Bow To Your Saviour, Roger Moore!

It's kind of become trendy and the norm to mock Roger Moore Bond films; they don't take themselves too seriously, they embrace the fantastical side of cinematic Bond and a good portion of them aren't the best example of blockbuster cinema. As such, I haven't watched many pre-80's 007 films recently with the exception of the under-rated On Her Majesties Secret Service.

But then it happened. I just sort of accidentally came across Moonraker in High Def and was compelled to watch, despite its reputation for being both dull AND ludicrous in one big, daft package.

And I bloody loved it. Yes the gags are childish. Of course the action is lacking excitement. I have no defence for the terrible rear-screen projection that completely takes you out of the movie, I agree that Richard Kiel's henchman is a joke and the new cast (Michael Lonsdale, Lois Chiles, Corinne Clery) make coma victims look lively. Shirley Bassey supplies a great Bond Theme, John Barry a classic, classy Bond score, the locations (Brazil, Venice, Outer Space) are fully exploited, the model work largely impressive and the girls are hot (Corinne Clery can't act to save her life but, by God, she's sexy).

Best of all is Rog. Holding the whole dopey package together with a deft balance of charming leading man and eye raising irreverence, Roger Moore deservedly defined cinema's longest running franchise for 12 years in 7 adventures. Yes, he got too long in the tooth in the 80's and yes, his approach to Bond isn't what fans of Fleming's book wanted. But he consistently maintained a commendable aspect of Bond that even Timothy Dalton (Licence To Kill), Pierce Brosnan (The World Is Not Enough) and Daniel Craig (Quantum Of Solace) sometimes failed to do. He was fun.

Gotta get me some Octopussy now!