Review of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) by Rob Ó — 17 Oct 2012

As close to universally bad and unwatchable as the series ever got - this is easily the absolute worst James Bond film ever made (including the unofficial ones). Unlike "Diamonds are Forever" which was garish and offensive but still a well-put-together film, this is just a lazy, tired outing that never stirs the senses and does nothing but offend and frustrate. For once, even the John Barry score is boring and routine and the song is absolutely awful.

The only thing that comes close to reminding us that we're even watching something that belongs to a celebrated franchise is the excellent villain as played by Christopher Lee. Lee ignores the mundane production values and injects charm and menace into Scaramanga, creating the most iconic villain of the entire Roger Moore era (Scaramanga and his lethal pistol have appeared in almost every Bond game since GoldenEye). Overall though, the film is to be avoided. Watch "The Spy Who Loved Me" instead.