Other Titles • Ian Fleming's Moonraker (1979) • James Bond 007 - Moonraker - Streng geheim (1979)
Synopses for Moonraker (1979)
1.
In the 11th installment of the 007 series, director Lewis Gilbert delivers a visually thrilling progression in filmmaking. Roger Moore returns as dashing secret service agent James Bond. This time around Bond must investigate the theft of a space shuttle with help from beautiful CIA agent Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) and sexy Euro supermodel Corrine (Corrine Clery). Agent 007 discovers that genocidal maniac-millionaire Hugo Drax (Michel Lonsdale) plans to poison all of humanity from outer space and repopulate earth with only the most perfectly bred humans. A variety of traps and villains awaits Bond, including the recurring character Jaws (Richard Kiel, also featured in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME).
Filmed in such exotic locations as Southern California, Venice, and the Amazon, Gilbert delivers the formula Bond packet of girls, gadgets, and guns. However, he also goes further, sending Agent 007 into space. MOONRAKER takes great risks in blending the spy and science fiction genres. In spite of such an unruly coupling, the film rewards viewers with its finale of climactic plot twists and stellar special effects.
(25 votes)
2.
Agent 007 (Roger Moore) blasts into orbit in this action-packed adventure that takes him to Venice, Rio de Janeiro and outer space. When Bond investigates the hijacking of an American space shuttle, he and beautiful CIA agent Holy Goodhead (Lois Chiles) are soon locked in a life-or-death struggle against Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), a power-mad industrialist whose horrific scheme may destroy all human life on earth!
(25 votes)
3.
Agent 007 blasts into orbit in this pulse-pounding adventure! When a U.S. space shuttle is stolen in a midair abduction, only Bond can find the evil genius responsible. The clues point to billionare Hugo Drax and as Bond races agianst time to stop Drax's evil plot, he joins forces with Dr. Holly Goodhead,a NASA scientist who is as beautiful as she is brilliant. And 007 needs all the help he can get, for Drax's henchman is none other than Bond's old nemisis Jaws, the indestructable steel-toothed giant. Their adventure leads all the way to a gigantic orbiting space station, where the stage is set for an epic battle for the fate of all mankind.
(22 votes)
4.
This was the first James Bond adventure produced after the success of Star Wars, so it jumped on the sci-fi bandwagon by combining the suave appeal of Agent 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) with enough high-tech hardware and special effects to make Luke Skywalker want to join Her Majesty's Secret Service. After the razzle-dazzle of The Spy Who Loved Me, this attempt to latch onto a trend proved to be a case of overkill, even though it brought back the steel-toothed villain Jaws (Richard Kiel) and scored a major hit at the box office. This time Bond is up against Drax (Michel Lonsdale), a criminal industrialist who wants to control the world from his orbiting space station. In keeping with his well-groomed style, Bond thwarts this maniacal Neo-Hitler's scheme with the help of a beautiful, sleek-figured scientist (played by Lois Chiles with all the vitality of a department store mannequin). There's a grand-scale climax involving space shuttles and ray guns, but despite the film's popular success, this is one Bond adventure that never quite gets off the launching pad. It's as if the caretakers of the James Bond franchise had forgotten that it's Bond-and not a barrage of gizmos and gadgets (including a land-worthy Venetian gondola)--that fuels the series' success. Despite Moore's passive performance (which Pauline Kael described as "like an office manager who is turning into dead wood but hanging on to collect his pension"), there are even a few renegade Bond-philes who consider it one of their favourites. --Jeff Shannon]
In the new "making of" featurette the enormous complexities of putting together a feature of this scope are talked about by all those involved, from genius production designer Ken Adam to special effects whiz and Thunderbirds alumnus Derek Meddings (Lois Chiles reveals that to this day she is delighted to have had the most obscene name of any Bond girl; the behind-the-scenes tale of the boat hanging over the waterfall is astonishing). Sensibly enough the supplementary documentary celebrates the work of the special effects men from John Stears to Derek Meddings and John Richardson. The audio commentary has executive producer Michael Wilson in conversation with director Lewis Gilbert, screenwriter Christopher Wood and associate producer William Cartlidge, who are all obviously having a good time watching the movie together again. Altogether, another handsome DVD presentation in this impeccable series. --Mark Walker
(19 votes)
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