Thursday, January 28, 2010

BD impressions: Live and Let Die

12:45 PM / BD Impressions / Comments17 Comments

BD Impressions
Blu-ray

Live and Let Die: in which James Bond discovers that every single black person in the world really is out to get him, and that they're all secretly communicating with each other by radio, tracking the whereabouts of this "honky" (as they like to call him) as he traipses from Harlem to New Orleans to the Caribbean, threatening to put an end to their murderous, heroin-dealing ways. And yes, it does include the line "Get me a make on a white pimpmobile!"

What follows is a dully plotted, convoluted and (yes, you guessed it) far too long romp which sees Roger Moore, in his first outing as Commander Bond, doing his best to immitate Sean Connery without actually being Sean Connery. My dislike of Moore in the role is no secret (Connery, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig are my top three, though I'm never quite sure in what order), but he's far from the worst thing about this film. (That would be Gloria Hendry. Good grief!) In fact, I'm rather inclined to go easy on him, given that, despite this being his first Bond film, he at no point comes across as an imposter. His banter with M and Moneypenny is spot on, and it's fairly clear that, here at least, he's playing the same character embodied so successfully by Connery. If memory serves me correctly, he would make the character more his own later, much to the series' detriment. Unfortunately, the puerile humour that would in many ways come to define his tenure as the character (whether fairly or not) has already begun to creep in at this stage, exemplified in a tortuously drawn-out boat chase sequence featuring a loud-mouthed local sheriff, who doesn't seem to have got the memo telling him he's supposed to be in a spy movie rather than a broad comedy.

Of all the Bonds I've seen of late, this is by far my least favourite. It's not without its merits - the uncanny atmosphere, particularly apparent in the first half, is pleasingly sinister and unlike anything in the rest of the series, and if Jane Seymour isn't the best Bond girl of all time she's at least easy on the eyes and far less annoying than the aforementioned Gloria Hendry - but it drags like nothing on earth, and for a film in which Bond has a near-death experience with alligators and screws a clairvoyant virgin, thereby robbing her of her fortune-telling powers (don't ask me how that works), is surprisingly forgettable.

PS. I noticed that the actor playing Felix Leiter in this film is the same one who'd go on to portray him in Licence to Kill - a nice bit of continuity for a character who has been recast more times than Bond himself.

PPS. Interesting note about Moore: he is largely considered to have stuck with the role well past his prime. Conversely, I think he looks too young in this film.

Image quality: Discounting Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, this is probably the best-looking of the Bond BDs that I've seen so far. The usual problems with these Lowry restorations are present, namely the at times unnatural grain that warps and freezes around areas of movement, but on the whole I was happy with this presentation. There's some terrific detail (see Example 8 and Example 12) and, barring a few of the darker scenes, the wonky-looking dynamic range that plagued Thunderball is absent here. 8/10

Live and Let Die
studio: 20th Century Fox/MGM; country: UK; region code: ABC; codec: AVC;
file size: 33.1 GB; average bit rate (including audio): 39.05 Mbit/sec

Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die Live and Let Die

For those keeping track, here are my Bond ratings so far:

  • Dr. No - 7/10
  • From Russia with Love - 8/10
  • Goldfinger - 8/10
  • Thunderball - 6/10
  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service- 7/10
  • Live and Let Die - 4/10

For Your Eyes Only is up next. Oddly enough I don't feel any great urge to rent the BDs of The Man with the Golden Gun and Moonraker, although I'm sure I'll come back to them eventually.

 
17 Comments

1. Brian said:

Agree with you 100% regarding this film. Even the worst Connery is better than any of the Moore films, simply because it's Connery. Oh, and if you hated that sheriff in Live and Let Die, don't whatever you do, watch Man with the Golden Gun, where he reappears in a cameo during another tedious boat chase, this time through bangkok. Obviously he was brought back as a 'crowd pleaser', although exactly which crowd would be pleased watching a fat sweaty git spouting racial slurs at the locals every 5 seconds I have no idea.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 2:26 PM)

2. MCP said:

Well, at least it has that McCartney's fine song, ranking among the best in Bond openings.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8:21 PM)

3. Author Profile Page Michael said:

Brian:

Oh God, they brought him back? What were they thinking?

I watched the making-of featurette on the BD yesterday evening, and they had the actor on saying you don't often get to work with dialogue of that quality, or something like that. I hope he wasn't being serious. He couldn't have been serious... I think.


MCP:

I wasn't too crazy about the song, but the visuals were certainly striking. Unfortunately, they promised an uncanniness that the film itself simply couldn't deliver.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 8:26 PM)

4. Marcus said:

Brian: "Even the worst Connery is better than any of the Moore films, simply because it's Connery."

I'm sorry but IMO that's a ridiculously narrow minded view and unfortunately a popular once (just read all the positive reviews of Never Say Never Again when it came out... it was a good movie "just because it was Connery"). I am not saying Moore was better, but I would much rather watch his best efforts than the last two Bond films (if we even consider the 1983 outing a Bond film) Connery did any day.

Michael: I agree with most of the flaws you pointed out about the film but 4/10 is a bit too low in my book. It hurts that you had to watch this after OHMSS, given that of all things I still think this is a small improvement over Diamonds Are Forever. And without a doubt it's better than The Man With the Golden Gun (which extends all the problems that this film has, yes JW Pepper is back and even more annoying).

As for Moore looking too young, well after how Sean Connery looked in Diamonds Are Forever I don't see that as a con at all. Indeed he would only play the character his way in The Spy Who Loved Me but it's a FAR superior film to his first two entries so I don't see it as a detriment.

There are good things about Live and Let Die: The crocodile sequences, the stunt work, the music score by George Martin, the theme song (with one of the very best credit sequences, the henchmen (Baron Samedi), and Jane Seymor who is one of the very best bondgirls of the franchise IMO, striking exotic looks and a nice vulnerable performance without being annoying. I quite like Yaphet Kotto as the villain as well despite the lack of a proper final confrontation between him and Bond.

Gloria Hendry gets attacked too much by everyone, but I never understood the criticisms, much like Willie in "Temple of Doom" she is supposed to be annoying. Personally I find the dialogue exchanges between Rosie and Bond some of the very best of the series. "You can't kill me, not after what we've done!" "I certainly would not have done that before." IMO if I had to vote for the worst thing about the movie it would have to be Kananga's death scene, WTF was that?

I find it interesting that you find this too long, because I for once find it too short and the ending is way too abrupt (same problem with The Man With the Golden Gun, once the credits roll you go: "That's it?"). Once again all Bond movies after You Only Live Twice cross the two hour mark, so it's better to get used to it.

You'll like For Your Eyes Only much better, as I've said before it has Moore's finest performance as Bond and pretty much plays like a Tim Dalton Bond film minus the first and last scenes.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 10:53 PM)

5. Marcus said:

As for Clifton James, I am pretty sure he was serious. He loved JW Pepper so much he played the character two more times after his two Bond appearances in Superman II and Silver Streak.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:16 PM)

6. Author Profile Page Michael said:

I can't say I agree in principle with the theory that even the worst Connery films are better than all of Moore's, although I'll get back to you on that one once I've seen a bit more of Moore's output. Certainly I found Never Say Never Again, which I caught on TV several years back, to be incredibly dreary, and for all its many faults I liked Live and Let Die better than it.

The thing about Moore is that I find his look in this film rather fresh-faced and boyish. Perhaps it's not an age thing so much as that he just doesn't have the sort of face that suggests he's been through the mill a few times.

As for Gloria Hendry, I don't think it matters whether she was meant to be annoying or not - she just is! She made me yearn for Connery's Bond to come along and dish out one of his patented slaps. I was overjoyed when she finally bit the dust. Oh, and I'd forgotten about Kananga's death scene. I don't know whether or not I should thank you for reminding me of it. :D

The George Martin score is good, I grant you, but the Paul McCartney song did very little for me. As I said, though, I really liked the opening titles that accompanied them - some of Maurice Binder's very best work.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:26 PM)

7. Marcus said:

I still think Moore's Bond is pretty ruthless in this one (he does trick a virgin into getting deflowered, not even Connery went that low) and in Man With the Golden Gun he has some wonderful gritty moments with Maud Adams and the Portuguese weapons dealer (the first 1/2 of that film actually is pretty good). I was surprised you didn't mention Kananga's death in your review. :D

Never Say Never Again is indeed pretty boring (not a word I associate with Bond films, even the worst ones... I might find The Man With the Golden Gun and Diamonds Are Forever pretty poor but I never find them boring).

By the way, if you would consider it, The Spy Who Loved Me would make pretty good viewing before watching For Your Eyes Only. It's a pretty important entry of the franchise (a return to the lavish big budget look after LALD and TMWTGG), but I guess you can wait for it to come out on Blu-Ray given your dislike of the Moore era.

(Posted on Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:43 PM)

8. FoxyMulder said:

Marcus - I also understand the transfer for The Spy Who Loved Me on DVD is pretty bad with some hideous edge enhancement so waiting for a superior Blu Ray release might be better.

I think apart from the horrendous eighties cliche music score For Your Eyes Only is a very good Bond film and in my opinion Sheena Easton sings the best opening theme song of any Bond movie.

I also enjoyed The Spy Who Loved Me and despite some very obvious flaws enjoyed sections of Moonraker.

I really enjoyed Jack Black and Alicia Keys song for Quantum Of Solace and boy did that opening song make my SVS subwoofer happy.

I know many think Bond should have gadgets but i hope they drop them forever from the movies and just keep the basics intact.

(Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 5:06 PM)

9. Marcus said:

I like Bill Conti's score for For Your Eyes Only, but then again I love 1980s music. That is the interesting things about the Bond movies of this time not scored by John Barry (LALD, TSWLM, FYEO) they all have "dated" music scores while the Barry ones are timeless.

I also love The Spy Who Loved Me (THE most entertaining Bond film IMO despite not being the best, I can watch it any day and have a blast). I always flip-flop over which one is Moore's best (TSWLM, FYEO) but I can assure TSWLM is a better representative of the Moore era as a whole.

(Posted on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 7:34 PM)

10. ChuckZ said:

Foxy, you actually *liked* that Quantum of Solace theme song? God, that had to be one of the worst songs in the series.

(Posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 2:11 AM)

11. Author Profile Page Michael said:

Oh God, the Quantum of Solace theme song! I actually wanted to claw my ears off after hearing it - a shame, because I genuinely liked the visuals MK12 put together.

(Posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 6:32 PM)

12. FoxyMulder said:

I guess i just have taste in music :o)

I disliked the Casino Royale theme song at the time although it's growing on me. I really did enjoy the Quantum theme song.

(Posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 8:37 PM)

13. Author Profile Page Michael said:

Well, I guess we all have our individual tastes. The Licence to Kill theme is pretty much universally reviled, but I've never had a problem with it.

(Posted on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 9:10 PM)

14. Marcus said:

Yes, when it comes to James Bond theme songs it's an "anything goes" situation since the franchise attracts people of different musical tastes.

Licence to Kill IMO is the very worst theme song of the entire series (down there with Tomorrow Never Dies), a bland 1980s romantic ballad that in no shape or form captures anything that the film has to offer.

I didn't mind the theme for Quantum of Solace, I rate it next to Chris Cornell's theme for Casino Royale: It's okay but not very memorable. Madonna's pulsating theme for Die Another Day IMO was the last very good theme song. She actually bothered to do something different and innovating while the last two themes all sound like college rock bands submitting their theme for the latest James Bond videogame/audiobook/etc...

(Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 6:02 AM)

15. FoxyMulder said:

I better not mention how much i enjoyed Sheryl Crowes Tomorrow Never Dies then. Oooops just did.

I also enjoyed the end title song of that movie too and funnily enough i liked the Licence To Kill song and end title song too.

If i had to choose a worst opening theme song i would probably choose Garbage and their track for The World Is Not Enough.

(Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 1:14 PM)

16. Marcus said:

Surrunder (the closing track of TND originally composed as the main theme) is fantastic, perhaps the best song of the Brosnan era and should have been in the opening credits.

(Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 5:11 PM)

17. MCP said:

Well, since it's not been listed yet, I'll say that among my three favourite Bond openings there's still a plece for another Roger Moore era song: 'A view to a kill' by Duran. I also liked the overcheesy but then-so-homourous video they made, toying with the Tour Eiffel scene from the movie and in fact creating a new little movie.

(Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 at 8:25 PM)

 
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