Live and Let Die (1973) Review

 "Names is for tombstones, baby."
-Mr. Big




Three British agents are killed in a single day in three different locations.  All of them were investigating the Prime Minister of the Caribbean nation of San Monique, Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto), and his ties to a notorious Harlem gangster.  James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to investigate and discovers a plot that delves into the supernatural.


What Works:

Off the bat, this is the first time Roger Moore plays James Bond.  As I've mentioned before, I like all of the Bond actors and appreciate what they each bring to the role.  Moore is easily the funniest Bond, and it isn't remotely close.  He's sarcastic and dry-witted.  Moore gives some of the best one-liners in the series, and the cheesiest, and he doesn't hold back with them in his debut.

One thing I love about Bond in this movie is that he's very quick on his feet and good at improvising.  We get to see him kill a snake using hairspray, disarm a potential assassin using only a cigar, escape from alligators by running across their backs, and defeat an armed henchmen using only a bowl of gasoline.  I love when Bond can be clever and outsmart his enemies and we get plenty of that in Live and Let Die.

Speaking of enemies, Live and Let Die has arguably the best collection of henchmen from any Bond movie.  Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) is probably the most famous of these, due to the fact he is a supernatural voodoo priest, who doesn't seem to die, but he's not the only one.  Tee Hee (Julius W. Harris) and Whisper (Earl Jolly Brown) are also very unique and memorable.  They both get a couple of awesome moments as well.  They're a fun bunch of rogues.

This is the only Bond movie that delves into the supernatural.  Voodoo is a prominent aspect of Kananga's plan and Baron Samedi might be immortal.  Sure, that makes this a very goofy film, but I'm here for it.  I love the tone of the movie and I appreciate it's place it the franchise.  I don't know if delving back into to the supernatural would be the right move for the series now, but I'm glad it happened.

Finally, the music for this movie kicks ass.  I'm not really a fan of the Beatles, but Paul McCarney and Wings absolutely nail it.  The opening song is elite and the use of it in the film's score adds to the tone of the film.  


What Sucks:

The biggest problem with the movie is the villain, Dr. Kananga.  I like Yaphet Kotto as an actor and I don't think it's his fault Kananga is so underwhelming.   He simply doesn't get enough to do.  Before the final confrontation, Kananga and Bond only have 2 scenes together.  One is only a few seconds long and the second is my least favorite in the movie, where Kananga threatens to have Bond's fingers cut off if Solitaire (Jane Seymour) can no longer see the future.  She immediately gets a question wrong and Kananga immediately backs down on his threat.  It really lowers the sense of danger around the character, and with so many interesting henchmen, it's no wonder Kananga is so forgettable, even if his ultimate death is incredible.

Finally, the boat chase sequence goes on for far too long.  It really isn't interesting at all until the final showdown with Adam (Tommy Lane).  I don't mind the stuff with Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James), like I know most people do.  I think some of his lines are hilarious, but the actual boat chase itself is a bit of a snooze.


Verdict:

Live and Let Die is a weird and unique Bond movie.  While the villain is a letdown and the boat chase is too long, Roger Moore is great, there are plenty of awesome moments, amazing henchmen, and one hell of a theme song.  Live and Let Die has absolutely got it going on.

 8/10: Really Good 


#1. From Russia with Love

#2. Goldfinger

#3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

#4. Live and Let Die

#5. Dr. No

#6. Thunderball

#7. You Only Live Twice

#8. Diamonds Are Forever



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