We have looked at many of Roger Moore’s outings as James Bond already, but today we are going back to where it all began with 1973’s Live and Let Die. Filling the large shoes left by Sean Connery was no small feat and while Live and Let Die is not one of my top five James Bond movies, this is still a pretty fun time and a good way to introduce a new James Bond to the world.
How to Download Live and Let Die
Live and Let Die was released on 27 June 1973. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. Check out also other James Bond films with Roger Moore: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View to a Kill (1985).
The Movie Review
Before we get into the movie, I have to talk about the soundtrack of Live and Let Die, the titular track by Wings is just so awesome. However, I would put the Guns n Roses version of Live and Let Die up there as one of the best covers of all time. Hey, Paul McCartney is awesome, but for me, Axl Rose is the ultimate rock god! Anyway, while the movie may not be one of my all time favorites, the title song is.
A Unique Take on James Bond
This is a very unique kind of James Bond as it is so unlike any of the Sean Connery ones, not only that, I also feel it is unlike any of the other Roger Moore James Bond movies either. This has a more “urban” kind of feel to it and it is interesting to read these days about how this movie was made with the intention of cashing in on the blaxploitation thing that was popular at the time. Sure, it may have made the movie age poorly in some regards, but it does make it an interesting movie to talk about.
The Plot – Bond Takes on Dr. Kananga
Dr. Kananga is the dictator of a small Caribbean nation and James Bond has been keeping an eye on him. When three MI6 agents are killed under suspicious circumstances in New York, 007 heads there to investigate and see what is going on. James Bond in New York is just something that doesn’t seem like a good fit, but the stuff in places like Harlem works.
Turns out that there is a big time drug dealer called Mr. Big. Mr. Big plans to flood the city with free heroin to get people hooked and also put his rival dealers out of business. Ok, this is a spoiler, but the movie is the better part of 50 years old so I think I am safe. Turns out that Kananga is actually Mr. Big! The reveal of this is a lot of fun, but to be fair, it is so obvious that Kananga is at the very least tied to the heroin.
The Villains and Their Tactics
Kananga keeps his people working in his fields to grow the opium needed to make his heroine. He uses fear from a voodoo priest to keep his people in line. I will admit, I get a huge kick out of there being stuff like a voodoo priest and a virgin tarot reader that James Bond “de-flowers” to take her tarot reading powers away. Yet at the same time, I can see why this is an aspect of the movie that people who at the time came from Sean Connery as James Bond felt was not for them.
Action, Stunts, and Classic Bond Moments
Live and Let Die has some great action scenes, the speedboat one is my favorite, it also has some goofy stuff too, which would not be uncommon for Roger Moore’s James Bond. The bit with James Bond jumping on crocodile’s backs is freaking hilarious and no matter how many times I see it, it makes me laugh. Yet, this was actually a very dangerous stunt that they did here, but it comes across as so goofy. The ending with one of the henchmen, Samedi is funny too.
Final Thoughts – A Fun and Unique Bond Movie
This is just a fun Bond movie and a Bond movie that due to its setting and tone, does have a style all of its own. It may not be my favorite, but it is still a movie that I think is a fun time. Put it this way, if I am watching all of the Roger Moore James Bond movies, I would never even think about missing this one out.
© 1973 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. All Rights Reserved.
