Review of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) by Richard R — 08 May 2011

The ninth Bond film, and the last by original producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman as a team. It is also director Guy Hamilton's fourth and last Bond film (Goldfinger/Diamonds Are Forever/Live and Let Die). This one also has one of the best villains of any 007 film, Francisco Scaramanga (wonderfully played, as always, by Christopher Lee).

James Bond (Roger Moore) has been assigned to find the Solex Agitator, a machine that can convert radiation from the sun into electricity, and solve the world's energy crises. 007 has also, been targeted by the notorious assassin Scaramanga (Lee), who's famous for his trademark weapon, a golden pistol, and for the fact that no picture exists of him, and he has a third nipple.

Bond must travel to Hong Kong and eventually to Scaramanga's secret island hideaway in Chinese territorial waters. While in Hong Kong, 007 meets up with the beautiful MI6 agent Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), and Scaramnaga's lovely mistress Andrea Anders (Maude Adams, the only actress to play a major role in two different Bond films, she played the title role in 1983's Octopussy). Also, Scaramanga's small henchman Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize, of Fantasy Island fame) is quite good in his role.

Overall, "The Man With The Golden Gun" is very entertaining, but also one of the weaker Bond films.