What Moonraker should have been like

edited May 2011 in Literary 007 Posts: 17
Just a thought I had, as the U.S. spcae shuttle era ends...has anyone seen the Saint episode "Flight Plan" where Roger Moore, as the Saint, retrieves a stolen experimental British jet plane from Iron Curtain territory and flies it back to Britain? Perhaps Moonraker should have had Bond retrieve a stolen space shuttle from enemy territory (ie the Iron Curtain, or a terrorist camp on a remote island?) and returned it to the Americans. The space colony thing in the movie was, as we all know, way too far out, even for the Bonds of the 1970s. Feedback anyone?
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Comments

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2011 Posts: 15,686
    MR as it is now is the perfect Bond film movie, and is always a thrillride to watch, a very entertaining viewing. Sits comfortably in my top 3 !! I love the novel, but honestly, the way it was made, it was the perfect epic film for Roger Moore.

    But I wouldn't be opposed to a more straightforward adaptation of the novel, with a different title and character names (in order not to confuse people).

    I think a faithful MR adaptation would be as great as the epic Moore adventure we got in 1979.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    MR as it is now is the perfect Bond film movie, and is always a thrillride to watch, a very entertaining viewing. Sits comfortably in my top 3 !! I love the novel, but honestly, the way it was made, it was the perfect epic film for Roger Moore.

    But I wouldn't be opposed to a more straightforward adaptation of the novel, with a different title and character names (in order not to confuse people).

    I think a faithful MR adaptation would be as great as the epic Moore adventure we got in 1979.
    Agreed. Considering it was the era of "Star Wars" in the cinemas and the original "Battlestar Galactica" on television, the space colony aspects of the movie were never too way out for me. However, how would they make a more faithful version of the MR novel today? WWII and the Soviet Union were long ago, so they really couldn't have the Hugo Drax character being an ex-Nazi now in league with the U.S.S.R. to get revenge on the U.K..
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    edited May 2011 Posts: 2,629
    Eliminate the last 30 minutes and the talking pigeon and MR would have fine. In other words, Bond and Holly simply disrupt the launch and take care of Drax and company. Bring in the Marines if necessary.
  • Posts: 17
    Thanks for the feedback. Actually, and I'm sure many Bond fans understand this already, the Goldeneye film had elements of the Moonraker novel in it. For example, the novel's Drax was not really a British hero, but in reality an anti-British former Nazi, with a scarred face, now working for the Soviets, and wanted to destroy London. Goldeneye's Trevalyan was a turncoat British agent, in reality an anti-British character with Cossack roots, now living in Russia, who wanted to destroy London with a satellite weapon.
  • Posts: 7,653
    Moonraker is a brilliant RM 007 movie, it delivers and has its moments of darkness. The movie is brilliant as it is.
    The novel cannot really be filmed as it has been partly several times now in DAD & GE. It would feel like old cheese.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    I'm quite happy with the MR we got, it's a solid flick, considerably over-bashed for some reason. But Roger delivers some of his best scenes in the centrifuge chamber, the Corrine hunt is quite dark, and I really enjoy the fight with Chang.

    Now contrary to SaintMark, I would enjoy a proper literary based MR film, as long as they adapt it a bit, much like what was done with CR.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited May 2011 Posts: 13,882
    Made in the late 1950's with William Franklyn as Bond. Not to mention sticking as close to the book as possible. That's how i'd have liked to have seen it made.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    I've said many times on the old forum that I would love to see a series of 90 minute TV dramas based on all Fleming's full length stories (inc TSWLM) set in the 50s and 60s. One or two will resemble the early films, granted, but these would be period pieces and the likes of YOLT, TSWLM, MR and DAF would be fresh and original. No spectacular action, no awful puns, just Bond as a man of his time
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,449
    I've said many times on the old forum that I would love to see a series of 90 minute TV dramas based on all Fleming's full length stories (inc TSWLM) set in the 50s and 60s. One or two will resemble the early films, granted, but these would be period pieces and the likes of YOLT, TSWLM, MR and DAF would be fresh and original. No spectacular action, no awful puns, just Bond as a man of his time
    I second this. What a great series it could be, that.

    As for MR, I'm a little torn between two conflicting thoughts. Firstly, I don't want MR ('79) to be a never happened. I love this film - always have, always will. The mere thought of never hearing Barry's masterful score, seeing Rog's brilliant performance and experiencing the tremendous special effects is distracting. But by the same token, I dread the fact we might actually never see one of Fleming's best stories come to cinematic fruition.

  • Despite the fact, that the film shares its title with one of the best Fleming novels, I appreciate the creativeness of the producers this time and I'm not suprised by the direction they have taken.

    The 'Moonraker novel plot' along with ex-Nazis and avenging the defeat in WWII was quite up to date in 1950s, but I'm sure the pop-culture has grown a little tired of it by 1970s. Moreover, I'm not suprised by the fact that the producers decided to jump on the sci-fi bandwagon, after all, Star Wars and Star Trek The Motion Picture were released around the same time and brough large profits.

    What I enjoyed about the film were the action sequences and special effects. I appreciated the leads, mainly Moore and Lous Chiles. Barry's wonderfull score and top notch direction.

    I must admit, that the film is ridiculous. but then which Bond film isn't. Anybody can openly mock every scene and detail in these movies. Thats why you have to have some distance towards these movies, do not take them too seriously, just leave your brain at the door. These aren't the films that carry a message, if you want such, just watch 'Forrest Gump' or tune in for an episode of Star Trek...
  • Posts: 4,762
    Moonraker is all right, I just don't enjoy the camp and cheesiness that were tossed into it. If Jaws was less comic, didn't have that romance with Dolly ( #-O ), and did not turn good, then it would have been a really great Bond movie. Also, there should have been a longer battle between the Marines and Drax's men. That's one thing I wish was present. It was a great battle, but cut too short. I mean, since there was so much emphasis on space, then why not have a drawn out battle in space? Thunderball's point of emphasis was underwater, and they had an epic, lengthy battle underwater!
  • I would love to see a good portion of the story realized as a film, preferably with a title from one of the chapters to hold it all together (perhaps "Dead Reckoning" or "Cards With A Stranger"?). It is my favorite Fleming novel.

    The early showdown with a card cheating "public hero" at Blades, Loelia Ponsonby and the powder-vine, the detective-style sorting of clues, and the seemingly available Gala Brand having been engaged the whole time... I would like to see these things in a movie. Sure, we've had different pieces of the book cut up and thrown around into various ways within the franchise, but the cohesive whole has yet to have been done justice.

    As for modernizing it, the moonraker itself could be replaced with an experimental scud-missile-type surface-to-surface installment somewhere in the Middle East. Rather than a former Nazi hiding as a British war veteran, Drax (renamed, of course) could be an influential military leader of an ally nation, with hidden ties to Quantum. And rather than the target be London, it could be some sort of high-profile NATO target, or another economic scheme.

    It would be nice if they used Gala Brand's name, too.
  • Posts: 11,189
    What about Canary Wharf being a target?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canary_Wharf

    It's in London and is one of todays major economic centres of the world.
  • edited June 2011 Posts: 1,492
    While I adore Moonraker I recognise its problems.

    The camp humour and innuendo needed to be scaled down. Also the jungle launchsite and space satellite needed to be more solid in its reasons. There is no reason why a capitalist cannot have a private space programme but it needed to be authenticated. Maybe the film needed to be more of Bond doing detective work piecing the bits together to work out the space programme. Therefore Venice and probably California needs to be killed to the curb.

    Set the entire thing in Brazil. The factories and facilities of assembling a space station can be half the story. What is Drax doing in the jungle? A good section can be Bond and Holly finding searching for the launchsite.

    The space battle was probably necessary in the climate of Star Wars and Close Encounters, But the space programme and battle just needs a bit of credibility. Why? What? Where? When?
  • Posts: 4,762
    I wish they had used the novel plot to some extent, like Hugo Drax's whole "fire a missile at London" thing. That would have been a little more thrilling than firing gas globes at Earth in order to re-populate and be the master of his own race. The jungle base would be a nice set-up for firing a missile, and maybe we could have had a fight with Drax in the launch control room as he attempts to fire the missile.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 5,921
    Moonraker would have been much improved if they had never brought back Jaws, or if they had killed him off in the PTS.
  • Posts: 7
    Moonrakers should haved to kill jaws . B-)
  • Posts: 8
    There's a lot to love about Moonraker - the score, the locations, Michael Lonsdale, the lovely Dobermans... Jaws, though, now he is a problem. Dolly too. Dump Jaws and Dolly and keep Bond on Earth and I think you'd have a truly great Bond film.
  • SharkShark Banned
    edited July 2011 Posts: 348
    There's a lot to love about Moonraker - the score, the locations, Michael Lonsdale, the lovely Dobermans... Jaws, though, now he is a problem. Dolly too. Dump Jaws and Dolly and keep Bond on Earth and I think you'd have a truly great Bond film.
    Then we wouldn't have this.



    Or this.

  • Posts: 8
    Shove them in somewhere else?
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    edited August 2011 Posts: 3,262
    There's a lot to love about Moonraker - the score, the locations, Michael Lonsdale, the lovely Dobermans... Jaws, though, now he is a problem. Dolly too. Dump Jaws and Dolly and keep Bond on Earth and I think you'd have a truly great Bond film.
    Then we wouldn't have this.



    Or this.

    Agreed. There was no way EON was going to change their plans from shooting FYEO in 1978-1979 to MR without Bond going into space. The Star Wars phenomenon was too huge at that time for them not to. Besides, a MR ending on earth would've just been another YOLT or DAF. MR is the outer space Bond just as TB is the underwater Bond and OHMSS is the snow Bond.

  • do_me_nicelydo_me_nicely Banned
    Posts: 106
    there should of been 2 moonrakers , to threaten a crash . :-|
  • Posts: 1,856
    I've always wanted to see the book adapted... (obviously not as moonraker and with a different villein)
  • do_me_nicelydo_me_nicely Banned
    Posts: 106
    Agreed \:D/
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    I tryed reading the casino royale but no Bomb Chase .

    they are boring ?


    @do_me_nicely, you claim to have been bored with the Bond novels, yet agree that Moonraker as a novel would have been better than the film.
    A strange thing to say if you've not read this Fleming classic. I'd suggest try re-reading all of the Fleming novels. You'll find them alot different to the movies, but in some cases so much better. Once in a while though, you'll see that EON stayed quite faithful to the novel. In the case of FRWL and OHMSS.
    Is English not your first language do_me_nicely? I see you're from Canada but maybe English is a not your mother tongue?
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    edited August 2011 Posts: 3,262
    I've always wanted to see the book adapted... (obviously not as moonraker and with a different villein)
    Elements of MR's novel sort of have made their way into the series with GE(villain with scar wanting vengeance on England and planning to attack London) and DAD(villain hiding in plain sight). I figure if a faithful adaptation of the novel were ever made, it would need to be as a period piece set in 1955.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    How about just putting that fantastic White cliffs of Dover scene in a future film? It'd make for some great action and I could go down and see the filming.

    Oh, yeah and Gala Brand.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 23,449
    How about just putting that fantastic White cliffs of Dover scene in a future film? It'd make for some great action and I could go down and see the filming.

    Oh, yeah and Gala Brand.
    I'd love that. A good portion of the film could take place there. It could be a terrific second or even third act, provided they allow us some time to explore the environment and for some key plot lines to actually develop satisfyingly. I'd loath them spending 10 minutes there and then move on...

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,686
    A good portion of the film could take place there. It could be a terrific second or even third act, provided they allow us some time to explore the environment and for some key plot lines to actually develop satisfyingly. I'd loath them spending 10 minutes there and then move on...

    Alas, the Craig films have too many locations, so only 10 minutes would be spend there, including a chase scene...*

    * I hope from B23 onwards only 2 locations will be used.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    edited August 2011 Posts: 13,350
    How about just putting that fantastic White cliffs of Dover scene in a future film? It'd make for some great action and I could go down and see the filming.

    Oh, yeah and Gala Brand.
    I'd love that. A good portion of the film could take place there. It could be a terrific second or even third act, provided they allow us some time to explore the environment and for some key plot lines to actually develop satisfyingly. I'd loath them spending 10 minutes there and then move on...
    Plus having Bond nearer to his home ground for a good chunk of the film would make for a nice change too.

    As for DC and his "too many locations", Bond 23 looks very different in that regard, which should please many people. It's been a long time and it will be great to see fewer locations for once.
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