore is great, however they haven't written his role correctly in this one. Still, lots to enjoy.
7. Moonraker - Production value, music and the cast should have this above Golden Gun and A View To a Kill but the slapstick and corniness in this is too much. It becomes such a parody in parts that it's a piss take. However, it is quite entertaining so i'm more or less a fan. Moore is great of course, really in his prime here.
Long live the great man -{
6. The Man With the Golden Gun
5. Live & Let Die
4. The Spy Who Loved Me
3. Moonraker
2. For Your Eyes Only
1. Octopussy
2. The Spy Who Loved Me - This film made him Bond. He owns the role, looks incredible and unlike a few Bond films - saves the day. He's the true hero. I adore the ending of the PTS where he comes into view and is shrouded by the hands and features within Binder's titles.
3. Octopussy - His most comfortable performance with some excellent acting - especially during the meal at the Monsoon Palace, the confrontation with Orlov and his first meeting with Octopussy ("I want to know why an agent was killed") and the clown suit. He moves well, the fights are less choreographed and when things get heavy Moore gets into the performance even more. It's a balanced one too allowing a few laughs but at the same time shining light on why he was a damn good Bond.
4. A View To A Kill - While he's getting too old he stands up to a big cast and for a swan-song performance as Bond. Like Octopussy when things get serious Moore turns serious and his performance really buttons down - unlike his first three films. I really like how he works with Mayday at the end of the film and in quite a few scenes is the older gentleman saviour.
5. Moonraker - I find he cruises a bit through Moonraker and isn't in the greatest shape, but at times delivers some great scenes like the Centrifruige, "Did I?", the final scene with Bernard Lee and the hunting down of the globes. Doesn't help that there's limited chemistry with Goodhead.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun - More serious in places than LALD but still pretty silly and he's a bit of a dick.
7. Live and Let Die - He's in the film but doesn't really own the role yet. The style of the film doesn't totally require it. He's quite cool though - potentially cooler than he is in any other Bond film.
"Better make that two."
-{ Although I continued to be mystified by fans who rank TSWLM as #1 and MR as #7, considering they are so similar. No two Bond films are more alike. I haven't ever noticed "slapstick or corniness" in MR being more prevalent than other Bond films of that era. Octopussy is the most "jokey" of the Moore films by a wide margin. TMWTGG is probably second. The hockey fight in FYEO is cornier than anything in MR.
I totally agree. OP has enough brilliant scenes to be considered a top Bond film, but shoots itself in the foot with some awful attempts at humor. Not sure what John Glen was thinking here…..following FYEO and also going head-to-head with Connery, I would have expected the daft jokes to vanish. Still an excellent film though.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
Respectively disagree on this one Firemass. They may be similar in structure and story but they couldn't be more dissimilar in quality. I find Spy to be a far superior product than Moonraker. Sure, Spy has its fair share of humour and outlandishness, however it is never done at the expense of the tension or thrills and it never compromises the action scenes. Whereas Moonraker goes overboard in the slapstick and self-parodying humour and often sacrifices the thrills completely. I look at scenes such as the gondola chase, and the cable car fight, both of which are completely lacking in excitement, which then go on to climax in silly humour with the Bondola and Jaws' / Dolly meet cute moments. I would also refute the statement that Octopussy is the more jokey. That film definitely is full of jokes, but there is also a solid, serious tone throughout that entry, whereas I just don't see that in Moonraker. It's not even the space climax, which is something I actually don't mind. Rather, it's more everything that preceded it. Take the boat chase and the waterfall climax in Raker and compare it to the lotus submarine sequence in Spy. The Lotus sequence is far superior IMO.
For a contrast of Spy and Moonraker I look no further than the character of JAWS, who in spy is definitely comedic, however he is also menacing, intimidating and a cold blooded killer. There are humourous moments with him but my pulse quickens when he is on the screen because he poses a threat. In Moonraker this is completely sacrificed as he is just a buffoon playing looney tunes with Bond before falling in love and turning good. It Completely throws out any danger and excitement that the character previously had. This is for me a microcosm of the film as a whole.
Also I'd take the hockey fight scene in FYEO over JAWS flapping his hands in midair, The Bondola scene, The JAWS/ Dolly scenes and the Waterfall scenes anyday. I think those moments are far more cornier.
Though I am still quite fond of the movie, it has plenty of good things in it. The pre-titles is easily one of the best in the entire series. But for me, Spy is far superior. -{
1 Drax's plan — to annihilate the entire human race — is so insane that anyone learning about it would have notified the nearest mental hospital immediately and scheduled a pick-up.
2 We don't have the technology now to build a space station like that, let alone in 1979. Further, the notion that Drax could have constructed it, including multiple space shuttle flights to take up equipment and crew, without anybody noticing is absurd. The film does address this with reference to a "radar jammer", but whilst I'm happy enough with "cloaking devices" in Star Trek I don't expect to see them in a James Bond film.
3 Even if we accept the above points, Drax's behaviour on encountering Bond makes no sense. At the start of the film, Drax is not a suspect for the theft of the space shuttle: all he needs to do is welcome Bond courteously, ostensibly give him the run of the complex and instruct Chang to shadow him 24/7 so he doesn't discover anything he shouldn't, and he won't fall under suspicion. Instead, he acts like a pantomime villain, instantly making Bond suspicious, is as rude and condescending as possible, and attempts to have Bond murdered, even though this will bring down the entire secret service on his neck. Maybe we're supposed to conclude that Drax isn't just a criminal mastermind but a complete loony who cannot behave appropriately even for five minutes, but then how did such a man build up a huge business empire? This also destroys the tension established in the novel, in which the reader (given a clue that Drax is not whom he appears to be, as he cheats at cards) is screaming at Bond not to be taken in by Drax's charm and charisma and to see him for what he really is.