Moonraker Is Out Of This World

Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel, Corinne Cléry, Emily Bolton, Toshiro Suga, Irka Bochenko, Geoffrey Keen, Lois Maxwell, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn

DML Rating: ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ - good

"At least I shall have the pleasure of putting you out of my misery, Mr. Bond." – Hugo Drax

Why watch this? Bond travels to space and is oh so Bondish.

Plot Summary: James Bond investigates the mysterious disappearance of a space shuttle, leading him to uncover a plot orchestrated by the industrialist Hugo Drax. Bond teams up with CIA agent and astronaut Dr. Holly Goodhead to thwart Drax's plan, which involves eradicating humanity and repopulating Earth from a hidden space station.

Dad's Preview: As Bond films are wont to do, and thanks in no small part to the Star Wars craze, our intrepid secret agent is tasked with finding the missing space shuttle, and, per usual, thwart an evil plan. This box office hit received mixed critical reviews, half lauding the adventure for its elaborate sets, locations and special effects, and half panning its hokey, silly, overstuffed plot. Roger Moore was a deserving Bond, but I must agree that the over-the-top stunts, most of them completely impossible in the real world, detract from the story. And that is the issue - the film is more about its own spectacle than being a great spy film. Some will love that. I simply tolerate it.

Eon Productions, Les Productions Artistes Associés; United Artists