The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
59%RT Audience Score: 55%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
A middling Bond film, The Man With the Golden Gun suffers from double entendre-laden dialogue, a noteworthy lack of gadgets, and a villain that overshadows 007
The Man with the Golden Gun” is like a cake with a great frosting but a dry, bland cake underneath. Christopher Lee as the villain is the frosting, making the movie bearable, but Roger Moore’s Bond is like a dry cake that needs some milk to wash it down. It’s not the worst Bond movie, but it’s definitely not the best. And can we talk about Sheriff J.W. Pepper’s return? Let’s just say, it’s not a highlight. Overall, if you’re a die-hard Bond fan, give it a watch, but if you’re looking for a great Bond movie, skip this one and go for the classics.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
James Bond Island, Phang Nga Bay, Thailand
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Mono Dolby Surround 7.1 Dolby Atmos
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 11.66 : 1
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Runtime:2h 5m
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Language(s):English, Thai, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1974 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2006
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams, Herve Villechaize, Clifton James, directed by Guy Hamilton, written by Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz, action, James Bond, PG, United Artists, box office, budget, reviewed by Dave Kehr, Jay Cocks, Ian Freer, Verina Glaessner, Nora Sayre, Matt Brunson, Jake Tropila, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, Jeff Sternberg, PJ Nabarro, Albert R Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, James Bond 007, stolen invention, solar cell technology, hit man, villain, Bond girl, Mary Goodnight, Nick Nack, J.W Pepper, tropical isle hideout, final duel, mono, scope (2.35:1)
Worldwide gross: $20,972,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $138,968,713
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 871
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 15,154,712
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $7,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $46,384,751
Production budget ranking: 846
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $24,978,188
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $67,605,774
ROI to date (est.): 95%
ROI ranking: 959
Christopher Lee – Francisco Scaramanga
Britt Ekland – Mary Goodnight
Maud Adams – Andrea Anders
Herve Villechaize – Nick Nack
Clifton James – J.W. Pepper
Director – Guy Hamilton
Producers – Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Writers – Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
Director(s)
Guy Hamilton
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli, Harry Saltzman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (20) | Rotten (31)
Roger Moore is a pastry chef’s idea of James Bond; but Christopher Lee as the archetype of the evil antagonist makes this 007 outing just about bearable.
October 13, 2008
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
The best Bonds, like the car that twirls, were sly without quite getting silly. The best Bonds also had Sean Connery, whose absence is sorely felt here.
October 13, 2008
Jay Cocks
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Roger Moore’s Bond has got a rough deal over the year, but whilst this takes itself a little too lightly it has a lot going for it.
October 13, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Freer
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The comparatively spare arrays of mechanical devices seem more a cost-cutting factor.
October 13, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Roger Moore’s interpretation of Bond is blandness personified.
June 24, 2006
Verina Glaessner
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
If you enjoyed the early Bond films as much as I did, you’d better skip this one.
May 9, 2005
Nora Sayre
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The return of Sheriff J.W. Pepper automatically knocks this movie down a peg or 20.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
The Man with the Golden Gun boasts one of the greatest villains in the series; if only the rest of the film lived up to his level.
September 27, 2020
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
Moore (in only his second try at Bond) gets to be extremely unconvincing as a martial artist, though somewhat believable as a frequent escaper.
August 30, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
I love Roger Moore. I grew up on him as Bond. But in The Man with the Golden Gun, you can tell he hasn’t settled into making Bond his own.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 2/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
The producers seem intent on destroying a money-making business.
December 9, 2019
Jeff Sternberg
Los Angeles Free Press
One of the real Bond curios and arguably the most passable Roger Moore entrant to the entire series.
October 31, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro…
Plot
Scaramanga is a hitman who charges one million dollars per job. He becomes linked to the death of a scientist working on a powerful solar cell, and James Bond is called in to investigate. As he tracks down Scaramanga, he realizes that he is highly respected by the killer, but will this prove to be an advantage in the final showdown?
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Man with the Golden Gun boasts one of the greatest villains in the series; if only the rest of the film lived up to his level. – Jake Tropila, Film Inquiry
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