Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy

The moore I watch these three, the moore I find John Glen's initial Bonds to be rather flat. In fact, Moonraker has gotten better to me over the years despite it's terrible reputation and the double taking pigeon. And I like my Bond serious. It's the last of the "grand" Bonds and has some of that imaginative spark that Harry Saltzman brought to the early films. FYEO in "going back to basics" leaves out too much and in turn when really examining its structure one finds little to make it really stand out. But it was perfect for the time of 1981. Octopussy is really just Raiders of the Lost 007. Probably my least favorite Moore film, but it still has a part of a great plot, some memorable set pieces and you can never say no to a mad psychotic soviet general can you? It runs entirely on charm. Which is certainly more than Never Say Never Again or any Bond post 1987 can say.

The problem is really in the writing. Too little of Fleming (yes, even FYEO because in spite of having bits of the short stories there is little for Kristatos and Columbo to do.), too little of Richard Maibaum. Too much of Michael G. Wilson and playing it safe. Glen can direct a Bond well, because he knows how they cut like Peter Hunt did. He proved this with The Living Daylights.