Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

The Man With the Golden Gun is, without a doubt, one of my favorite Roger Moore 007 movies. Heck, it probably is my favorite. It is directed by Guy Hamilton and stars Christopher Lee ( The Two Towers and from The Fellowship of the Ring). This Bond film has the perfect blend of action, sadistic villains, a little Bond-style romance, and some of those hilarious one-liners.

PLOT

During the pre-credit sequence we learn about Bond's soon-to-be enemy Francisco Scaramanga ( Christopher Lee ). Scaramanga lives on a small island with his servant Nick Nack ( Herve Villechaize ) and his girlfriend Andrea Anders ( Maud Adams ). It is on this island that he assassinates people for $1 million dollars a hit. His weapon of choice is a little golden gun (4.2 mm) that only contains a single shot. As he was a trick shot artist at a circus by the time he was ten, he only needs one shot. In the pre-credit sequence, Scaramanga has a showdown with an unidentified man. They duel in his "fun-house" which consists of fake figurines, mirrors, and other goodies to try to throw off anybody who duels with Scaramanga.

After the credits roll, Bond is informed by M ( Bernard Lee ) that a golden bullet with his 007 number on it and a note with the initial S were sent to Bond and that Scaramanga's fingerprints were on the note. So, as Bond and M deduct, Scaramanga has a contract out on Bond. So M pulls Bond off a solar energy case he was on and Bond then goes to search for Scaramanga which will be difficult providing there are no photographs on file of the man and the only description he has is that he has a third nipple.

Will Bond find Scaramanga or will Scaramanga put a golden bullet in Bond before he can? What does solar energy have to do with the whole thing? I'll let you figure out these questions on your own.

PERFORMANCES

Roger Moore as James Bond is up to his usual standards as the suave secret agent. He delivers the one-liners better than any other Bond and his coldness toward Scaramanga is portrayed excellently.

Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga. His character is a villain that considers Bond to be his only equal. Lee delivers the ruthlessness of Scaramanga with wonderful charm giving him the evil James Bond-type of feel. Lee shows Scaramanga's evil, agility, and charm to an expert extent.

Now, while he's not a main character at all in this movie he still deserves some recognition as he is definitely an unforgettable character. Some people like him, others hate him. He is Clifton James as Sheriff J.W. Pepper. Now, if you've seen Live and Let Die, you'll have already been introduced to the Louisiana sheriff. However, for those of you who don't, I will briefly describe. He is a sheriff from Louisiana and, in my opinion, is perhaps one of the funniest Bond movie characters in the whole series. It's not necessarily the lines that delivers, it's how he delivers them. He has that southern drawl and the fact that he calls everyone "boy" just adds to the humor. One example of a scene with him is when he and Bond are confronted by the Bangkok police. (Pepper's on vacation with his wife). Pepper immediately takes charge and shows him his identification that he's a police officer. When he opens his wallet, about a couple dozen pictures flop out giving you the impression (which is probably true) that he is not very organized. Then when Scaramanga flies away in his flying-car (I will explain that a little later), Pepper looks at the police and wonders why they're all staring at an airplane. (In reality, it's a flying car)! Some people hate him. Others, like me, want to see more of him in the Bond films.

CONS

In every Bond film, there has to be the Bond gadgets. However, The Man With The Golden Gun must be an exception. Because where are all of Bond's gadgets? I watched the movie last night and I couldn't find a single gadget...for Bond (with the exception of a fake third nipple)! And Bond doesn't even drive a Q-car so car gadgets are a definite miss here.

However, while Bond has no car gadgets, Scaramanga does. During a car chase with Bond (and Pepper) where they chase Scaramanga (and Nick Nack), Scaramanga gets his car in a garage. There, wings are added to the car body and the control panels change to altitude readings and others that you'd find on an aircraft. Then Scaramanga maneuvers the car into the air where they get away. Now, Q claims that they are working on a similar device, but we never see it at all.

The only other gadget (besides a simple homing device) is Scaramanga's golden gun. It is 4.2 mm (as Q says just because the caliber isn't recognized by military and civilian doesn't mean it doesn't exist). The bullet is extremely powerful and will go through the body easily. A minor drawback of it's power is that only one bullet can be fired at a time. The gun can be taken apart easily into a pen, lighter, and other little items which probably make it ideal for getting it through airport security if need be.

SETS

The sets in Thailand and China are wonderful. The lush greens and vivant colors are beautiful. Mixed that with wonderful action sequences including a karate demonstration, they provide some unforgettable moments. While those sets are indeed spectacular, Scaramanga's island and funhouse beat them all.

The island is lush and green with sandy beaches giving the impression that it is like a tropical resort. That pretty much sums up the island. Now, what about that funhouse I mentioned earlier. Fun is probably the worst word to describe it. As I said before, this is where he kills most of his intended victims. It is dark and the lighting isn't that good in here and so it throws off the victims. Life-size figurines that move and shoot fake machine guns are another factor. Then there are projected images of Scaramanga's face that fool the victim into shooting at virtually nothing. Then there are the mirrors which is why this is probably called a funhouse. If you've ever tried to go through a mirror-maze at a fair or carnival, you'll get the feeling of what that is like. Add to that the sheer size of the thing and it's no small wonder why people (other than Scaramanga) feel nervous there.

CONCLUSION

This Bond film is a must see for all. With the girls, actions, villains, and some gadgets (flying car, homing device, third nipple), it completes the Bond formula. It was released in 1974 and is rated PG. It has a runtime of 215 min.

EXTRAS

* Audio Commentary with director Guy Hamilton and members of cast and crew

* Inside the Man With The Golden Gun documentary

* Double-O Stuntmen documentary

* Still Gallery

* Radio spots

* Making-Of Booklet

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older