Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond takes a whistle-stop tour of Southeast Asia, from Macau through Hong Kong to Thailand and concluding in China. Director Hamilton uses his resources wisely and conjures up a great bag of tricks, including a stunning car chase in Bangkok, a strange circus-themed horror show in Scaramanga’s lair and, towards the end, a flying car. The film nestles into a kung fu section when Bond wakes up in a hastily assembled dojo to witness a few demos from Filipino knife fighters and a karate expert, before scrapping with one of the Chinese extras. As his opponent bows, Bond kicks him in the face, aptly displaying a distinct lack of humility – or maybe the minion should have listened more closely to Bruce Lee‘s advice in Enter the Dragon and “never take your eyes off your opponent”. Moore’s frippery adds a tongue-in-cheek nature to the misogyny and political incorrectness, and despite being dated on a decency level, the film is still heaps of fun.
- Country: United Kingdom
- Directed by: Guy Hamilton
- Starring: Bernard Lee, Britt Ekland, Christopher Lee, Clifton James, Hervé Villechaize, James Cossins, Maud Adams, Roger Moore
- Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
- Written by: Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
- Studio: Eon Productions