The Man with the Golden Gun

Review #181
Eon Productions, 1974
Mov No. 24040
Genre: Action
Rated: PG
Directed by: Guy Hamilton
Staring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Soon-Tek Oh, Maud Adams, Hervé Villechaize, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell
Oscars: O nominations
AFI 100 years, 100 _____ tributes: Heros & Villains (#3, Hero James Bond); Quotes (#22); Quotes (#90; "A Martini. Shaken, not stirred.")
Runtime: 2h 5min
AFI Quote #22: "Bond. James Bond." - James Bond

There is a man who is a hired Killer. What is so unusual about that? Well, he only uses a single, golden bullet... and he charges $1,000,00 per shot. His name is Francisco Scaramanga.

James Bond, 007 (Roger Moore), must find the missing "Solex Agitator," a device that will harness the sun's radiation and give awesome power to whomever possess it.

Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) also wants this deadly device for his own purposes, and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means killing 007. You see, he's already killed another 00 agent...

Personal Comments

Despite being panned by most Bond fans, I love The Man with the Golden Gun; It's my favorite. Golden Gunis one of the most underrated of all the bond films, and truly one of the best. I love the mystique surrounding Scaramanga (Played exceptionally well by Ian Flemming's cousin, belive it or not, Christopher Lee), a man who murders for hire with a unique weapon, the Golden Gun. That little device is pretty cool.

I also like Nik-Nak, Scaramanga's midget servant (played really well by Hervé Villechaize), and Lieutenant Hip (Soon-Tek Oh). I loved Soon-Tek Oh from his many guest spots on the M*A*S*H T.V. show, and he is just as good here.

I guess I like everything about the whole film; all of the unique characters who work together to make a fan Bond adventure.

Plot:
No, it's not the best Bond adventure, but nor is it the worst. The Man with the Golden Gun does have it's moments, and there are some very clever lines from Bond and Scaramanga.

Visual Effects:
Visual effects are always top notch in a Bond film and here is no exception. The Man with the Golden Gun delivers a great high-speed chase (including the jump over the broken bridge) and a superb martial-arts fight.

Sound:
As always, the farmilliar Bond song is back, along with the title song, The Man with the Golden Gun, which gets you into the mood of the film.

Character Development:

Atmosphere:
Just like any Bond film, The Man with the Golden Gun is a film for men. It is a good Bond film to enjoy by itself, or in a marathon.

The pre-credits teaser is always a great lure into the film.

Realism:

Warren’s Rating:

FINAL RATING

Is the movie worth your time to watch?

20-06-05