150 Word Review: 'Live And Let Die' (1973)
What does it matter to ya?
Roger Moore’s debut as James Bond broke with tradition: 007 fights drug dealers, not evil terrorist masterminds who want to take over the world. Live and Let Die has a lot going for it, but here’s the bad news: the producers decided to jump on the popular “blaxploitation” genre — action-packed urban crime stories. Yes, it’s Bond meets Shaft. The good news is that Yaphet Kotto is fantastic as narco kingpin Mr. Big. His henchmen are among Bond’s best: giant Tee-Hee with an iron hook, chubby Whispers, and cackling voodoo houngan Baron Samedi. Jane Seymour is a tarot-card-dealing babe. Everyone looks like they’re having demented fun.
Moore plays Bond like a gentleman clown with a body count. Paul McCartney’s Wings performs the title song, the second-best Bond tune. The film features my favorite Bond stunt: surviving a pile of hungry alligators. The Bond formula is served: car chases, gadgets, tailored suits.
One of my favourite Bonds. As a kid of the 70s, I grew up with Roger Moore as 'my' Bond, and only later realised how superior Connery was (and how ultimately irritating Moore), but this one remains special. The New Orleans funeral scene captivated me in particular, as well as the cross-cultural elements of Solitaire's character.