“Secret agent James Bond finds himself battling yet another megalomaniacal villain in this entry in the long-running series of adventure films. This time Bond’s opponent is Sir Hugo Drax, whose plans to destroy the earth with an atomic-powered rocket force Bond to add space travel to his resume.”
I’m going to be upfront here, I mailed it in a little bit on this one. But hey, it’s Moonraker we’re talking about, so I think I can get away with it this time. Moonraker may not necessarily be a bad movie, per se, but it certainly isn’t a good movie One thing it is, though? Fun. Loads of fun. And how does the movie achieve that? They veer hard into the camp. That’s been a common thread among the Bond films I’ve gone through so far. Part of that is because those I’ve watched have happened to be on the campier side; part of that is because camp is simply something lots of Bond films like to lean on.
When overdone, or done poorly, it can feel tired and lazy and just plain bad. But when done correctly, or in good measure, it’s gold. And while Moonraker might feel like non-stop goofiness, it’s layered in a way that doesn’t feel overwhelming, like it was the only natural course. And the opening in-air heist of the space shuttle perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the movie. Would it really be that easy to pull this off? The movie would lead you to believe so. And if that can be done with so little effort, nothing else in the movie should surprise you.
Embrace the Camp
Pigeon double take
One of the more absurd moments in the series’ run. There’s really no need to say anything else, or to prep the scene at all. Everything about it is ridiculous. Just watch and enjoy.
Jaws
Jaws went from big-time scary villain in just one film earlier, The Spy Who Loved Me, to equal part scary, equal part punchline. It was a little unfortunate to see, but at least this characterization fit in with the rest of the movie.
And it starts off right away with the movie’s first scene. He starts off as the scary henchman, before quickly changing face into a joke.
This one isn’t very egregious overall. But the campy moments sure are campy. This is also where the “Does Dolly have braces?” debate begins. More on that later.
Everything about this goes against what Jaws began as. A relationship, popping champagne, TALKING. A kind of a goofy send-off to one of movie’s most iconic villains.
Dr. Holly Goodhead
That’s all, nothing more. Just that this name is a thing that exists.
This is one of the more interesting debates around the Bond films. For those unfamiliar with the term, “Mandela Effect,” it’s essentially a mass false memory. It came about when many people incorrectly believed that Nelson Mandela died in prison in the 1980s, when he in fact was released from prison in 1990, and died a free man in 2013.
I will be honest, I thought she had braces. I thought that was part of what attracted Jaws to her in the first place. But then I heard on a podcast (I want to give credit, but I can’t remember for sure. Though it was more than likely James Bonding.). So I made sure to pay special attention on this rewatch, and sure enough, no braces.
