Live and Let Die (1973)

"No sense going off half cocked."

Roger Moore's maiden voyage as James Bond -- and the third different actor in the role in three consequetive films -- is actually a fairly entertaining movie with the usual set pieces, babes, and Moore's laid back performance. Tom Mankowicz (who wrote for both Connery and Moore) had the best observation. In the scene where Moore enters the Fillet of Soul in Harlem, if you have Connery you know there is going to be a fight. Jane Seymour's big break, Yaphet Koto as Kananga/Mr. Big, Julius Harris as his henchman "T" and David Hedison in his first outing as Bond's CIA buddy Felix Leiter. The first 007 since DR. NO not to be scored by John Barry, the music is courtesy of Sir George Martin (who produced the Beatles records) with a title song (and an energetic one at that) by Paul McCartney and Wings. A pleasant romp, I actually like this one more than Connery's last, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. October 28, 2008

Live and Let Die - Blu-ray Info

Version: U.S.A / Region A
Aspect ratio: 1.66:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50 / High Profile 4.1
Running time: 2:01:38
Movie size: 33,12 GB
Disc size: 42,12 GB
Average video bit rate: 29.15 Mbps
Subtitles: English SDH / French / Spanish
Number of chapters: 31

DTS-HD Master Audio English 3631 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 3631kbps (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48kHz / 24-bit / 1536kbps)
Dolby Digital Audio French 448 kbps 5.1 / 48kHz / 448kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio English 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps
Dolby Digital Audio Spanish 224 kbps 2.0 / 48kHz / 224kbps

#Audio Commentary Featuring Sir Roger Moore
#"The Complete Special Features Library: Mission Dossier" - Audio Commentary Featuring Guy Hamilton
#Audio Commentary Featuring Tom Mankiewicz
#"Declassified: M16 Vault" - Bond 1973: The Lost Documentary
#Roger Moore as James Bond, Circa 1964
#Live and Let Die Conceptual Art
#"007 Mission Control" Interactive Guide Into the World of Live and Let Die
#Inside Live and Let Die
#On Set With Roger Moore
#"Ministry of Propaganda" - Original Trailers, TV Spots, Photo Gallery and Radio Communications October 23, 2008

Difficulty Playing Blu-Ray

I could not watch any bonus features on my stand alone Blu-ray player, even with the latest updates. The movie itself played fine after taking some time to load.

Picture and sound are outstanding upgrades! The movie itself sucks. I grew up with Roger Moore as Bond, and have collected them all in every format. That will stop now with Blu-ray. I only rented this one, thank god. As other reviewers have noted, it really is a bad film all around, and Moore never plays it serious. Yech! October 22, 2008

Live and Let Die

I'm a giant fan of James Bond. This one always held a special place. It's probably the cheesiest of the 007 genre, but I like Roger Moore and I guess the music makes it better. October 5, 2008

The Name Is Bland . . . James Bland

If you want to pinpoint where the 007 series took a nosedive into unadulterated silliness, look no further than "Live and Let Die" (1973). Roger Moore makes his debut as James Bland in this ridiculous blaxploitation-style thriller with slapstick action sequences. The only redeeming aspect is Paul McCartney and Wings' Oscar-nominated song, which deserved a far better film. July 31, 2008

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