Review of Live and Let Die (1973) by David G — 18 Dec 2011

Among James Bond films, there are some which have been overrated, and some which have been grossly underrated. I firmly believe that Live and Let Die belongs to this latter category. Why I say is that, true enough, Roger Moore is to an extent not a real match for Sean Connery.

But undoubtedly, I also think he's the best actor to portray 007. And Live and Let Die is a promising debut for him. It's filled with intrigue that no other Bond film has presented us with - at one point, I seriously didn't know who the good guy and the bad guy was: it seemed that the good were the bad, and vice versa.

This confusion was a little tiring at times. On the other hand, the villain - Yaphet Kotto's Kananga - was not bad at all, and it had the most naive and innocent Bond girl I have seen: Jane Seymour (in another apt film debut) as Solitaire.

Overall, however, because of its rather confusing nature, it may have caused more detractors than praise-givers. But still for all, no film is perfect. I unashamedly call this one of the more worthy and enjoyable Bond flicks.