The Man With The Golden Gun : Blu-ray Review

The Movie Itself is directed by Guy Hamilton. (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die)

Veteran director, Guy Hamilton left an indelible mark on the Bond franchise with his first directorial effort under the 007 banner, Goldfinger and it has long since been hailed as the seminal Bond film, by which all are supposed to be measured. While I don't fully agree -- I think other films have been equally influential -- that conversation will have to be reserved for Goldfinger's forthcoming review.

So how does Guy Hamilton's exit film stack up against the ones before it, and the Bond catalog as a whole? Does he go out with a whimper or a bang? Fans of this film -- like myself -- will be quick to answer that. Bang.

The film is about a golden gun toting assassin, of course it's going to be extravagant, exciting and every bit as entertaining as the previous entries -- perhaps even more so, depending on who you ask. If you're asking me, then I would most definitely agree. Watching this over again, it amazes me that someone like Hamilton, who has such a great handle on action/adventure/comedy could have ever turned in such a poor film, such as Battle of Britain. I gave him royal hell for his choices throughout that boring picture, but I have nothing but praise for him when it comes to the James Bond pictures. Maybe the character of James Bond, and the subject matter provokes him or inspires him in a way that war/drama don't. Perhaps he found Battle of Britain as droll and boring as I did, and slept all the while in his director's chair.

Whatever the reason, Hamilton's parting film continues to put a smile on my face. Whether it be the humorous Nick Nack, Bond's frivolous attitude -- that Moore perfected -- or the reappearance of the loudmouthed good ole' boy, Sheriff J.W. Pepper, there's seldom a quiet or dull moment.

Of course, I would be remiss I didn't pay respect to one of Bond's greatest adversaries, Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). Simply put, he is "The Man." He is so because of his: a) Golden Gun b) world class assassin status c) charges a million dollars a kill and d) he only needs one bullet -- cause he never misses his target. If he isn't a badass I don't know who is.

Naturally though, when your balls are as big as his -- and you sport a third nipple -- things can get a bit boring, so Scaramanga does what any rich, cocky assassin might do if he were bored; he invites people to try and kill him at his island estate. Well, it isn't long before Scaramanga grows tired of killing easy marks and decides to liven things up by targeting the one person he believes will pose a real challenge: 007.

This isn't his primary objective -- as nearly every Bond villain has an ulterior motive -- but for me, it's the obsession with Bond, and the opposing lethality of both men that make this film so much fun to watch.

There are those that say the film is a bit too liberal with the comedic aspects -- that it doesn't take itself seriously enough -- but I believe that's one of the film's strongest attributes. The movie embodies an entirely different Bond image compared to Hamilton's earlier Goldfinger, but does that make it any less entertaining? No.