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Live and Let Die

Live and Let Die

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Superb Bond Film
Review: Live and Let Die, the first appearence from Roger Moore as James Bond, is easily one of the top three James Bond films ever made. Moore does an excellent job with 007 as he goes up against Mr. Big, aka Kananga, who is plotting to give away free heroine, drive the mafia out of business, increase addicts, and thus take over the drug world. With my favorite Bond girl Solitaire, played by the gorgeous Jane Seymour, Live and Let Die has more humor than most Bonds, great action, intriguing plot, and a superb boat chase through the Louisiana bayous. LALD also has two great henchmen in Tee Hee and Baron Samedi. The opening song by Paul McCartney is the greatest opening song and Roger Moore delivers a more than convincing performance, making Live and Let Die a must have for any viewer.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: The worst Bond film
Review: Live and Let Die is the most lousy James Bond movie ever made. Roger Moore is so cheesy and stupid!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Roger Moore Sheds His Halo To Star In "Live and Let Die"
Review: "Live and Let Die", released in 1973, is the eighth entry in the James Bond series produced by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. It is also the debut of Roger Moore as the British secret agent, a role he would play of total of seven times, more that any other actor.

Sean Connery was originally slated to reprise his starring role but no amount of money could tempt him to sign on. The producers turned to an actor they had originally wanted to play Bond back in 1962, Roger Moore. At that time, Moore had to turn down the role because he was committed to play Simon Templar in the successful television series "The Saint". But by time "Live and Let Die" was ready to go into production, Moore was available to take on the role. Guy Hamilton did return to direct his third Bond film and "Live and Let Die" does have a feel similar to "Diamonds are Forever". Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell reprised their roles as "M" and Miss Moneypenny but Desmond Llewelyn is notable for his absence, the only time "Q" has not appeared in a Bond film. Also missing, this time permanently, is the evil organization SPECTRE and its leader Blofeld. Except for one uncredited cameo, Blofeld never again appears in a Bond film.

In this outing, James Bond is investigating a series of murders targeting British intelligence. The one common thread appears to be the prime minister of the island nation of San Monique, Doctor Kananga, who is currently residing at his consulate in New York City. The CIA already has a team led by Bond's opposite number Felix Leiter keeping tabs on Kananga. Bond follows Kananga to Harlem where he meets another ruthless character named "Mr Big", the boss of bosses in the black underworld. Bond also meets a mysterious young woman named Solitaire who seems to be able to predict the future by using tarot cards. Somehow, these two men are connected to each other and Bond must go to San Monique where he must penetrate a world of voodoo and discover the secret which has killed all others who tried.

"Live and Let Die" was shot on location in New York City, Jamaica and around New Orleans. It was the first Bond film (and the last) where African-American actors played many of the prominent roles. Yaphet Kotto plays Doctor Kananga with the sauve, menacing manner usually associated with Bond (some have called Kananga, rather than the assasin Scaramanga the anti-Bond). Solitaire is played by Jane Seymour, who portrays her in a detached, wistful manner. Bond participates in his first interracial love scene with the lovely CIA agent Rosie Carver(played by Gloria Hendry). Kananga's henchman TeeHee is well played by Julius W. Harris and Clifton James provides the comedy relief by playing Sheriff J. W. Pepper up as the reddest redneck one could ever hope to meet. Finally, Felix Leiter is played by his fifth different actor, David Hedison, who would later become the only actor to play the CIA agent twice.

Despite all the promising elements, "Live and Let Die" comes off as a pale shadow of Bond films past. Unlike his excellent portrayal of the Saint, whose character was similar to that of Bond, Roger Moore comes off as very stiff and formal, earning him the nickname as the "wooden Bond". However, the dry wit that is characteristic of the Moore Bond is much in evidence in this film. The female characters seemed to have regress from the strong minded women in the earlier Bonds. Even CIA agent Rosie Carver is played as hopelessly inept. Another problem is the growing tendency to play James Bond up for laughs, continuing a trend started in "Diamonds Are Forever". James Bond and his world are becoming a caricature of its sixties self. That kind of formula works better with Bond facing a major foe rather than a small time one. It is ironic that the story of "Live and Let Die" might have worked might have worked better if it had been made in the 1960's. In 1973, James Bond almost seems wasted here since the moviegoing public expects him to save the world or at least some of part of it.

If the sum is less than satifactory, "Live and Let Die" certainly has some good parts. The action scenes are first rate, particularly the boat chase and the plane chase. The fight scene on the train between Bond and TeeHee is reminiscent of the one from "From Russia With Love". Geoffrey Holder's portrayal of Baron Samedi is downright eerie, it is a shame that this fasinating character could not have had a more prominent role in the script. Perhaps the best element of all was the lack of references to earlier Bond adventures in order to establish Roger Moore as the new Bond. Moore is Bond, period.

Despite it all, "Live and Let Die" did well enough at the box office to permanently associate Roger Moore with Bond. Moore would in time make some of the best Bond movies of all time.

The special edition DVD contains the best print and sound track of "Live and Let Die" this reviewer has seen. The movie is shown in the widescreen format although it was not shot with the very wide Panavision camera like many earlier Bond films. Typical of the special editions, there are two audio commentary tracks and the documentary material as well as trailers, advertisements, and still photos. If one was just starting out their Bond collection, one might start with "The Spy Who Loved Me", "For Your Eyes Only" or "Octopussy" to see Roger Moore at his best. However if one has to have a copy of "Live and Let Die", the special edition DVD is the one to have.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Great title song...
Review: a funny bond film - but not for all the right reasons. coming out right smack in the blaxploitation phase the film must have felt contemporary at it's debut, but now comes across as dated and a bit racist. (note to self, just how old is yaphet kotto - he still looks the same!)

the acting - particularly by secondary characters - is laughable even by bond standards. jane seymour is stunningly beautiful in her debut - who would have thought the dr. quinn medicine woman would be in her future. geoffrey holder is, well, he's himself - and that's quite enough.

the theme song still ranks up there as one of the best. even the lounge act version in the first third of the film. i think the film had a world record - for the boat in the air scene - and is one of the only ones to show the inside of bond's apartment. it's funny, looking backwards, at a time when a capuccino machine was considered frivilous. how times do change...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Totally Underated
Review: This 007 film is totally underated. Agreeably Jane Seymore who plays Solitare portrays the role in a less than award winning fashion. Yet Roger Moore portrays his part well, even though it may not be in the traditional 007 way. The 70's transpire Bond into a differently styled action man. Humour alone, at times possibly cheesy transforms the suave Mr Bond into a more Charming character. Being Roger Moore's first film, then in his more dashing day, sets his role as James Bond well with more to come.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Live and let die DVD special edition
Review: The first Bond adventure to star Roger Moore. If you like Roger Moore as James Bond then this film provides good entertainment. If you don't like Moore then the excellent boat chase will win you over.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: roger moore's best!
Review: live and let die was roger moore's first bond and it was his best. the action never lets up for a minute! if your gonna buy a bond film, buy this one!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: people mis-judge this movie
Review: ok...live and let die wuz one of my favorite bond movies because it had a plot that really could happen in real life,people think this movie is bad cuz it's not in exotic locations to much in the film,lemme ask u,DUZ BOND HAVE TO BE IN EXOTIC LOCATIONS FOR IT TO BE A GOOD MOVIE? NO! i think ms. solitaire wuz the best bond girl in the series,the movie had memorable scenes and vlians,such as the loisiana bayou speed boat chase scene,baron samedi and tee-hee made good hench-man and didn't get boring,the fact that dr. kananga wuz also mr. big wuz also interesting. the good thing about the film wuz it had a very good plot,cum on,u know that if u put free heroin on the market it would just ruin other seller's and would boost the number of user'.the theme song also went well with the movie and i'm glad to see it got nominations for best song back then

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome! Cool! One word, Bond, James Bond.
Review: Live and Let Die is not like the normal Bond movie, it has it's kind a different and it's Roger Moore first movie as James Bond.

I give it five stars because since I saw "Live and Let Die" the first time I like it. The funniest person is, of course, Sheriff J.W. Pepper (also appeared in The Man with the Golden Gun).

Live and Let Die is a movie that every James Bond fanatic will like, at least I think so because you, yes you, the reader may have a different opinion.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: This is Moore's best and the best of the series. don't miss it!


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