The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

"Mr. Bond, bullets do not kill. It is the finger that pulls the trigger.", 7 July 2017

James Bond is called in to help find a solar device that, in the wrong hands, could potentially turn the sun's rays into a lethal weapon. To do so, Bond must deal with a highly paid assassin named Scaramanga. When one of Scaramanga's gold bullets shows up an MI6 headquarters with Bond's name engraved on it, Bond is convinced he's Scaramanga's next target. But what if he can find Scaramanga first? It's off to Macao, Hong Kong, and Thailand to find a potentially dangerous device and an assassin.

As much as I love the James Bond franchise, I admit that all Bond films are not created equal. The Man with the Golden Gun is what I call a lesser Bond film. It has its share of strong points that I really enjoy, but there's too much that doesn't work for me to list it among the best. Instead of the normal comments I write, here a laundry list of what does and what doesn't work for me:

What works for me:

- Christopher Lee – In a better Bond film, he would most certainly be remembered as one of the best super-villains that Bond faced. He's got the presence, size, and acting ability to pull it off. Instead, he's forced to play a guy in track suit with three nips who kills people in a carnival funhouse.

- Nick Nack – Despite his stature, Nick Nack makes for an excellent baddie. He seems to delight in causing harm to others.

- Maude Adams – I can't think of an actress who played a Bond-girl who did a better job of acting. You can see the fear, hatred, and resentment in her eyes when she's with Scaramanga. It's an outstanding performance. She's easily the standout in the film for me.

- It's fun – At the end of the day, this is still a James Bond film. Despite all the issues I have with it, The Man with the Golden Gun is still a fun movie that provides some degree of entertainment. It's not perfect, but I still enjoy it.

What doesn't work for me:

- Sheriff Pepper – Why in God's name did they bring him back? Once was bad enough.

- The comedy – There's way too much comedy (or attempted comedy). Bond's quips are cringy, the school girls defeating the trained karate dudes is stupid, and Britt Ekland's bumbling Goodnight is annoying. (By the way, I really hate that this was the role Britt Ekland was given in the James Bond series. I would have loved to see her given a more traditional Bond girl role.)

- Ruining a great stunt – The car jump in The Man with the Golden Gun is legendary. Why did they decide to use a slide whistle sound effect as the car jumps the river? Why let a cheap sound effect ruin an uber-cool moment?

- The plot and flow – I'm going to have trouble explaining this, but here goes – More so than in any other Bond film I can think of right now, the solar device is a true McGuffin. Watching the film again last night, I had to ask myself on several occasions, "what's the point of all this?" The main plot line is never really clear. And, the film changes pace about a dozen times. One minute it's a karate movie, while the next it's a madcap chase film. It's jarring.

If I had a list of favorite Bond movies (and I'm not sure why I don't'), I'm guessing The Man with the Golden Gun would place in the bottom five or so films. I still rate the movie an above average 6/10, but by Bond standards, that's pretty poor.

6/10