Review of Live and Let Die (1973) by Rob Ó — 16 Oct 2012

While the sight gags and goofy humour is still all-too present, it's subdued by tense action, a terrific score (by George Martin and not John Barry - his first absence) and a playfully reinvented version of 007, as interpreted by Roger Moore. In spite of his dissimilarity to the other incarnations of James Bond, Moore never, ever, ever fails to entertain and demand your full attention. He embodies the role as much as Connery ever did, in a completely fresh and different way that cemented the more light-hearted style of his era.

"Live and Let Die" isn't quite the best of the Roger Moore films, but it's also far from the worst. The emphasis on Voodoo and Black Magic seems far-fetched, but it's done in a way that's mercifully ambiguous and enthralling. All of the cast perform admirably (Jane Seymour is tremendous, as is Yapphet Kotto). Definitely one for a rainy day.