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212 reviews in total

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28 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
Much better than its reputation, 8 August 2005

Author: TrevorAclea from London, England

The Man With the Golden Gun was producer Harry Saltzman's last hurrah before selling out his share in the Bond series to United Artists to ensure the maximum inconvenience to his detested partner Cubby Broccoli. It's certainly not premium Bond: at times it threatens to turn into an episode of The Avengers, what with Scaramanga's funhouse, his midget servant Nick Nack, it's human statues or the off-kilter angles of MI6's Hong Kong HQ located in the rusting wreck of the Queen Elizabeth, not to mention Roger Moore's more Steed-like Bond. Although there are hints of the lows to come in Moore's tenure – Bond being saved by a pair of schoolgirls or defeating a villain by pretending to be a tailor's dummy – this is still recognisable an old-school Bond film, with thankfully few gadgets, although it's disappointing that the producers provide Scaramanga with an island lair and super-weapon to give Bond something to blow up at the end (a rather half-hearted effort to be sure: instead of a private army, Scaramanga simply has Herve Villachaize and a maintenance man).

Britt Ekland's irritating 'typical silly woman' comic relief was a bit hard to take in 1974 and gets worse with each passing year, but Christopher Lee's Scaramanga is one of the more interesting Bond villains, not least because of his imagined empathy with his prey – he regards himself as Bond's moral and professional equal, the kind of pathological snobbery Fleming's books were full of but the films increasingly abandoned.

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29 out of 36 people found the following review useful:
Scaramanga's trademark weapon was a single-shot, gold plated, 4.2-caliber handgun…, 9 July 2005

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

In Guy Hamilton's 'The Man With the Golden Gun', James Bond still enjoys a good cigar, and prefers Dom Perignon '62 above the '64 offered...

He sure does love Swedish babes, and dares to kiss a talented dancer's 'magnificent' abdomen... He slaps a tall, graceful slim girl, and he slaps her hard... He attempts to overtake Scaramanga's car by crossing a canal with no bridge in sight, and pilots a small seaplane to let us see those incredible prehistoric islands off the coast of Thailand...

Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) is a world's class assassin who has stolen a prize solar energy device, but who only needs one bullet to finish a job... He likes Tabasco sauce, gold jewelry, and a girl in a bikini... He caresses his lover with a golden gun, and loves to kill for a million dollars a shot... He has a 'sign' of great sexual prowess... He perverse love/hate relationship with a mischievous French-speaking assistant, and admires Bond so much that he even keeps a mannequin of him at his island retreat... He claims to be an artist, and challenges 007 to 'a duel between titans' on the sunlit beach... A man of taste, his AMC Matador car suddenly sprouted wings and jetted off into the blue sky…

Britt Ekland spends most of the film either locked in the trunk of Scaramanga's flying car or stuck in the closet of Bond's hotel room while 007 makes love to Andrea (Maud Adams).

Maud Adams remains the only exotic woman to have starred in two different Bond features, and would also have a brief cameo in "A View To A Kill." This Swedish beauty is sick of Scaramanga's sadistic games… It was she who sent the gold bullet to M16 that set Bond on Scaramanga's tail…

Nick Nack (Hervé Villechaize) perfectly proves that the smallest of Bond's adversaries can easily give 007 big trouble... He annoyed 007 right up until the very end of the mission… His tiny mannerisms perfectly fitted the fantasy tradition of the Bond movies... He's seen so quick on his feet as he plays with the controls that operate the 'fun house' on Scaramanga island…

'The Man With the Golden Gun' remains thin and obvious 007 extravaganza with conventional expensive excitements... The boat and car chases merely reprise sequences in both 'Live and Let Die' and 'Diamonds Are Forever.'

Last note: After being absent in 'Live and Let Die,' Desmond Llewelyn returns as the beloved Q, but provides 007 no fantastic gadgets and weapons this time...

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35 out of 58 people found the following review useful:
No doubt one of Roger Moore's best, 4 December 2002

Author: Mika Pykäläaho (bygis80@hotmail.com) from Järvenpää, Finland

I just recently watched "The Man with the golden gun" for the millionth time and it was day after I saw "Die another day" which I found massively disappointing. The difference between the two is just inconceivable! It's hard to believe both movies are actually part of the same series. When I watched "Die another day", most of the time I felt that I'm not even watching a Bond movie.

It was so deliriously refreshing to once again look out what a traditional, true first-rate Bond classic looks like and let me tell you: it always looks good. I can't understand people who claim "The Man with the golden gun" is one of the worst Bond films. Why the hell's that? To me it has always been one of Roger Moore's finest efforts as 007, he unfortunately started to be a bit too old anyway in his last films.

This is an extremely splendid film: entertaining, exotic and fascinating James Bond movie - just like "Live and let die". Funny, gripping and just simply irresistible and not boring for a single second. Christopher Lee's Scaramanga is certainly one of the greatest villains in a Bond movie ever. His servant Nick Nack (as played by Hervé Villechaize who sadly committed suicide 19 years later) is also one of the best of the classic sidekicks Bond's enemies has had - he's right in the company of Oddjob and Jaws. Excellent 007-adventure!

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18 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
Enjoyable Bond adventure, but not one of the very best., 19 August 2003
Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

The Man With the Golden Gun ditches the original novel almost completely (the book was set in Jamaica, for a start, whereas the film is located in the Far East). However, it is still a fairly entertaining entry is the long-running series, and features three strong reasons for tuning in: 1)a classic Bond villain in the shape of Francisco Scaramanga 2)a classic villain's henchman in the shape of psycho dwarf NickNack, and 3)a stunning Bond girl in the shape of Mary Goodnight. There'a also the most outrageous car stunt ever seen in a motion picture, rendered all the more impressive by the fact that it is not a computer enhanced sequence but was filmed for real (including that infamous loop-the-loop in the red sports car).

Bond is played by Roger Moore for the second time. Moore is relaxed and easy-going in his usual manner, but shows a bit of the old Connery toughness during a couple of martial arts fight sequences. His mission is simply to stay alive this time, having been targeted by world renowned hitman Francisco Scaramanga (chilling Christopher Lee). Moore decides that rather than waiting around to be shot, he will hunt for Scaramanga himself, and his search takes him to Beirut, Macao, Hong Kong and, finally, a privately owned Thai island. En route, he discovers that Scaramanga has bigger fish to fry than simply killing 007, as he also plans to use a powerful solar device to power-up a deadly laser gun that he has had built.

It's a surprisingly slow-moving film for a Bond flick, with more talky scenes than is customary. However, the action when it comes is pretty memorable. The comedy relief provided by Clifton James (you may remember him as a mouthy cop from Live and Let Die) is somewhat irritating and hurts the film more than it helps it. Lulu's title song is dated, but catchy. I would rate this an an enjoyable Bond escapade, definitely worth catching for series completists and fans of action bonanzas, but it isn't really the best of the bunch and isn't even the best of Moore's films in the series. If you're only going to see five minutes of the film, though, you simply must tune in for that afore-mentioned car stunt.... awesome!

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22 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
Beautiful landscapes in a so-so Bond adventure, 4 October 2005

Author: michelerealini from Switzerland

Let me say I like Roger Moore very much, because I grew up watching his films -he's the first Bond I've ever seen. Many people prefer Sean Connery, who is really unique, true... But how can I say Roger Moore is not good? I've also a lot of affection for Moore because I watched on TV, when I was a kid, "The Persuaders" series.

Although that his second Bond outing is not very good. That's not his fault at all, the screenplay is not good and the story itself is not very interesting. Everything is a little slower than usual, the film has neither the liveliness of "Live and let die" -the first Moore Bond flick- nor the liveliness of the previous episodes.

Here Bond has to face a refined assassin -that's all, there isn't a real thrilling intrigue

On the other hand landscapes and John Barry score are fantastic. Also the cast is strong, because Christopher Lee and Britt Ekland bring a lot of glamour. It's a pity that the movie doesn't match the usual standard.

At the time producers Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman didn't get along well with each other any more. In '75 their partnership broke up and let Broccoli alone at the command of 007 empire. Maybe this tensions had an influence on "The man with the golden gun", who knows...

Luckily in 1977 Bond came back with one of the best films of the series -"The spy who loved me", a real classic, the definitive Roger Moore entry as Bond.

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14 out of 18 people found the following review useful:
Underrated Moore Bond, 21 September 2006

Author: divineangel from hollywood

Altho there's a lot of hate for this second Moore 007, I never understood it. For a change, most of the witty dialogue works well. I think it's one of Moore's best Bond performances.

So let's break it down: The Good: - Roger Moore is witty and action ready. His fight scene in the belly dancer's room is pretty good. Tough and violent. Don't know about that cigar, but it adds a little extra somethin'.

- Herve Villechieze as Knick Knack. Not threatening, but a fun memorable sidekick with lots of playful malevolence. I love it when he shushes Bond.

- Christopher Lee. Nuff said, tho they didn't build up this character to the level they could have. Where are those deleted scenes between him and Moore (from the trailer and photos)that obviously exist?

- John Barry. Yes, Lulu's song is ridiculous. Still, I love the brassy music and this is one of Barry's most memorable catchy Bond scores. Especially during the karate scenes and the jazzy swing of Scaramenga's fun parlor.

- Kung fu. The Bond films always lucked out when it came to latching onto the culture of the day. 1974 was the height of kung fu exploitation and Bond was there. Still have BLACK BELT magazine featuring this on the cover...

The Bad: - Miss Goodnight. Giving Bond a ditzy helper...well, bad night.

- Lack of compelling plot. The energy cell and Scaramanga are too loosely tied together and the film shouldn't have tried to pull a Blofeld at the end.

- Production design. Ken Adams is sorely missing here. And what's with that ONE GUARD in the massive solar laser set? Missed opportunity there.

The Ugly: - JW Pepper.

- Slide whistle.

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15 out of 22 people found the following review useful:
Good, but only because of Moore and Lee., 22 November 2002

Author: Aaron1375 from Alabama

This Bond plot is probably one of the weakest, but thankfully Roger Moore and Christopher Lee turn in great performances that turn what would probably a rather average film into a pretty good one. An assasine has been seemingly sent to kill Bond, this part of the plot is good, but then there is this energy crisis plot involving this really good solar cell and other things that make this Bond of the weaker ones plot wise. Lee does a great job as the title character, but another problem with this movie is that throughout you are anticipating the showdown between Bond and the man with the golden gun and when it finally happens it is a bit of a let down. Also, the guy who played the sheriff in "Live and Let Die" is back and he is quite annoying. I still enjoy this movie though.

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7 out of 9 people found the following review useful:
Suave, sophisticated Roger Moore is good Bond in another caper..., 7 October 2006

Author: Neil Doyle from U.S.A.

As Bond films go, maybe this isn't the best of the lot, but, hey, it deserves points for giving us ROGER MOORE in another good turn as James Bond. Moore had already perfected this kind of hero in his "The Saint" roles on TV, whereby he had some quick one-liners as he outwitted various enemies. He's doing the same here as Bond and doing nicely in the action scenes as an additional requirement.

There are the usual car chases (very colorful one through the streets of Bangkok), the usual assortment of dangerous females with BRETT EKLUND being the dominant one, the usual gadgets to be used in a fight to the finish, and the usual spectacular stunts (this time one involving an almost unbelievable leap in a car), and the usual villains standing in the way of order and justice.

I have no complaints about this one. ROGER MOORE was always very acceptable as James Bond and seemed to get better with each film. This was only his second time out as Bond and he did improve later on--but that's no reason to complain, as others have done. Just sit back, relax and enjoy another Bond fantasy/adventure done in stylish ways and with CHRISTOPHER LEE as Scaramanga, the main baddie.

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10 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Golden Gun is Golden Surprise!, 6 January 2006

Author: Cusson from United States

Roger Moore's second outing as Agent 007 puts him against the evil trick shot artist/assassin, Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). Hailed by many Connery fans as the film that marked the downfall of the 007 franchise, 'The Man With The Golden Gun' turns out to be one of the most pleasant surprises of the entire series and one of the 'better' Roger Moore films. 'Gun' does take some getting used to, in fact, more times than not, you need to see it a few times to really begin to enjoy the film.

The cast is great, one of the better ones of the entire series. There are two leading ladies in this film, the wonderful Maud Adams, who would later star in Octopussy (1983), and the terrible Britt Ekland who just acts so dumb and hopeless that it almost angers viewers. The villain Scaramanga is top notch as well as his comical, yet silently evil assistant, Nick Nack, played by French painter Herve Villechaize. The plot of the film is very interesting, the locals are exotic (which is always an extremely important part of a bond film), and Roger Moore continues to develop his character from a Connery-clone to putting his own, charming spin on 007.

All-in-all, 'Gun' is another good 007 adventure and is quite possibly the 4th best Roger Moore Bond film. Any fan of the series should give it a second look before they hail it as 'bad'.

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15 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
Goodnight, Sir., 8 May 2007

Author: Shawn Watson (gator_macready@yahoo.com) from The Underverse

The nefarious (I've no idea what that means, but I know it works) super-assassin Francisco Saramanga is out to kill Bond. Because he's like that. Scaramanga charges a million dollars a hit and is the only person in the world who has a slim chance of getting to Bond. Concerned for his safety, M takes Bond off active duty.

Never perturbed (not really sure of that word either), Bond still investigates and soon discovers that Scaramanga has stolen the 'priceless' Solex Agitator. Oh yeah, one of those! A mere MacGuffin and no more. In his mission to retrieve said 'agitator' Bond travels to Thailand and Hong Kong and gets into many silly fights, one involving a midget butler. He even finds time stress-out hillbilly Sheriff JW Pepper once more and...erm...'roger' his gorgeous assistant Mary Goodnight.

It's very dumb and thoroughly unsophisticated but it's all in the name of fun and Roger Moore's light, somewhat innocent way of playing Bond just keeps you smiling all the way through. I also liked John Barry's score, despite the fact he claims it's his weakest effort on the series.

TMWTGG was the last Bond film to be shot in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio and I do feel that if it was shot in Panavision then it would have more slick and polished look. 33 years on, TMWTGG looks too grainy and dated and appears older than it is. I'm not sure why Guy Hamilton chose to film it this way when 4 previous Bond films had already been made in Scope widescreen.

Definitely one of the lesser Bond movies but saved by sense of humor and never-ending fun. Rent this one.

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