Live and Let Die

Roger Moore's first Bond film didn't quite work out. Moore was trying to be as tough as Connery in the early Bond films, the script was trying to pretend it was better than it was, Jane Seymour was trying to look like a virgin, and Gloria Hendry wasn’t trying to do anything at all, so the result was as lackluster as you’d expect. (03/08/2016)

Roger Moore's truly stylish entry into the series. Unlike the insecure Lazenby, who blew himself up in a single film with his awkward performance, Moore showed us a fresh and youthful-looking creation that has almost nothing to do with Sean Connery's performance. Where the wild Scotsman was rugged, Moore is elegant, where Connery was teeming with masculine energy, Moore remains a slightly sarcastic glossator with a license to kill (which he uses). Guy Hamilton is one of the best directors the 007 series has ever had, and even with a poor plot, he was able to make a two-hour film that has no downright weak and boring spots (which, unfortunately, cannot be said about most Moore films). Although the villain Kananga is downright bland and Bond isn't interested in saving the world, but rather just fighting the drug lord, the creators manage to create the right Bond tension, spice up the action scenes with unprecedented comedy inserts (especially the mixture of American redneck aspects and the militancy in sheriff Pepper are worth it), create unforgettable characters (Baron Samedi, Tee Hee) and, thanks to a song from the pen of the Cartneys, a completely unrepeatable atmosphere on the edge of adrenaline and laughter. Connery was right to call Moore the ideal Bond...___ A few tidbits: Q is missing from the film, in the only other Bond film except Dr. No, but his inventions are worth it once again. The film also lacks a traditional scene with M's office and a ritual throw of a hat on a hanger. Instead, the Bond, M and Moneypenny meeting takes place unconventionally in apartment 007. The filmmakers originally wondered if Honey Ryder from Dr. No (perhaps the most famous Bond girl Ursula Andress) should return to the Bond movies, but due to the change in the title role, they eventually rejected the idea. Finally, the representative of Bond's CIA ally Felix Leiter, David Hedison, was the only one to play the role more than once out of nine occasions (he also appeared in Licence to Kill). ___ Bond song: "Live and Let Die" (Paul McCartney and WINGS) (07/01/2005)

Moore's first Bond deserves about 3.5 stars. It has a great beginning (I love the scene with the "black" funeral), but then it gets a bit long-winded. The McCartney song is really one of the best, but outside of that the film lacks proper music. Plus, I wasn't charmed by any of the dumb Bond girls. Why should you see Live and Let Die? Apart from the fact that Moore takes the reins from Connery quite professionally, this Bond film is mainly a long (but certainly not boring) scene that starts on a crocodile farm and continues with a chase on motor boats, then a practical demonstration that even a double-decker bus can be skidded, then a slightly unconventional flying lesson and a pretty decent ending, which is spoiled by an awkward "inflatable disposal of the main villain. P.S. I kind of missed Q, although I know that Live and Let Die isn't the only Bond film he hasn't appeared in. But the fact that he was talked about didn't make up for a visit to his crazy department this time. (11/04/2010)

007__#8__This film does have a few clever scenes (the crocodiles, the boat chase), but they are not incorporated into the story in such a way as to create a compact spectacle that is not boring and the whole does not feel so confusing. Personally, I consider Hamilton one of the weakest Bond directors (except for his Goldfinger). But we can say with satisfaction that the character of Agent 007 has a worthy successor after Connery. And the boorish Sergeant Pepper irritated me to no end with his overacting. (01/10/2005)

The beautiful title song by Paul McCartney and the lovely Jane Seymour, who is another one of my favorites, a bit older now. Roger Moore is probably my favorite actor in the Bond role because his charisma, charm, and British dryness just work for me, and it's even a bit more immediate than with Sean Connery. Plus, this older Bond film is probably the one I know the best before Brosnan. The opening with the agent deaths is just well done. And then it continues. Mr. Big, Tee Hee, running on crocodiles, these are just iconic scenes. (05/03/2014)