Grade: C
Synopsis: British secret agent James Bond (Roger Moore) finds himself the target of an elusive and deadly assassin (Christopher Lee).
The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth in the long-running James Bond series, and the second for star Roger Moore. This time around he’s matched against Christopher Lee, who was author Ian Fleming’s choice for the titular role in the series’ first film, Dr. No (1962).
Lee makes a good villain, and Moore’s growing nicely into the role of Bond, but, much like the series’ previous entry, Live and Let Die (1973), the script never grabs you. It’s not a bad film, just not the edge-of-your-seat thriller it could be.
Thankfully, the comedy is toned down this time around, even though Clifton James’ Sheriff J.W. Pepper makes an appearance. Unfortunately, while outright comedy may be toned down, the camp factor is dialed up, largely in the form of Lee’s character’s midget henchman Nick Nack, played by Hervé Villechaize.
These missteps overshadow Lee’s performance as what should have been one of the classic Bond villains. His Scaramanga could have been a decent replacement for former series nemesis Blofeld, but sadly, the script has no such ambitions. It’s a shame, but par for the course in The Man with the Golden Gun, which, sadly, goes down as another forgettable Bond adventure.
