Moonraker
by Lewis Gilbert
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DVD details
Actor: Emily Bolton, Georges Beller, Irka Bochenko, Jean-Pierre Castaldi, Roger MooreDirector: Lewis Gilbert
Brand: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT
Cinematographer: Jean Tournier
Composer: John Barry
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Italian (Original Language); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); French (Dubbed), Unknown
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, DVD-Video, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 122 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-05-22
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
DVD Reviews of Moonraker
DVD Review: 2.5 Rating: This is the only Bond I haven't enjoyed
Summary: 2 Stars
I thought for the longest time that I would be incapable *not* liking a James Bond film. From `Diamonds Are Forever' to `Die Another Day', there had not been a "Bad" Bond film that I didn't find some redeeming value in. I guess in an over twenty movie-long franchises I was bound to come across one that I wouldn't enjoy, and the day finally came. Moonraker is without a doubt the worst James Bond film I have ever seen. Everything about the film just comes across as wrong. From the random references to popular science-fiction films, to Moore using the same gadget to solve just about all his problems, this film feels like an exercise in camp, and pointlessness. These were present in other Moore films, but never were they as poorly used as in Moonraker.
The plot is pathetic, and when Bond finally gets into space it really is worthless, as it only lasts about twenty minutes. The plot is almost non-existent, and the villain is one of the most forgettable ones in the franchise's history. Jaws also returns from `The Spy Who Loves Me,' which does lead to one of my favorite Bond lines: "All I know is his name is Jaws. He kills people." Funny bit of dialogue, and often Moore does give good one-liners in this film, but they can't compare to the many bad bits of comic relief thrown in throughout.
Only die-hard Bond fans should own this film. Yes, I purchased it, because I am a fan of the series, and like re-watching all the films on a fairly frequent basis, but I can say that Moonraker will be the one I return to most seldom, and will do so only with friends so that we can point fingers, laugh, and engage in conversation.
It isn't a BAD action movie, I will give it that. But it ISN'T a bad Bond film.
DVD Review: Classic Bond
Summary: 5 Stars
People always seem to over-elaborate what draws them and others to the James Bond films. They are really a type of movie to get stoned and watch because they're entertaining, but in no way soul touching or jaw dropping.
Moonraker contains all of the key components of a classic Bond flick. Attractive women, corny/witty one-liners, mildly advanced gadgets, sexual humor, a believable villain, quality soundtrack, and well varied locales that are nicely portrayed are all here in force.
The only drawback are the extremely corny endings to several of the action sequences. Characteristic of nearly all of the films, here they go to far and cross the fine slapstick line that Bond has always been known for walking.
Yet as I said, a classic....
DVD Review: 2.5 stars out of 4
Summary: 3 Stars
The Bottom Line:
A pretty silly film that shamelessly tried to capitalize on the space craze set in motion by 1977's Star Wars, Moonraker features a character named "Holly Goodhead," laser fights in space, a steel-teethed villain who falls in love with a nerdy girl half his age, and a villain whose agenda is pretty much the same as the previous Bond villain, but in space not underwater--in a word, pass.
DVD Review: Beneath the Silliness is a Quality Effort
Summary: 5 Stars
It's hard for me to argue with people who hate Moonraker. It is the most cartoonish of all the Bond movies reaching its peak of silliness right off the bat with Jaws, returning from The Spy Who Loved Me, surviving a freefall from an airplane. The absurdity is made all the more tragic in that it follows one of, if not the most spectacular Bond opening in the entire series. Moonraker is a movie with sky high highlights and some pretty bad lowlights. The pre-credit sequence with Bond being shoved from an airplane sans parachute is thrilling and leads into the spectacular Moonraker theme sung by Shirley Bassey. This movie may have the best musical score of any of the Bond movie and that is no small feat.
Moonraker was created by some of the most talented people ever to work on the Bond films. John Barry produced the music, John Glen was the film editor and the set designs were still being created by Ken Adam. Unless you're a ravenous Bond fan like me you may have never heard of Ken Adam but his work probably has as much to do with the success of Bond as anything and Moonraker is one of his best. The locations in Moonraker also excel, in particular the French estate owned by Hugo Drax is absolutely one of the most beautiful backdrops of any of the Bond films.
The incredible music and set design are so good they take a mediocre plot and create something special. Here is an example. Late in the movie Bond is searching a river in South America in a speedboat. It's really irrelevant how he get to this point because the scripting is paper thin but the music that kicks up when Jaws and Drax's henchmen attack is perfect. Next Bond happens to stumble across Drax's lair and what a set. It looks incredible and the design of the command center is absolutely breathtaking. Even the final space battle between the space marines and Drax's men is rather goofy but the music is done so well that it works.
I fully understand if people don't like this film. It is the least serious entry in the series existing in a completely different universe than films like `From Russia with Love' and `Casino Royale' but there are moments that really make the film. When Bond staggers out of the G-Force simulator it is one of the very few moments in the Bond series where James looks really human and wounded. It is perhaps Roger Moore's best moment as Bond. I also tend to be a sucker for the crazy zillionare who wants to take over the world scenario. I'm going to give this one five full stars because I find it to be one of the most watchable of all the Bond movies.
DVD Review: one of the better bonds
Summary: 4 Stars
In a word: outtathisworld! Forget what the Bond "purists" say. None of the films was particularly faithful to Fleming anyhow. "Moonraker" opens with arguably the best pre-credit sequence ever and segues effortlessly from one action set piece to another. Taken on its own terms, "Moonraker" features F/X that hold up even today (well, except for the laser beams). The major flaw is that Lois Chiles Holly Goodhead never lives up to her name. That's it for my "Moonraker" review but I will return in "For Your Eyes Only."
Description of Moonraker
A Boeing 747 carrying a US space shuttle on loan to the UK crashes into the Atlantic Ocean. When the British examine the wreckage they can find no trace of the spacecraft and send agent James Bond to the shuttle's manufacturers Drax Industries to investigate.System Requirements:Run Time: 122 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?ACTION/ADVENTURE Rating:?PG UPC:?027616074041 Manufacturer No:?M107406This was the first James Bond adventure produced after the success of Star Wars, so it jumped on the sci-fi bandwagon by combining the suave appeal of Agent 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) with enough high-tech hardware and special effects to make Luke Skywalker want to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. After the razzle-dazzle of The Spy Who Loved Me, this attempt to latch onto a trend proved to be a case of overkill, even though it brought back the steel-toothed villain Jaws (Richard Kiel) and scored a major hit at the box office. This time Bond is up against a criminal industrialist named Drax (Michel Lonsdale) who wants to control the world from his orbiting space station. In keeping with his well-groomed style, Bond thwarts this maniacal Neo-Hitler's scheme with the help of a beautiful, sleek-figured scientist (played by Lois Chiles with all the vitality of a department-store mannequin). There's a grand-scale climax involving space shuttles and ray guns, but despite the film's popular success, this is one Bond adventure that never quite gets off the launching pad. It's as if the caretakers of the James Bond franchise had forgotten that it's Bond--and not a barrage of gizmos and gadgets (including a land-worthy Venetian gondola)--that fuels the series' success. Despite Moore's passive performance (which Pauline Kael described as "like an office manager who is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension"), Moonraker had no problem attracting an appreciative audience, and there are even a few renegade Bond-philes who consider it one of their favorites. --Jeff Shannon
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