Rating: ***
Director: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Roger Moore, Jane Seymour, Yaphet Kotto
At this point, the James Bond franchise started to get really silly. Roger Moore's first outing as Agent 007 has him mixed up in a bizarre voodoo plot that is linked to a massive drug smuggling operation in Haiti. Almost a blaxploitation flick as Bond travels to Harlem and New Orleans, following leads and meeting up with some wacky over-the-top 1970's black dudes. And that's really the key - everything in the film is wacky and over-the-top, and it reeks of bizarre 1970's fashions and sensibilities. But the film really redeems itself with the inclusion of hypnotically beautiful Jane Seymour (in her debut film role) and the totally insane boat chase through a Louisiana marsh towards the end of the film. Roger Moore's portrayal of Bond is spot-on, and reflects well on the times. Whereas Sean Connery's Bond was a bit of a brute, Roger Moore's Bond is more sophisticated and sensitive. The voodoo angle is a bit surreal, but the film is still a lot of fun and full of all the action, babes, and gadgets that you'd expect from the series.