Review of Moonraker (1979) - The Exorbitant Echo
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- Опубліковано 26 кві 2024
- James Bond in space seems like an irresistible idea for filmmakers in the late 1970s, and hey, there's a book left with Moon in the title and dealt with rockets, so maybe this was a match made in heaven. Retaining most of the same people that just made the phenomenal predecessor, they went all out to make this the biggest Bond of them all. Was the scale coupled with the old formula enough, or did their reach extend their grasp?
Next in the series: For Your Eyes Only - Розваги
This dude is the best Bond movie reviewer on UA-cam.
That's incredibly kind of you, given the several really great ones that are out there. Thank you.
Agreed!
I agree, but poor Stephen probably can't see how brilliant he is. He strikes me as one of those intellectuals who wants to get better and push his own personal best.
I wish I had gone to school with someone like him. Completely relatable and wonderful.
As someone who did have the pleasure of going to school with him, I can affirm that he does help push you to think more critically and do your best work. ❤ He was a great study partner! You should hear him analyze Shakespeare as well as Bond!
Die Another Day take notes: THIS is how you do a ridiculously campy Bond adventure!
Moonraker is actually a fun time when you accept it as it is.
I haven't seen either in a couple years, but that's how I feel about A View to a Kill too. Are they good? Objectively, probably not. Do I have fun if I turn my brain off and embrace how much fun the villains are? Absolutely
It's so easy to hyperbolize as "James Bond in space" but that's not even half the movie. It's like how Octopussy gets ripped on for having the clown scene when it's also a really fun movie.
@@BB-te8tc I think Octopussy's issue is the story construction.
It's a strange one for me, because I definitely have a lot of fun with its tonal cousins in Octopussy, Live and Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies. But I'm bored throughout most of it, and even the best bits aren't enough to leave me disappointed by the end. I keep hoping this is one where I'll change my mind because I'd love nothing more than to be one of this movie's champions, but that has yet to happen.
Honestly I have an easier time accepting Never Say Never Again for what it is.
I know it's far from the best Bond film, but I have a soft spot for Moonraker because it's the first Bond film I saw in the theater. I was pretty young and went with some of my cousins. The theater was packed and we had to sit in the front row. Sitting up close like that really made the outer space scenes seem even bigger.
That would have been so cool to see!
I think Moonraker is one of the best movies of James Bond. It’s only were the movies is in the Space. I think not only because of the idea of being in Space. But still they should make another movie about space, especially nowadays there is more potential making an realistic film. A Mix of the Brosnan and Space would be a great combination for James Bond movies
The music during the climax scene is one of the best!!! Watch that last scene again!!! You will see what I mean.
Please continue. Enjoying your P.O.V. Glad that I found your channel.
This is one of the 007 movies that I'll call a "guilty pleasure" : I don't bother with the narrative (Diamonds Are Forever, A View To A Kill, Tomorrow Never Dies, You Only Live Twice, Dr No, QoS, Goldfinger and Licence To Kill are amongst them) whenever I'm doing some ironing/housework and want a movie in the background, I'm happy to switch on my DVD Player to see them - including the bonus material on the additional DvD.
Honestly, I find this movie overall better than TSWLM, except for the copied plot. The pacing is better, the main girl is better, the main villain is better, the secondary henchman is better (Chang > Sambor), the soundtrack is better, the lighting and colour palette is better. It's just the copied plot that holds it back. Despite how cartoony, ridiculous and unoriginal it is, I find Moonraker charming and it always wins me over. It's probably the immensely strong fun factor.
Great video, as always, mr Stephen! Can't wait for FYEO.
Btw, shoutout to your titles for videos. They're brilliant.
I think the photography looked much better in Spy. Claude Renoir's work had an attractive swarthy quality. Moonraker had a tendency to look rather flat like Ted Moore's later work, very 70's and kind of dull.
@@ricardocantoral7672 Idk. Corinne's death, ride through St. Mark, and flight into space are stunning and breathtaking. Spy always looked flat to me, except for few shots in the desert and that Pyramids light show with Jaws.
@@niezwyklesmutnyczowiek2507 More than that was impressive. That area with the huge columns, The terrific lighting inside the Liparus, The interior of the Lotus underwater, many of the location shots of Cairo, Sardinia, right outside the ship when Bond is briefed by Headgreaves. Much of the interior lighting is not as striking but it's a step above the early 70's photography. Moonraker has some great location shots. I think the most visually striking scene is the death of that girl in the woods. Venice looked good and so did Rio. However, I think the film generally looked kind of dull like some of those early 70's Ted Moore movies.
The opening was exciting for my fourteen year old self. I confess that I went to the theater four times for this adventure, mostly because of TSWLM. This was the film that got me and my friend to stop collecting Barry soundtracks because it was so damned short.
Thank you for another present in my UA-cam feed.
You're welcome.
I couldn't agree more about the soundtrack. If you discount the Main Title song, its reprise and the 007 theme, I used every available track from the CD for this video.
Great review as always. The French Chateau in California is of course in France, where the film was co-financed. And the title song would have benefitted from another take as the venerable singer isn’t quite at the same pitch as the orchestra on certain notes. The disco end title is an aberration
One of my favourites, actually, but that is likely because I am a product of the time that it came out - I was in single digits when Star Wars and The Spy Who Loved Me were in the cinema together. When Moonraker came out I was all-in. Yes, now that I am grown up I can see all the strings, but the good and the fun and the tense parts of this film still entertain me, and that’s what’s important. The fact that Bond is missing his wrist gun when he is captured in the temple, but somehow has it later on the space station, is just a blip.
Didn't even think about that!
Definitely agree about the set pieces being the driving force of the narrative - it's the tail wagging the dog.
Moonraker is my favorite Bond film to fall asleep during. I think it’s a bit of a tonal mess, and has some of the most boring scenes of the franchise. I love the opening plane fight, but find most of the action quite dull too.
I know how much you like FYEO, looking forward to that review!
When my son was a new born, I would hold and dance with him to Shirley Bassey. He would always fall fast asleep!! And it is easily the top 3 of my favorite Bond themes. "SKYFALL," and "Live And Let Die."
Yeah the set pieces are fairly uninspired in comparison to the films immediately before and after it: TSWLM and FYEO have fantastic action sequences
Where all the other Bonds end... this one begins! Probably the biggest and the most entertaining James Bond film ever! My Top-10 is: 1965, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1995.
Interesting list: but you prefer Thunderball over Goldfinger?
@@lochnessmunster1189 Goldfinger(1964) is a good Bond movie of course, maybe my #11 or #12? It is very difficult to rank all 27 Bond movies. I think Thunderball(1965) is better than Goldfinger(1964), because now(1965), the Bond formula was 100% complete! There was nothing more to add. Even "Bond and Q" relationship was in place. Even Aston Martin DB5 had already been introduced. All the important elements were in place in the very beginning of Thunderball(1965). And wow: 2,35:1 aspect ratio is much better than previous 1,66:1 or 1,85:1..........
@@renekauts8323 I think that's a very good point: that Bond was now complete with Thunderball: at least, for that era. And the 2,25:1 aspect as well.🙂
EXCELLENT, EXCELLENT review
I was horrified when your said you were divided on John Barry's score. I think the music on is own is some of the best in the series. But you make a good point about how it works against the action on screen. (I'm going to play the score now!)
Thank you. If the score was a standalone product, I'd agree wholeheartedly. It's absolutely beautiful.
One of the best ever pre titles it been interesting if this parachute jump would have happened if they hadn’t found the right lens for the camera to shoot it
The 'Moonraker' theme song by Shirley Bassey is a really cool song.
the space scenes are OUTSTANDING, I am serious, they are a technical, visual and musical marvel today still!
I think Moonraker had a superior antagonist and score than it's predecessor. Unfortunately, it's inferior by almost every metric.Jaws is reduced to being a complete buffoon and often, the tension is undercut by comedy. For example: That wonderful pre title sequence, Bond and a thug plummeting towards their deaths out of an airplane, ends with Jaws crashing into a circus tent. Still, I don't think Moonraker is very bad when you take it all in. The movie aimed to be a romp and it was just that. The production design and locations are great. I also think Bond in space wasn't that offensive but it's certainly a territory where he shouldn't have been. Overall, this is one of the weaker Bond films but nowhere near the very worst.
This is one of those movies where I just can't suspend my disbelief and I'm constantly thinking of it as a movie. Whether it's "California" France, Jaws turning good, I can't watch it without thinking of the real reasons they made these production choices.
I think Jaws hurts this film. He should have been more threatening.
@ricardocantoral7672 Legitimately, if he wasn't in the film I'd probably put this movie in the better half of Moore's tenure.
@@nikolaiiscoolguyproduction4807 His absence plus less comic moments. Like instead of the Gondola, a motorcycle.
Octopussy and Moonraker are my favourite Bond movies😊
I quite like moonraker for the villain and having dr good head be one if thd few ladies who gets to help bond save the day. Yes it is silly but you can enjoy it 😂
Greatness of amazing awesome movie review favorite guilty pleasure James Bond movie adventure in the Roger Moore James Bond movie Moonraker in my opinion Moonraker favorite guilty pleasure entertaining fun action pack Bond movie adventure fantascular type Bond movie of fun this is a fun movie
Read the Fleming novel which was a really good book as you say, one of his best. The Bond movies including the later Connery films began moving away from Flemings work along with introducing gags & one liners. which you won't find in Flemings work. You can see where it began to go downhill.. A lot of the fans can't see it because they've only watched the movies... its a money making franchise with one film being the same as the next. Look at the semi-reboot with the Daniel Craig films.. they're afraid to go all out. If they were really interested they would trash this whole entire thing & start again.
I wish Casino Royale stuck closer to the source material. In the novel, Bond is on a psychological journey of completing himself. The movie focused on Bond becoming cold because Vesper betrayed him. I much prefer the book.
Well, you are correct to a point. The early material (Royale through to Russia) was much more what you described. From Dr. No onwards, the character started to move away from that and resembled to a degree what they would later do in the Connery films.
@@stephenjarvis534 The character didn't change in Flemings work, I'm referring to the Fleming novels here. Have you read the Ian Fleming's Bond Novels? Flemings writing didn't change & nor did his character develop a sense of humour. Even Connery admitted to the added humour which was integrated into the end of his tenure & got out of hand during Roger Moore's time. At this point the paying public who've never even read an Ian Fleming novel are totally unprepared for the arrival of Timothy Dalton's Bond which again was based on Flemings Bond.
I am referring to the Fleming books, and I respectfully have to disagree. The way Fleming wrote You Only Live Twice and Majesty's is very different to how he wrote Casino Royale and Live and Let Die, and the character definitely changes over the course of the novels. The humor definitely increased in the films, but the later novels were quite a bit more humorous than the earlier ones. They never became outright comedies, but the jokes were there.
Moonraker IS The best Bond movie ever
Always pleased to see defenders of less liked Bond films.
There is this ridiculous see-saw effect with the plot, one minute it's serious then it's funny, another moment it's dark then it’s campy, and finally, it's tense and suspenseful then batcrap mental at the end.
Tonal inconsistency and I prefer it when it goes dark. I could easily see a version of this film being a thriller. Probably not deadly serious but one that can be taken fairly seriously. For example, I think it would have been great if Drax was like Jim Jones instead of the standard mold of Bond villainy.
@@ricardocantoral7672 you’re going to have to forgive my lack of knowledge but who the heck is Jim Jones?
@@patwaters-actormoviereviewer
Jim Jones was a cult leader from the 1970's who participated in a mass suicide with his followers. They all drank poisoned Kool-Aid. That's where the expression "Drinking the Kool-Aid" comes from.
@@patwaters-actormoviereviewer
Jones was an infamous cult leader who participated in a mass suicide with his followers.
@@patwaters-actormoviereviewer
An infamous cult leader from the 1970's.
The reason for the hi-jack of the Moonraker by Drax was somewhat disappointing and unconvincing. That’s the only complaint I have with this film.
I actually kind of like that it's so mundane and matter of fact.
I can easily think of a better excuse: Drax setting up a pretense of a mole in his organization. Just like the book.
I don't, per se, have a problem with humor/comedy in a Bond film. In fact, I think a certain level of humor is one those essential elements in a 007 adventure. What i dislike is bad humor or comedy. Benny Hill would have rejected some of the bits in Moonraker. The Bondola and the hearse gondola are ridiculous and in the aftermath of the chase, the double-taking pigeon and the guy staring as his drink as if he is attributing what he seeing to the alcohol he is consuming (done with the same actor for the second film running and soon to be repeated for a third consecutive outing) is unfunny. If the producers thought, they would elicit laughs they were dead wrong. I saw Moonraker in the theater and the foregoing sequence brought forth not chuckles, but groans from the audience. I was embarrassed for the character and the franchise. The Jaws so called comedy bits do not need to be recounted here. Suffice it to say it's bad. The line delivered by Q in the last scene is in such poor taste (much more so than Moore's keeping the British end up quip in the same situation in the previous movie) that fans squirmed in their seats. The film also fails in the romance (or lust, if you will) department as there is zero chemistry working between Lois Chiles and Moore. Oh, and the line about I wasn't expecting a woman was hackneyed even in 1979 and flew in the face of what he experienced in the previous film with a similarly situated Bond girl. Lastly, the battle royale in space is a repeat of the same sequence in Thunderball replacing frogmen with spear guns, a believable situation, with astronauts armed with death rays a totally fantastical and unbelievable scenario. It worked in Star Wars because that was a long time ago in a galaxy far away, but Moonraker was set in the here and now above planet Earth. And a post-script concerning Michael Lonsdale as Drax. It's bad enough that he is, once again, a Nehru jacketed Blofeld clone (or is Blofeld a Dr. No clone? I can't decide) but the guy's lips barely move in his monotone delivery. it's hard to believe that the actor was so good as Inspector Lebel in Day of the Jackal and so very bad in Moonraker.
Needless to say, not one of my favorite films in the franchise.
I liked Drax but I agree with a good deal of your criticisms. In The Spy Who Loved Me, there was cheesy humor but rarely did it last too long. In Moonraker, they pile on the eye rolling "comedy" .