Review of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) by Ross B — 10 Oct 2012

Roger Moore makes his second appearance as British secret agent James Bond in an adventure that sees him go to the Far East. Bond is on the lookout for a famed assassin who may or may not be on a contract to kill him.

The mysterious Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) is a man who no one seems to know what he looks like but they all know his gun of choice, a shining golden gun. Scaramanga and his henchman Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize) are also seeking a solar device that could possibly solve the energy crisis but could also be sold to the highest bidder.

Will Bond be able to stop them and retrieve the Solex in time? Moore obviously brings his own semi tongue in cheek performance to 007 that provides a bit of detachment to the character yet also a bit more fun than some of the others.

But the real stars of the show are the villains in Lee and Villechaize. Both play their roles perfectly and Lee plays off Moore perfectly. He makes Scaramanga Bond's dramatic foil. The action sequences are fun as always but the showdown in the hall of mirrors is the best.

The only problem I had was the terrible Texas stereotype of J.R. who randomly pops up in the film to provide what I can only assume is supposed to be comedic relief. He just turns into an annoying hindrance.

All in all, a great Bond film.