Alongside Sean Connery, Roger Moore was one of the most prolificJames Bondactors of all time. Both men appeared in seven 007 flicks each. Moore took over the reins of the suave 007 agent in 1973 withLive and Let Die. He remained at the helm until 1985. Throughout those twelve years, Roger Moore experienced a mixed bag regarding the quality of hisJames Bondfilms.
RELATED:James Bond: Every Sean Connery 007 Movie, Ranked
Several of Moore’s Bond movies run the gamut from the endearing to the downright cringe-worthy and ridiculous. Ranking Roger Moore’s adventures as the intrepid 007 isn’t always a straightforward affair, but this list will make the effort!
7A View To Kill (1985)
Roger Moore’s last hurrah as 007 is considered by some fans to be his worst. Moore was already fifty-seven years old when the movie was filmed. As such, hisbelievability as a slick superspywas waning. Viewers and critics at the time felt that Moore’s time in the sun as James Bond was finally at an end.
Many of the action sequences inA View To Killare uninspired and inevitably tread on familiar ground, although the finale is pretty entertaining. Christopher Walken’s portrayal of Max Zorin, the movie’s main villain, is also charming. Although Roger Moore tries his best to recapture the magic of his suave, former self, there’s no denying thatA View To Killmust rank as one of his weakest entries.
6Octopussy (1983)
Overall, the films that comprise Roger Moore’s stint as James Bond possess more humor to them compared to other movies in the franchise. This humor, especially by today’s standards, can come off as ridiculously cheesy. Granted, there’s a certain charm to unabashed corniness in a movie, butOctopussytakes it a bit too far.
RELATED:James Bond: Best Quotes From No Time To Die
For example, there’s one point in the movie where Bond disguises himself as a circus clown and another where he dons a gorilla costume. Meanwhile, viewers are still meant to take the plot seriously, which involves the old trope of averting nuclear disaster. The serious ramifications of the story and its silly tone don’t match, which can be confusing, to say the least.
5Moonraker (1979)
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to longtime James Bond fans that the plot of nearly every movie is pretty farfetched. However, most fans would probably agree that this isn’t a problem. Suspending part of one’s disbelief is pretty standard fare for a Bond movie. Nevertheless,Moonrakergoes a tad overboard with this concept.
Moonrakerleans so heavily into the sci-fi genre that it can strike viewers as jarring. Fantastic, futuristic technology has always been an element in Bond films, but this movie doubles down on it a bit too excessively. There’s a famous scene where Bond’s gondola transforms into a hovercraft, facilitating his escape from a group of henchmen. It’s all justtoo much, even for a Bond movie.
4The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
The Man With The Golden Gunwas Roger Moore’s second outing as the dapper 007. In this film, Bond attempts to track down an expert hitman who has gained access to weaponized, solar-powered technology. Christopher Lee gives amemorable performance as the main villain Scaramanga, the titular “Man with the Golden Gun.”
RELATED:Actors Who Could Make The Next Great Bond Villain
The ending to this particular movie is satisfyingly dramatic. Bond and Scaramanga engage in a cat-and-mouse duel inside a bizarre museum/funhouse.The Man With The Golden Gunhas everything Bond aficionados will love, making it one of Moore’s better entries.
3Live And Let Die (1973)
Live and Let Diewas Roger Moore’s inaugural debut as James Bond. The plot revolves around Bond investigating the deaths of several MI6 operatives, which eventually leads him to the heart of a heroin smuggling operation.
Moore’s first outing as 007 is one of his most solid movies. Jane Seymour, who plays the tarot-card reading Solitaire, cements herself as one of the best “Bond girls” of the franchise. Although nothing about the film necessarily breaks the familiar mold, there’s still plenty for diehard Bond fans to enjoy.
2For Your Eyes Only (1981)
For Your Eyes Onlyis one of the more solid Bond movies on Roger Moore’s resume. UnlikeMoonrakerandOctopussy,For Your Eyes Onlyfeels more like a traditional Bond movie, one where the tone and the action feel satisfying and exciting. Theintro credits also feature a memorable titlesong by Sheena Easton that’s hard to get out of one’s head.
The plot is an engrossing Cold War thriller that remains entertaining from start to finish. If newcomers to the James Bond franchise were doubting Roger Moore’s tenure up to this point in the list, they can rest easy knowing thatFor Your Eyes Onlyis well worth their time.
1The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The third film to star Roger Moore as James Bond is often cited by fans and critics as his best.The Spy Who Loved Megarnered three Academy Award nominations and a host of other accolades. The dynamic between Bond andKGB agent Anya Amasova, played by Barbara Bach, is one of the film’s greatest strengths.
Bond and Amasova are forced to reluctantly work together to thwart the plans of Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens), who wishes to destroy the world to create life anew under the sea. The film also marks the debut of Jaws,a steel-toothed henchmanwho subsequently became a minor recurring villain in the franchise.The Spy Who Loved Meis arguably Moore’s greatest work as Bond, so don’t skip this one!
