There's something about that The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)!
Dragonpol
Do you feel as I do that, despite terrible press and reviews over the years since the release of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), it still has something about it that is special - it is very different in style and themes from many of the James Bond films that either preceded it or indeed followed it.
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A few things I'd like to say about 'Gun'...first, the single location Phang Nga Bay, Thailand

in itself is incredibly iconic and breathtaking. Using this location is a great way to start the film. It really draws in to the 'fantasy island' (pun intended) that Scaramanga lives in. Most of the locations throughout the film are abroad, even the the half sunken ship, used as a temporary mi6--all of which is a good thing. Macau too, which isn't as exotic as Thailand, still adds to the travelogue flavor of the film. The magic of Bond films of Dr. No and YOLT, is that they take the viewer far off to these exotic locations. I think Golden Gun achieves this as well.

Secondly as you rightly point out, Gun brings a fine performance from Moore. He has conviction and confidence and looks as dapper as ever - being just the right age as you mention as well. Though there a few moments where his Bond comes across as a jerk: pointing the rifle at Lazar (that always seemed like a dick move to me and not very Bond like), twisting Andrea's arm, locking Goodnight in the closet, kicking the guy in the face as he bows (what a cheap shot), pushing the boy off the boat, stuffing NicNac in the cage (he deserved it, but is just seemed cruel), all of which I think hurts how Bond is potrayed in this. But overall I enjoy Moore's presence in the film.

I also think the plot overall is quite good. The ending was a bit underwhelming, but the connection with Hai Fat and Scaramanga, and the other plotline linking Andrea and Bond is all interesting.

Golden Gun does have this great surrealistic, bizarre quality to it that I enjoy. Ted Moore's cinematography is a big help, and John Barry's score, even if he admitted was his worst, still is memorable to me: I especially love the cue's to the main theme like the wester Honky Tonk version that plays past the gangster scene in the funhouse.

Overall, there are flaws, when it comes to measuring up Gun with other Bonds. But it is unique unlike any other.

Have to say I love it, but then I would say this about almost all of the Bond films as I really do have a love of all styles of Bond from the serious hard edged Casino Royale/Licence to Kill to the more jokey light hearted portrayals you see from Moore.

There are too many classic moments for me not to love TMWTGG, Scaramanga is a fantastic villain, the locations take me to paradise every time I watch it, there are some serious moments and I even love the comedy in it, especially when Pepper asks for a test drive and Bond gets in the car with a "certainly Sir" before smashing out of the showroom! Not to mention the arrogance of saying to Goodnight "your turn will come I promise"!

Dragonpol wrote:

Do you feel as I do that, despite terrible press and reviews over the years since the release of The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) over the years, it still has something about it that is special - it is very different in style and themes from many of the James Bond films that either preceded it or indeed followed it. There are the elements of the serial killer plot strand - Bond sent the 'calling card' of the OO7 engraved golden bullet, the light-007 versus the dark-007, the topicality of the 'energy crisis' plot, the transfoermation of Scaramanga from thug in the novel to a darker version of James Bond, the Flemingesque dialogue in the M-Bond briefing scene, the boxing match scene, the Scaramanga-Bond speeches at the dinner table etc.

This is a very Flemingesque film, and I think it is Moore's best James Bond performance after that in FYEO. It's a much better film that the bloated LALD that preceded it and the stunt-laden TSWLM and MR that followed it. Yet, despite all of these great elements - the welcome focus on Bond's character (odd in a Moore-Bond film) there's very little love for this film in the James Bond fan community. Roger Moore was just the optimum age for Bond here - after this he began to look increasingly too old for the part of the suave and sophisticated secret agent OO7.

It has some poor elements too - the way that (like in DAF) Bond's mission and the Scaramangs hunt are in fact linked is pretty hard to swallow, the end fight is poor - much of the good stuff involving Molotiov cocktails etc. left on the cutting-room floor etc. and the scenes in Hai Fat's 'school' feel like padding, as does the canal chase on klongs. Sheriff J.W. Pepper was also a great mistake - just like Mrs Bell in LALD.

I'd really love to hear your views on this overlooked flawed gem of a film - perhaps ambergrist rather than 24-carat gold...?

just watched Gun for the first time in years and have to say I was pleasantly surprised. It's got that whole weird in a good way vibe that I identify in DAF and LALD as well. I actually quite enjoyed it.

the strangest thing was realising how much of SF is lifted from it - probably 50% of SF is TMWTGG. Maud Adams is Severine. She even asks Bond to kill Scraramanga, like Severine asks DC to kill Silva. The villains live on a strange island in the South China Sea. Goodnight is a bit like MP in SF - totally useless.

Loads of other similarities as well.

Funnily though I still prefer Gun, despite JW Pepper.

As usual His Rogness just brings something that means even though it's a total cheesefest, it's still lots of fun.