The Man With the Golden Gun | In-depth Movie Review
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Often talked about as one of the weaker series entries, Roger Moore's second 007 venture is a mixed bag tonally but has it gotten better with age? Also included; my dissertation on the character of Andrea Anders!
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Пікірлер: 1 100
Car stunt: "I'm ahead of my time" Slide Whistle: "I'm about to end this whole scene"
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Two years spent planning that stunt, achieved on the first and only take.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@Jay Ess kzread.info/dash/bejne/e2qdzdWEhLi4nKQ.html
@pathevermore3683
3 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 and yet, everytime i see that scene i cringe at that stupid slide whistle.
@liveac3694
3 жыл бұрын
I wish someone would add that sound effect to all the Fast and Furious films XD
@Ben_Kirkham
Жыл бұрын
My finger is on the mute button for that few seconds of the film now.
That bit at the martial arts school was very clearly the filmmakers going "Yes, we liked Enter the Dragon. Why do you ask?"
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
In Bond's defence, Enter The Dragon is a very good Bruce Lee film but it's also a rip off of a Bond film. Even John Saxon in it looks like Connery!
@Betta66
4 жыл бұрын
David James Yeah, the villain even has a white cat
@JustinCase99999
4 жыл бұрын
@Albert Ohayon Always trendsetters? Debatable, especially in the Moore era. Karate in Golden Gun, Star Wars in Moonraker, Indiana Jones in Octopussy (jungle chase, complete with spider's webs, wild animals and old temples) and even Jaws in TSWLM in a way, lol. And even Craig's Bond and its gritty approach look a lot like Jason Bourne movies...
@JustinCase99999
4 жыл бұрын
@Albert Ohayon Oh, "before that film", yes. There were lots of "Bond-like" films then. Our Man Flint and so on.
@jamessellers408
3 жыл бұрын
I s
I always got the impression that Scaramanga had that mannequin of Bond because he idolized him. I think Scaramanga speaks the truth when he says he doesn't have a problem with Bond--it's more a case of deep admiration & respect for a worthy adversary. He's giddy when Bond comes to his island because he finally gets his shot to prove he's the best by defeating the best.
@sashaking1115
2 жыл бұрын
That’s very interesting!
@taklampan650
Жыл бұрын
Exaxtly what I've always been thinking
@breenmcgeough806
Жыл бұрын
100%!
@ericross5048
Жыл бұрын
I agree completely. I always saw Scaramanga as a hunter, and that Bond was the equivalent of a prized game animal. Hunters don’t have anything personal against their prey (except Ahab), and so I also believe that he doesn’t have anything personal against Bond.
@rogerrambo4172
Жыл бұрын
Wow that's a brilliant summary. I agree. If they ever begin to remake Bond movies I would LOVE them to consider TMWTGG because of Scaramanga & all the reasons you've just presented.
15:53 Not just any sunken ship. It's the original "Queen Elizabeth". When she was launched in 1938 she was the largest passenger ship ever built and she actually kept that record for 56 long years after. She served well as a troop transport ship in WWII and carried a total of 750,000 troops. In 1972 the era of grand ocean liners were well over and she was sold to a shipping magnate in Hong Kong who intended to turn her into a floating university. A fire broke out onboard and fireships trying to put the fire out sunk her in Hong Kong harbor. There she remained until finally scrapped in 1975. I think it's fair to say the producers of the film probably wanted to give the famous ocean liner one last time in the limelight albeit as a wreck. Ship enthusiast often mention that RMS Queen Elizabeth was seen in the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun". Trivia:Ian Fleming's 1956 novel "Diamonds Are Forever" has its climax on the Queen Elizabeth so it seem Fleming himself was quite fond of the ship.
One of my biggest bugbears with the final showdown is this: Bond is climbing on the scaffolding under the funhouse. But he drops his gun - it clangs on the pipes as it falls. Cut to Scaramanga, who reacts to the sound. So not only does Bond have to waste time climbing down to get it, but now Scaramanga is alerted to where he is. What will Bond do? Uh... he’ll teleport to the topside, gun in hand, just in time to get into position and shoot Scaramanga. What, you wanted both set-up *and* pay-off? That’s mighty greedy of you.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
It's a really odd moment, isn't it? I suppose it distracts Scaramanga for long enough so Bond can go and chases places with the waxwork? But the lack of any sense of geography in the fun house makes it hard to track where anyone is at any one moment.
@jonathanshaw8123
4 жыл бұрын
Doesn’t Bond not use the ppk from the mannequin.
@ricardocantoral7672
4 жыл бұрын
Bond found a warp zone, duh !
@taylorcostello4129
4 жыл бұрын
The most logical explanation was that Bond dropped that gun and killed Scaramanga using the PPK on the mannequin, which is illogical that he would keep a loaded weapon around, let alone it being a real handgun at all.
@BenCol
4 жыл бұрын
I suppose Bond taking the gun from the mannequin makes sense - but if that’s supposed to be the case, it’d be nice to actually see it. You never see Bond move the mannequin out the way and take its gun, which is why it feels like cheap storytelling to me. And I never even considered the possibility that Bond took the gun from the mannequin because I always assumed that was a prop gun. As Taylor said, what need is there for it to be both a) real and b) loaded?
I’m never a fan of tinkering with movies years after release (ahem George Lucas!) but if they released a version of tmwtgg without the slide whistle (replace it with engine noise or repurpose some of the score!) it would finally show one of the best stunts in movie history it’s due!
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
kzread.info/dash/bejne/e2qdzdWEhLi4nKQ.html
@nigelinasia2088
4 жыл бұрын
There is a French dubbed version that I saw in the theatre that did not have the slide whistle.
@JustinCase99999
4 жыл бұрын
@@nigelinasia2088 I have the french DVD and the whistle is there in the dubbed version.
@Brinta3
3 жыл бұрын
*its due
@souldreamer9056
2 жыл бұрын
Well, I’m gonna step up and defend the slide whistle. I love it for two reasons: 1: Bond movies are for kids, not adults, and as a kid I loved the slide whistle. My friends and I thought it was the height of comedy genius and it led to side splitting laughter on every rewatch. 2. As an adult it brings me lots of joy to see others adults get annoyed at it. It is as if these people think that the whistle ruins the seriousness of this cerebral political thriller. It’s just like adult star wars fans who complain that “jar jar makes Star Wars look like a children’s movie” - guess what, it IS! And so is this movie.
Fun fact: the german dubbing tried to fix a bit of the lazy writing you mentioned, with Hip saying "I need to get my nieces to safety" while driving off. And Scaramanga eyplaining: "The rock, that looks like a mushroom... like a morel". It also added a last line for Hai Fat: "You... are ... fired"
I believe Roger Moore initially refused to film the scene where Bond assaults Maud Adams, but was eventually persuaded to do it by Guy Hamilton. Moore still doesn't look comfortable performing the scene, and I don't blame him, it's grim.
@spittinvenom9671
3 жыл бұрын
To be fair, she did pull a gun on him
@sashaking1111
3 жыл бұрын
Yes, he said that his Bond would have charmed the info out of her, as his Bond was a lover and a giggler. I agree with him
@DokkaChapman
2 жыл бұрын
At least he had more sway when it came to For Your Eyes Only.
@dreamawake2670
2 жыл бұрын
Isn't that why they suck up Daniel Craig?
@colinluckens9591
2 жыл бұрын
It's bringing Bond back to the more ruthless self he was previously, under Connery, that's all....
41:56 Considering Bond and Goodnight are in Scaramanga’s boat, how the hell does M have Scaramanga’s phone number? How is M able to call Bond?
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Lol I know, all throughout the film M is like "We have no idea what he looks like or where he lives" and at the end "I'll just call him up then"
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson Plot twist: M is the real villain! Yeah Man With got there 46 years before No Time To Die! Bond's real response should be: Why are you phoning Scaramanga, Sir? But to his credit, something big had just come up.
@TheBlockerNator
4 жыл бұрын
Nick Nack was in on it and working with MI6
@leeboy26
4 жыл бұрын
They played Bridge together.
@djtforever1414
3 жыл бұрын
Yes, and the island is supposed to be in China - which would have been tricky to call a phone on a boat in the '70s.
Calvin, *you* are better than a computer. 😍
@MGuyGadbois
3 жыл бұрын
@Floyd1504 James Bond : Moneypenny, you are better than a computer. Moneypenny : In all sorts of ways! But, you never take advantage of them. - _The Man With the Golden Gun_
What amuses me here is that one niece speaks Chinese, the other speaks Taiwanese. Apparently neither one understood what the other was saying to each other!
@jonathancampbell5231
4 жыл бұрын
No wonder Hip didn't know he'd left Bond behind then. Also, their father teaches the "karate" school- Karate is Japanese. Bizarre family.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
E O Explained at last! I knew there had to be a very good reason for this. Turns out there is.
@knocklinks
3 жыл бұрын
One is Chinese, the other Thai.
@ninjabluefyre3815
Жыл бұрын
If that's intentional, it's hilarious. If it's an accident, did they do any research?
I personally think it's more interesting seeing Scaramanga with his own personal desire to kill the world's greatest secret agent in James Bond than the actual solar power plot line itself which really bogs down the film for me
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
It was a Guy Hamilton trope that Bond is so well known in the spy and villain world. Even Lazaar is honoured to make bullets for him! Moore himself would later criticise it, and as for what Johh Le Carre and other people with experience of the espionage world said.......
@ricardocantoral7672
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 Tiffany Case: "You just killed James Bond !".
@naoyanaraharjo4693
4 жыл бұрын
@@ricardocantoral7672 DAF works better if you see it as a comedy movie
@blasterman789
3 жыл бұрын
Scaramanga didn't want to kill Bond and let him go initially. No thrill in an easy kill and likely mutual respect. Bond persisted and that's when Scaramanga put him in his fun house.
@sashaking1115
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve never really understood the whole solar power sun thing
These videos are so underrated, just started watching the bond series a few months ago and I'm really enjoying your reviews on them. Keep up the great work!
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
PokeTips thanks for much for this! Glad you’re enjoying them and much appreciate the kind words 😁😁
Scaramanga's funhousd is probably a throwback to his circus days so fits his character
The Man with the Golden Gun is one of my all time favorites. I love the concept of a highly skilled hit man going after 007 way too much. The scene where the villain assembles his gun before using it is my favorite part, when I was a kid I just found it to be the coolest thing in the world.
@christophertaylor9100
Жыл бұрын
It has a ton of potential and some great ideas, but the execution was clunky and feels tremendously dated
@nebularain3338
Жыл бұрын
@@christophertaylor9100 Completely disagree. I find it infinitely more watchable and fun than Live and Let Die, Thunderball, and a bunch of the other films in the series. Lee is a great villain, and the locations are stunning!
@gatekeeperboxing5898
9 ай бұрын
I thought the same it was in my Top 10 at one point, but it has gone down a little in my estimation, but I would still rate it better than alot of the other films though.
The Roger Moore era is criminality underrated. Some of the most memorable stuff from the Bond series that isn't Bond himself comes from his era. Baron Samedi, Jaws, Nick Nack, The Golden Gun, The Lotus Esprit, Mayday and the Union Jack parachute. All from the Moore era.
@Thatguy55595
4 жыл бұрын
A lot more than that but good list of highlights bro
@jasontaylor500
4 жыл бұрын
Its funny. Your saying it is criminally underrated but then when you analyze your comment you realize that everything you mentioned does not have to do with Bond himself. The fact is the stories and plots were below average and Roger Moore was only mediocre. So that's the reason why they are rated below average because the plots and main character where not that memorable.
@crakatoot5480
4 жыл бұрын
no real Bond fan would say that about the Moore era
@SJKPJR007
4 жыл бұрын
@@crakatoot5480 The Moore era? I thought Jason Taylor was talking about the Craig era!
@SJKPJR007
4 жыл бұрын
@@jasontaylor500 If it wasn't for Sir Roger Moore there wouldn't be a James Bond movie franchise now. Even if it has resulted in Daniel Craig!
I remember being disappointed when the plot turned out to not be about Scaramanga trying to kill Bond. I feel like an assassin going after Bond specifically is a very interesting and different idea for the series.
@royrayburn1503
Жыл бұрын
I grew up with Connery as Bond, and I never buy Moore.as bound. Moore seemed to be the Saint with a license to kill, he was alright with the suave stuff but I never bought him.as a dangerous Bond.
@michaelnally2841
Жыл бұрын
@@royrayburn1503 and even then the suave got kinda creepy as time went on
@michaelnally2841
Жыл бұрын
Although I dunno if this was the plot of any of the novels but a big villain with a bone to pick with James Bond puts a bounty on James Bond dead or alive and many assassins trying to kill bond for money or in some cases revenge
@jaspalkaeda7437
Жыл бұрын
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is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and I am sorry to hear from you again for the information and guidance and coaching center of the day I will be home from work and I will travel to the office today and tomorrow is my favorite person in the morning and I hope you are well and ❤
@sashaking1115
11 ай бұрын
Yes I quite agree. If the film had left out all the solar energy stuff, and just had Scaramanga as a simple assassin, then it would have been better and more interesting
Seems weird for the movie to end with Bond tapping the same ass that almost killed him.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
HAHA! This produced genuine audible laughter from me in public, brilliant!
@Betta66
4 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson Thank you so much.
@jonathancampbell5231
4 жыл бұрын
It's not like he's ever let that stop him before...
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Bond can see the best in anyone.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 reminds me of Melrose when Amanda gets together with Peter , yknow the man that once tried to KILL her on purpose with an un-needed operation , lol
christopher lee was the best thing about this
@davidhughmiller
4 жыл бұрын
Will Brock Don’t forget the girls, damn they were both gorgeous 😍😍
@TheSchaef47
4 жыл бұрын
Christopher Lee is the best thing about anything with Christopher Lee
@williamdavies9634
3 жыл бұрын
@@TheSchaef47 that's the damn truth
@hamburgareable
3 жыл бұрын
Christopher "Dracula" Lee, Soon Taek Oh and the girls are the only good things about this film, but the main plot coupled with Sheriff Pepper and wacky editings, those are best left forgotten.
@Roboshi2007
3 жыл бұрын
pity he couldn't save the willy wonka remake
This is one of my favorite Bond movies despite all the problems. I really like the idea of Scramanga being a dark reflection of Bond, I love the way Lee played him and I really like the idea of Bond having to deal with someone who can outshoot him. We see a few guys who Bond will lose to if they throw hands, but Scaramanga is I think the only villain who is shown to be a better marksman than Bond. Also, I really love the golden gun. The idea of the gun using a round so small that it has no stopping power and only Scaramanga can make it work because of his perfect accuracy is an idea that has stuck with me for years.
@gatekeeperboxing5898
9 ай бұрын
Scaramanga was indeed brilliant, one of my favourite villains of the series.
In the German dub at least, there is a (stupid) explanation for why Hip drives off without Bond. As he starts up the car, he yells something along the lines of "Sorry, Bond, gotta get my nieces to safety!". Which still makes him look like a total ass, of course.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Seriously?! I had no idea about that! I love that even the people dubbing the film knew that it was a problem and they tried to fix it!
@robinanwaldt
2 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson They also added to the line of the rock at the end looking like a mushroom by specifying "like a morel", which I guess fits better?
@AndorRadnai
2 жыл бұрын
I can confirm that the line in the dub doesn’t alleviate the confusion in that scene whatsoever. But the morel part is definitely more sensical.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@AndorRadnai i also enjoyed Soon Tech in Death Wish 4 , MASH , MacGyver (Mac is the yank version of 007 kinda or maybe hes more like Tintin when i think about it)
@AndorRadnai
2 жыл бұрын
@@postersandstuff Mac really is a mix of Tintin and James Bond! That’s a good analogy!! ^^
The Viking statue seen next to Scaramanga at the funhouse in the pre-title sequence was actually a robot chess piece prop created for the 1967 spy film Deadlier Than The Male. The same prop(s) turned up in episodes of UFO and The Sweeney....and probably other Film and TV.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Funny that Deadlier Than The Male is something of a Bond rip-off/cash-in.
I'm a big fan of TMWTGG. I know it has a lot of problems, especially in the second act, but I'm able to overlook these and ride along with the silliness because I enjoy the darker moments when Bond is hunting for Scaramanga at the beginning and the duel at the end of the film. I agree that the film needed another six months worth of development though.
That TMWTGG is bad, does not diminish my love for it. It looks amazing
Tom Mankiewicz did uncredited work on The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, but this was indeed his last credit on the series.
shall we initiate sexual congress? "Sir, this is a stationery store and I'm pretty sure you are still barred."
Wouldn't Bond have got the same lead had he instructed Q and Calthorpe to analyse the engraved golden bullet that was sent to MI6? That would have rendered the entire Beirut trip unnecessary.
"Just because Bond treats women badly doesn't mean the movie has to." Agreed. That's exactly what Phoebe Waller-Bridge said BTW, but this being the Internet...well...
@joeydancer
4 жыл бұрын
yes. completely agree.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
I don't know if I'm being dumb, but I grew up liking Bond, and I know my Mum did too, because he's a suave cheeky fellow, who doesn't hang around too long, but gives women a quality time while he does. He's the archetypal charming rogue drifter. I know some of his behavior from Fleming and in Connery and Moore's depictions is misogynistic but I take that as normal for the time. It's not the defining characteristic. They're just rogues. The sexist elements were eased off obviously in later times, but the charming rogue aspect remains, and this is why Bond is always so alluring to a lot of Straight women and Gay men.
@jamescarlile4279
4 жыл бұрын
She clearly showed she has no idea what she's talking about. The Bond franchise (generally) treats women very well, only batty feminists who have never actually watched the series seem to think otherwise.
@Betta66
4 жыл бұрын
@@jamescarlile4279 The previous movie had Bond enter a widow's home uninvited and assault her for information. Goldfinger, the movie everyone thinks of when they think of the Bond movies, turned a woman named Pussy Galore good by having Bond force himself onto her. I'm sure the moviegoing public will agree that's indicative of a franchise that treats its women well.
@mrcritical6751
4 жыл бұрын
Also to add to that in the book Pussy was pretending to be gay and only went back to her actual sexuality after Bond banged her
That "Who wants to be a millionaire" segment threw me into a laughing fit, like oh my God that and the "Can I phone a friend please Jeremy" definitely from the new ITV version with Clarkson I presume.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Hahaha the first time I did that I said "Chris" and then I thought, come on Calvin be current, and changed to Jeremy instead!
@BenCol
4 жыл бұрын
Calvin Dyson Chris will always be the best though.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson And for a tenuous link: it's Clarkson's DB5 that Pierce drives in GoldenEye.
That scene in which Scaramanga slowly assembles his pistol while Hai Fat ridicules him will always stick with me.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Scaramanga is so cool, in assembling it in front of him. And so quick. Lee plays him as a vain sociopath, but damn is he lovable!
@ricardocantoral7672
4 жыл бұрын
Oh so agreeable with his victim until the last minute.
@spittinvenom9671
3 жыл бұрын
A brilliant scene.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@spittinvenom9671 Hais brother was gonna be named Lo Fat , i kid you not......theres an italian movie poster which depicts the golden gun taken apart , its cool
@Maximillian200HP
Жыл бұрын
His composure and smile the whole time while he's quietly about to murder the man who's ridiculing him is one of my favorite moments in the whole film, just shows how cold he was inside.
I agree with your assessment of Andrea. It really felt like she didn't want to do Bond but was going to go along with it because she felt it was the only way to get him to help her which is, unfortunate to say the least. As for Scaramanga I felt that he saw Bond as the only person who comes close to being his equal and as a professional he hoped to get the chance to pit himself against Bond one day to see who was truly the best but he didn't have anything _personally_ against Bond. Like, if they never came up against each other that would be perfectly fine with him.
I perceive that Nick Nack's attempt at vengeance is foreshadowed/explained when he tells Bond "if you kill him, all of this is mine" but he's left with nothing as Bond (and Midnight) destroyed the facility. Love the vids and your passion for this series/character. Thank you for your efforts.
@rafachrzaszcz6997
Жыл бұрын
His vengeance on Bond makes much more sense than Wint and Kidd 😂 they were just hired killers and... uh bringing the bomb in the same ship they were sailing? 😂
@jamesatkinsonja
8 ай бұрын
True but given the previous two films also ended in the surviving heavies attacking Bond and the girl in the coda it does feel a bit forced doing that again and the fight feels a bit flat and rushed.
@jamesatkinsonja
8 ай бұрын
@@rafachrzaszcz6997 In fairness that seems to be inspired by the novel [where Wint and Kidd follow Bond+ Tiffany on there Atlantic crossing] but makes less sense in the film and the bomb is very silly.
@rafachrzaszcz6997
8 ай бұрын
@@jamesatkinsonja yes, this ending maybe was shocking in 1971 (or to me as a kid in 1997) but at least in the movie it makes no sense.
I’ve noticed that in this film, Bond kills only 1 person, Scaramanga.
@gethinjenkins-jones8666
4 жыл бұрын
He kills well over 100 in the pre-title sequence in Octopussy alone!
@theevildalek5425
4 жыл бұрын
gethin jenkins-jones Well he needed to make up for the lack of kills in this film
@sgtfrozty
4 жыл бұрын
And despite the issues in this film, that fact is that makes this unique to the rest of the films in the series in my opinion. Kinda mindblowing when you sit down and think about at it.
This has always been one of my favorite bonds. I like how you deal with films that you either aren’t personally fond of or don’t think are particularly good in one way or another. You’re critical while the overall review still comes out as one that’s positive.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much for this, Tony! I really appreciated reading this. Honestly I'm glad that comes across. I love this franchise/series more than any other kind of media and I get a lot out of every film in the series (even the ones that I don't like as much as some of the others). I'm aware that I'm often quite critical and nitpicky but I'm glad the positivity still comes through. This was my favourite film in the whole series for a while when I was younger and I still have a lot of fondness for it and know many Bond fans who love it as well. Thanks again!
@50TBRD
4 жыл бұрын
Calvin Dyson My grandfather loved the early Bond movies but passed away before Pierce Brosnan took over. I had access to most of the movies as a child and made sure to watch them all. I watched your 2019 ranking even though The Living Daylights and Man with the Golden Gun ranked low, I think you were accurate in their flaws. Thankfully we agree that Goldeneye is the highlight of series. I’ll be going through your videos to see your in-depth feeling of the nuances of each video. Thanks.
This movie is like a high budget episode of The Saint. I also feel this one feels like Bond vs the creator (Christopher Lee playing Ian Fleming)
bond's strangely horrible behavior all makes sense, Scaramanga said it himself, the two of them are very much the same people
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
That actually makes a lot of sense!
@jamesatkinsonja
2 жыл бұрын
Well it would have made sense if Sean Connery was playing Bond [There very much going for that with Red Grant] but with Moores Bond it just feels out of character and out of Moore's comfort zone.
@yyling91
2 жыл бұрын
@@jamesatkinsonja 20,000 Bahts buddy
@Maximillian200HP
Жыл бұрын
Good take, I hadn't thought of that. I wonder if that was intended by the writers or not.
@rynehall9990
Жыл бұрын
The bad behavior highlighted Bond's desperation to save his job and was an irrevocable break from The Saint.
I'm betting Roger Moore became a UNICEF Ambassador because he felt guilty pushing that kid out of the boat.
@BenCol
4 жыл бұрын
Hopefully Roger gave that boy 20,000 baht in the end.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
I've been reading his autobiography. He did feel guilty! As the water was genuinely polluted.
Those large viking figures (3:40) must have been crafted for some film made at Pinewood studios in the 1960s, and then left lying around. They can be seen (painted with other colours) in episodes of the TV series "UFO" (1970) and "The Sweeney" (1974). UPDATE: I've just discovered they were made for the Bond spoof "Deadlier than the male" (1967)
Although I love Sheriff Pepper, I'm glad he was only in two films. I feel like he could have easily out stayed his welcome. Two or three films feels plenty. Such a shame the actor died not long ago.
@rynehall9990
Жыл бұрын
I wish he'd been in Moore's last Bond.
@joshslater2426
10 ай бұрын
I mean hey, why not promote J.W Pepper to the head of the San Francisco police department in place of that random sherrif in A View to a Kill.
@johnv7317
6 сағат бұрын
I would have wished that Sheriff J.W. Pepper and his wife had a role in Octopussy.
TMWTGG was one of those Bond films that I adored on first viewing, but steadily slipped down the rankings on subsequent viewings. It's very near the bottom now, which is a shame because it had potential. Possibly the rush to get it out after LALD was a factor, and the fractious relationship between Broccoli and Saltzman obviously didn't help. Still, there are fine moments here. I think my single favourite element is having the MI6 Hong Kong base on the wreck of the Queen Elizabeth. A novel idea, which works really well on screen, I think. There's something mysterious and spooky about shipwrecks, and this makes a wreck a very cool place for a secret headquarters - plus the angled set designs make a memorable visual feature.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
way too short prod time : LALD summer '73 and then TMWGG x-mas '74 , just 1.5 yrs later , holy deadline Batman :/
@Maximillian200HP
Жыл бұрын
It was my favorite when I first got into Bond a decade ago, it's still high for me due to Christopher Lee, Nostalgia and Christopher Lee.
31:47 Fun fact - Sheriff Pepper also appears in "Superman II," which was co-written by Tom Mankiewicz, the screenwriter of this film. So it can be argued that James Bond and Superman share the same universe.
This is the Bond movie with two Swedish women as Bond girls. They were amazed when Christopher Lee began to talk Swedish with them -- a language he learned during his time as a secret agent... Christopher Lee was the step-cousin of Ian Fleming, for that matter.
@mohammedashian8094
5 ай бұрын
If I remember correctly, in an interview he said that Fleming based or named the “heavies” (as Christopher lee says it) or villains if you like after people that he severely disliked and scaramanga was one of them. So the thing that kinda cracks me up is how he reacted when he read the novel or watched the movie and saw that his name was used for a villain
22:50 Bond isn't being cruel when he shoves the kid off the boat. He is being chased by dangerous men bent on killing him, and he is getting the kid out of danger. He doesn't exactly have the time to stop and gently explain it to him.
8:54 I never understood the whole point of Bond tracking down the bullet that killed 002. They've got one of Scaramanga's golden bullets literally sent to them in the mail, why not just have Q analyze that one?
@davidjames579
3 жыл бұрын
Bond was desperate to shag a Lebanese Belly Dancer.
@BungleBare
3 жыл бұрын
The bullet sent to MI6 was assumed to be from Scaramanga. Getting hold of another one that reports into 002’s death suggested was also one of Scaramanga’s bullets would allow for cross-checking, and probably add to their pretty thin file on Scaramanga too. Plus at that point, it was probably the only lead Bond could follow. So not much point in recovering the bullet that killed 002, but there was some. Plus it allowed Bond to jet off to somewhere Scaramanga was unlikely to follow him, whilst doing something vaguely useful, and hopefully get one step ahead of his supposed stalker/assassin. Returning back to London with the bullet could be seen as another plot hole though, as any assassin wanting to kill Bond might just stake out his place of work.
@ianstubbs1175
3 жыл бұрын
The inscribed bullet wasn't one of Scaramanga's: wrong calibre. But 002's death was only assumed to be by Scaramanga so it might still have led to a wild goose chase.
This is the first one I saw at the cinema, back in 1975. Showing my age sadly but I still love this film.
I love the martial arts school scene. In particular, I always smile at Bond taking out the first student when bowing, only to have the second student always keep his eye on Bond during his bow. That just cracks me up.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
i think Bruce Lee wouldve chuckled had he seen this scene , lol.....
Not gonna lie,,,,,, this is my top guilty pleasure Bond film lol. It's not in my top ten Bond films, but it does hold a special place in my heart.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
The island base is fantastic, and I love the Far East settings. Plus the music, martial arts, flying car, M's mood, Scaramanga, Nik Nak, Andrea......
@Nickypoo700
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 same here. Bond's female abuse is about my only real problem with the movie, but yeah. The cheesy stuff is good.
@Tgr2k1
4 жыл бұрын
Personally my favorite guilty pleasure Bond movie is Moonraker.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@Tgr2k1 Moonraker's like a deliberately awful campy remake of The Spy Who Loved Me crossed with Star Wars. The Bondola and Double Take Pigeon in particular make it almost a parody. I felt cringe from the first time I watched it.
@andrewmacleod4218
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 I went to see Moonraker as a very young child with my father and kept tugging his sleeve for the first hour. 'Dad, when is James Bond going to space? When is James Bond going to space?' Perhaps if they hadn't sold it as a scifi movie in the first place I might have been able to relax and enjoy it for the sophisticated Carry On film it was.
Yes, there are absolutely better Bond entries, but Golden Gun is probably my most-go-to Bond film for a lazy day off. Order in some Chinese food, crack open a brew or two and just watch Christopher Lee and Roger Moore chew up the scenery. I've always had a soft spot for Bond films in East-Asian settings, like in this one, You Only Live Twice, even Tomorrow Never Dies. Not quite sure why. Maybe it's just how different the architecture and environments they pick are to the usual fare? But even then, I like those plots quite a bit too. YOLT, Bond coming back from the dead is a cool conceit even if Connery himself had cooled off considerably, Golden Gun is the personal challenge of Scaramanga one on one (with the Solex Macguffin thrown in for stakes), and TND has Rupert Murd- I mean Jonathan Pryce just EATING the scenery in a delightfully different dilemma about a guy who wants to start WWIII for the exclusive coverage rights. They all have just enough different for me to love them, warts and all. Edit: I do also appreciate your commentary on Bond's sexist, misogynist dinosauring. Very good points about the balance of power between Bond and his, erm, "conquests", and the purpose of why these moments are happening in terms of story and character.
The mushroom-shaped issue is actually fixed in the German dub, where Scaramango doesn't say "Pilz" (mushroom in general) but "Morchel" (morel). The rock indeed looks a bit like a morel.
Maud Addams' Andrea basically comes off as a character from a completely different movie.
The assassin at the beginning is called Rodney. I want to think Rodney worked in diamonds are forever and did this as eh built up his crime career. Taking over the funeral home business and becoming the leader them gets axed off by scaramanga
@stephenharding1793
3 жыл бұрын
Na! Rodney works on the market stall in Peckham you plonker !
The Shipwreck actually used to be the Liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. She was decomissioned in 1969, sailed to Hong Kong after auctioned off and caught fire in early 1972 while being converted to a floating University, capzising from the Water used to put out the fire. The wreck was dismantled between 1974 and 1975. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Seawise_University_wreck.jpg
One of my Favorite Bond Movies
Always been one of my favourite films, for the pure, sumptuous silliness of it. I'm also a big Christopher Lee fan, so this one scores with me in a big way :) As far as Scaramanga claiming to have nothing personal against Bond, I've always interpreted it as one of two possibilities - (1) He really doesn't have anything against Bond. He has a model of him in his training centre because Bond is the only person whom he takes seriously as an opponent and wants to measure himself against him, but he would be happy to treat him in a gentlemanly and sportsmanlike way. or (2) It is just a bit of misdirection. He is manipulative, he is playing a game of life and death, so take everything he says with a pinch of salt. Just my thoughts, take them as you will! Love your videos - they are keeping me happily entertained during lockdown. :)
The way Andrea Anders is treated is downright dirty. Also, Goodnight has to be the biggest bint in the series.
I'm glad you cleared up who was standing next to Bill Tanner, was wondering where I had seen that pointless character before and obviously it was Fawlty Towers! Your reviews and videos are epic you leave no stone unturned, great work Mr Dyson!
I know it's a cliche to say, but the writers for this film were absolutely stoned out if their minds.
@TheT3rr0rMask
Жыл бұрын
It's the kinda writer Mankowicz is. This is the "substances and chill" Bond film
Great vid! Anyone else notice how that cowboy dummy in the funhouse looked like Roger Moore with a moustache?
it's a petty issue I know, but it does always bother me how you can see Bond's wax statue wobble in most of the shots featuring it. Meaning it's either Moore trying his damnedest to stand perfectly still, or an actual waxwork wasn't fixed to the floor properly.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
I believe I read it''s Moore in pale face. To add to the chill factor on first reveal, as a Madame Tussauds wouldn't quite cut it.
@kevinobrien9626
Жыл бұрын
Several ‘inanimate’ characters in the funhouse are clearly flesh and blood.
Great video, you raised some very good points. One major problem I have with this film’s plot is the MacGuffin: the Solex Agitator. I know a MacGuffin is described as an object in a film that the characters care about but the audience doesn’t, but I think there is a way to get the audience invested: you have to show (and not tell) us the stakes - what will happen when the bad guys have the thing and why it’s so important the good guys get it back. Take ‘GoldenEye’ for instance: In Act 1 they show us the GoldenEye going off at Severnaya to show us the consequences, so when we get to Act 3 we’re invested in Bond stopping Trevelyan lest the same thing happen to London. But here? They were just using the backdrop of the 1973 Energy Crisis to provide the context as to why the Agitator is so important. And I’m sure if you were alive in 1974 and lived through the crisis, you’d be invested in Bond getting the Agitator back to stop the crisis. But as someone born in 1996, well, I only know of the 1973 Energy Crisis from A-Level history - I never experienced it firsthand, so it’s hard to get invested. Heck, I wonder how invested 1974 audiences were - I bet they were probably like “it’s nice that Bond solved the energy crisis, and that’s all well and good for him, but what are we in the real world supposed to do about it?” Which just highlights how superficial it all is - what if in Bond 26 he had to recover a new device which could solve climate change (heck, just rewrite a few lines of dialogue in your head and TMWTGG already is that). Sure we’d understand why it was important, but it’s meaningless because even if he does get it back in the end and all is well, it doesn’t help us out here in the real world a bloody jot. At the end of the day it boils down to the “show, don’t tell” rule of writing - I’m being told it’s an important thing by the film, because they didn’t think it key to show me because they assumed I just knew already. Which is lazy - they couldn’t think of a way to raise the stakes outside of an assassin going after Bond, so they made real life do it for them. Heck, would it have been that hard to show London facing blackouts? A few establishing shots of Piccadilly Circus in darkness, say? M having to get an MI6 lackey to turn on the generator because the power’s dropped? Because those are the stakes, and it just forgets to set them, which is perhaps why Scaramanga’s scheme feels so drab. (Which raises an interesting question - if Bond got the Solex back, and it meant they all have access to plenty of solar energy, does that mean that climate change isn’t a thing in the Bond universe?) I think TSWLM did the MacGuffin thing much better - the Microfilm drives the plot for the first act, draws Bond & Anya together before pointing them towards Stromberg, but after that it’s discarded for the boring plot device it is because it’s worthless for both them and us. If they’d still been going on about the Microfilm by the end of ‘Spy’, if Bond was going back to Atlantis because “Stromberg still has the Microfilm, I need one hour!” it would’ve been a weaker film.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Excellent analysis of MacGuffin, BenCol! Really great reading! You're totally right about the energy crisis. We never have any sense that that's even a thing beyond the handful of times characters mention it. I have similar problems with Spectre where they're talking about how Nine Eyes is the solution to the various terrorist attacks that have been occurring and yet, we never really get invested in that as the most we see is the characters watching a report about an attack on the TV.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
BenCol To be fair, EON prob were only interested in pleasing audiences of the time. This was the pre home video era. I think the focus was just on initial runs, and onto the next Bond.
@BenCol
4 жыл бұрын
David James True, but then many of the Bond films had repeat runs in the cinemas (often in double bills) so EON would’ve known that the film would be watched for many years after 1974. Considering the lengths they went to using SPECTRE as the villains instead of SMERSH to make the films more timeless in case the Cold War ever came to an end (which, as we mighty spacemen of the future know, was astute thinking), it seems odd that they dated this one so firmly in a specific current event. It’s something we won’t really see again until ‘The Living Daylights’ with the Russians in Afghanistan.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@BenCol I think EON like to take a bite out of what's current: from the Foot And Mouth Disease Outbreak of 1968 in OHMSS to the fake Moon Landing in Diamonds to microchips in View To A Kill, Argentina (?) post Falklands in Octopussy, The Contras in Licence To Kill, and the sudden wealth of Azebejan due to oil in TWINE (inspired by a news article). Not to mention TND thinking Satellite TV was where the media's future lay.
@BenCol
4 жыл бұрын
David James That is true, and I’m not against it if done well. Most of the time it works because it’s just a flavour. Here, they’re hanging almost the entire plot around the energy crisis, shoehorning it into the Scaramanga plot even though the two don’t really mesh that well (Scaramanga just happens to be working for Hai Fat’s energy consortium, fancy that!) and I wouldn’t mind except it’s done so lazily. They pretty much just go: “oh there’s an energy crisis at the moment, just like there is in real life! Gotta go to Asia and get the only thing that can stop it, see ya!”
ahhhh YES :D Fawelty Towers... I knew I have seen the guy in the bond intro scene before... haha. Great video Calvin :) Greetings from Austria
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks very much, Lukas! I'm glad you liked it!!
I'm sure there's an alternate universe somewhere where either Lazenby or Connery played Bond in this film. For what it's worth I actually think Moore is great at portraying Bond's harder edge, and I like the fact that most of the film is about Bond doing detective work, contrivances aside. Feels Fleming-esque in some ways. But I generally agree, there's much in this film that doesn't work... slide whistle included.
@Tabish29
Жыл бұрын
Moore playing bond with a harder edge is better than Craig or Brosnan playing him that way. I'm in the minority. I yjink all the Sean Dalton Lazenby fans have died off. All the comments are only about how great Pierce And Daniel are.
@jhjhjhjhjhjhify
Жыл бұрын
@@Tabish29 I think that's just due to the fact that a good chunk of viewers grew up with Daniel as Bond (me included). For many he's just how they see Bond, much like how many saw Connery. I've noticed Brosnan isn't quite as fondly remembered as he once was amongst younger audiences, whereas Dalton has something of a little cult following. Connery himself I think is seen as iconic, but his films have aspects that have dated them which I think can be a bit jarring for some audiences today. Moore is awesome though, genuinely an underrated actor. Lazenby had the benefit of appearing in a great film but the guy was a plank of wood, little charisma or acting ability.
@jamesatkinsonja
8 ай бұрын
Richard Maibaum [who was not involved in 'Live and Let Die'] apparently was still writing Bond as if Connery was playing him in this film which lead Moore to ask for him to tailor the scripts more to him afterwards. Moore himself certainly seemed to view his Bond as more of a 'white knight' than the other actors/the novels, as shown by him not liking the car kicking scene in FYEO.
I loved this film as it’s one of my guilty pleasures along with die another day
Honestly, as a kid, I loved TMWTGG but as I got older and watched this and Live and Let Die back to back, it is a stark contrast in everything from tone, action, etc. Everyone seems angry and for the life of me, I can't ever understand why and watching the scene now with Maud Adams and Roger really does make me feel uncomfortable. THAT was not Roger Moore! Great video Calvin and you should use that computer line on your mate and see what he says ;)
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Even Roger complained it wasn't Roger! Guy Hamilton was trying to make him play as Sean, and that was a mistake they didn't repeat.
Absolutely loved it! Loved the longer format, so glad to see your revisiting these films.
Great review, Calvin! Faults in tone and storytelling notwithstanding, some mysterious alchemy of the locations, the music, the set design, and the performances make this an all-time favorite of mine. I can even overlook the dreaded slide whistle.
It's interesting...When I was around 9-10 years old and just getting into the series, I probably would've cited TMWTGG as my favorite Bond film. Now, some 20+ years later, it's solidly in the bottom half of my rankings (around 17 or 18). I'm not the biggest fan of Moore as Bond anyway (sorry Calvin) and trying to make him Connery 2.0 in this film was a HUGE mistake. The script overall is just "meh". Maud Adams, though good here, would end up better suited for the Octopussy character and to be honest, if it weren't for Christopher Lee, TMWTGG would probably rank even lower than it already does for me. Definitely my biggest flip of opinion of ANY Bond film.
@calvindyson
4 жыл бұрын
Funny how similar we are regarding citing TMWTGG as a favourite in childhood! There's a lot in it that I think would make it a fairly good first Bond adventure for a younger fan, but then there's so much smutty stuff in here too it's such an odd mix. I think as a kid I liked the broad comedy a lot of Goodnight was great because she's silly and messes things up but now I find myself rolling my eyes more
@williamwalker5244
3 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson Its a very similar position here. This was the first Bond I ever saw. I was sat on the floor playing with some Lego while my dad had it on in the background. When the car chase started he said come and watch this you will love it needless to say I loved it and watched the rest of the film (with very limited understanding as I was only 7). This started my bond love and for a long time I would maintain it as my favourite of the films. However as I got older I started to notice the problems when compared to others. I will forever say that without this film I would not be the bond fan I am today and I can still enjoy it when in the right mood (often with my dad as he loves the stupidity of this one). It is certainly above the likes of die another day but still a weaker film I would say maybe number 18, 16 tops. I would also like to say thanks a lot for the amazing content Calvin you are a really great personality and very funny to watch. Thanks for doing this for the fandom keep up the good work.
@andrewwebster2598
2 жыл бұрын
Lee had such great presence & menace
@sashaking1115
2 жыл бұрын
TMWTGG is quite prominent to me because it’s my dad’s favourite, and it’s definitely one that I’ve watched quite a lot, and it’s got lots of good things about it, but- it’s definitely not one of the best ever ones
Great review. Am I the only one who thinks the robot cowboy in the pre title sequence is Roger Moore?
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
I watched a video review where they praised Roger The Cowboy's acting as better than his Bond.
@jakeallen9868
4 жыл бұрын
the cowboy is les crawford, roger moores stunt double
I always thought it weird she kept the bullet that killed him as a good luck charm.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
And that Bond went all the way to Beirut on the off-chance she had it. If he was a proper spy he should have swiped the one M had.
@davoshaunessy7481
3 жыл бұрын
I’ve lost my lucky charm. Sss
34:13 "Goodnight's Q dress"....? You're absolute right there Calvin dear - until now I'd never heard of it!!! LOL! 😆🤣
I've always called those three movies the "diamonds trilogy". Although not in my top 10, I love watching The Man With the Golden Gun. There's so much to like in this movie. Thanks for reviewing it.
I've been told that Britt Eckland fell down for real during the final pyrotechnics scene and figured she'd get another take. Roger Moore realized the timed blasts were going to continue and ran through, dragging Britt off the set before either could be injured by the rapid explosions.
Hey Calvin -I share your love of Sheriff J.W.Pepper! I saw this in the cinema in 1974 when I was 10 years old and remember very clearly that the only time the audience really started laughing and having a good time in this movie was when he appeared! So no matter how ridiculously inappropriate it may be for a character like that to be in a Bond film,the 1970s moviegoers absolutely loved him-so they knew what they were doing when they invited him back!
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
He was so beloved, he was revealed in the trailer.
The slide whistle doesn't diminish the stunt for me anymore. It just comes with the territory that is Moore's Bond. Like the Sheriff and other silly humor that is part of the fun in this iteration.
@magnarkringlenervik8349
4 жыл бұрын
Lex Gil Moore also had movies that did not include this kind of “humor”. TSWLM and FYEO are underrated movies.
@lexgil6520
4 жыл бұрын
@@magnarkringlenervik8349 FYEO might be underrated, but TSWLM certainly isn't. Also you pointed out 2 movies out of 7. Moore's Bond is when the franchise has been at it most silliest, tongue firmly in cheek. And there's nothing wrong with that.
@joshslater2426
8 ай бұрын
I’m pretty sure TSWLM and FYEO are the most overrated entries of Moore’s tenure. The rest are either disliked or forgotten.
DAF, LALD & TMWTGG are what I think of as the budget Bond's, I think the supposed hostility between the producers didn't help things but by now these movies were following trends rather than setting them like they did in the 1960's. Thank goodness for the departure of Mr.Saltzman and the palate cleanser that was TSWLM.
@williamduncombe8504
4 жыл бұрын
I agree that the series was tired at this point especially with the look and feel of the film I also heard saltzman wasn't very good with relationships especially with connery in that everything or nothing documentary
@ricardocantoral7672
4 жыл бұрын
"Budget Bond" sounds appropriate. There are episodes of Boris Karloff's Thriller that feature better photography than those films.
@hamburgareable
3 жыл бұрын
Most of all, the scene in The Golden Gun where Bond proceeds to beat the crap out of Anders, that doesnt make any sense whatsoever. Apparently, tension was boiling between Broccoli and Saltzman as to which direction they should take. Well, they started to depart from one another simply because Harry was more ambitious than Cubby would have admitted to be. Cubby felt that Bond was the gift that kept on giving in terms of success and longevity of the franchise. However, Harry in his mind went "Screw this. I dont care about making Bond movies anymore so im gonna, on my personal motivation, settle on other things and experiment with my businesses". And to stir things up even more confusingly, Roger Moore was asked to mimick Sean Connery, to toughen up Maude in order to make her sell him the info. It seems that the scene is a interlude to several mishaps and wacky editings in the film. But in 1975, the fatal year that Saltzman quit so he could sell his share to UA, Broccoli was given a carte blanche to be the de facto owner of EON Productions.
@hamburgareable
3 жыл бұрын
@@williamduncombe8504 And you can see the difference in quality here right away. The cinematography is good but the story is convoluted.
@hamburgareable
3 жыл бұрын
Harry Saltzman should have known better but hey he had his own ambitions.
The only villain Bond kills in this movie is Scaramanga himself, and I like to think that is the movie saying "FU" to Scaramanga and his belief that both of them enjoy killing. Bond "cheating" in the funhouse also works in that sense since murder is not a game to Bond. Scaramanga does not hate Bond or have anything against him; he genuinely admires him, at least as a fellow world-class assassin. It's just that Scaramanga is a narcissist and a bit of a sadist part of him relishes the idea of proving his superiority by beating his greatest rival. This is also why he kidnaps Goodnight, because no he didn't know she had the Solex, and yes she is just a replacement for Anders- he probably realised that she worked with Bond and stealing her "from him" was just too good an opportunity to miss; plus, he's acting polite to Bond and giving him a chance to leave, but secretly hoping for his one-on-one climax and probably knowing that Bond will pursue him anyway. The Solex plot was Hai Fats' and Scaramanga just hijacked it. You might think it is out of character, but in-universe it's probably just that he's been the greatest assassin in the world for so long that he is thinking about moving up in the world and actually DOING something with the millions he's accumulated over the years. Especially if he's thinking about finally murdering Bond as his "masterpiece". I think Bond is cold to Anders at first because he sees her as the girl who picks up Scaramangas' bullets and thus an accomplice to multiple murders....which, yes, she kind of is. Both of them are basically just using each other, though I could see her genuinely having the hots for Bond since Scaramanga had unwittingly set Bond up as a nicer version of himself and the only man who could save her.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Bond's also really stressed during these scenes as he genuinely believes the world's greatest assassin is going to kill him. I think that explains his behaviour: he's scared and that just amps up his ruthless aspects. He can be a cold investigator, if there's a nuke to find, but here's it's his own life at stake.
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 too bad des Barres never was a 007 villain , he was wonderful as Murdoc on MacGyver
I discovered your videos recently and have only started the film reviews a couple of days ago, but I just had to comment and say these are absolutely wonderfully done. They are so in depth, you pointed out so much more to Andrea Anders' character in this film, and it will totally change how I see her the next time I watch TMWTGG. Great work here as always.
@calvindyson
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, Christopher! This is very kind and encouraging so I appreciate it a lot! Happy to hear you’re enjoying the channel!
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson i remember when we saw GG as kids , we used to laugh at NNs theme......later i found out about his suicide/seen pics and now its not so funny any more , poor guy (dont like it so much when Moore mocks him either even if Herve was a bit of a rascal)
Also I think the lady whose butt you see in the gentlemen's club was the same actress who played one of the ninjas in License To Kill
Finally, need more of the movies up. Great work as always
There may have been five Bond movies released in the ‘70s but this is by far the most ‘70s of them all.
I just learned a few days ago, that Hip's niece no. 1 (Nara) is played by Yuen Qiu, a veteran actor, martial artist and stuntwoman of Honkong cinema who most might know today as 'Landlady' from the film 'Kung Fu Hustle'.
@calvindyson
3 жыл бұрын
Indeed! I only realised a couple of days ago when someone posted it on my Twitter. So cool! Love that film and she’s so perfect in it
@postersandstuff
2 жыл бұрын
@@calvindyson "Chula" was in "Karate on the Bosporous" filmed in Istanbul , i didnt care for it but cool seeing Istanbul in a kf movie however
I love the in depth review, would love to see you tear never say never again apart in this format
In 1985, in Paris, I saw MWTFG on the big screen as part of a Bond festival. The famous car jump did NOT have the loopy whistle effect - - just the sound of the revving of the engine and the wind. Has anyone else seen this version? Was this a modification that was made for the standard French release?
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Just out of interest, did they show a version of Moonraker where Dolly has braces?
@nigelinasia2088
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 I did not see Moonraker at that festival. But I swear TMWTG scene was redone without the whistle. Would love to find that version.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@nigelinasia2088 kzread.info/dash/bejne/e2qdzdWEhLi4nKQ.html
@nigelinasia2088
4 жыл бұрын
@@davidjames579 I think this is fan produced. Very nice. Would still love to find the original theatrical version.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@nigelinasia2088 Yes it's fan produced. Did the version you saw have silence?
Unironically my favorite Bond movie
I love this movie. It’s in my top 5 favourite Bond films.
I strongly agree with you, Calvin, and this is my personal view: there are movies for which I have to be in the right mood to want to watch them, and I'm really never in the mood to watch The Man with the Golden Gun. There are some great moments in that movie though. I'd add the moment, where Goodnight opens the trunk of the car in midair and I can feel her surprise and anxiety of falling out of the trunk by the way she reacts and how this moment is edited. Here's what I would do differently: don't show Scaramanga's fun-house in the beginning, keep the fun-house a secret until the ending confrontation. Show Scaramanga take out a 00 agent, so that the audience knows how dangerous he is. Bond will later on learn about his colleagues death, which gives him something to be upset about. The golden bullet arrives at MI6 headquarters, which worries M and Bond. M sends out Bond to investigate the origin of the bullet. He'll connect the dors and learn that it's the signature move of Scaramanga. Bond has heard of him, but never met him, Scaramanga is a total mystery to Bond. Then we see Scaramanga mistreating Andrea. We get a sense of Scaramanga's psychopathy and of her situation from which she can't just leave. We get a subtle idea that she needs outside help. Fate (aka the script) moves Bond, Scaramanga and Andrea into the same location, where Bond and Scaramanga unknowingly meet, and immediately feel something connecting them, something dark and mysterious, that of course being their shared profession as killers. People in similar situations somehow recognize each other. Now, I'm not sure how to explain how Andrea knows of Bond and his affiliation to MI6 in this version of the story, but it is in this location, where Andrea reveals herself to be one who has sent the bullet, to get his attention and help. But I know that in this version Bond is able to act as professional and as helper. In that version it feels satisfying and not sleazy when Bond sleeps with the woman previously in danger. All in all this version would be darker, more serious and full of emotional impact with the viewers. Sort of like a Craig era Bond, but with more acting versatility in facial expressions, gestures, body language.
@joeydancer
4 жыл бұрын
Nice one. Maybe there will come the era of remakes of bond films and a version like this apears
@MarvinFalz
4 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I guess, it's a rather generic Bond plot, but I enjoy "writing" it. Meanwhile I've thought more about the story of this version. Scaramanga knows Bond's identity but Bond doesn't know Scaramanga. Andrea knows about Bond through Scaramanga. She may be a woman in danger, and trapped in a situation where she can't just leave him, but she's also clever and sneaky, and constantly spies Scaramanga out. Scaramanga is always one step ahead of Bond, he toys with him, gives him clues which lead him where Scaramanga wants Bond to go. He also enjoys watching Bond investigating, putting the clues together. It's basically the same dynamic as with Red Grant and Bond. At some point Bond suspects he's being led. Andrea uses Scaramanga being totally preoccupied with leading Bond and observing his progress to her advantage (or so she thinks, because she doesn't know who he's hunting), to meet with Bond. She reveals that she has sent the bullet to get his attention. (Since sending golden bullets is a Scaramanga thing, I'd strike that and make it part of Andrea's clever scheme. Another possibility is that Scaramanga sends the bullet, Andrea knows he's targeting Bond and makes contact with him). In either case, that's the point where Scaramanga captures them both, abducts them to his island, where he starts his game of life and death in his fun-house. Of course, Bond wins in the end, frees Andrea and away they sail.
@jenniferschillig3768
4 жыл бұрын
@@MarvinFalz You're a mind-reader. I've thought for a while that it would've been better to have Mary Goodnight as the sacrificial lamb (or not in this at all) and Andrea the main Bond girl, and to play up the vicious, psychotic side of Scaramanga and his abusive relationship with Andrea.
@MarvinFalz
4 жыл бұрын
@@jenniferschillig3768 I vote for "not in this at all," because Mary Goodnight kind of sucks. She comes off as stupid and Bond comes off as patronizing. At least that's what I remember.
As a kid. When I rented a VHS copy of TMWTGG, I can vividly remember thinking that once Bond boards the Queen Elizabeth, this was where Scaramanga’s fun house was going to be, especially when the mysterious speaker welcomes him aboard. According to the pictures on the back of the slip case, everything looked sideways/bizarre in the fun house, so the surprise MI6 hideaway definitely got me!
I never noticed that dog on Scaramangas boat.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
Me neither.
@samharrison5058
4 жыл бұрын
David James it’s very suttle
@troyschulz2318
4 жыл бұрын
Odds are it wasn't even planned, might've very well been just a real dog wandering through the set.
@samharrison5058
4 жыл бұрын
Troy Schulz probably.
@davidjames579
4 жыл бұрын
@@troyschulz2318 I wondered. Reminds of the dog stood in the middle of the Mardi Gras in Thunderball having a piss! Yes, a 1965 PG rated Bond film contains Dog Fetish Porn!
Just watched this with my Girlfriend yesterday and I was pleasantly surprised not having seen it in 10 years. We’re watching them in order and she has ranked it at #1 so far. I won’t lie both of our jaws dropped as the title sequence played.
6:24 - He is only there for an outboard motor convention.
I honestly like the fact scaramanga isn't a cheater because it makes him more threatening in a weird way as he's just that good on his own merrit
I love how bond kicks the first fighter at the karate-school, so the second one turns his head as he bows as to never let bond out of his sight.
On my last viewing of this film it really stood out to me just how unlikable and heartless Bond is in it. Sure, Bond is a womanizer and a killer, but he’s usually able to show some empathy or just human decency. For example, when the Masterson sisters get killed in Goldfinger he is clearly distressed, as he should be, but here he does not seem to care when anyone gets killed or hurt. Just look at Andrea’s death. Not a fuck is given. It really brings the movie down for me.
@sashaking1115
2 жыл бұрын
Well- when Andrea dies, he does have a worried look on his face, but that’s about it. While Roger Moore was a fantastic dramatic actor, the stuff he does in this film really doesn’t suit him at all, and just bothers me hugely, which is why this film isn’t one of my most favourites
9.35 - the fight sequence isn’t helped by the reflections of the camera crew in the mirror
I'm very much convicned that the final fight with Knick-Knack is fully intended to be goofy and underwhelming. It's a self-parody of the "main henchman turning up for one last fight" Bond trope, relying on the ludicrousness of trying to have such a scene in the movie where the main henchman is an imp-like little butler rather than a physical threat.
@jonathancampbell5231
4 жыл бұрын
* Nick Nack
@BrozzaBond4007
4 жыл бұрын
Aristide Twain minus Goldfinger that was a guy Hamilton thing to do the final battle between henchman and bond. DAF wint and kidd LALD Teehee and TMWGG Nick Nack All were weak fights besides Teehee vs Bond
Good point in the video, when I was younger I used to like this film a lot more than I do as an adult. It's missing quite a bit when compared to more robust bond films.
Wish I could easily come up with parody lyrics for "The Ten Duel Commandments" from Hamilton to reflect Bond and Scaramanga's duel... (Lin-Manuel Miranda's lyrics are as complex as Sondheim's ever were. Never again will I dismiss hip-hop as simplistic.)
I still say that Scarmanga should be brought back in the new films as a recurring henchman.
@dreamawake2670
2 жыл бұрын
He still can.
I think the best way to describe TMWTGG is this: it's the equivelant of a Take-away / fast food. It's clearly not great & won't offer much but despite all that, there's something about it which you can enjoy if you look past the bad parts
Thank you so much for this and the other videos: You are doing great work, not only funny but astonishing witty and erudite. I'm a Bond fan since I can think, started with Roger Moore, so he is my favorite player, next to Connery. TMWTGG is in the middle field, TSWLM is my favorite film for many reasons. But for my work in teaching military ethics the dialogue between Scaramanga and Bond at the table is amazing: What is the difference between a soldier and killer?