Which is the best Roger Moore/James Bond 007 film?

[PWN3R]

Moore is my favorite Bond. He was my first. Sure, most of his films are ****, but I can't help but love them with their campy goodness.

Spy' and FYEO are his best. I have soft spots for Moonraker and Octopussy, too.

 

[DACrowe]

The Spy Who Loved Me is the perfect goofy Bond film. It's what most people think of the Bond franchise and it executes that nearly flawlessly with a highly entertaining fashion. Moore as a hero taking it to his villains can be a chore sometimes, but by essentially making it a romantic comedy with the lovely Barbara Bach, playing a Soviet and thus giving a nice progressive message in the midst of the Cold War, makes it a fun, light adventure. It's telling when the larger dramatic conflict is will she forgive 007 after she finds out he killed her ex-lover as opposed to averting nuclear war. And of course the stunts like Union Jack-opener, the underwater Lotus, and "Nobody Does It Better" being one of the all-time great Bond themes makes it a pretty perfect Bond film of that variety.

I too like For Your Eyes Only. But it doesn't fit Moore's style nearly as well as TSLM. Hence my vote.

 

[Drizzle]

Since I just finished re-watching all of the Moore Bond films, I guess I'll rank them.

1. The Spy Who Loved Me - It's in my top 5 favorite Bond films. Moore is top notch here, and Barbara Bach is one of the hottest Bond girls ever. The main villain Stromberg isn't all that impressive, but Jaws more than makes up for that. Also has one of the best pre-credits sequences in the franchise, and you've got to love "Nobody Does It Better".

2. For Your Eyes Only - One of the most realistic entries in the franchise and definitely Moore's grittiest Bond film.

3. Live and Let Die - Moore's first outing was a good one. It has some ridiculousness (Sheriff Pepper, Kananga's death), but it's got an awesome score by George Martin and that great theme song by Paul McCartney.

4. Octopussy - Like LALD, there's a lot of cheese, but it's still a fun movie.

5. The Man With The Golden Gun - Scaramanga is still one of the best villains of the series. Without him, this movie would probably be at the bottom of this list. The theme song for this is like ear rape.

6. A View To A Kill - Roger Moore was too old to be playing Bond at this point, but I did feel like he seemed more spry than Connery did in Diamonds Are Forever. At least this one's got Christopher Walken and that awesome theme song.

7. Moonraker - One of my least favorite Bond films along with Diamonds Are Forever. It just gets too asinine by the end.

 

[Mrs. Sawyer]

The Spy Who Loved Me is the Best Roger Moore movie.

 

[Octoberist]

Might I add that I loved the set design of the villain's lair in 'The Spy who Loved Me'

 

[Gianakin_]

I'm between FYEO and TWSLM (what a syrprise). I'm going with the former, but it's been hard to choose.

 

[the gael]

The Spy Who Loved me for me, hand down. For second, I must admit that I have a dirty love for Live and Let Die. The music, the exotic locations, the fun and deadly Baron Samedi. For Your Eyes only was strong, even if Moore's age began to show... The four others shouldn't be mentionned, but at least Moonraker was entertaining. A View to a Kill was interesting and had a great villain (loved Christopher Walken) and a memorable henchwoman (Mayday), but was ruined by a Moore way to old and an annoying bond girl. Moore's two other flick were as bad as it could, on the same level of Diamonds are forever (sadly not only the worst Connery one but also the worst in the whole series !)

 

[Pink Ranger]

5. The Man With The Golden Gun - Scaramanga is still one of the best villains of the series. Without him, this movie would probably be at the bottom of this list. The theme song for this is like ear rape.

I had almost forgotten about that "gem." Thanks for bringing back that repressed memory. The lyrics are so trite it was just one step away from the theme song of The Garry Shandling Show but without the irony.

In loving disrespect, here is Drizzle's favourite Bond song of all time:

 

[PWN3R]

^ I know the film isn't loved that much across the board, but as for the theme song? Personally, I ****ing love it.

All of the songs in Moore's era are killer.

 

[Pink Ranger]

View To A Kill was probably one of the best Bond songs, in terms of fitting for the time and fitting for a spy movie, rather than being a hit pop ballad shoehorned into a spy movie.

 

[Drizzle]

^ I know the film isn't loved that much across the board, but as for the theme song? Personally, I ****ing love it.

All of the songs in Moore's era are killer.

In my opinion, the Moore era's Bond songs are hit or miss. Mostly hits, but I don't care for The Man With The Golden Gun or Moonraker.

 

[PWN3R]

That's funny because Moonraker is like my personal choice. Objectively, it isn't the best. But I can't help but swoon every time I hear it.

 

[Frosty81]

I have to say. In getting the 50th anniversary set, the Moore films are definitely more entertaining than I remember. And there is something truly enjoyable about the camp. Watching FYEO now and really loving it. Moore definitely looked younger than he was.

Part of it might be the nostalgia of how impressionable I was watching them on TBS in elementary school.

 

[Gianakin_]

All of the songs in Moore's era are killer.

Save for Moonraker, I agree with you.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

"Moonraker" is good. Killer would be an odd word to use for it, but it's a lovely, haunting song. "The Man with the Golden Gun" and "All Time High," those are stinkers.

 

[Gianakin_]

Oh, yeah, All Time High was also one I didn't like. Moonraker's very good to put me to sleep by the time it gets to its 10th second. I adore Lulu's song.

 

[Homer J. Fong]

The Alice Cooper version of "The Man with the Golden Gun" is better - a totally different song, obviously, and not great, but less cringe-inducing. I kind of (kind of) like Lulu's on a kitsch level, though, which is more than I can say for the movie.

My ranking of the Moore movies:
1) The Spy Who Loved Me
2) Octopussy
3) For Your Eyes Only
4) Live and Let Die
5) Moonraker
6) A View to a Kill
7) The Man with the Golden Gun

 

[Gianakin_]

Oh, I wasn't talking about the movie at all, believe me. And I don't think there's any way to view Lulu's song other than the kitsch one.

 

[spider-neil]

As a kid I thought it was Spy who loved me (best car ever) but as an adult I like Live and let die most because of the style and flavor of blacksploitation.

 

[Roose Bolton]

1) The Spy Who Loved Me
2)For Your Eyes Only
3)Live and Let Die
4)Octopussy
5)The Man With The Golden Gun
6) A View To A Kill
7) Moonraker

 

[Octoberist]

A View to a Kill is a curious one. I wonder how it would've been like with Dalton?

 

[Gianakin_]

Better. Generic as hell, but better.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I don't think it would have made it any better. The action would have been better, but that's about it. Nothing was saving that plot and there was still Tanya Roberts killing every scene she was in.

It might actually make things a bit worse because the best part of AVTAK, other than Walken, are the Moore/Macnee scenes.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I don't think it would have made it any better. The action would have been better, but that's about it. Nothing was saving that plot and there was still Tanya Roberts killing every scene she was in.

It might actually make things a bit worse because the best part of AVTAK, other than Walken, are the Moore/Macnee scenes.

I hate the way they killed off Macnee like that. Like an intelligence operative can't notice that a 6-foot-tall drag queen ninja is hiding in his back seat.

 

[DACrowe]

Indeed. I know Dalton has experienced a renaissance of fan love in recent years, but he never had enough charm or wit for me. Even an over-the-hill Moore was still able to bring joy to an otherwise bland movie. I am glad though that the tone changed after Moore retired from the role.