Review of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) by Kevin G — 13 May 2013

This one is righteously dumb, but it doesn't try to hide it. In trying to go back to the fantastical villains of the Connery era, pardoxically the Moore bond formula crystalizes. Moore finally finds his role by detaching himself and commenting on the joke of the movie itself; he's suave, aloof, and now comfortable being cheesy/witty.

This movie brings back Sheriff Racist (he even makes stereotypical rednecks look good), but this time he's not a momentum killer. Things like Scaramanga's third nipple and crazy psychdelic funhouse foreshadow the megalomanical ridiculousness of future Moore villains (Drax, Zorin, the russian General from Octopussy), but here it does not seem as laboured as it would become.

And with the exception of the unfortunate slide-whistle, one of the best car stunts ever is found here.