Hmm, I recently watched the James Bond series back to back for the first time in years. Before this, I would have said that The Spy Who Loved Me is my favorite classic Bond movie and I said as much when I reviewed it not that long ago. However, I think that I may prefer Moonraker just a tad more. However, I think it is a situation where the two are so close, that I could probably change my mind depending on the day of the week that you ask me.
How to Download Moonraker
Moonraker was released on 26 June 1979. 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.
Moonraker Movie Review: Classic Bond Adventure with a Sci-Fi Twist
Moonraker still offers us that classic Roger Moore as James Bond action that we have come to know and love by this point. This would actually be the third movie to have Roger Moore as Bond and the third and last time director, Lewis Gilbert would be behind the camera. As well as the classic Bond action, Moonraker is notable for having a bit more of a sci-fi twist about it.
Plot Summary: Bond vs. Hugo Drax’s Diabolical Plan
In the movie, a space shuttle has mysteriously disappeared. Bond leads the investigation which puts him head to head with a crazy guy called Hugo Drax. First of all, Hugo Drax is just an awesome name for a Bond villain. However, his plans to kill all the humans on Earth from outer space so that he can then repopulate the world with what he calls a “master race” makes him one of the most diabolical villains Bond has faced.
Hugo Drax: A Bond Villain with Style
Hugo Drax is just a ton of fun. Drax does pretty much every Bond villain cliché you could imagine, including the classic telling Bond his plans when he thinks he has him beat. Of course, Bond is not alone, he has his classic Bond girl there to help him, this time it is Holly Goodhead, played by the stunning, Lois Chiles.
Holly Goodhead is not who we think she is at first, turns out that Holly works for the CIA and she and Bond need to team up to put a stop to this crazy plan of Hugo Drax’s! I like Lois Chiles and I think the character of Holly Goodhead is solid. However, Bond and Goodhead do not have quite as much of a spark as Bond and Barbara Bach’s Anya Amasova did in the previous movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. Although, the ending scene with Bond getting the girl here is “out of this world” if you get what I mean!
Bond’s Allies: Holly Goodhead and the Return of Jaws
Now, Hugo Drax is awesome and all, but he has a helping hand in… Jaws! That is right, Jaws is back in this movie and that is so freaking cool. This is a spoiler, but the movie is like 40 plus years old at this point so I think I am ok. The scene where Jaws actually helps Bond kick some ass is a ton of fun and one of the major highlights of the classic Bond series for me.
Moonraker vs. The Spy Who Loved Me: The Ultimate Bond Double Feature
I really have a hard time picking between the outer space shenanigans of Moonraker and the Atlantis sea city shenanigans of The Spy Who Loved Me. Either way, these are two very entertaining classic Bond movies. I think the best way to watch Moonraker is in a back-to-back special with The Spy Who Loved Me. I am more than happy with my Bond Blu-Ray set, but there are a select few that I would upgrade to 4K and Moonraker is one of them, if they ever actually do a 4K restoration of these classic Bond movies.
