Review of Live and Let Die (1973) by Tyler D — 08 Feb 2011

Okay, to all the critics who say this one is predictable, well, it wasn't predictable by 1973 audience standards. Those who say that this one has a comic book plot, is probably a moron who doesn't read comics, or else they'd know that comics are levels above other forms of storytelling (and they probably haven't read a comic book in the past 40 years, or else they wouldn't say that).

If the insulting comic book reference is, in fact, in reference to the silly pre-Silver Age/Broze Age comic books, then saying this film is about as silly as a fifties era comic is still unfounded. This Moore Bond is pretty good.

It does lack the posh style of earlier Bonds, it lacks some of the polish, and it does play into some stereotypes, but so what? The jive culture was in full swing back then, and honkeys weren't hip anymore.

I liked that this one threw some American culture into the mix, and the villains weren't a bunch of Europeans wanting to steal bombs and space capsules. This was actually one of the more reality rooted Bond films with it's drug growing and smuggling plot, and the fact that they charge extra for ice at all Filet O'Soul eateries.

The whole voodoo thing they had going on was pretty neat, too. We are introduced to Jane Seymour, Yaphet Kotto, and, of course, Roger Moore as James Bond. The theme song is exciting, compliments the story quite well, and ranks up there with Goldfinger, Thunderball, A View To A Kill, and For Your Eyes Only as one of the best Bond themes.

There's speedboat chases, car chases, people being turned into balloons, snakes out the rear, poppies filling camouflaged fields, and Bond running over a row of REAL alligators like the hero in Activision's Pitfall! So, what's missing? Well, I do have to admit that even though the action is very good, it doesn't reach the heights of any of the ski chases in OHMSS.

True, that is a totally different movie than this one, but the Bond movies are supposed to evolve. These movies are supposed to outdo the previous one. This one is way better than Diamonds Are Forever, but not as good as, say, another more realistic Bond feature such as OHMSS.

If you are looking for Smokey and the Bandit style action, and some jive lingo, then this movie is for you. At times, I have thought about the fact that Bond has been all around the world, visited exotic locales, then he gets to this movie, and is stuck fighting guys in Louisiana.

LOL. That just doesn't sound exotic, or exciting. That's not meant as an offense to Louisiana, but it's kinda drab when you think that this character was hanging off mountaintop fortress a few movies ago.

I'll cut this short, because I'm tired (and probably should have written this when I was more awake), but Live and Let Die is a good entry into this franchise, just don't expect high flying thrills; expect a little more down to earth feel, like, maybe a state or two over from yours.

LOL.