Reviews Film / James Bond

The Roger Moore Years: A Retrospective and Ranking

So now we enter the Roger Moore era of the franchise. Modern fans of the film series tend to look down on this period and Moore's Bond, but I'm more forgiving of it. The first Bond film I ever saw completely was Film/Octopussy, so that might have a hand in why Moore is my favorite Bond, but I think the real reason ultimately comes down to the fact that he is always there to give the audience a good time. No matter the quality of the film, Moore always did his best to make sure the audience was having fun. That's a philosophy and work ethic I can appreciate. There's a good-natured charm to his take on Bond that contrasts with Connery's more brutish portrayal in an interesting way. He comes off as more of a gentleman adventurer, and it's a take that the series would use well throughout his run.

That said, there's no denying that the quality of the films during his turn fluctuated wildly. Some were absolute train-wrecks, others became franchise staples. Some of this is owed to the fact that his tenure was definitely the most reactionary to modern (at the time) trends. Blaxploitation is growing popular? Let's do it with James Bond! People love Enter the Dragon? Put a karate school scene in! Star Wars is a massive hit? Let's send Bond to space! There's a lot of trend-chasing in these movies, which is kind of sad considering how the Connery era was a defining cultural touchstone of the 60s. Now instead of being a trendsetter, the series was a trend chaser. This would be reduced later on, but its never fully gone away.

Let's move onto how this era of the franchise treats women. Admittedly, the first two films of Moore's tenure are not a good start. In the first one Bond sleazily manipulates a woman into sleeping with him, then in the second he brutalizes one of the main villain's victims for information before later locking a female co-worker he was about to sleep with in a closet so that he can sleep with said victim. It's pretty bad, and there are several points early on where you can tell that even Moore is uncomfortable with what the script is asking him to do. But by the third film there was a definite shift in how the series was going to handle women going forward. Barbara Bach's Anya Amasova was clearly written to be Bond's equal for the majority of her film, and the trend of capable main love interests with their own character arcs would continue throughout the rest of Moore's run, barring the last film. Moore's Bond is also generally less forceful with his romantic partners, relying more on the actor's natural charm. You believe that the women are making the choice to sleep with Bond of their own free will rather than because the script says so. It's definitely not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction.

Now that I've covered my main thoughts about this era, let's move onto the ranking. From Worst to Best:

7: The Man Withthe Golden Gun

Christopher Lee and Herve Villechaize do their best to prop up this disaster, but there is no saving this movie. Its attempts at comedy are painful and its action is tepid. The worst Bond movie, bar none.

6: Film/Moonraker

The first two thirds of the movie are mostly enjoyable if you're willing to accept it as more of a parody of Bond than a serious spy movie. But the final stretch is simply too ridiculous and too self-serious for it to fully work.

5: A View to a Kill

It's better than its reputation suggests, but its not one of Moore's better outings. Christopher Walken is underutilized, and the juxtoposition of him and Grace Jones against the clearly aging Moore does the film no favors. It's not bad, but it isn't the swansong Moore deserved.

4: Live and Let Die

A solid introduction to Moore's Bond and an enjoyable film.

3: Film/Octopussy

A fun film that probably should've been Moore's last. It has some moments where it tries too hard for a joke, but for the most part its heart is in the right place.

2: For Your Eyes Only

A welcome return to more grounded spy heroics. Moore proves here that he has more range as Bond than many give him credit for.

1: The Spy Who Loved Me

The perfect distillation of the Bond formula. My personal favorite of the entire franchise.

That wraps up my look at the Roger Moore era. Next time we'll combine the Dalton and Brosnan runs and see how they shake out. See you there!