Is This The Best "Bad" James Bond Movie?

[@PentexProductions]

A huge thanks to Calvin Dyson and the team at the SpyHards Podcast for lending their voices to this celebration of a Bond classic: Calvin Dyson: www.youtube.com/@calvindyson Spyhards Podcast: www.spyhards.com/ My Bond ranking will be on Patreon at the end of the year but until then, you can find bonus videos, behind the scenes commentaries, and Moore: www.patreon.com/pentexproductions

[@True-Faux]

The voice-over work for Cubby Broccoli was solid GOLD! ... definite Brando Godfather vibes!

[@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars]

I wholeheartedly approve of both this video essay and the cameo from Calvin Dyson. My inner Bond nerd is quite satisfied. I do a good Scotsman, if you get desperate.

[@arthurbretas2003]

The Moore era has a very special place in my heart for being undoubtedly the most entertaining and fun to watch. He's the Bond I wanted to be as a kid

[@toshoshi1551]

Dude I don't care what anyone says. He's got some of THE BEST Bond films. Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only. Great Bond films.

[@TigerChamp99]

This "bad" 007 movie has one of the best Bond villains IMO.

[@PentexProductions]

You can't go wrong casting Lee as a bad guy

[@michaelhawkins7389]

@@PentexProductionsHi PentexProuductions , you never got back to me about my comments on your vidoe " Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" You had mad a mistake in that vidoe. The Director Michel Gondry is from France, you made a comment about his accent being "fake" that is how native french speakers talk. You see in France , while English is taught , it is more on the grammar side of things , and because of this , a lot of French people struggle with English accent and the pronunciation . I believe now a days its got slightly better with the system. Just want to add on a separate note: The Man with The Golden Gun is good because of Christopher Lee , but you can see that the film was rushed into production, despite this though , I think it's a great James Bond film

[@PentexProductions]

I thought I did reply on that video - I say he has a thick French accent, not a fake one :)

[@SGBassplayer]

He had one of the best villain quotes in the history of franchise that I don’t think anyone other than Lee could pull off; “As much as I enjoyed the circus, I found that I enjoyed killing people even more.” Absolutely blood-chilling.

[@simonpayne8252]

It has everything .. Amazing locations Christopher Lee A gun that is a pen, lighter etc Britt Ekland and Octopussy A cool car chase with spiral jump The sheriff tie in Kung fu The battle of wits with Scarmanga to see who is the best And LULU.

[@crow1994-bl]

I don't care about anyone else's opinion. In my opinion, it's one of the best and most entertaining Bond films.

[@PentexProductions]

Couldn't agree more (Moore...?)

[@meryuk]

To me as well. Anything with Moore (my first Bond), Connery, even Dalton, Brosnan and the Aussie guy. In my books, Craig films just weren't bond films. But something else and quite different. Will the authors continue it that way .. hope not.

[@MrJohnlennon007]

@@meryukAussie being George Lazenby ;)

[@Cheesegrater09]

I agree

[@Jack-cx8tj]

I only recently realised this was considered a bad bond movie

[@hd_inmemoriam]

I had not known before this video. I have a massive soft spot for it.

[@youngloudandscotty]

It's my favorite Bond film. lol Guess I just have bad taste. But at least my bad taste isn't that bad since this is the least bad of the bad?...

[@SynchronizorVideos]

The Roger Moore era is probably my favorite of the Bond franchise because the films don't try to take the inherently ridiculous premise too seriously, and just have fun with it. At the same time, they still feature legitimately good action, stunts, and dramatic tension. The Daniel Craig films are pretty much the opposite, and just I can't get into them.

It has some silly moments. But it also has Christopher Lee. I always loved it. It is just fun.

[@PentexProductions]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news! It was a surprise to me too once I started spending time in Bond forums and I never quite understood the sentiment - hence the video! But something I love about the Bond fan community is the diversity of opinion - everyone has their favourites and everyone (mostly!) respects that.

[@True-Faux]

This is one of the most entertaining retrospectives I've seen on this underrated BOND classic! Excellent work and I'm sure that Sir Christopher and Sir Roger would approve... And that sign-off was perfection! 👌

[@mog398]

This may have already been mentioned, but to answer the question at 26:55 - It was actually Harrison Ford came up with the idea of shooting the swordsman. He and most of the crew had stomach upsets due to local food/water while shooting. He needed to get back to the toilet, so instead of filming a choreographed fight scene, Ford was like "Well, I have a gun, can't I just shoot him?"

[@brycewilson5886]

I can't tell you how much I agree with this analysis. Golden Gun is one of my absolute favourite Bond films and for all the same reasons as you cite.

[@davidjames579]

I didn’t know you knew Calvin Dyson! That was a lovely surprise. Two of my favourite channels in one video.

[@PentexProductions]

Always fun to have some guests on!

[@mmmmmmmm53]

Great video as always. Just one "nitpick" regarding JW Pepper. Given the fact that the films he appears in are set in the 1960's, he could very well be a Democrat (an old southern democrat specifically). Keep in mind that the GOP didn't win two consecutive presidential elections in Louisiana until Ronald Reagan. Also, there wasn't a Republican governor in Louisiana between 1877 and 1980. Also, the first Republican Senator from Louisiana since 1883 was elected only in 2004. That is to say, Louisiana was a solid Democrat state until the early 1980's, so JW Pepper being a democrat checks out for the time. Political nerd rant over 😅

[@ackulakan]

Most people don't know about the Dixiecrats. I think it would open more people's eyes about the political parties and their evolutions or lack thereof.

[@mrhotdog468]

NERD!!!!!!!!

[@eth39232]

Jimmy Carter was very popular among Southerners in the 1976 election, but disappointment with Carter led to Reagan's winning most Southern states in 1980. I believe Carter only carried his home state Georgia in the South in 1980.

[@geelwashandje131]

@@mrhotdog468 if i was supposed to read that in Homer Simpson's voice, you totally succeeded

[@PentexProductions]

I KNEW someone would leave a comment like this 😅

[@richteffekt]

You bring up an interesting point: it's a film for young boys more so than any of the others. Being also the first Bond movie I saw some time in the eighties on TV it ignited a childhood-long love for the franchise with some nostalgic reminiscing until today.

[@PentexProductions]

Several of the Moore films really pivoted in tone to be much more family and kid friendly than the Connery ones had been, and I think it helped a lot of us get into the series, especially since these were always the ones replayed on TV.

[@onyx2626]

@@PentexProductions And Dalton changed the tone back to Adults Only in one film, something that I found quite impressive back in the 80's.

[@backbone666]

As a kid of the 90s who had this on VHS (actual VHS, not recorded off the TV!), I totally agree as this is one of my favourites

[@rubadub79]

I love the song! It's goofy, it's fun, it doesn't take itself too serious, it's perfect for a Roger Moore Bond movie.

[@Kessler1996]

I saw this movie at the age of 8, and it was the very first Bond film I owned (bought for 2 pounds in a charity shop in southwest England). I have always loved this movie and felt a lot of care and effort went into its terrific set design and photography, and the two lead performances from Moore and Lee are obviously brilliant. I even watched this film in recent years with a friend from southeast Asia and they felt, for a 1974 movie shot in Thailand, that its cultural representations were mostly acceptable - - this film really isn't the cheapo kung fu rip-off it is often branded as. Fantastic video, well done :)

[@frazzle515]

What a brilliantly constructed video. I’m a bond fanatic, and agree age at which one watches these films helps. Born in 1989, I watched MWTGG and most films up to Goldeneye when I was only 8/9 and fell in love with the franchise. My dad hated it, seeing in the cinema. I couldn’t understand his hatred, but I do as I get older… but I don’t care. Whenever I’m down, or want to relax, it’s this or Moonraker. Both should have swept the Oscars 😅 Thanks bud, loved the video. Subscribed!

[@thetitansofbrahma6702]

My first Bond film. Saw it in the theatre in the 70’s. Loved it.

[@thomasmneff]

GOLDEN GUN was a commercial disappointment that caused EON to rethink and retool with the first 3-year gap in series history before THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. Despite its many flaws, GUN has one great asset: the legendary Christopher Lee (no "Sir" until 2009). Lee's chemistry with his acting rival Moore lights up the screen. My favorite fun factoid about this installment is that unlike some of the other lead-fest Bond entries, Moore only shoots one person in the entire movie.

[@PentexProductions]

42:10 - He kills the same number of people as Goodnight!

[@retro7924]

Yes ,and its the villain

[@mrhotdog468]

The bit with the star wars movies was hilarious

[@keenan_k]

Thanks for a delightful video! You've gained a new subscriber. My first big-screen Bond experience was Live and Let Die (so, naturally it's still my favorite.) As such, I originally found MWGG a little disappointing. My eight year old brain found it to be a little dry. I was waiting to see the next buzz-saw/ magnetic watch type gadget. No such luck. However, three things keep bringing me back to this movie. 1. Christopher Lee's amazing performance. (Maude Adams' eyes might play a role as well.) 2. The spectacular locations (nothing else quite like seeing that seaplane winding through tall rocky islands.) 3. John Barry's score. The title song notwithstanding (take it or leave it,) Barry's score knocks it out of the park. IMHO, the only two other JB scores equal to, if not better are Barry's own You Only Live Twice, and of course George Martin's Live and Let Die. These keep it in my top five, which are... LaLD, YOLT, Dr. No, TSWLM, and MWGG. LTK is just outside that list. :-) Cheers, And Thanks!

[@PentexProductions]

Thank YOU for watching - a great ranking. I made a similar video on TSWLM that you may enjoy.

[@sarming]

Love the consensus placement of Last Jedi 😂

[@PentexProductions]

I think we can all agree that it is a movie.

[@ChairmanMo]

I like Ms. Goodnight when she says, "I could stay here forever.." the tone of her voice was perfect.

[@RealBLAlley]

Not my favorite, but I love The Man With The Golden Gun, and I started my Bond Journey with You Only Live Twice. It's definitely not one of the bad ones. The only two I consider stinkers are A View To A Kill and Die Another Day. Christopher Lee Britt Ekland (I am also Team Goodnight) Maud Adams Hervé Villechaize Scarmanga's lair in the stunning Phang Nga Bay. The longtail boat chase. The car chase and spiral jump (minus the ridiculous slide whistle). The Matador that becomes a plane (the model actually flew, and there were similar prototypes created full scale to explore the viability of flying cars). The MI6 branch inside the Queen Elizabeth wreck. I like the funhouse. It illustrates Scaramanga's narcissism and the enjoyment he garners from toying with and killing people. The loud, heavy-set, bumbling Southern Sheriff was a popular Archetype back then, so of course they brought back J.W. Pepper.

[@hics231]

“Good night, Goodnight. Sleep well, my dear. No need to fear. James Bond is here!” I loved the theme song when I first saw this film at the theater, at age 19 or 20, and I still do. (I can’t remember if I saw it before or after my birthday that year) I think Lulu has a wonderful voice and does the song credit. I liked the song so much, that I bought the soundtrack on an 8-track cartridge and played it repeatedly in my car. It has so much more feel for the action that you would expect in a James Bond film, unlike the stereotypical Bond theme songs of late.

[@cheekster777]

Welcome back and thank you my friend.

[@jamesauber8622]

Goldfinger is the best bond movie ever made Sean Connery is the best James Bond

[@bruceblakeslee2751]

It seems to me that the "hall of mirrors" shoot out scene shares a curious similarity to the end of one of "The Avengers" (Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg) episodes called "Too Many Christmas Trees".

[@Ddubswest]

Another great video buddy. Keep up the great work.

[@pieterbezemer766]

Roger Moore is my favourite Bond because he always looked like he enjoyed being a spy, whereas Craig often looked like he'd rather be doing something else.

[@bjrneilertmork7504]

EXACTLY as I've always said. I saw this film when I was 12 years old in 1988, as one of four films on a long bus trip. The others: Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. WHAT a start for a coming big Bond fan. I've always said I love this film, and perhaps it is because I saw it as a 12 year old. Its "innocence", wit, idyllic scenes and athosphere; everything is perfect. Even though I've heard many negative remarks about this film, I still have it on my top 10 list. When it's a long time since I last saw a Bond film, this is one of the first I think of. Please keep up your good work, and don't be ashamed of being a fan of The Man With The Golden Gun. It's a classic!

[@PentexProductions]

Those four are a fantastic intro to how much fun Bond is!

[@bjrneilertmork7504]

@@PentexProductions Yes, I rank both Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me top 5. Moonraker for me is down there with A View To a Kill and Diamonds Are Forever. 🤣

[@louiscypher6919]

I was watching Your old videos about Bond for the whole weekend, so a new one it's a quite pleasant surprise. MWTGG was one of the first James Bond movies I've watched as a kid, will always hold a special place in my mind. Cheers for this video, mate!

[@PentexProductions]

Thank YOU for watching!

[@JeffStevens]

I think it's hilarious that you put Last Jedi in all 3 categories. Good, bad, and don't talk about. It's one of my favorite Star Wars films but I know it's controversial. Well played!

[@PentexProductions]

I figured it was the only way to keep everyone equally annoyed

[@bowencreer3922]

It’s an objectively mediocre movie that deliberately, as per the people who created it, destroys the core themes of Star Wars.

[@Matt_Merritte_Edits]

My continuity from Live And Let Die is that Bond and Solitaire ended badly that’s why he’s so pissed off in Golden Gun

[@PentexProductions]

If only someone could have seen that coming....

[@flynnwilko5016]

The best part of the film is the set up in the pre-titles sequence with Scaramanga shooting the fingers off the 007 mannequin, then the reveal in the climax of seeing the mannequin with all five fingers: the audience knows it’s Bond but Scaramanga does not. Such a great ‘Hitchcock-Ian’ foreshadow!! 41:23

[@tcaudiobooks737]

Checkov's waxwork.

[@PentexProductions]

Hitchcock's influence is all over the first 10 or so years of Bond. Love that moment of planting and payoff in Golden Gun

[@JRS06]

Golden Gun is my fourth favourite Bond film, and far from bad. If anything it does feel small scale but it has a plot more about Bond interrogating people, finding out little and then using logic and guesswork to make the next move. Christopher Lee is a spectacular villain, Goodnight is a but stupid but I won't deny that Britt Ekland is absolutely gorgeous, and Sherrif JW still amuses me even if he's a bit out of place. Nick Nack was also pretty interesting, and I don't mind Lieutenant Hip even though he just vanishes for the third act. Lulu's song for the film is also terribly underappreciated and one that I love re-listening to.

[@whiterabbit1632]

what's your top 5 then?

[@whiterabbit1632]

#1 The Living Daylights #2 Live And Let Die #3 The Man With The Golden Gun #4 On Her Majesty's Service #5 Goldfinger

[@yestoadventure007]

As much as I enjoy this film, it is female characters that were the sore points of the movie. Not the fault of the actresses, they were both great and did the best with what they had. It was how they were written. In the book Goodnight is a strong, capable professional, who Bond treats with respect and as a valued member of the team and she on several occasions even saves Bond. In the film, they took that great character and turned her into a blithering idiot! They did exact same ting to Tiffany Case. In both cases, Fleming wrote a strong, complex female characters and the screen writers made them into insipid decorations. Just tragic.. However, pretty much everything else of this film is extremely well done, fun and entertaining and one of my favorites. Great plot, great action, great locations, great actors, especially Christopher Lee, he is spectacular in this role! He makes the movie what it is.

[@walmartgolem]

Christopher Lee was a Bond in real life. Absolute Chad.

[@fdellerie]

I actually like this song a lot, and I am surprised to learn that this is a rare opinion ! 😮 Great video as always, btw. 👍

[@Kacpa2]

Me too.

[@ryanpeck3377]

I like the song as well. Definitely better than a lot of them

[@thesaltnation5570]

Alice cooper was gonna be the song maker but he was one day short on giving it to the director Lee wanted his version instead it is on Alice coopers 1974 album muscle of love called the man with the golden gun I recommend giving it a listen it’s one hell of a bond theme

[@str.77]

And the song isn't actually that bad.

[@christianellegaard7120]

Golden Gun has always been one of my favourites. For context, my first was The Spy Who Loved Me and my number one is From Russia with Love.

[@PentexProductions]

All great movies in their own ways. I love that a movie like Golden Gun can sit alongside FRWL as part of the same series.

[@LucasBenderChannel]

Whenever you upload, I'm not simply watching another KZbin video! I get some ice cream or nuts or chips ready and watch it on the big screen! As is deserved. 😄

[@PentexProductions]

My favourite kind of comment! Thanks for watching.

[@YanSmale]

Actually one of my favourites ❤

[@ryanbarrett5355]

I am going through my November to Remember Bond marathon with the wife and kids and we just watched this installment in the spy series last week. I love how your video here serves to add to my love for The Man with the Golden Gun. Like you, I can see why people don't care for this film as much as I, but the commentary from those who made it along with your own statements, helps me place this into my Top 10 Bond film list. Thank you!

[@kapparomeo]

I've always had a soft spot for TMWTGG myself (I even once made an AMV setting Golgo 13 to the film's theme tune) for very much the same reason as you - it's the first Bond movie I ever remember seeing on TV. I do like Bond having an underworld reputation in the Macau scene - it reminds me of the Agent Under Fire video game, where multiple times baddies will shout out, "Oh no! Look out! It's Bond!" it's nice to be respected in your profession. An underappreciated quality of the dining scene between Scaramanga and Bond I feel could have been emphasised more in your video is the referencing of the first Bond film. Dr No and Scaramanga both invite Bond to sit down with them, seeing Bond as a kindred spirits, and Bond rejects them both times. Dr No wants to recruit Bond but the "stupid policeman" disappoints him; Scaramanga wants to befriend Bond, even become partners in crime, and is personally affronted when Bond turns him down. A thought I've always liked given the two different versions of the theme tune would be for the new Bond actor, whenever it's settled, to debut with a new version of TMWTGG that's more book-accurate and which uses the Alice Cooper theme. It'd be a fun way to troll the continuity nuts too - new actor, new face, coming back after Bond is killed off, but when he is briefed that his mission is to kill Scaramanga, he's surprised: "how can that be? I killed him in '74!" 😂

[@Redmenace96]

Saw it in the theater and when Bond dumps Elephant Boy the whole place erupted in laughter. My dad had tears of laughter coming out! Loved this Bond film!

[@neotek_mgx]

I wouldn't call it bad, it's one of the most underrated bond movie with an interesting villain.

[@RealROI]

Exactly

[@crazyfrogmix]

it's the slide whistle that singlehandedly ruins the movie

[@wehosrmthink7510]

I totally agree. If Christopher Lee is in a movie , it’s worth watching.

[@mkinsj]

I really dislike making changes to old movies (Han shot first), but if I could make one change to any movie, it would be to remove that slide whistle.

[@matthiasschulz3569]

You can just press mute when it's coming. ;-)

[@mkinsj]

@@matthiasschulz3569 true, but I just can't understand who looked at one of the coolest practical stunts ever and decided that it wasn't funny enough.

[@matthiasschulz3569]

@@mkinsj It seems like everyone working on the movie except Clifford James and Christopher Lee were somewhat confused at times ...

It's just a sound effect. It really isn't so bad.

[@opiejaye]

I think what bugs me most about it is that it's not even in sync with the visuals. I would happily see this with just engine noise instead of that slide whistle.

[@fakenorwegian4743]

My choice would be A View To A Kill. That movie was a mess, but it was fun anyway.

[@PentexProductions]

One of the best scores in the series

[@thomasstevenhebert]

Walken is just having the best time ever on set

[@bl3343]

​​@@thomasstevenhebertI agree. It's one of the main reasons I actually like A View to a Kill as much as I do. For me the worst is Diamonds are Forever because 1) it contradicts and dilutes the story that OHMSS told. 2) It gives us a Sean Connery that is past his prime. 3) Tracey is probably my least favorite Bond Girl.

[@DharmendraRaiMindMap]

One of the best Bonds Great action, locations and fun

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

I think the two Timothy Dalton Bonds are interesting. "The Living Daylights" has dated badly, very badly... on the global stage, at the same time as toning down Bond's misogynistic womanising tendencies, due to the HIV/AIDS crisis. There was some good action and location shooting, but... And "Licence to Kill", well, rip-roaring stuff, with a hard and bitter, vengeful 007, and a nasty, nasty bad guy, but even more feminine understanding from James. One of my favourite Bond movies, despite the embarrassing scenes with 'Q'. As for "The Man With the Golden Gun"... Yeah, a classic. There was of course another film from 1973, with Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, and a good guy landing at Christopher Lee's private island in a seaplane. Now that's what I call a movie.

[@matthiasschulz3569]

The movie where the good guy is pretty much the opposite of James Bond when it comes to his attitude towards carnal pleasures?

[@DuncanWEDD2019]

​@@matthiasschulz3569Yes and it's not lost on me that his general attitude wasn't all good. But Lee was the villain again; and for all his urban charm, once again actually really nasty, until the next year, perhaps...

[@madahad9]

I grew up in the 70's so I got to see the majority of the Roger Moore era Bond movies. I would have been 10 when I saw The Man With the Golden Gun at the local last run theatre. So there is a certain nostalgia for these movie, but now I can see why they were not among the favourites of the series. Roger Ebert hated Moore as Bond and couldn't wait until he was replaced. I tend to judge these types of movies on a curve and their sole criteria which everything hangs in the balance is did it entertain me. In the case of The Man With the Golden Gun it was a resounding yes. His later Bond movies are not very good, perhaps the last great one was The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger Moore can very wooden. Sometimes it works in certain circumstances and he is required to be a bit stoic, but his love scenes are very dry and devoid of much passion, but as a kid these were the "yucky" moments and the quicker they were over the better. I've read many of the Bond novels and found them terribly dull, oftentimes seeing only a few elements from the movie that made those so exciting. The writing is just so uninspired and it was a struggle to finish the book. I'm not sure if read Man With.... They all tend to blend together.

[@brenstratters2026]

I first saw this film in a little cinema in Pattaya in 1976. It has been enjoyed several time since. Also I do love Lulus voice, although the song is a little flat in my opinion. Thanks for posting this review and all the best.

[@thelostone6981]

It’s because of this film I learned what ”superfluous” means….a word my ex used on me constantly. Joke aside, in the 80s when I was a young lad, my family lived in a very remote corner of the world and all we had for entertainment were books and VHS tapes. The problem was that the power grid was so shoddily made and run, we were lucky to get 6 straight hours of electricity and never more than 10 hours for the entire day. But we had 2 VCRs and would rent movies, rip them and have them to watch again later. This included almost every Bond film up to Moonraker. I have seen The Man With the Golden Gun dozens of times and I love it! Is it a Skyfall type film? Hell naw! But that’s why it’s great! This was a wonderful break down!

[@PentexProductions]

Who says Bond can't be educational!

[@thisisscorpio6024]

So the MI-6 base in the ship is like Scarmanga's funhouse, too. another parallel.

[@TheMemeguy127]

Really did Goodnight Dirty on the thumbnail lol

[@MagicMaster667]

10:02 - My most wanted crossover comes true! ❤

[@PentexProductions]

You and me both!

[@TagusMan]

Top 10 Bond, no question. Even like the theme song. The song rocks, Lulu rocks and it translates brilliantly into the orchestral soundtrack, which is one of the most memorable. Super fun Bond.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

(EON) Bond #9 is one of my sentimental faves - slide whistle and the _production crew caught on mirror_ (scene with Bond & 'belly dancer' & thugs in Beirut) and other flaws notwithstanding.

[@maldannyosborne5763]

I love this movie, it's definitely in my top 3, and I loved it since I watched it first at 12 years old. I even like the song! My dad had the 50th Anniversary Box set, and I kept rewatching the Connery and Moore Movies, and this was definitely my most watched one (next do YOLT and Dr.No maybe). As a kid it was super exciting and the location was so awesome imo, and now, it just gives me a good holiday and comfort feel. Bond on a smaller scape adventure in a great travel location. Love it.

[@Yubl10]

It's interesting to me that this is considered to be a bad movie because it's my personal favorite classic Bond movie. This was one of the first Bond movies I watched as a kid. I had a vhs box set that I think my dad played a good bit for back in the 90s.

[@TheT3rr0rMask]

Scaramangas one of the greats, and the verbal-battle dinner scene is one of my favorites, feels very Dr. No and has some great dialogue. What Lee said about his portrayal is completely true, the novel's version feeling like a henchman for an unwritten villain.

[@PentexProductions]

I think every good Bond movie needs a verbal battle with the villain as well as a physical one

[@Playernumbernull]

I was first introduced to the Bond movies in very much the same way you were, through VHS recordings my dad had when I was six. My first Bond movie was Moonraker and I have a soft spot for it to this day, along with ranking Roger Moore as my favorite Bond.

[@PentexProductions]

In some ways I still think VHS on a big box TV is Bond in it's purest form!

[@Kordellcabe12]

I watched them in order as an adult and found this one to be my favorite of the Moore era. It’s silly but it has elements that I love and Bond movies are usually a sum of their elements. The villain, the locations, the action, and a Bond girl that is one of my favorites simply because of how different she is.

[@jamesage24]

I've always said The Man with the Golden Gun is wildly underrated.

[@brianmaxim]

The Cubby Broccoli impression took this one to another level 😂

[@PentexProductions]

The Spyhards team did a great job!

[@patrickdoherty4527]

I like the fact that Scaramanga doesn't rely on a massive private army, like the other Bond villains. The finale is just him Vs Bond. Also, he's not really the main villain. They guy he works for "should" be the main antagonist bug Scaramanga kills him and takes over the movie. He's a bit like Charles Dance in Last Action Hero.

[@garyd2978]

One of the first I watched as a child and still one of my favourites. The theme song is also one of my favourites. And Roger, for me, is The Best! 😊

[@leevancleefx]

I only disagree that the theme song is bad. The horn section (like most of Barry's scores) is doing so much work, it's really subtle! And Lulu's consistently off-time interpretation of the lyrics is fun too. Anyway great video, thank you.

[@iandougall7169]

This is my all time favourite Bond film. It was a great mix of slapstick, sleaze, menace and the score is brilliant

[@Poseiden2]

I did a rundown of all the 007 films on my Facebook channel, I think this one came somewhere in the middle. Maybe I also like it because I'm a bit of a 1970s-phile, and this film is the most 70s (and generally the most of its time) of all the movies, with all the chop-socky, glamour girls, chicken guitar, energy crises etc. Personally I love the funhouse setting - it's totally distinctive from anything else in the series and stops Scaramanga just being an 'evil Bond' stereotype, it's an unnerving glimpse into his mindset that differs him - I also agree that it was right to cut the beach scene as it would have damaged the tension in the final showdown. It's very far from the more serious Craig films, though!

[@dangreene3895]

I was 20 years old and stationed in Korea when I saw this movie , and I thought it was great, Bruce Lee and all things martial arts was very popular, the flying car and the car jumping the ditch were great, not to mention Britt Ekland was easy on the eyes, so yeah it holds a fond memory for me.

[@drudge11874]

I don't think "bad"can be used in conjunction with any of the bond films of this era. Die another day is a bad bond film. Whilst we can critique in retrospect the artists behind this were some of the best in the world. John Barry saving the score, more than once in the series and Lee's performance is his best imho. Just try to imagine the series or history without this movie. These chapters develop the characters and the series as a whole. Appreciate this video's sentiment even if the title is misleading. Great video 👍

[@johnn.4407]

I miss the era of FUN Bond movies. This was one of them.

[@RealROI]

One of my top Bond films. 50 years ago!

[@GrandPrixDecals]

The only flaw with ranking is that you can’t make every Roger Moore Bond movie No.1

[@thomasworthy8255]

I don't know why but I'm in the minority that enjoys the Lulu song. It does have very surface level lyrics but the melody and how Lulu sings gets me hyped for the rest of the movie.

[@PentexProductions]

I think it works well for the movie, but can see why it didn't top the charts as one general audiences warmed to (compared to, say Live and Let Die)

[@thomasworthy8255]

@@PentexProductions fair

[@Graystaff]

Come come now Pentax Productions, you take as much pleasure from bad Bond films as I do…

[@PentexProductions]

I admit watching this film is a pleasure.

[@cameralabs]

Great video, thanks! I have a fondness for Golden Gun as it was, you guessed it, one of the first Bond films I saw. For me, a double-bill with Live and Let Die in the late Seventies at my local cinema - so I'd have been about 8. I loved everything about it, including - I'm sorry - they score! But especially the location in Thailand which helped fuel my wanderlust in later life - in fact I finally managed to visit James Bond island this Summer and loved it too! Somewhat smaller than I imagined, but I was grinning throughout!

[@PentexProductions]

Amazing to have seen those in the cinema in the 70s as a kid! Visiting James Bond Island was a dream come true for me, and makes re-watching it all the more special. While in Bangkok I also took the train out to the Ancient City where they filmed the karate school - also fantastic to see that in person!

[@cameralabs]

@@PentexProductions great suggestion, I'll visit that place next time I'm there! The island was amazing though, I had a tear of nostalgia in my eye! That double bill was one of my earliest cinema memories, maybe the first in fact. I remember seeing the spy who loved me at the same cinema shortly afterwards, so I guess that dates it.

[@jpaulc441]

11:56 Imagine being German and finding out your Grandfather was killed by Christopher Lee in WW2...

[@sybrand2]

Oh man, the memory of baked in commerceials on VHS recordings... Those are the reason i refuse my parents to get rid of all VHS tapes they have. And because we have recorded all Bond movies up to License to Kill on VHS. Pure nostalgia!

[@jameskelly7782]

FYI.....Pepper is the epitomy of a 60s-70s Southern Democrat.

[@Tacom4ster]

Great essay, one of your most interesting

[@johnuphill3127]

I agree as I saw this when I was young. It has an iconic villain, lair and henchman and the amazing car stunt. Only on rewatches when older, its flaws became obvious especially the way it treats women. Plus the character of Bond is still not playing fully to Moore's strengths. I still enjoy it though.

[@Ternalin]

I am kinda weird, because I LIKE Die Another Day, I just LOVE the campy atmosphere, the same with this one. It's just so 2000's, reminds me of a simpler time. I preferred crazy bond and I was a kid when Brosnan was Bond so he will always be MY bond. The films got boring when Casino Royale came out imo. You don't get movies like Die Another Day, Moonraker or The Man with the Golden Gun today... everything has to be soooo serious and Bond of Craig's era just turned into Jason Bourne. It was just boring.

[@PentexProductions]

I enjoy that the Bond series has both - the more realistic ones as well as the outrageous! The silly fun ones get better the more you watch them, and especially if you ever have the chance to see them on the big screen with a good crowd.

[@DonovanWert]

Great job!! Thanks brother!! ✨🙏✨

[@michaelchristian5089]

I have read that one of the reasons Harry Saltzman exited the EON partnership was that he thought that casting Roger Moore as 007 was a mistake.

[@petebear8212]

Then he was right. Roger Moore was great in his TV roles but could never carry a film let alone James Bond, after Live and Let Die, which was OK, For Your Eyes Only, was the only other that was worth watching.

[@GrahamDallas]

As a lifelong Bond fan I've always loved this movie, so many great parts. Scaramanga is one of the best villains possibly second only to Hugo Drax. Oh, I even like the music/theme.

[@Lorenzo957080]

For me TMWTGG is one of the worst JB films, but not a terrible one; I like the Bond Girls' physical appereance, the car chase scene and the corkscrew jump, some settings and Lee as the antagonist. As a big 007 fan, I think the worst JB movie by far is Diamonds Are Forever: apart from the Las Vegas chase sequence and Plenty O'Toole, there is nothing good about that film. It's the only JB film that I don't like at all: almost pure manure.

[@PentexProductions]

There are things to like about Diamonds (I find I like it more by thinking of it as a comedy) but it's definitely near the bottom of my ranking.

[@Lorenzo957080]

@@PentexProductions I have to admit that on the contrary I love A view to a kill (it's my third favorite after Goldeneye and LTK) : Moore is too old as 007 (in this case I would have preferred Dalton), but I adore the 80s aesthetic, the Duran Duran song and Walken as the bad guy.

[@Hexon66]

The range of quality in Bond films is so narrow, that it is functionally impossible to definitively define good or bad, much less better or worse. Never great, never putrid. To each their own.

[@FrankLoydWright]

as always, stellar work

[@PentexProductions]

Thanks!

[@krishall2086]

Totally agree - a guilty pleasure - not the first I saw but certainly the first I saw advertised in a cinema, while very young, and therefore it made a massive impression.

[@JelloFluoride]

It's funny that you mentioned the age in which you see this determines how much you like it. I saw it when I was around 10 and it's one of my favorites. Also, Christopher Lee!!

[@TimothyZakaria]

Dr No is my most fascinating film because of the Caribbean and how advanced the scenes were. Released in 62 and I watched it a lot

[@comikdebris]

There's another Bond soundtrack song out there. Another fun fact: you need to check out The Sweet...The Man with the Golden Arm. Roger Moore and Christopher Lee were good friends, and I believe this is the only time they appeared in a movie together.

[@daless3526]

I like the score to Man with the Golden Gun.

[@jcmorehead666]

26:55 I believe the Raiders bit was improved on the day, as Harrison Ford was ill and didn't want to (or maybe couldn't) do the intended fight choreography.

[@danilomiranda9175]

The man with the golden gun and on her majesty’s secret service are the most underrated films

[@barry_t]

Having grown up with Moonraker...I love this era...

[@rickyj5547]

Chris Lee was the best thing about the movie.

[@thesaltnation5570]

I love the man with the golden gun it’s funny it’s has an amazing villain plus henchmen the theme would have been the best if they went with Alice Coopers rendition of the theme Christopher Lee wanted Alice’s theme but the director wanted the Lu Lu version but the track was released on Alice coopers 1974 album muscle of love and I have to say it’s a killer James Bond theme for the movie I recommend checking it out❤

[@ODUBlue]

I’ve always loved this film. JD Pepper slayed me, living in the South and knowing people like him 🤭 I also loved Scaramanga’s weapon and how it broke down into a lighter, pen, cigarette case & cufflink. I don’t know why that was so cool to me, but it still is. Plus I loved that Sir Christopher was Ian Fleming’s (step)cousin. That made the casting feel even more appropriate to me.

[@archivesofarda986]

It also has THE best car stunt in any James Bond in history ......yes the one with the weird circus sound effect