Moonraker: The (Silly) James Bond Movie That CHANGED Everything | Video Essay

While some might write Moonraker off as the stupid "James Bond goes to space movie", it's far from it. FilmSpeak's video essay on Moonraker: The (Silly) James Bond Movie That CHANGED Everything!
Leading up to the release of the latest James Bond movie, and Daniel Craig's last James Bond movie, No Time To Die, FilmSpeak will be covering a few films in the James Bond franchise giving you our expert analysis and deep dive into their greatness. Kicking things off: Moonraker. Moonraker is often lampooned and disregarded as the absurd Bond movie that went off the rails because it launched 007 into space, but where most see the final climactic 20 min, we see the full picture and can honestly say Moonraker is a Great James Bond movie. Not only that, it's worth that second look. Roger Moore's fourth James Bond movie might just feature the best Roger Moore performance, one of the best james bond villains in Hugo Drax, and one of the best bond women or bond girls in Holly Goodhead. It's a film that has only gotten better with age and while isn't devoid of some of the more ridiculous moments, it's actually rather serious and believable from an in-world perspective. Moonraker is a movie that's often imitated but rarely matched. It's not only important within the confines of the James Bond series, but Moonraker has influenced more blockbuster cinema than you might expect, especially recently with the release of F9 or Fast and Furious 9, and Black Widow. Griffin (@griffschiller) gives you his Moonraker analysis or Moonraker video essay or Moonraker movie review, and discusses Why Moonraker Is Underrated or Why Moonraker Is A Great James Bond Movie and Why Moonraker is the silly James Bond movie that changed everything!
#JamesBond #Moonraker #VideoEssay #Bond #JamesBondVideoEssay #MoonrakerReview #RogerMoore #RogerMooreJamesBond
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[@rodneyclarke6477]

I saw this movie when I was twelve. It's kinda that particular age where you don't have the cynicism of adulthood so you just take it on board & have fun with it.I know Moonraker has its naysayers.But I'll always have a soft spot for it regardless.

[@adamp2029]

I think I saw it twice in the theater. I was 9.

[@speedracer1945]

You guys are from the 70s generation . One of best generation there was . I was older but the 70s were sex , drugs and rock and roll nowadays kids are tagged and fingerprinted with cameras all over the place .

[@rodneyclarke6477]

@@speedracer1945 yes anything we did that was stupid didn't end up on the internet😉

[@Jammaster1972]

LOL, me too. This movie defined sexuality for me in every way.

[@SadiqFerretUpGammonTrowzaaah]

Same. I was 15.

[@paulanderson1401]

Drax: "Look after Mr Bond, see that some harm comes to him."

[@MrJohnlennon007]

May I interest you in some cucumber sandwiches?

[@csabaszabo6859]

This line sounds even better in the Hungarian dub: "gondoskodjon róla, hogy legyen Mr Bond-nak némi gondja"

[@ZuluRomeo]

The quintessential Bond villain.

[@Dlatsch1]

I actually really do like Moonraker, and I agree that Moore is the best in it. Yes the ending when it’s in space does get a little bit goofy, but the beginning is great when you have Moore investigating Drax. Speaking of Drax is very underrated in my opinion, one thing I love about Drax is he is onto Bond from the very beginning- “look after Mr Bond see that some harm comes to him”.

[@kaiboshvanhortonsnort359]

There was simply no way someone as devious as Drax would not be fully aware of who Bond was. It would be insulting to his character otherwise.

[@mikesteelheart]

The thing I don't get is; why would Drax want to kill Bond? If Bond didn't stop the training simulator he would've died resulting in a massive investigation by The British and American government. Wouldn't that be too much of a detractor during the final stages of his doomsday plan?

[@daegnaxqelil2733]

the beginning is great when you have Moore investigating Drax." no way that was boring and the space battle in the end was the best scene. plus drax was uninteresting.

[@Tommykey07]

​@@mikesteelheartexactly. What a way to show you're guilty of something. And the movie is filled with multiple times where they try to kill Bond in ridiculous ways, and when they fail they just take him prisoner.

[@alexandredion2151]

Let's not forget John Barry's operatic score, it adds so much to the film !

[@TheAdArchive]

You're absolutely right - Moonnraker's score is classed as one of Barry's strongest and came from the same period as the Raise the Titanic score which is utterly astounding and one that even Barry considered his best but was lost fo a number of years. They're both quite strangely familiar in places too certainly in style.

[@rabbitscooter]

I'm a huge John Barry fan and this is one of favourites. It's got some traditional Bond cues but also some very cool moments.The music during the "Space Lazer Battle" is one of my very favourite Barry tracks. And despite the teasing, I loved this film.

[@Dragonblaster1]

I do like the Bond 77 music. It gets the pulse racing.

[@Dragonblaster1]

I love the theme song. Everybody says that Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger is the best here, but Moonraker shows that Shirley isn’t just a belter. She can sing equally well in a gentle and melodic style.

[@the_narthex]

@@Dragonblaster1 Isn't that particular track from "The Spy Who Loved Me"? Marvin Hamlisch did that one.

[@christianwise637]

My head says "it's absolute rubbish", but my heart is doing backflips and screaming "yes, this is amazing!" On paper Moonraker should be kind of naff, and yet every time I put it on I have tonnes of fun with it. Roger Moore is endlessly charming and likeable, the rest of the cast are committed to giving fantastic performances, John Barry's score is excellent, Ken Adam's production design is spectacular, the stunt work is exceptional, the plot (as patently ridiculous as it is) is perfectly paced, and it's all wrapped up in Lewis Gilbert's excellent direction and eye for spectacle. I think the fact that everyone involved in this film was absolutely committed to making this the best damn thing they could possibly make is what makes this so delightful. Often I find the worst Bond films (namely Diamonds Are Forever and Die Another Day) are the ones where it feels like there's no heart or soul behind the making of the film, that the people are just doing this for an easy paycheck and aren't really trying. There's no sense of that here, Moonraker was clearly a passion project, and that's why regardless of how silly and nonsensical it gets, I'll always keep going back to it

[@FilmSpeak]

Well put! The passion and seriousness of the artists trickles down into the treatment of the story and characters as well. It's okay to have silly things in your movie, but the second you don't take it seriously, it begins to fall into itself. How can you expect an audience to? That's why Moonraker works, because it doesn't do that and that's why we all love it all these years later!

[@waybec102]

Well put Christain. I remember seeing it at the Cinema when I was 18, and the first thing I did was buy the soundtrack on ouch - Cassette!

[@kennyjukes2495]

@@FilmSpeak of course the women that's in the Bond films fall for him because it's a male fantasy and in a Bond movie she always gets the woman except in these new ones when you bring feminazis on there to rewrite that's why the last Bond movie was terrible and how could a guy ever be mad that the women are waiting for Bond it's a male fantasy movie that's what Bob has always been 😞😞😞💯💯👎

[@donkey3187]

Most Bond movies are silly. They are fantasy...they were never mean to be realistic. If you want plausible movies, the Bond movies are not for you. You have to go in just looking for a good time and not trying to punch holes in it. A five year old could do that. lol

[@suzyrokits3993]

Yes… Moonraker is awesome. In spite of its tongue in cheek, hokey humor, it is a SPECTACULAR movie.

[@vcv6560]

Moonraker came out 2 years ahead of the first flight of the shuttle Columbia, the same month I entered college for electrical engineering. Fifteen years later I worked on an experiment that flew on Endevour. So this Bond film remains one of my favorites.

[@joeblaster8770]

All Bond movies are guilty pleasures, that's the point.

[@dr.juerdotitsgo5119]

Guilty pleasure for MEN. Or at least they used to be.

[@olstar18]

@@dr.juerdotitsgo5119 And women. Don't let anyone tell you a movie is only for men or women as you will find plenty of both who love it if the quality is good.

[@alwaysOPEN4business]

@@dr.juerdotitsgo5119 dumb comment. My nan loved Connery's Bond films and always said he was the best. Sounds like you've never actually talked to a woman before.

[@dr.juerdotitsgo5119]

@@alwaysOPEN4business You know what's REALLY dumb? People that can't perceive that accidents don't invalidate the essence. This ridiculous PC fear of generalizations and patterns must be the greatest assault on intelligence in human history.

[@brianjlevine]

The first 5 Bond movies are the gold standard. It all descends into silly parody after that for me.

[@tgriffin3059]

Moonraker is a great Bond, and my personal favorite. I think Bond movies have always tended to be about 30 minutes too long, and Moonraker is the only one that manages to justify the running time. About the time I'd normally be getting tired or bored, Bond goes into orbit, basically beginning the film anew, for all intents and purposes. They were wise to limit the time spent in outer space....It was the ideal way to cap the movie...but it would not have worked as the primary attraction. People refer to Moonraker as if it's two hours of Bond in space waving a light saber and frolicking with Ewoks...but the whole outer space angle is actually kept to a minimum.

[@AtheistOrphan]

‘See that some harm comes to him’ - Best line.

[@TooManyBrackets]

Okay...I'll say it - "I think he's attempting re-entry Sir..."

[@lloydpassafume5357]

When my father and I were binging the bond series we finished The Spy Who Loved Me and realized that Moonraker was next. We both knew that this would be the first horrible bond film. Then after watching it we both thought that it wasn't that bad. We both laughed our asses off at the "I think he's attempting re-entry" line. It's damn fun.

[@FilmSpeak]

Agreed! it's got the humor, fun, everything Moore's Bond was, but it's actually not a bad spy flick and a good chunk if it before the space stuff is a really good movie.

[@adamp2029]

The first horrible Bond film? Did you skip Diamonds are Forever?!

[@lloydpassafume5357]

@@adamp2029Oops! I forgot about that one. I don't hate it, but it's definitely trashy

[@crimsondeath7468]

The first horrible bond movie was Diamonds are forever. You only live twice was pretty close to beeing the first horrible Bond movie but the ending volccano scene safes it

[@DavidSmith-fs5qj]

Oh James, take me around the world, one more time.

[@TheAdArchive]

Moonraker's score is classed as one of Barry's strongest and came from the same period as the Raise the Titanic score which is utterly astounding and one that even Barry considered his best but was lost fo a number of years. They're both quite strangely familiar in places too certainly in style.

[@mark-andrews]

Have to agree, both films feature a great deal of special effects, many times times the score is both the guide and the glue for the entire piece; particularly in Moonraker the score that accompanies the entry to Drax's space-age lair, takes the entire ensemble, and every viewer, into a seemingly real space that can only be described as being truly out of this world!

[@archibaldsalyards926]

I used to lull my son to sleep listening to ShirleyBassey sing MOONRAKER! Great John Barry work!!! Love all of it! I often think it is the best part of the film!!

[@topiwiio8017]

Totally agree. Scene where dogs are chasing in the woods, the score is haunting. Also all The space scenes John Barry's score might be the most beautiful in the whole francise.

[@TheAdArchive]

@@mark-andrews yeah it's strange how sad and mournful the score for the final space flight is, rather than a Williams score that would have been more uplifting in style.

[@qubex]

This was by far my favourite film in the mid 1980s when I was less than ten years old. Make of that what you will. I’ve been distrustful of hexagonal drinking glasses my whole life.

[@fireshipmedia9214]

I was 15 when this came out - it was awesome.

[@lewiskemp5893]

Me too

[@josepablolunasanchez1283]

Ah, Drax!! The predecessor of Elon Musk... Billionaire planning to colonize space... should we be worried? (Just kidding!)

[@geneawisea2708]

Musk? Don’t you mean Bezos?

[@Oxol33]

Musk just wants taxpayers to pay him for his rockets. He saw Trump for a rube and tried especially hard when he was in office.

[@josepablolunasanchez1283]

@@Oxol33 Bezos funded his own space program. In that sense he is the first private space entrepreneur. Musk used taxpayer's money.

[@geneawisea2708]

@@Oxol33 you mean the way he treats Biden and treated Obama like a Rube with his electric cars? 😂🤣😂🤣🖕

[@Treklosopher]

Pretty sure all billionaires are megalomaniacs by default and should all be put to the guillotine. You all fighting between your favorite billionaires is like looking at either side of bootlicker coin.

[@zahawolfe]

Glad moonraker is finally getting the appreciation it deserves! I watched it with a group of friends recently and we had so much fun watching it. I’m also glad you mentioned it’s influence on Black Widow (which we coincidentally saw a week after moonraker).

[@johnc.bojemski1757]

The sad fact is that JAMES BOND actually flew on our SPACE SHUTTLE before the REAL one actually did!

[@pljdavies]

its the usa, is that so surprising?? pretty much everything happened elsewhere by someone else and the usa made a film where they did it first lol

[@detoxmuscle]

All I can say is that ‘Moonraker’ is one of the best Bond films ever. I don’t understand how some can’t see that.

[@cdorman11]

Some of the complaints I've read: product placement, fleet of fighters ready to attack a space station within hours of appearing on tracking (trying too hard to recreate the ending of "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball"), the contrived reason for Jaws's conversion Related, Connery's general complaint of Bond after his departure was the anything-goes lack of realism. Personal gripe: most front shots of Richard Kiel were poorly done, missed somehow That said, it's the funniest Bond, has the second-best music, and is the most beautiful visually.

[@theflorgeormix]

It's brilliant. And spectacular females etc.

[@syndicategrim3452]

Or it's just there opinion.

[@gregmize01]

Maybe you should watch it again with the understanding of what they HAD to do in For Your Eyes Only😂

[@Zack_410]

Worst one

[@DavyDredd14]

Moonraker (1979) is such an entertaining fun watch with Roger Moore at his charming best in the role of 'James Bond' and 'Hugo Drax' is a brilliant villain !

[@richardprice7763]

Hugo Drax's "First there was a dream..." speech is epic Bond bad guy...

[@darrenelkins5923]

How is Bond a misogynist? Many women adore the bond character, even today, so I'm not convinced the overall portrayal , 'hasn't aged well.'

[@the_once-and-future_king.]

Yeah that line annoyed me. Bond uses _everyone._ The mission always comes first. There is an axiom in intelligence work: Never have anything in your life you can't walk away from in a second. The one time Bond ignored that axiom (in OHMSS), it did not end well.

[@darrenelkins5923]

@@the_once-and-future_king. Exactly. But even ordinary people acted similarly toward each other during WW2. the uncertainty of tomorrow and all that.

[@darrenelkins5923]

@@the_once-and-future_king. wasnt there also some odd line about nazis?

[@johnmontoya2398]

I guess my post is not needed. You hit the nail on the head. It aged well for me. I never saw Bond as a misogynist. So the guy lived women. He did not pretend to be this White Knight while being a secret creep and hoping to be liked by kissing ass. He was a straight forward man with no fuss.Nothing more, nothing less. All this pandering now a days is beyond lame and ends up killing a movie by straying away from the plot and making the movie a political statement. Cheers mate.

[@chrisf1600]

Thanks, I just posted the same thing before i saw your comment. It's absurd to call Bond a misogynist.

[@theclapperloader2810]

There's an awesome scene on the ship when where Michael Lonsdale (Drax) is threatening Bond and Holly and he laughs during his line. I don't know how it made the final cut, but it always makes me laugh. I've always loved Moonraker. I can recite each line by heart.

[@alfredvalrie5541]

The lines are like a rich Victorian novel, something out of Dickens or Eliot.

[@chrisf1600]

@@alfredvalrie5541 "James Bond. You appear with the tedious inevitability of an unloved season". Poetry !

[@alfredvalrie5541]

@@chrisf1600 lYou arrive at a propitious moment, coincident with your country’s one indelible contribution to Western civilization: afternoon tea. May I press you to a cucumber sandwich?”

[@Klijpo]

Moonraker contains the best and most accurate rendition of a space shuttle launch in the movies, and the EVA battle between the astronauts is both brutal and utterly unique.

[@KaiserSaucy]

Has to be said also, that the visual effects really hold up. As ludicrous as the third act is, they really held it down with long, slow quiet shuttle sequences and took their time with the spacewalks, which really helped differentiate it from Star Wars (in my opinion) - and to this day a lot of the matte/model work of the shuttles really really holds up, both in the space sequences & as a spectacular behemoths dwarfing the action at the South American base before take-off. Got so much love for Moonraker & The Spy Who Loved Me - both absolute gems.

[@nethaendafendr]

fifth also Moore is underrated especially in For Your Eyes Only

[@FilmSpeak]

Absolutely! FYEO rules

[@p9a9r21]

@@FilmSpeak Yes, the late Sir Roger Moore's first appearance as James Bond in Live and Let Die did put the franchise on solid footing. And like his predecessor, the late Sir Sean Connery, it was the following films which elevated his portrayal of Ian Flemings' eponymous character; The Spy Who Loved Me, and For Your Eyes Only. Candidly I had put Moonraker in the lower tier of Roger Moore's 007 outings along with Octopussy and View To A Kill. But, I will take another look.

[@spagzs]

Moore is the coolest. I don’t care if isn’t like the book bonds.

[@jimbarry8248]

I recently read the Moonraker book because I was curious how the movie could be developed from a book with a 1955 copyright. The similarities that I saw in the two was (1) the villain was a rich man named Drax, and (2) there is a rocket named Moonraker. And, in my opinion, For Your Eyes Only was Roger Moore's best Bond performance.

[@davids.8348]

There is also another book written by Christopher Wood titled The Moonraker which replicates the movie plot. Hard to find...

[@maratonlegendelenemirei3352]

Best funniest Moore Bond is Octopussy. I love it!!! Shits on most Daniel Craig's Bonds.

[@simonfernandes6809]

@@davids.8348 I had that novel - it was excellent, I read it before I saw the film.

[@Darthzilla99]

If anything, Goldeneye is the closest 007 movie adaptation of Moonraker the novel. Both antagonists are former war heros to Great Britain who want revenge and destroy Great Britain using a space weapon. Now Trevelyn differs in that he has a personal relationship to 007, but still the plots are similar.

[@bronstet]

Really great overview. Moonraker is my favorite Roger Moore Bond movie, edging out both The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only which were both really good as well. Moonraker is more grounded than it was given credit for and Drax is a shockingly prescient villain. The death by dogs has to still be the worst fate a Bond girl has ever met in any of his movies and I absolutely LOVE Lois Chiles as Dr. Holly Goodhead. Even now over 40 years later, I find her to be far more beautiful than many of the Bond girls that came before and after her.

[@greatportlandstreetmodelra6513]

I actually love all Moore movies.

[@danielsiljeholm]

I agree. I also love all of Roger Moores Bond movies. Best Bond ever.

[@tranzorz6293]

I love moonraker. Its a nuts movie. It looks amazing and the score is superb!

[@KeithBab]

I don't care what you keep saying about Diamonds are Forever, it still has one of the best theme songs, a great moon buggy chase, and was prescient in predicting the creation of space lasers to start forest fires by the the shadowy cabal that runs the world. Oh and as a non-american the Vegas setting in the desert seemed bond villanesque in it's own right. (Yes I was being sarcastic about the space lasers..I just wish other people were too).

[@J0MBi]

I watched Moonraker for the first time in years a couple of months ago, it just has so much entertainment value. If you can't enjoy a movie like that then check your heartbeat, because you might not be alive.

[@easydrive3662]

One of my favorite bond films, first time bond in space, the special effects are fantastic and look so real and the film has a continuous fast action pace to it. Also the action scenes are pretty amazing and unique

[@SPQSpartacus]

Loving this! I got into Bond films in the 80’s vcr era, all the family watched together. Moonraker was my favourite, partially because Space shuttles were the new exciting REAL Space thing of the time. Later I also learned I was not supposed to like it. Now, after this I plan to watch it again with guiltless pleasure.

[@195511SM]

I thought that the budding romance between Jaws & the little blond gal was kind of amusing.

[@dudleymq]

Great stuff, thank you! I loved this when it came out and the effects still stand up -- if anything look far better than today's CGI.

[@PHDiaz-vv7yo]

Gotta say, I’ve been re-evaluating Moonraker. Loved it until I hit age 14- then my space nerdity kicked in by it’s whole lack of orbital realism and other comedy effects. But as I approach the downslope toward 50 there’s something here to really enjoy. Bond films? Realism? That’s not what we’re here for. And Moonraker delivers escapism in spades.

[@robdixson196]

Roger Moore was definitely my favorite James Bond. The guy was just SOOO smooth and suave even though he is constantly in goofy over the top situations. Moonraker is the movie that really put his comedic talents to work.

[@solracer66]

Moonraker was the first Bond film I saw in the theater. I'd seen a few other Bond films starting with From Russia With Love when I was a kid but I wasn't really a fan. I was however a fan of Star Wars so the movie posters for Moonraker caught my eye and since it was a rainy day in Honolulu where I was vacationing with my parents it seemed like a good diversion. Since then I have seen every Bond film but Spectre (I'm not a Daniel Craig fan and couldn't get excited about it) in the theater including seeing License to Kill on opening day in Gothenburg Sweden while on vacation. So Moonraker accomplished what it set out to do, bring in new younger fans and get them hooked on James Bond, or at least it did in my case.

[@mikearchibald744]

YOu didn't miss much with Spectre.

[@Zack_410]

@@mikearchibald744 Agree. I still think its good and I find it enjoyable. The flaws are big though.

[@mikearchibald744]

@@Zack_410 Thats the thing about bond, even when the flaws are big its formulaic enough that its usually enjoyable. Its pretty much a cartoon meant for adults. Casino Royale sort of deviated a bit to 'shake things up'. I'm going to give Moonraker another shot just for fun, I did quite like The Man with the Golden Gun until that cheesy ending, and Live and Let DIe. Even Sean Connery kind of had an 'edge' to him that made you kind of wary, but Roger just always seemed like such a nice guy that he pulled off those plots, the cheezier the better. The worst thing about Bond was those womens names, that was just brutal, it was like they were DARING you to break that suspension of disbelief. Timothy Dalton is still my favourite Bond, and wish they didn't have the legal problems and he would have done more.

[@leonardmccoy9178]

This film has the best intro. The free fall being chased by jaws

[@speedracer1945]

Oh he falls from the sky lands on a house and walks off WTH ?

[@leonardmccoy9178]

@@speedracer1945bond steals some random bad guys parachute whilst falling from a plane. Jaws lands on a circus teepee. Lucky really

[@speedracer1945]

@@leonardmccoy9178 nice stunt . I heard they had parachutes to look like clothes as they fell . I'm one who didn't like jaws. Liked him better in the Wild wild West.

[@leonardmccoy9178]

@@speedracer1945 I think they had parachutes sewed into there clothes

[@mariakelly1059]

Moonraker got an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects.

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

Idk why but I've always had a soft spot in my heart for this movie and I enjoy watching it more than several others.

[@GordonSmithsmersh71]

It's about time this movie got the appreciation it deserves.

[@Chrisdrumz]

In 79 I was a 7 year old Sci-Fi kid(SW,Galactica,Superman) and my aunt took me to see Moonraker at The Kings Plaza theater in Brooklyn. My first Bond movie and it blew me away.

[@permiek]

Best Bond film ever. Kept going back to the cinema to see it.

[@neildennis7294]

Drax was a cool Bond villain, definitely ranks up there with Zorin and Silva, yes it gets hokey when they’re on the space station but Michael Lonsdale owned that role right until the moment he got blown out the airlock.

[@cdorman11]

Lonsdale was excellent in "Day of the Jackal," along with future M, Edward Fox. Personally, I think Zorin needed more cowbell.

[@davidyoung5114]

Moonraker was the very first Bond movie that I ever saw when it came out in 1979. I was 16, and enjoyed it tremendously. I've never understood the hate some people have for it. While not in the top 8 of my favourite Bond films, it isn't in my bottom 8 either (I put it at #11 of the 24 'official' Bond films). Thank you for this inciteful commentary!

[@unityoc]

I never got the argument that it's too far-fetched, have people watched the rest of the franchise? That's the whole point! Moonraker is solidly in the top third of bond movies imo

[@wadeyhyena1657]

This movie also inspired one of the hardest levels in GoldenEye. Good ol' Aztec. It's a bastard to unlock but it's fun as hell when you're able to master it.

[@chasx7062]

Jaws flapping his wings to survive the fall was great hahahah

[@tonyadler1319]

I've always been a huge fan of Moonraker. Released almost 2 years before the first space shuttle launched, it had decent special effects considering no one had actually seen a shuttle flight. Some may think the end is over the top but having space marines battle on James Bond's side only seems appropriate.

[@jukeified]

Over the years, I have unfortunately forgotten the relentless joy I experienced from watching 'Moonraker' at the Drive-in as a young kid! Being newly exposed to James Bond by my Dad, and catching a triple-bill that night of 'The spy who loved me', 'Moonraker' and 'For your eyes only' (Moonraker being my fav of the night!) I now look at the film with fresh eyes again following this accurate dissection of its' more intrinsic aspects. Just watched it again as you advised, and had a load of fun, and developed a new respect for it in the James Bond cannon. Thanks for that!!

[@DeMeza725]

I saw Moonraker last night (for the second or third time), and I was surprised at how much I liked it - it was stupid in places, yes, but very entertaining!

[@gingataff]

I watched Moonraker a few weeks ago for the first time in quite a while and noticed it clearly had quite a lot of money spent on it. The meeting room / launch pad / crematoriam was obviously intended for something bigger as that set was pretty impressive. The space scenes were really as good as anything else at the time and the laser battle was quite brutal. Barry's score is fantastic and it's a shame that the full double album score has been lost.

[@bringyourtoystolife]

I love Sir Roger Moore, he's my fave Bond, and while I appreciate the effort and diligence of your analysis, it could also be spun that the franchise has become beleaguered with recycled formula and tropes, and a lack of originality. Much of the fault for that lies with Barbara Broccoli, an apparent control freak who, under the guise of protecting her father's legacy seems determined to stick to old formulas and distil out any original or groundbreaking writing. And Michael G Wilson, who couldn't write an original idea if his life depended on it. Maybe it's only my view, but that's my view. :)

[@chrispalmer9838]

Neil Purvis and Robert Wade have a lot to answer for as well. Personally I wouldn't trust them to write a shopping list. For me the Bond films really began to go downhill when they joined Eon...

[@peterenglish2573]

The one thing I really liked about Drax as well is that while yes a lot of bond villains also get close, Drax was one of the villains who got closest to his final plan.

[@Dohsoda]

Moonraker is pure goofy fun. There are elements in this movie to which I feel are an improvement over The Spy Who Loved Me. I prefer Moonraker's score by John Barry, Hugo Drax is a much more interesting and witty bad guy than Stomberg ever was, and I felt the actress who portrayed Dr. Goodhead was stronger than Agent Triple X. Also, Roger Moore in a jungle / safari suit just pure camp fun. It may not have a good a theme song, but some of the actions sequences, including the excellent skydiving opening for the pre-title sequence are awesome.

[@tgriffin3059]

The movie is two hours long...the 'goofiness' is confined to a couple of specific scenes...meanwhile, we see a lovely girl torn to pieces by Dobermans...Bond nearly having a brain hemorrhage in a flight simulator(and actually looking scared)...Bond being tossed out of a plane without a parachute...a villain who speaks openly about spawning a superior race...Bond nearly swallowed by a python....Bond nearly incinerated underneath a rocket....And look at those closeups of Roger Moore when he has the fate of the planet in his hands, and he must use his skill as a marksman to destroy the Earth-bound pods...has Eastwood ever looked any steelier? When he chose, Moore could play the serious moments quite well. The reputation that Moonraker has for silliness has always been way overblown.

[@Wolf_Dominic]

I remember, being in the living room, writing an essay or something. Something I wasn’t really enjoying, but the thing that made it bearable, was that my dad was watching this movie while I was working on it. I’m not gonna say it helped me go any faster, it definitely slowed me down a bit, but it did ease my boredom quite a bit. I’d love to see it again one day.

[@BurnsReviews]

I freaking love these videos. I haven’t seen this movie since i was kid but i do remember it being very silly and over the top. The third act especially. But these videos essays always make me want to give them another go. Good stuff Griff!

[@wrisl1c]

Another great video. Moonraker has always been towards the bottom for me mostly due to the absurd moments. However, your brother in arms, Calvin Dyson, in your shared opinion of Moonraker has given me enough new perspective to give it another try.

[@FilmSpeak]

Hell yeah! It's definitely worth a rewatch. I get why people tend to write it off, but idk I think if you ignore the ridiculousness and go with the ride it's pretty compelling.

[@ericdudley4169]

@@FilmSpeak here’s how you enjoy the movie: watch the face of Jaws when he sees James Bond escape the boat in a hang glider before going over the water fall... He has the absolute ultimate “WTF” face! - TWICE! Once you laugh at that, you will forever enjoy the entire movie! Mark my words, you’ll get why it all works! 👍🏽

[@ericdudley4169]

here’s how you enjoy the movie: watch the face of Jaws when he sees James Bond escape the boat in a hang glider before going over the water fall... He has the absolute ultimate “WTF” face! - TWICE! Once you laugh at that, you will forever enjoy the entire movie! Mark my words, you’ll get why it all works! 👍🏽

[@MegaAndyGG]

My favorite Moore Bond. Yeah, it's silly, but it's very entertaining :) Technically the Best Moore Bond movie is "The Spy Who Loved Me", but Moonraker is still my personal fav

[@paulanderson1614]

Derek Meddings special effects are amazing. He worked with Gerry and Sylvia Anderson on the Thunderbirds TV series. Jaws (Richard Keil) spoke for the first time in a Bond film, on Drax's space station when he said to his love interest: "Well, here's to us."

[@Liboo52]

Jaws biting through a cable car cable is one of the greatest moments in action cinema history in my opinion. Absolutely unforgettable. I’ve never been able to look at cable car cables the same way since

[@mattkaustickomments]

I loved this movie…mostly for the memories of going to the theater to watch it with my cousin and then go on to buy as many trading cards as we could. I still have all my cards!!!

[@johnashley327]

Moonraker is great. I love this movie. Roger is my favorite bond and Moonraker is on my top 5.

[@MajorVanBloodnok]

Spot on! So rare that you can agree with almost every word. Some of the best movies have always been punching bags for the literal minded. Moonraker got back to the experiential, travelogue feel of the novels, Connery’s Thunderball and You Only Live Twice, and perfected in Octopussy. Bond is a formula rather than formulaic. Change it too much, and you lose cohesion.

[@bmurphy2393]

Watched a scene of Moonraker being filmed in Venice. Took a photo of Roger Moore in the gondola/hovercraft on the dock just off St Marks Square. Memories!

[@rongendron8705]

I saw this movie in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1979, on the last day of a Hawaiian vacation & loved it! From the opening 'action' scene to the wonderful locations, to the unexpected finale in space, it was one of the best "Bond" films, of all times! Fast forward to 1999, I was taking a yoga class in Santa Monica, Ca.,with some actors & at the end, realized that Lois Chiles, "Holly Goodhead" was right behind me & had hardly changed! Wow!

[@nardpuncher]

This is one of those ones that I loved as a kid, then thought was too cheesy and silly, now after seeing some of the horrible Pierce Brosnan James Bond movies I think I like this one again

[@chrispalmer9838]

Goldeneye was a solid enough film, but everything that followed went further and further down the toilet. Shame...

[@nardpuncher]

@@chrispalmer9838 yeah I should say that one was pretty good

[@sampuatisamuel9785]

Cute comment

[@13vanhalen]

Pierce was a decent bond in 3 out of 4 of his movie he showed how much of a cold blooded killer bond actually is the only that bring his era is day another day #

[@jeffreysmith694]

Very interesting critiques. I disagree with most but the debate is always interesting. I love Bond. I saw Live and Let Die when I was 6. It was my first adult movie that my Dad took me too. Moore was the Bond I grew up with and fondly remember the years of watching Bond movies on Sunday on ABC. Moonraker should have been Moore's exit. For Your Eyes Only while fine was a big letdown from Moonraker but where do you go from Spectre, Stromberg and Drax. I remember as a kid hating Eyes and never seeing Octopussy until years later. A View To A kill was easily Moore's best since Moonraker but he was ancient and the great Christopher Walken needed a younger foe. Moonraker is fun. much like You Only Live Twice. My personal favorite is Thunderball. In watching the many Bond movies it's interesting how they copy or reuse whole scenes. The space fight in Moonraker was simply a copy of Thunderball's underwater fight scene but nowhere near as good. The thing you brought up that I haven't heard anyone else mention was the shear ugliness of Diamonds. From the fashion to the locales it is the ugliest of Bond movies. Bond wasn't in Monte Carlo but Vegas. The car wasn't a Astin Martin but a ugly Mustang. The girls weren't exotic but average to slutty. Plenty O'toole was played by Natalie Wood's sister by the way. Finally, Connery looked bad from the bad wig to the clothes. I like Diamonds especially the now non pc killer pair that Bond spars with to the end but it is a truly hideous looking flick. Would love to see more deep dives into Bond especially Live and Let Die the Bond blacksploitation masterpiece and the criminally underappreciated The Man With The Golden Gun. Love the final duel between Moore and Christopher Lee.

[@inkermoy]

Moonraker was the first Bond film I saw as a kid. Was it a bit silly and tongue-in-cheek in places? Yes. But I love Drax's quiet and understated villainy, the women and their outfits, and the action set pieces. The Space Marines invading Drax's Space Station is perfect blend of 2001 and Star Wars.

[@lcdubs7847]

I remember seeing Moonraker in the theatre when I was ten years old, and I absolutely loved it. The only film I like more growing up was For Your Eyes Only.

[@jjrbarnett]

Glad to see some love for this movie and the Moore movies in general. Its an excellent entry in Space Opera on Earth sub series of the Bond movies.

[@darlenejohnson3529]

I speculate those who grew up on Rodger Moore's Bond would only believe he had the best Bond betrayal

[@lanternsown3525]

Great Summary! I never thought about Moonraker that way Thank You for Sharing.

[@SiLoMixMaster]

I just went on a Bond binge on Amazon Prime, never seen Moonraker before and watched all of the films from Dr No up until the end of Licence to Kill......Moonraker is the most memorable for me personally. Great film and fun to watch. The Living Daylights was also a memorable one for me, as was Octopussy, Man with the Golden Gun, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. Moore was the best Bond imo, but Connery my favourite.

[@lads.7715]

Brosnan’s invisible car was the Last Straw for me…..

[@blastfromthepast8344]

1979 was a brilliant year. Moonraker is a very enjoyable film. Much better than many of the recent ones.

[@ericdudley4169]

I’m so glad I watched this video! I’ve loved Moonraker since it came out in the late 70s and thought it was fantastic fun! Everyone I knew back then loved this James Bond outing. Young and old, and especially both of my parents, who were serious Bond fans! It made more money than any other previous Bond movie by far at the time. It was a big hit, and caused a lot of excitement when it came out. People take it out of its historical context and that’s always a mistake to do. Moonraker was and is great entertainment! Thank you for your work!

[@georgie1246]

My parents were very keen Bond fans and good memories of seeing it at the cinema with them around 1980 moonraker is now one of our favourites. I remember my mum being happy that Jaws fell in love and her with her hands over her ears during the space battle.

[@lonewolfemcquade8133]

When Bond shoots 🔫 the guy out of the tree 🌳 is frigging PRICELESS and Moore played it off BEAUTIFULLY and the opening scene stunt Bond and Jaws skydiving was amazing 👏

[@jayf6206]

Excellent analysis. The one bit I would have liked to seen addressed is the Mandela Effect disappearance of Dolly's braces. I remember seeing them as a child.

[@briansinger5258]

Perceptual trick. Basically it would make sense for her to have braces in parallel to jaws, so we remembered it as so.

[@cdorman11]

@@briansinger5258 Missed opportunity for more humor, and for making the setup for Jaws's betrayal less contrived.

[@kingtigertank72]

For me, this IS my ALL TIME BOND favorite. PLUS, The wealthiest villain of ALL villains in this franchise

[@user-dr2yz8um3d]

Moonraker is 45 years old! Made $210.3 million on a $30 million budget being the highest grossing film of the bond series at that point even getting an Oscar nomination for best visual effects Also the first time the space shuttle was shown to audiences This has all the cool action mainly an all practical opening that involves free fall, a cable car fight without any safety harnesses, a speed rocket simulation sequence that's quite suspenseful, a brilliant score by John Barry, a wonderful theme song by Shirley Bassey, and beautiful locations from France to Italy to the Amazon The late Michael Lonsdale as Drax makes for a deliciously slimy villain, Lois Chiles as Goodhead is also a very capable Bond girl being sly able to resist Bond's charms being progressive (Moore looks very comfortable on screen despite their lack of chemistry) and the movie still holds the record for the most wire work ever used on film next to the most use of breakable glass Its also great to see fan favorite Jaws back again by the late Richard Kiel even if he gets the Mandela Effect so to speak with him finding a love interest Plenty of lush sets by Ken Adam as well as beautiful photography thanks to Albert R. Broccoli's team clearly showing every penny of it There's even one portion where one of the Bond girls faces a horrific death almost like out of a dark fairy tale The climax in outer space is very exciting too being an gravity free battle The film has been criticized for its over reliance on gadgets; for some it'll be a distraction but again director Lewis Gilbert is having fun with the concept despite all the over-the-top moments, even Moore expressed his made fun of the plot's absurdity Heck Austin Powers would parody a lot of this decades later not to mention the MCU's Black Widow lifts a few influences It has fun with itself while also poking at the casual sexism of women in the space workforce Drax is obsessed with the conquest of space so he has a plan do establish a human colony as a flawless perfect race with no genetic flaws even down to using poison gas in small containers on Earth This does tie into our own fascination with reaching the stars given what happened with the moon landing and Sputnik A lot of preposterous campy fun to be had here thanks to this script by Christopher Woods even if it deviates heavily from the book Yet it did take substantial risks in storytelling remaining relevant in the cultural landscape being fun escapism

[@dogbarbill]

I've always thought it interesting that "space shuttle" use in the film preceded the first actual NASA space shuttle lunch by almost two years. Moonraker: June 1979. Shuttle Columbia: April 1981.

[@victoriakleber1397]

Not mentioned is how huge the space shuttle phenomena was at the time. While under development, it would dominate the evening news. Much skepticism: would it work? Was it a waste of money? It was a huge deal and, as anticipated by the film, it actually worked. Also, loved Jaws finding a gal, and I don’t care who knows it.

[@georgie1246]

Jaws finding a girl made my wife happy but the space battle made her cringe she felt sorry for the men in it.

[@harrihaffi2713]

My favorite old Bond movies would be moonraker and In her majesty’s secret service. Didn’t know they had anything in common! Thank you for educating me!

[@gabrielbennett5162]

My grandfather, Victor Horton, was the original flight engineer on the real 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft and was involved in the airdrop tests with the Enterprise. He always thought the opening sequence with the Moonraker being hijacked in midair was stupid, because it showed them igniting the Shuttle main engines, when they would have had no fuel.

[@philippkemmesies8168]

As a kid, Moonaker was my favourite Bond movie.

[@Tedger]

what.. I always though that moonraker was released in 80's... so those shuttle scenes were pretty advanced as first real shuttle launch was in 1981... naturally believed that moonraker came after..

[@pdfarrelly]

I do daydream of the idea of Timothy Dalton being Bond throughout the 80s. Moonraker does seem like a natural culnination of Moore's run.

[@thebarbaryghostsf]

I like how many times you said "Goodhead", without giggling.

[@williamgallop9425]

Code for Drax' lab: tune from Close Encounters.

[@MJT409]

My local vicar looks like a dead ringer are Drax, scary stuff 😅

[@ElwoodBlues830]

In constant terms, Moonraker is one of the biggest success at the worldwide box office in the history of the franchise. It even destroys Goldeneye (one of the most iconic episodes) by 30% in dollars harvested. It's far behind Skyfall, Goldfinger, Thunderball, The spy who loved me, Live and let die... but Moonraker has always been of my favorites because of the villain, this subtle mix between horrendous, dramatic subject and absurd situations. It's so similar to The Spy who loved me in many ways... But it gets me. The weirdest part is the space battle with the laser and the pew-pew noises, but... aah, I don't mind. I love it. It's a masterclass in how to create and sustain suspension of disbelief. Don't forget to mention the epic music of John Barry.

[@petekwando]

This was the first Bond movie I ever saw, and I still love it to this day - but I don' think I was ever able to articulate why as well as you did in this video. Well done!

[@steveissexy3558]

I went to that movie every day for seven days and the best part was when he was pushed out of the airplane without a parachute and he goes after the pilot that was fucking awesome,

[@spyboy1964]

If you really want to make a case for a lost cause in the modern day public consciousness you should do it for Thunderball. That movie was ahead of it's time and many people don't seem to realize it. As far as I know, it was the first movie to depict a terrorist organization hijacking nuclear weapons, something that is considered a real world threat today.

[@FilmSpeak]

Oh we'll touch on Thunderball in due time. I agree, that's a film that not only topically is sort of ahead of it's time, but even stylistically, I think it completely changed Bond and should get just as much credit as something like Goldfinger.

[@spyboy1964]

@@FilmSpeak Moonraker's laser battle in outer space is as much as influenced by Thunderball's underwater finale as it is by Star Wars.

[@philfromleyton]

This is a very well observed video and compliments other articles I've seen recently claiming Moonraker to be the most influential film of 2021 - I think a sequence in NTTD is (SPOILER) influenced by one of the concepts of the original Moonraker treatment by Tom Mankiewicz. I'd like to think I'm a big part of the resurgence of Moonraker in the Bond community partly due to a real time "making of" timeline that I am posting on several Moonraker Facebook groups. Few Bonds have so many dedicated groups - Majesty's aside. It's the escapism fun film that got me through lock down. The end disco theme even becoming a now regular weekly ending to Phil Whitfield's Bond Zoom Bondaoke Party.

[@FilmSpeak]

Thank you so much for that! Moonraker really is more influential than it gets credit for. Happy to see so many give it the credit it deserves as of late!

[@edwintam2349]

While it might not be the "best" Bond, it's my Saturday-night-what-on's favourite! I love the space battle... pew pew pew. Can't go wrong with Moonraker!