My goodness, Live and Let Die is bad. I have fond memories of watching this, Roger Moore's Bond debut, on British TV back in the late '70s and thoroughly enjoying it. Catching up with this on the Ultimate Edition DVD, I'm struck by how thoroughly pedestrian the film looks. The photography and direction are subpar, on the level of your average '70s TV show, and the whole affair is played so lightly that the movie threatens to float away. Moore is bland and forgettable as Bond, and the portrayal of 007 edges further afield from Ian Fleming's conception. Even the speed boat chase, which I recalled as a highlight, is boringly staged, with director Guy Hamilton's annoying insistence on throwing in dumb gags -- moronic Sherrif J.W. Pepper; an old fart driving too slow in a truck; a speedboat demolishing the cake at a wedding; etc. The film lacks any sense of danger or true excitement. I couldn't even finish watching the damn thing. Another treasured childhood movie memory bites the dust.
Anyway, Volume 3 of the Ultimate Edition Bond DVDs has two true 007 classics: From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The former is my favourite Bond film of all, and holds up remarkably well still, especially in this new, gorgeous, digitally-restored transfer. From Russia With Love has Connery, in his second Bond outing, in top form, and a story that sticks relatively close to the Fleming novel, while adding some elements unique to the movie Bond, such as the famous one-liners. From Russia With Love features actual espionage work and boasts a superb supporting cast, especially Robert Shaw as the lethal Grant, Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb, complete with a poisoned dagger in her shoe, and Pedro Armendiaz as 007 ally Kerim Bay. The fight between Bond and Grant on the train is truly one of the greatest fight sequences ever filmed. Young shot it with two cameras in an extremely confined space, and Connery and Shaw did almost all of the sequence. The result is brilliant cinema. The film succeeds as a stylish, memorable thriller, not just as a Bond movie, and it's a shame that director Terence Young didn't return for the third 007 flick.
OHMSS is the odd sheep of the 007 film family, with George Lazenby's sole turn as 007, unluckily following in the footsteps of mega-popular Sean Connery. Lazenby had no acting experience, and it shows, but he does remarkably well for such an amateur in a large-scale production. The film is arguably the most faithful adaptation of an Ian Fleming novel, and for once there is the sense of a story being told and not the joining of dots between set pieces. The narrative is involving, the photography beautiful and lush and wide in scope, and the editing sharp in the excellent action sequences. Add to this an emotional finale with Bond marrying Tracy (Diana Rigg), and the result is one of the very best 007 films. The UE DVD does the film superb justice, showcasing the lush colours and epic scope beautifully. This is truly the best I have ever seen this film looking on home video.
OK, now it's time to offer some positive commentary for once on a Roger Moore Bond film. For Your Eyes Only is a welcome return to Ian Fleming minimalism. Though sometimes pedestrian, the script ties in narrative elements from several short stories in the titular source book, and features a more ruthless, world-weary Bond. Moore, quoted in interviews as disliking the toughening up of the character for this film, actually plays the part well, doing some of his best work. Though the film is marred by a dire comedic coda, overall this is the best film of the Moore era, and a welcome course-correction for the series after the atrocious 007 comedy Moonraker.
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