Roger Moore returns a second time as Bond in this yawner about a high-profile international assassin (huh?) and solar energy (double huh??). Complementing, or perhaps "abetting" Moore is Christopher Lee as Scaramanga, the eponymous million-dollar-a-hit hit man, who in turn is assisted by Herve Villachaize (this is all getting rather a bit too much now)as the thoroughly dis likable Nick Nack. Eye candy is provided by ex-supermodel Maud Adams and Britt Ekland, both of whom are gorgeous to look at but prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that neither one can act. The plot, what there is of it, seems to center around something called a "Solex Agitator", a palm sized thingamajig that somehow miraculously makes the widespread use of solar energy a practical proposition. As for the titular gun, this is unquestionably the clunkiest, least-convincing looking prop yet seen in ANY Bond film. Ever. Even Scaramanga's wildly improbable flying AMC Javelin (actually a scale RC model) was far more interesting even though it's time on camera was very short; the "gun", on the other hand, is regularly and tediously displayed time after time, looking for all the world like a Lego toy that's been spraypainted gold.
As if all this wasn't bad enough, we're treated to a return appearance of J.W.Pepper, the redneck sheriff who first appeared in "Live and Let Die" (itself a dog of a Bond film), who, um, "dogs" (sorry) Bond periodically throughout this picture, most notably during the by-now obligatory spectacular car chase. Indeed, as spectacular as the 360 degree roll performed by the stunt car was, even this scene misfires through the use of a cartoonish sound effect.
"The Man with the Golden Gun" remains, as of this writing, one of the poorest grossing Bond films yet made, and one look at the finished product will tell anyone why. Not that this is the fault of either Moore or Lee: any actor, no matter how good, can only do so much with a weak script. Just ask Max von Sydow after he made "Flash Gordon". "The Man with the Golden Gun" plays like it was written by committee and, judging by the box office returns, was probably attended by them almost exclusively. For hard core Bond addicts ONLY.
As if all this wasn't bad enough, we're treated to a return appearance of J.W.Pepper, the redneck sheriff who first appeared in "Live and Let Die" (itself a dog of a Bond film), who, um, "dogs" (sorry) Bond periodically throughout this picture, most notably during the by-now obligatory spectacular car chase. Indeed, as spectacular as the 360 degree roll performed by the stunt car was, even this scene misfires through the use of a cartoonish sound effect.
"The Man with the Golden Gun" remains, as of this writing, one of the poorest grossing Bond films yet made, and one look at the finished product will tell anyone why. Not that this is the fault of either Moore or Lee: any actor, no matter how good, can only do so much with a weak script. Just ask Max von Sydow after he made "Flash Gordon". "The Man with the Golden Gun" plays like it was written by committee and, judging by the box office returns, was probably attended by them almost exclusively. For hard core Bond addicts ONLY.