Movie Review # 374: 007: Moonraker (1979)

Well guys, here we are, as we’re getting near the halfway point, where we’ll have talked about nearly half of the 007 films. For now, we are on the eleventh installment of the James Bond series. Once we reach the twelfth film, we will have covered at least half of this franchise (excluding No Time To Die, which will be released in November, assuming that all goes according to plan). For now, let’s talk about the eleventh 007 movie, 1979’s Moonraker.

Plot: Bond (Roger Moore), and the British Intelligence discover strange activity going on around Earth. When it is discovered that a mad scientist (Michael Lonsdale) is plotting to release nerve gas around the Earth, can Bond, along with the help of a beautiful doctor (Lois Chiles), prevent him, and his minions, from carrying out their diabolical scheme?

Now, the setup of the story is very good. However, there are points, where the film can feel a little too cliched at times. Maybe I’m failing to realize that some of these films need to put certain things in a film, in order to make it work? You got me! Even so, this does a really good job of adding a little more suspense than some of the other films seemed to have. I mean yes, the other films before it, or after, did have some of that. And of course, you most likely know when to expect them. In here, however, there ends up being so much of the thrills that you are most likely to stay awake for most, if not the whole time. That is, even if you might feel tired. As for the villain, it’s quite possible that you might know who he is, even if it’s revealed just a few minutes after we meet him. It doesn’t seem to be thrown in your face right then, and there, but there’s a likelihood that you can predict who the villain is going to be. Also, you do have a little bit of comedy thrown in here and there, that helps to lighten the mood of the film. Also, there’s the script. There are times, when the script ends up being so brilliant, if not also hilarious, at the same time. Additionally, this 007 film seems to teach people some good lessons about not always trusting certain people, particularly women. Trust me, I’m sure that there are some good reasons that the event of Samson and Delilah was included in the Bible. Just as Delilah was a good example of why not to always trust especially newer, good-looking women that you meet, people like Bond, us in the real world, and others need to be reminded of this lesson as well. In addition to all of this, it’s also great that 007: Moonraker seems to get a little more creative with it’s setting. It’s almost like you have a mix of the James Bond films, and Star Wars, and possibly even a touch of Star Trek. This could come somewhat as a surprise, considering that the 007 films have seemed to act more logical than say the Star Wars, or some of those fantasy films. But you know what, if one has fun with it even in this case, who cares? It’s also a delight to find some unexpected character arcs in this film. I guess it just comes to show that character arcs can occur even in a live-action film that isn’t exactly a Christian film, a fantasy film like Narnia, or films like those, you know? The only thing that some people might be a little picky about is that there are one, or two points where this film could possibly act a little hokey. Not by much, but at least a little bit.

And that’s my review for 007: Moonraker. It is most definitely one of the better 007 films. Granted, maybe not quite up there with say Live & Let Die, or one of those 007 films, but still very good. It has a little more creativity to it’s premise, and it has a little better writing in some aspects than some of the other 007 movies have seemed to have had thus far. Once again, this is one of those films in the franchise that you should definitely check out if you haven’t yet. You’ll most definitely enjoy it.

Final Grade: A