In Memoriam: Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017)
Roger Moore‘s James Bond movies are not everybody’s cuppa. They’re silly, self-referential, cartoonish, and fluffy, even by the standards of a series that had previously seen Agent 007 “turn Japanese” (Sean Connery’s You Only Live Twice), fly around in a jet pack (Connery’s Thunderball), and break the fourth wall (George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service). Moore’s seven Bond films, released between 1973 to 1985 in the longest run yet for an “official” Bond actor, were capable in spurts of the kind of darkness and serialization that later audiences would crave, but are mostly notable for pushing England’s tuxedoed superman beyond the boundaries of believability. Moore’s tall, grinning, fair-haired Bond drove a car underwater, skipped across the backs of alligators, dressed up as a clown, and, yes, went to outer space.
Through the winking, Moore’s Bond exuded a dapper unflappability, a studied nonchalance that was almost aristocratic. He was the most English James Bond — literally so, since he followed a Scotsman and an Australian and preceded a Welshman and an Irishman in the role, but also in terms of his cultural aura. It is easy to picture Moore’s 007 as the rakish scion of a Henry Fielding novel; or, to choose a more contemporary reference, as a Prince Harry or Prince Philip — wealthy, aloof, sporting, tramping over the old Empire on an endless, jolly holiday. Moore’s antique Englishness, both tutted at and envied, is not reflected in Daniel Craig’s fitfully updated take on the character.
Though they did not represent the totality of his work, the seven James Bond movies he starred in define Roger Moore’s legacy as an actor. According to Flickchart users, they rank as follows:
1. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Bond works with Agent Triple X (Barbara Bach) to stop a madman who threatens both the West and the East. The plot is a loose reworking of You Only Live Twice, and it would be reworked yet again in Tomorrow Never Dies.
- Global rank: 1207
- Bond rank: 10/31 (Flickchart’s James Bond filter includes more than just the “official” films)
- Wins 39% of matchups
- 2 users have it at #1
- 86 users have it in their top 20
2. Live and Let Die (1973)
The Blaxploitation genre influenced Roger Moore’s first outing as 007. Jane Seymour and Yaphet Kotto costar.
- Global rank: 1233
- Bond rank: 11/31
- Wins 39% of matchups
- 1 user has it at #1
- 84 users have it in their top 20
3. The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
Christopher Lee is a master assassin in this movie that blends dark and comedic tones. It shows the influence of Hong Kong martial arts films.
- Global rank: 1439
- Bond rank: 12/31
- Wins 38% of matchups
- 1 user has it at #1
- 71 users have it in their top 20
4. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Bond kills Blofeld (apparently) and we get a rare reference to Bond’s ill-fated marriage in the cold open of Moore’s most serious Bond film.
- Global rank: 1680
- Bond rank: 14/31
- Wins 36% of matchups
- 4 users have it at #1
- 75 users have it in their top 20
5. Octopussy (1983)
The plot involves Fabergé eggs, a mad Soviet general, a circus, and an island populated exclusively by women.
- Global rank: 2480
- Bond rank: 17/31
- Wins 33% of matchups
- 2 users have it at #1
- 74 users have it in their top 20
6. Moonraker (1979)
The Bond franchise attempted to cash in on the success of Star Wars with this cornball space-themed movie.
- Global rank: 2814
- Bond rank: 20/31
- Wins 28% of matchups
- 0 users have it at #1
- 63 users have it in their top 20
7. A View to a Kill (1985)
Moore’s final Bond movie also stars Christopher Walken and Grace Jones.
- Global rank: 2814
- Bond rank: 22/31
- Wins 30% of matchups
- 1 users has it at #1
- 53 users have it in their top 20