ROTTEN TOMATOES: Bonding with Bond, Day 12: Moonraker Comments

Bonding with Bond, Day 12: Moonraker

by Ryan Fujitani | November 01, 2008

Summary

Community Manager RT-Ryan has never seen a single James Bond film, except for 2006's Casino Royale. To rectify the situation, he decides to watch every Bond film and write about his reaction as a 007 novice. Ryan continues his daily journey with 1979's Moonraker, which draws inspiration from other films of the period. Did it work for Ryan, or was it a disappointment? Back to Article

(1-48 of 48 posts) | Reply

martinscorsese25 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:27 PM

finally! thanks ryan!!! i've been w8ing for this for 2hours now.

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RT-Ryan writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:30 PM

No problem, sir. I've been battling a mean headache all day, so it took me a while to get it online. Sorry for the delay.

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fargo_viper writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:39 PM

MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON RAKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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martinscorsese25 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:50 PM

In reply to this comment (#2108235)
its ok ryan... thx for posting this kinds of things... i'm from the philippines and RT is the only one the helps me connect to other movie buffs accross the world.. obviously here in the philippines i can't have this discussion because some people that i know doesnt even know who James Bond is...

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kaitune writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:50 PM

I really like Jaws in this film. I know that it is a sudden change in character from his previous film, but that is just cute. (I know that it sounds a big weird, but... yeah...)

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CoreyT writes:
on Nov 01 2008 07:54 PM

I thought Moonraker was one of Moore's betters.

No joke.

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ck100 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 08:06 PM

Very nice review, Ryan.

I never noticed your Star Wars reference until you pointed that out. Pretty cool stuff. :P You know Star Wars had a big influence on this movie since it came out just two years earlier.

I am curious about something. How exactly are you viewing these Bond movies? Do you sit in an office at RT headquarters with a DVD player, watch the movie, and then type up your review? Or do you rent the movie from a video store or PPV and watch at home and then type your review?

Looking forward to your comments for "For Your Eyes Only". This movie is notable for being the most serious, straight-forward Roger Moore Bond movie with minimal camp and gagetry. In essence, it's like a Sean Connery Bond movie starring Roger Moore.

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RT-Ryan writes:
on Nov 01 2008 08:28 PM

martinscorsese25,
Ahh, that's very interesting. It's nice to know we have readers all the way in the Philippines as well! I'll make sure to get my writeup on For Your Eyes Only up earlier tomorrow.

kaitune,
No, I totally understand what you're saying. To tell you the truth, Jaws was actually getting to be a bit annoying for me, because nothing at all would kill him, and I figured if Bond was going to defeat him eventually, it would inevitably be disappointing. When he changed sides, it was actually kind of touching. And as far as him worrying about his girlfriend and himself being terminated, I wasn't willing to buy it entirely, because I thought the pigtails girl was actually really cute!

ck100,
I'm doing a couple of different things. Mostly I watch them at home, unless I fall asleep from exhaustion or the DVD turns out to be defective. As far as where I'm getting them from, it's difficult to find all the Bond movies at a B&M store like Blockbuster, but there are a few independent rental shops around me (one awesome one in particular), and I've already set my Netflix queue up in advance, so I'm getting them from all over.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 08:46 PM

Wait Ryan! You don't seem to like this. Okay you don't like it. Is this still worth watch only because it's Bond or should I just avoid this like the plauge?

Jaws- "Rrrrr."

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ck100 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 08:57 PM

Don't forget about Jaws' only line of dialogue in the whole series.

"Well, here's to us".

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gm1200 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 09:33 PM

I can't wait until he watches Thunderball in 3 days!

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golrush007 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 09:36 PM

Ahh, the nostalgia - my first Bond film. I saw it on video just over 10 years ago, and three things got me hooked on Bond. Firstly, the freefall stunt sequence at the beginning, the character of Jaws and the Bond theme music. All these elements were delivered in the first five minutes of the film which made a potent intro to the world of Bond. The film is clearly deeply flawed, but still great fun.

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Steve R. writes:
on Nov 01 2008 09:40 PM

Sadly it's the last Bond film with Bernard Lee as M. He passed away the following year. "For Your Eyes Only" featured an unnamed Chief Of Staff. (Moneypenny explained to James that M was on leave) Robert Brown began a four movie stint as M starting with "Octopussy." He appeared briefly in the "Spy Who Loved Me" as Admiral Hargreaves. It was never explained if he was a new M or the same old M with a different face.(like the different Bonds, Blofelds and Moneypenny's) When Judi Dench took over the role a M in "Goldeneye" they made sure that we all knew it was a totally different M.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Nov 01 2008 09:46 PM

Hey, this isn't important but I've finished my top 100 favorite movies. I had to think all the movies I've seen in my life, and RANK them. Still, it was fun.

Jaws- "Rrrr."

I love movies.

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sunsaz writes:
on Nov 01 2008 10:12 PM

Not a good Bond movie, but it could've been a lot worse.

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ZiGyStRdUsT writes:
on Nov 01 2008 10:26 PM

I can't wait for tomorrows' review!

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Russ K. writes:
on Nov 01 2008 10:29 PM

Best one so far Ryan. Looks like MR got you on a roll and your observations on the last 45 min almost have me wanting to view it again -3 decades after I last saw it.

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Comment writes:
on Nov 01 2008 11:05 PM

When them space marines showed up and the laser battle ensued-probably gave me the most laughs from any Bond film. I'm glad they kept Jaws alive, definitely my favorite henchman.

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dolby70mm writes:
on Nov 01 2008 11:30 PM

MOONRAKER...an almost silly film at times, but still a fun ride that took you to different parts of the globe (you'll notice a recurring theme in all of them). Released in 1979, the film showed a bit of the era when the main title theme song was changed at the end credits with an added catchy disco beat. If you notice in earlier video releases of THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, you will see the "James Bond will return in..." tag at the end of the credits saying the next film will be FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, but was changed after the release due to the success of STAR WARS in 1977. Another tongue-cheek movie reference (carried over from the previous film's LAWRENCE OF ARABIA scene) was the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN scene after the ambulance ride where he was wearing a poncho and riding a horse right before seeing Q's temporary lab. It was a "fun" movie indeed.

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dolby70mm writes:
on Nov 01 2008 11:57 PM

MOONRAKER - bed post notch count = 3

1. Manuela (Bond's Brazilian contact MI6 agent)
- "So how do you kill two hours in Rio if you don't Samba?"

2. Corinne Dufour (Drax's main squeeze)
- "There, you see, you have a heart of gold."

3. Holly Goodhead (Undercover CIA agent)
- "Your powers of observation do you credit, Mr. Bond."

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J S. writes:
on Nov 01 2008 11:59 PM

Looking forward to your review of For Your Eyes Only, an almost flawless Bond flick with the exception of some bad '70s/'80s chase music in a couple of scenes and (arguably) a slightly silly gag at the end. But I'll shut up now.

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markbart0305 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 12:00 AM

Gah, where do I begin on the crapfest that was Moonraker? First of all, the plot of this movie is absolutely ridiculous. Forget about the over-the-top silliness of Die Another Day. Moonraker takes the cake when it comes to horribly cheesy plans for world domination. I mean, the guy wanted to kill everyone on the planet to make room for his own breed of servants. If there was a reason why a movie like Austin Powers would spoof Bond, this was it! Hell, Moonraker itself felt like a spoof or satire.

Second, the villain sucked....hard! Drax was flat, dull, boring, and most of all, non-intimidating. Honestly, his two dogs felt more of a threat than Drax himself. I don't just blame the actor who played him, but also the script. His character was poorly written and given some atrocious dialogue that made him more annoying than anything else.

Third, the whole space sequence was BORING! Between the exchanges of dialogue between Bond, Drax, and Goodhead, you had incredibly long sequences of zero gravity laser shoot-outs that seemed to go on forever (maybe because they moves so damn slow!). Add an extraordinarily anti-climactic scene of Bond shooting missiles with a space shuttle laser and you've got the makings of a snoozefest. Whenever Moonraker came on late at night during the Bond marathons I used to watch on TV, this one never failed to put me to sleep.

Lastly, and the point that makes me absolutely despise Moonraker, is that the filmmakers committed three terrible acts to a memorable villain like Jaws that reduced him to a mere image of his formidable self in The Spy Who Loved Me:

1) Jaws talks!
2) Jaws falls in love!
3) Jaws saves Bond and dies!

There are many more aspects of Moonraker that I hated, but I'll leave it there. Honestly, I'd rather forget this movie ever existed in the Bond series. Fortunately, For Your Eyes Only was much, much better, and an indication that they went too far with Moonraker in its silliness.

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Shahid N. writes:
on Nov 02 2008 02:10 AM

In reply to this comment (#2108306)
Hi. I'm from Karachi, Pakistan. I'm a huge Bond fan and have been following the series ever since I was 10. Now I am 40 and still an avid Bond fan. Quantum is also opening in Pakistan on the 14th.can hardly wait.

Nice review of Moonraker, yes it was inspired by the Star Wars mania. I clearly remember those times, there were so many movies and TV series which had something to do with the outer space. Although Moonraker may look like a very lame entry in the series but in those days it was literally out of this world action pic. You see Bond have been evolving with times. Casino Royale would have been a flop if released in the Eighties but we all loved it in 2006! Times change, tastes change and son does Bond!

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FritzLang writes:
on Nov 02 2008 02:59 AM

Yeah, Moonraker is pretty silly, but it has one of my all time fave Bond moments... the scene in the centrifuge. It is the only time that I can recall where Moore's Bond looked in real peril. Moore's reactions in that scene and the one following it when he shrugs off Goodhead's help were not wooden at all.

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RidleyFox writes:
on Nov 02 2008 03:35 AM

In reply to this comment (#2108608)
Markbarto305, be careful, Jaws didn't die at the end of Moonraker. Both he and his girlfriend were on a saucer-like portion of the space station that separated. Although they didn't show him walking off in the sunset with his girlfriend, one of the grounds control crew mentioned that there were two survivors that crash landed, and he specified that one was a tall man and a little girl.

It's funny, Moonraker was the first Bond film I saw when I was four years old (on tv of course) and it is for me still one of my favorites. I know the space scene is lame by today's standards, but I remember back then it was bomb! I'm surprised that not many people here liked it.

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markbart0305 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 03:40 AM

In reply to this comment (#2108836)
Hmm, although I haven't seen Moonraker in quite a while, I'm pretty sure Jaws did die at the end. What I remember is him and his girlfriend waving to Bond and then the space station exploding. Can anybody confirm this?

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jomo999 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 03:41 AM

The way Moonraker plays out, it's basically a comedy rether than an action film. Every action scene ends with some sort of gag (Jaws going over the waterfall, Jaws landing on a cricus tent, chang landing on a piano - 'play it again sam') all of which undermines the action sequences which, like the mentioned freefall in the precredits sequence, are often stellar.
That's my main problem with the film.

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golrush007 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 07:38 AM

In reply to this comment (#2108840)
Jaws did survive - the section of the station that he and Dolly were one separated before the explosion. One of the ground controllers reports that Colonel Scott found them and that they had survived.

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cypress550 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 08:21 AM

this is the first bond movie i ever saw and it got me hooked.

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 09:08 AM

Jaws fate=?

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dolby70mm writes:
on Nov 02 2008 10:10 AM

Jaws fate = He accidently brakes the four-eyed pony-tailed girl with boobs in half when he attempts to make love to her and then runs away in panic and is currently hiding somewhere in the Amazon (He's looking for the Moonraker girls somewhere in the now abandoned launch sites). There was a report of a Japanese junk boat landing on the shore near those sites with a small midget (possibly Nick Nack from THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN) leaving the junk boat. It is rumoured that he and Jaws will team up and find those girls and sell them in the black market.

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Zombies happen. writes:
on Nov 02 2008 11:33 AM

You mentioned earlier that you now have a new found respect for the Austin Powers films, as all the jokes are plays on Bond. I also encourage you to re-watch Trainspotting after all this, because their Bond references are very clever.

Also, I have been so enjoying this series, have you thought about tackling other franchises as well?

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dolby70mm writes:
on Nov 02 2008 11:46 AM

The PINK PANTHER film series would be cool.

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KingSigy writes:
on Nov 02 2008 12:46 PM

I never thought Moonraker was the worst Bond film, but its certainly idiotic. I do remember Jaws soul mate though, which is just slightly on the side of insanity.

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dolby70mm writes:
on Nov 02 2008 12:48 PM

I remember her cleavage.

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RT-Ryan writes:
on Nov 02 2008 02:47 PM

It's true, the movie does allude to the survival of Jaws and his pigtailed-girlfriend after the space station explodes. The idea of Jaws teaming up with Nick Nack to take on 007 at some later point is a hilarious idea!

As for rewatching Trainspotting, yes, I am definitely going to do so. I remember the conversations that Sick Boy had with Renton, and I never really could relate to them, though I still loved the movie. This will give me a whole new perspective on the movie.

And we haven't really talked about me doing something like this with another franchise, though the idea would be fun, and I'd be open to it. The only other huge franchise I can think of that I've mostly missed out on is the Star Trek movies, of which I've only seen Generations, and I hardly even remember that one. But we'll see. =)

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troyman21 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 02:59 PM

Moonraker wasn't too bad. Yea, the first hour and a half was pretty standard Bond action. The rest of the movie when it went to space was pretty ridiculous. Overall, still not too bad as I said...

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JazzX writes:
on Nov 02 2008 03:17 PM

This one has my favourite villain's line:

"You have the tedious inevitability of an unloved season."

I thought Drax was a good villain,

"Take care of Mr Bond. See that some harm comes to him."

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ledawg1138 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 03:36 PM

Okay I'm about ready for the next. And is this worth a watch because it's James Bind, or does that not even justify it?

See Wrath of Khan Ryan.

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martinscorsese25 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 04:13 PM

and did you know that moonraker was the highest grossing bond up until goldeneye was made... Men! Bad Movie, big Money?

GREAT SUCCESS!!

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martinscorsese25 writes:
on Nov 02 2008 04:23 PM

In reply to this comment (#2110288)
Ryan! still w8ing for your post on For your eyes only... its morning here in the philippines and i treat your "bonding with bond" as breakfast...

Men, i wish some kids have watch atleast 3 or 4 bonds but nobody seems to take! f***ing stupid... i'm so glad that even though i'm just 17, i've watch all the james bond films! yeah!

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tgibfo writes:
on Nov 02 2008 06:30 PM

next one's the best, bro!

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Boyo writes:
on Nov 02 2008 07:24 PM

Moonraker has Moore really relaxing in the role and enjoying it. You can see in the next one that he wanted to give a good stab at 'acting'!

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pota1974 writes:
on Nov 03 2008 06:13 AM

Moonraker is the only James Bond movie I have ever seen and I saw it twice in the theater

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aconline writes:
on Nov 03 2008 06:38 AM

Well, this was made in response to the sucess of Star Wars. FYEO got pushed back. The story is the exact same as TSWLM, but in space as opposed to the ocean. Complete crap!

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Jim B. writes:
on Nov 03 2008 07:52 AM

Moonraker was the 1st Bond film I saw and got me into the other films and as such I will always have a soft spot for it. I did not believe my Dad when he told me another actor played Bond before Moore! I think people are far too critical of this film and should look at it in the context of the time it was made.

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Gunnar H. writes:
on Nov 04 2008 12:44 AM

O.K. I know James Bond is supposed to be "bigger than life". But when the "secret" agent drives around Venice in a speedboat version of a gondola, and finishes with the gondola as a hovercraft, smack dab in the middle of a crowded Piazza San Marco, it's way too much even for this old Bond fan. That scene is actually more senseless that the space sequences.

This was also the first Bond movie with product placement. If you find such things irritating today, then watch this one. "Subtle" is not exactly the word that comes to mind.

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JulioPieczarka writes:
on May 24 2009 05:59 AM

One thing that made Moonraker popular (in a bad way) in Brazil is a nonsense sequence that probably wasn%u2019t notice by non-Brazilian people (not to mention the two hours in Rio without dancing samba!): when Bond is chased in a speedboat thru an Amazon river, he escapes because the bad guys fall in the Igua�u waterfalls. Nice in the movie. However the Igua�u waterfalls are some 3000 kms away from any Amazon river. Just like Bond being chased thru New York streets and escaping because the bad guys felt into the Grand Canyon!

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