 | | | 
James McMahon --
Moore at 58 looks older and that alone is sufficient to render him unbelievable as James Bond. After a rousing start the film settles into a bland monotone. Stacy Sutton is without a doubt the most boring female in the entire series. Despite intriguing hints at genetic enhancement, Christopher Walken's character Zorin is wasted in a role that never fulfils its promise. And HEY, they killed John Steed! Bastards! On the plus side, Grace Jones as May Day (good name) is perfect as a hench-person for a Bond film. Best of all, this film includes the fabulous Jenny Flex (Allison Doody), my second favorite Bond girl. The film doesn t even have the cinematic gloss and polish of a James Bond film. It looks as dull as a Roger Moore quip. Only the 1967 Casino Royale, an inept, unfunny, James Bond spoof, keeps this from being the nadir of 007 on film.
Robert Cotton --
Moore's final Bond. At least one film too late. One last attempt to remake Goldfinger, but this time let's leave out pacing, characterization, tension, in short anything that made Goldfinger work. Moore's stunt double has more screen time than he does. Walken's in a completely different universe, and it appears to be much more interesting than this one.
Bizarre.
Paul Baack --
If I struggled to come up with something positive to say about the series' second-worst entry, Moonraker, then I'm at almost a complete loss for words regarding its nadir, AVTAK. Much like in Octopussy, the filmmakers work hard to keep the now 58-year-old Roger Moore off the screen as much as possible, and then have his character, James Bond 007, played by one of his eight stand-ins and stunt doubles in as many long shots as they could get away with. A sad sendoff for the gallant Mr. Moore, and the total waste of a (modified) Ian Fleming title.
|
Bill Koenig --
I like this better than most. There are a couple of tense scenes between Bond and Christopher Walken's Zorin (after Patrick Macnee has turned up dead and after Zorin kills a man in cold blood in front of Bond). Still, Moore is clearly too old (though he looks lighter than he did in Octopussy) to carry off most of the action scenes. And, yes, the Beach Boys number in the pre-credits scene makes me groan, ruining what had been a very effective sequence.
Ed Werner --
This movie plain and simple, sucks! It should never have been made. Roger Moore's Bond looks
like he's ready for the geriatric ward. Tanya Roberts practically screams through the entire
second half of the movie (which is just as well as she can't act her way out of a paper bag here).
Christopher Walken who can really play a fantastic creep, is once again totally wasted on a
banal character. Grace Jones is a walking freak show and Patrick Macnee should never have
lowered himself to this level.
Michael Reed --
A retelling of Goldfinger, I know it isn't loved by many but Moore actually gives a pretty good performance in his swan song. A nice villain in Walken. Granted, it seemed bland at the time but deserves better reviews then it gets.
Tom Zielinski --
Easily the worst film of the series. Roger Moore´s age is past the point of distraction. He should have retired four years earlier. Christopher Walken, one of the great American actors, is unforgivably wasted in this debacle, though he admirably does what he can. Same can be said of Patrick Macnee. The plotline is a rehash of Goldfinger, but instead of adult and sophisticated, this is sophomoric and juvenile. Grace Jones is somewhat interesting I guess, but Tanya Roberts, while undeniably beautiful, is the worst Bond Girl casting of the entire series.
A fine John Barry score and Duran Duran´s strong title song are all that really can be recommended.
|
