‘Moonraker’ Review: Moore’s Great as 007, but the Film Loses Something as it Heads to Space

Before I watched “Moonraker,” I never realized that Arnold and the film “Eraser” ripped off that daring parachute scene. Granted, Arnold’s is more exciting—with more engaging cinematography—but Roger Moore did it first. It was also during my viewing of “Moonraker” I realized that Moore plays a very good Bond. He’s more physically filled out than Sean Connery, which makes the fight scenes more believable, and he’s far cheekier. He plays to the spy’s British wit devilishly, and the script by Christopher Wood also makes him educated in a nuanced way. None of the other Bond films I’ve watched showed the man savvy in science or world politics, and it makes for a more believable spy. The film is imperfect, though, as expected from a 1979 production compared to modernity. Yet it holds its own until its space action finale, which unfortunately destroys a lot of the film’s credibility. 

What works about “Moonraker”—as with most of the early Bond films before Dalton took the reins—was the focus on sleuthing as opposed to all-out action. Bond is debonair and uses his charm to his benefit. Here, M (Bernard Lee) sends him to investigate the disappearance of a missing space shuttle belonging to the billionaire Drax (Michael Lonsdale), and it’s clear from the start that Drax is himself involved. Bond starts exploring, first meeting the lovely Corrine (Corinne Cléry) and then the scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead (really?), played with good sport by Lois Chiles. The typical Bond chauvinism aside, in short time one of Drax’s minions (Toshirô Suga) tries to kill him, and he’s pretty sure he’s stumbled upon something bigger. 

Moore is a Fun, Cheeky Bond

One of the main issues with “Moonraker” is it’s too long at 2 hours and 6 mins. Its slow pace makes it feel like 2 and a half. Part of this is due to the slogging pace as Bond attempts to uncover Drax’s plan, and part has to do with time period. Most of the action involves men in suits trading blows with each other, and the lighting and cinematography by Jean Tournier is so steady and even it doesn’t do much to raise the intrigue. This is a product of the times, an epoch where men wore suits and acted politely. The idea of them engaging in fist fights while wearing them was absurd. However, one sequence—as Bond motors a boat through Brazil’s Amazon—is high action comedy. Bond utilizes mines, torpedoes, and more to evade the enemy. And as bodies literally fall from the sky after a boat explosion, you can “Moonraker” is trying to have fun and use its $34M budget well. 

The other issue with the film is its chief villain, Drax (*spoilers ahead*) is not very believable as one. Lonsdale plays him flatly, with little-to-no direction, wearing long, conservative suits with arms crossed and buttoned collars, almost resembling a monk. He plans to utilize a grand space station (hidden from satellite reads, of course) to exterminate Earth’s humans and replace them with “perfect” specimens. The inspiration of eugenics and the Nazi Holocaust aside, the most unbelievable thing is the monotone way Drax narrates his plan. I honestly almost missed his grand scheme it was so drably recited, and Drax doesn’t seem to have any real motivation or stake in it at all. It was a 180 degree turn from “Goldfinger,” where the villain’s plan—as absurd as it was—seemed to have inspiration.

Jet-Setting as Usual

“Moonraker” certainly has its share of jet setting, as the film moves from Florida, to Brazil, and more, and one of its more exhilarating scenes takes place atop a mountain gondola. It’s here we meet “Jaws,” a monstrous villain who has metal for teeth, played greatly by actor Richard Kiel. As Bond and Goodhead watch in horror as he comes after them, Moore delivers the best line of the movie when she asks if he knows him: “Not socially. His name is Jaws. He kills people.” Director Gilbert and Moore’s dedication to keeping Bond the consummate gentleman in this film is what makes up a lot of the movie’s humor. 

Kiel is also a lot of fun to watch—though he never talks—and I found it amusing the filmmakers even sought to have him meet a woman who isn’t afraid of him (Blanche Ravalec), who would become his girlfriend. It’s also progressive that Gilbert and writer Wood use logic towards the end to have Bond convince Jaws to come to his aid. Without being obvious, Ravelec’s big smile full of braces—and Bond’s entreaty to Jaws to stand against a man who seeks to wipe out imperfect people that look like him—make stronger points toward acceptance and tolerance than it might have intended. 

‘Moonraker’s Third Act is a Bit Comical

Regrettably, to me the film falls apart at the end aboard Drax’s spaceship in a sequence that culminates in a full on laser battle, complete with astronauts and jet packs, looking like something George Lucas cooked up. I’m unsure why the film took this direction, if not to follow in “Star Wars’” footsteps, assuming people were keenly asking for more space operas. However, the film did earn a Saturn Award nomination for “Best Science Fiction Film,” so maybe many felt it worked. To me, it takes us out of the Bond experience and seems comical. It’s no fault of Moore, Kiel, or even Lonsdale, but a script that’s more ambitious than it needed to be. By the time the film ends, and Bond saves the day, it’s hard to remember how we got there. Although when Drax finally gets his comeuppance, it is quite hysterical to watch. 

All-in-all, “Moonraker” is a modestly fun Bond film, even if it loses itself in the end. Moore is great as 007, and I look forward to seeing more of him as I continue through ‘Project Bond’ this coming year. Apart from Lonsdale, the ancillary players (especially Chiles and Kiel) do well here, and the film includes some thrilling chase sequences that were ahead of its time. The picture offers social commentary that seemed more forward thinking than Bond films had up to that point, and alongside Moore’s British cheekiness it fits right into the franchise. Only eleven films in, “Moonraker” has much to offer as long as you can overlook its sillier bits. Ultimately, it’s a fine Bond film that’s not likely to upset many fans of the franchise.