Rating: 
Summary: The Best Of The Bonds
Review: What a great film! Okay, so it lacks the action of some of the earlier and later ones, but the dialogue is superb, and Christopher Lee's Scaramanga is easily the best Bond villain. The story can be a little weak in places, and difficult to keep track of, but if you're paying attention that shouldn't be a problem. I also love the title track (though a lot of people hate it!) and Roger Moore's ironic Bond credits the film and fits in with this lighter entry in the Bond series. Thankfully not as serious as For Your Eyes Only, or OHMSS, though it does have its tension (the scene where Scaramanga is on a rooftop and has a clear shot at Bond is almost unbearable!) All round excellence, though perhaps not as Bondian as some of the earlier entries.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay, it wasn't that bad...
Review: But then, I didn't hate "Moonraker" or "Live and Let Die" that much either. While not up to the best of bond "Golden Gun" is a lot of fun. In this outer, it's Bond who's on the receiving end of somebody else's license to kill when he learns that a globe-hopping hit man has set his sights on 007. Titular Man with the Golden Gun, Francisco Scaramanga, needs only one shot to take out any target. Nobody knows what he looks like (somehow his fingerprints are on file with the CIA) or much else besides the fact that his bullets are made of gold (perhaps he got his start with Gert Frobbe of "Goldfinger") and that he charges a million bucks a shot (hey, Dr. Evil can afford this guy!!). Pulled from his case to find a missing solar energy scientist ("Golden Gun" debuted in '74 during the oil crisis), Bond scours the world for clues - from Beirut to Hong Kong.People seem to hate this movie for its cheap laughs and cheesy story. But "Golden Gun" actually excels - how many decent Bond parodies have you ever seen? The love interests are lame, but the villain is superb. Christopher Lee is cheerily homicidal, and, at a million dollars a shot, he raises an obvious question: can you afford to get killed in a Bond flick? (After Lee, the producers should've gotten other Hammer Studios mainstays - Peter Cushing would have made a great Hugo Drax) Scaramanga's digs, in a lush island hideaway inside red chinese waters (he pays rent in the form of services), with it's verdant forests and hanging megaliths, are positively surreal. As Nick-Nack, Scaramanga's homicidal sidekick, herve Villechaize is as happily psychotic as his boss (he's loyal but, being Scaramanga's only heir, always tries putting contracts on Scaramanga's life). The film's broad humor kills a lot of the suspense, but moves too quickly for you to realize (until the ending credits and that horrible song) how nonsensical it was. Most of the time, you'll laugh your head off (watch it with friends). My favorite bit was Bond trying to recover a bullet used to kill a fellow 00-agent - now the lucky charm of one a Beirut dancer. Also, look closely to spot Roger Moore as a robot cowboy in Scaramanga's shooting gallery-fun house.
Rating:
Summary: Good job Roger Moore
Review: I really enjoyed The Man With The Golden Gun.It has a great villain named Scaramanga.(the title charactor)It features very blond(and very beautiful!) Bond girl Mary Goodnight,who assists Bond,and a beautiful woman named Andrea Anders,who is Scaramanga's mistress and eventually betrays him.It also features a midget named Nick Nack who is Scaramanga's servant.(I don't like to call him a henchman,he just doesn't seem large enough!)The theme song,sung by Lulu is very catchy.Overall it's a very good Roger Moore Bond film,just not his best.(my personal favorite of Moore's is The Spy Who Loved Me)Anyway,how can a person not like a movie that has a flying AMC Matador!
Rating: 
Summary: Time Heals Old Wounds
Review: When I first saw "The Man with the Golden Gun" on its release I had mixed reactions about it. "Live and Let Die" had been such a departure from the James Bond we had been used to seeing, it was good to see some of the old elements return to this film. The character of James Bond had been revamped in "Live and Let Die" in an attempt, I suppose, to dissociate Roger Moore's interpretation of Bond from that of Sean Connery's. In "Live and Let Die" gone were the "Martinis shaken not stirred," the Dom Perigone, Bond's virility, worldliness and sardonic wit. Even his wardrobe was over-the-top. In "Live and Let Die" gone also was John Barry's score, Desmond Lewelin as Q, M's briefing at "Universal Exports" headquarters, the gambling casinos, engagingly futuristic and lavish sets, the sensuous and worldly bevy of Bond women. "The Man with the Golden Gun" opens with Maurice Binder's gun barrel trademark, accompanied with the "James Bond Theme" this time played on strings, instead of guitar. That was a real innovation by John Barry, which he continued to use for Roger Moore. It was clearly evident Barry was back. The first camera shot is of a surrealistically exotic locale on a beach where a beautiful girl towels down a tall ark man emerging from the water. The man is Scaramanga, the Man with the Golden Gun. John Barry's familiar background music accentuates the Epicurean surroundings and the film immediately looks like it has returned to more familiar Bondian territory. As the film unfolded many of the aforementioned elements missing from "Live and Let Die" returned. There also seemed to be a more substantial plot as it initially unfolded. However, there were still undesirable elements that crept into the film as it progressed. Britt Ekland seemed like she would have been a natural throwback to the sex symbols of the 60s akin to previous Bond Girls such as Ursula Andress, but her vaudevillian interpretation of Mary Goodnight was a fatal flaw. Another flaw was the return of Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Their performances were distractions from the main plot hindering the continuity of the story line. The film flounders in the middle until it gets back on track when Bond finally travels to Scaramanga's island for a face to face confrontation. The film follows the Bond formula here. The villain gloats as he gives Bond a tour of his lair and technical wizardry he has acquired. They dine over some dialogue on the merits of good vs. evil and in the end come to the final showdown. I'll admit that I always had a soft spot for this film ever since I first saw it. It returned many familiar elements absent from "Live and Let Die." For instance, we see Bond return to the gambling tables via the Casino de Macao. Many fans greeted the return of these elements in a positive response. Other fans still recognized the questionable elements that were still present in "The Man with the Golden Gun" and found these deplorable and responded accordingly. To older Bond fans the return of Sheriff J.W. Pepper wasn't exactly a welcome sight. An often-overlooked asset to this film is Maud Adams' performance as Andrea, Scaramanga's beautiful mistress. She brings genuine compassion to the role as the tormented individual who can not escape her master. Only before each killing does Scaramanga exploit her sexually in ritualistic foreplay to increase his aim on the unfortunate individual he has been contracted for. In one scene Scaramanga cruelly rubs the golden barrel of his pistol against her lips in a symbolically phallic gesture in a moment of triumph after a successful killing. You can see the pain on Andrea's face and you feel empathy for her. Even though she appears here in the prerequisite sacrificial lamb role, she stands out as one of the best Bond girls of the series. Lee's performance as the enigmatic Scaramanga was refreshingly energetic. He gave the assassin an amiable quality on the surface hiding a darker side beneath the skin. Roger Moore's performance was an improvement over his first interpretation of Bond as a foppish and silly dandy. Moore appeared to give Bond a tougher edge in this one even though the script attempted to undo him. Given Roger Moore's previous performance and his meager screen accomplishments as Bond at that point in the series, the "duel between titans" it was not. Some of the cinematography was very good. Bond's solo flight through the uprooted rock formations near Phuket, Thailand to Scaramanga's island was impressive. In the pre-title sequence there is an excellent camera shot that follows gangster Hood and Nick Nack through an anteroom. As they enter the parlor the camera continues to dolly forward while the lens zooms back giving the viewer an impression of the expanse and opulence of Scaramanga's domicile, a melding of the man-made with nature's volcanic rock. Production designer Peter Murton's work on this film has always been underrated. Scaramanga's posh living quarters overlooking his grotto rivaled earlier set designs by Ken Adam. Also very impressive were extraordinary miniatures by Derek Meddings. One bit of innovation combing location filming, miniatures and set design was the use of the half-submerged Queen Elizabeth, its hull at a 30-degree angle, scorched and rusted at rest in Hong Kong harbor. Hidden in the bowels of the sunken ship is the headquarters for the Hong Kong station of the British Secret Service. "It's the only place in Hong Kong where you can't be bugged" says a naval officer to Bond. John Barry's scoring gave the film his much-needed familiar sound. Even though it was apparently much loftier, it was still very welcome. If this were to be the last film in the series it would have been a sad final testament. Luckily greater things were yet to come. One is able to look back and just enjoy it on the beautiful DVD.
Rating:
Summary: Good movie, but...
Review: This was one of Roger Moore's better attempts at being Bond. I had the same problem as Jeff however in that at the begining of the car chase, the movie dissolved into a bunch of little boxes and did not clear up. I tried to email MGM and see what was wrong but I never got a response. I'll keep the DVD for the good extras but for those of you with RCA players, take my advice avoid this DVD with a passion unless you like watching only the extras!!!
Rating:
Summary: Re: ...Doesn't work with all computer DVD players
Review: I wish I could give a thorough review of this film, because the first two thirds of it are as tremendously entertaining as any of the other 18 Bond movies! But contrary to the review which states that this DVD does not work on just some computer DVD players, I feel it necessary to let the world know that the final third of this DVD does not play, period. When the first copy I bought was totally scrambled and unwatchable after the first two thirds, I sent it back for a replacement, which had exactly the same problem at exactly the same spot. This is a serious manufacturing defect in what I can only assume is every copy that has been produced, and my repeated inquiries to MGM's DVD department concerning this problem have been thoroughly ignored and completely unanswered. Just be warned about what you're getting into if you plan to buy this otherwise excellent movie on DVD. I am hoping that this review will damage sales enough to pressure MGM into facing this gargantuan defect and replacing all the scrambled copies that currently reside uselessly in the consumers' hands.
Rating:
Summary: Great movie, but doesn't work with all computer DVD players
Review: The Man With the Golden Gun is one of the best 007 films ever made. It has the the elements that make any bond film great: women, guns, and gold. Of all the bond films, this one is my second favorite one (thunderball being the best). The only problem with the DVD is that it does not work past scene 21 with some computer DVD players (It works perfectly with the ones you hook up to a TV). I have tried it on several computers using several different programs and different copies of the DVD (rented and owned by me and my friends). The software titles I can remember were PC friendly, Creative PC DVD encore, and ATI DVD player; the drives were all creative drives that were at least 2x with Drx 2 or 3; the decoder cards were all ATI cards on the ATI all-in-wonder rage pro.
Rating: 
Summary: Golden Dud
Review: The DVD version - or least the two seperate copies that I have come across - have some sort of encryption error from the middle of Scene 21 onwards to the end (right where Bond drives through the car dealership's showroom window in the AMC Hornet). The video on the DVD appears blank black and the the audio track is severely clipped. I do not know if this applies to all copies made, but it certain does to the both that I have tried to view. I have tried to contact MGM as well to no avail to see if they can replace these badly-pressed DVDs. An awful Bond movie made worse by the fact that I cannot actually watch it... you have been warned! ADDED LATER - MGM eventually issued replacement copies if you contacted them through their website.
Rating:
Summary: Extras better than the actual movie
Review: I'm a bond fan and love watching the adventures of everyones favorite British secret agent, yet this Bond movie (along with the later Moonraker) surely ranks as the absolute worst of the entire series. This only being his second Bond movie Roger Moore had yet to settle into the Bond character, and it really shows, the production design is well, unconvincing and the plot has holes big enough to float shipliners through. Especially annoying here is the sidekick Nick Nack, with his squeeky voice you almost expect him to jump into cries of "The plane, the plane"! Good points on this DVD os the extras with a great behind-the-scenes documentary and a quite engaging audio commentary, the animated menu screens are also great fun to navigate through. Pluses in the actual movie include a nice performance by two time Bond girl Maud Adams and a nice turn by Christopher Lee as Scaramanga. I recommend purchasing this DVD, but not for the movie, for the extras.
Rating:
Summary: MWGG ...BEST BOND EVER
Review: "The Man With the Golden Gun" has always been my favorite James Bond movie. It has a great cast, great special effects, a good John Barry score and it does not take itself too serious.It brought "Q" back to the series after being absent from "Live and Let Die" and re-established him as a major team member. Sheriff Pepper was the greatest character ever to appear in a Bond film. Why do so many people think this is bad film? The DVD is really nice looking. One problem was with the sound on the Making of MWGG, it did not play correctly through my surround speakers. It sounded really strange. Another thing too is the way they lock the DVD disc in the case. I almost broke several of the Bond DVDs trying to get them out. On one of them I put a really bad scratch in the disc becouse I could not unlock it from the case. I went back to the mall and demanded my money back (on "Moonraker"). Can somebody please tell me how to get the disc out of the case. I also had a real hard time with "The World Is Not Enough".
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