More so than any other entertainment franchise , the James Bond movie series is the most odd , bouncing from singular senior high to absurdly sticky lows . For everyOn Her Majesty ’s Secret Service , there ’s aMoonraker , and for everyCasino Royale , there ’s aQuantum of Solace . I would n’t go as far as to call the 007 series the most inconsistent enfranchisement out there , but it ’s undeniable that it ’s not on the dot trustworthy . Whereas other franchises let you know what you could wait from them — everyTransformersis awful , everyMission : Impossibleis spectacular , the MCU is , well , the MCU — 007 keeps you on your toe , unsure if you ’ll get a cracker or a turd .
Generally , we know what those turds are . attachment has produced 25 moving-picture show , and about five or six are just dreadful . However , one in particular stick out out as the image of the knotty so - bad - it’s - good - genre : The human race with the Golden Gun . Released on December 20 , 1974 , the film is perhaps the single - most bizarre alliance film ever , a confused deal of ideas , tones , and performance that ca n’t quite practice to the camp fun of other entries , yet ca n’t be taken seriously either . The Man with the Golden Gunis a picky kind of speculative — it ’s sincerely terrible , but weirdly enjoyable . On its 50th day of remembrance , it ’s a smashing time to look back on this gem of bad taste perception and wonder if it really is as fair as we remember ( pamperer : yes , it is ) .
He has a powerful weapon
The Man with the Golden GunwasRoger Moore ’s second movie as James Bond , following the equally puzzling , but far more consistentLive and Let Die . The film abandons the more grounded approach path of its herald — an straight-out Blaxploitation narration that remains the biggest outlier in the saga ’s 25 picture show — in favour of a classic spy story that see Bond back in familiar territory . The patch follows Bond as he aims to call up theSolex Agitator , a new technology think to fix the world ’s energy shortages . However , his task is complicated when the infamous and deadly assassin Francisco Scaramanga ( Sir Christopher Lee ) becomes involved , starting a secret plan of Arabian tea and computer mouse between the rivals .
At first glance , The Man with the Golden Gunoffers the standard Bond schtick . There ’s a worthful item to go back , a deadly villain in pastime , and a few beautiful cleaning lady who cross paths with Bond . However , all these constituent are even lazier here — the Solex Agitator scarcely works as a MacGuffin ; it ’s more an idea than an actual token , and James Bond is hardly concerned in it . The Man with the Golden Gunalso has the misfortune of take one of the worst Bond Girls ever , Britt Ekland ’s Mary Goodnight . Now , the Bond Girl is not exactly a model for three - dimensional depicting , particularly during the former decades of the Bond saga , but Goodnight is a particularly ineffective and awkward exemplar . For lack of a better word , Goodnight is quite stupid , a stereotypical dim blond whose incompetency increase from panorama to scene .
Like most other Bond movie of this clock time , The Man with the Golden Gunis full of unfunny and sometimes noisome two-fold - entendres — one of the Asiatic cleaning lady is called “ Chew Mee , ” get it ? All these details amount to a truly vile movie that is never as laughable or as thrilling as it wants to be . In fact , The Man with the Golden Gunis quite ho-hum at several points , peculiarly whenever Bond is on - screen .
No disrespect to Sir Roger Moore , but it really must be say : he ’s among the weakest look of this movie , and his bizarre blend of transatlantic accent and Kentucky drawl can get a little grate at times . All this consider , one would think this is the defective attachment motion-picture show ever , and it comes close , too ! However , it has one saving grace that not only rescues it from averageness , but actually elevates it to sour it into something enjoyable against all betting odds — well , two saving graces , actually .
Pair of aces
As it ’s often mentioned , the real star ofThe Man with the Golden Gunis the titulary fibre . Played to perfection by Sir Christopher Lee , Francisco Scaramanga is in close contention with No , Blofeld , Silva , and Le Chiffre as one of thebest villain in the 007 saga . World - renowned for his imposing mien and deep , booming spokesperson , Lee effortlessly dominates every shot he ’s in , bringing charm and flare to a film that often goes for both , only to light two-dimensional in its brass . The Hammer Horror icon incarnate all the debonair sophistication one would expect from Bond , further making poor Moore sense like an outlier in his own moving-picture show . It ’s hard to stand up next to Lee and endeavor to out - suave him ; he was one of those man who made all others seem , if not less , then certainly more plain .
Joining Lee is Hervé Villechaize as Scaramanga ’s henchman , Nick Nack . In the grand tradition of other Bond henchmen , Nick Nack is as scene - thievery as Scaramanga himself , and Villechaize makes the good of every scenery . The duet perfectly balances each other ; whereas Lee choose for chilling and devastatingly wizard simpleness , Villechaize is openly chew scene left and right . The two inject this exanimate flick with a jolt of electricity that not only revitalizes it , but in reality sends it into overdrive , making up for how dull everyone else is .
Contemporary and modern critic often agree that Lee outright steal the film from Moore , and it ’s hard to disaccord . Whenever they partake in the screen , Lee is such an consuming attracter that it ’s closely inconceivable for anyone else to vie . Villains outshine the Cuban sandwich is not rare , and the Bond enfranchisement is conversant with the trope — Javier Bardem pretty much quid and sprinkle Craig inSkyfall , for example . ButThe Man with the Golden Gunis unique in that the plot is just as much about Scaramanga as it is about Bond , to the point where Bond often seems like the antagonist in Scaramanga ’s tale rather than the other way around . For that refreshing attack alone , The Man with the Golden Gundeserves some esteem .
Another poor victim
Fifty years later , it ’s clear thatThe Man with the Golden Gunsuffered from the same originate painfulness asLive and lease Die . The 007 dealership was go through a crisis of identity , trying to keep up with the new movement of the ’ LXX while attempting to escape from Sean Connery ’s looming shadow . Overall , Moore ’s tenure as the spy with a license to shoot down is quite discrepant , but his first two exertion are perhaps the most confusing .
And yet , it ’s unvoiced to faultThe Man with the Golden Gun , largely because of how great Lee is as the nominal character . This film lives and dies with Lee ’s now - iconic performance , and whenever he ’s on - screen , it roars with flair and appeal ; even the jokes estate ! Sure , it ’s not great that James Bond is the least interesting aspect of a James Bond movie , but what are you plump to do?The Man with the Golden Gunis not a good movie : the plot of ground is weak and insistent , the heroes are frustrating , and even the song is notoriously terrible and borderline silly . But depart it to Christopher Lee , the real - animation James Bond , to save this picture and make it sing and , once in a while , soar up . What a gift he was to cinema , and what a joyousness it is to watch him inThe Man with the Golden Gun , perhaps the only Bond motion picture where you ’re actively rooting for the villain to win .
The Man with the Golden Gunis available tostream on PlutoTV .
