Moonraker
1979 · Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- thriller
- science fiction
The story
After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space.
What it’s like
Bright, glossy 1970s studio colour: sunlit Venetian canals and Rio's hillside favelas rendered in saturated primaries, then a sudden shift to cool blue-white interiors and the sterile sheen of orbital sets. Wide establishing shots of landmarks, zooms and slow pans across lavish mansions, and a dense, bouncy brass-and-strings score by John Barry that gives way to synth-tinged cues in the space sequences. The mood is breezy, playful and camp, with self-aware quips, gadget showmanship and a gently absurd escalation from Cold War espionage to a space-set finale. Violence is frequent but cartoonish: fistfights, gunfights, a few onscreen deaths handled with a wink, and a henchman's lethal lunge that is more comic than frightening. Its pacing is brisk and episodic, with a light romance and a lonely, showy villain whose ambitions stretch far past the story's stakes. Best for fans of Bond, lighthearted 70s spectacle, and a relaxed weekend watch when you want escapism without real dread.
More films like Moonraker
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Moonrakerand we’ll explain which ones fit you.
