1979 - MOONRAKER, Bond in space

As some critic exclaimed at the time when Star Wars made a bunch of money,  it was inevitable the Bond producers would do a James Bond in space film.  Moonraker is Outer Space Bond, it's also a remake of You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me and pieces of scenes lifted from about every other Bond film, a disjointed sloppy mess.  

Roger Moore is really walking through this film.  Even he can't seem to work up a lot of energy in this one.  The lead Bond girl isn't really much of a girl.  Lois Chiles is hopeless as an actor but I guess she fit the bill as an attractive age appropriate love interest for Moore.  The producer brought back the character "Jaws" for this film but they had to turn him into a good guy who helps Bond this time box office demands being what they were. 

Moonraker is a film that essentially just bumbles along from one action set piece to another, a boat chase, another boat chase, a fight, another fight, another fight, battle in space a la Star War the list is kind of endless.

However, Moonraker has a few things to keep a person watching.  The amazing skydiving fight scene done with real stunt men is very cool.  Ken Adam's sets particularly towards the end of the film with the space station and the Moonraker base.  The special effects by Derek Meddings are at a very high standard.  Music by John Barry.  Overall the production has that glossy expensive look that the producer Albert Broccoli brought to all of the Bond films there was never any cheapskate sets or locations while he was producing.

For all the work that went into the film, its too bad it wasn't just a little better.

126 minutes written by Christopher Wood.