Roger Moore’s first stint as Bond holds up surprisingly well – it’s not one of the classics, but there is a lot to enjoy and marked a wonderful return to form after Diamonds Are Forever. Unlike that movie it's got a James Bond who seems to be in shape and happy to be there, a logical story, a genuine exotic flavour and glamorous locations, and a very strong group of villains. Moore slips into the role straight away (as he should, after serving such a long apprenticeship on The Saint)
Although based on a source novel (not one of Ian Fleming's best) the script seems to be more inspired by Dr No - as in that film Bond is called in to investigate the death of a British agent in a Caribbean island (they also kill off British agents in New York and New Orleans to give it some difference). He is helped by Felix Leiter and Quarrell (son of the original Quarrell) and goes to visit a mysterious section of the island where native religion is used to mask a criminal enterprise; he beds two exotic girls, one of whom turns out to be treacherous tries to arrange for his death right after sex, the other a more innocent creature who becomes his ally. It's even got an opening sequence where Bond's mission interrupts him having sex with a hot woman (Madeleine Smith, a Hammer horror favourite) and a bit where the baddies try to kill Bond by sneaking a deadly animal into his hotel room (a snake here).
For all that this movie still has very much its own identity. For starters its got one of the best music scores in the series, especially the theme song. I also enjoyed the creepy voodoo-infested island on which most of the film is set; it had genuine atmosphere and colour, with deadly ceremonies, voodoo priests and graveyards, poppy fields, villain's lairs (you could imagine some great fan fiction set there).
Jane Seymour would be among the most beautiful Bond girls, almost achingly pretty at times, although her character is a whimp – she starts out so enigmatic and powerful with a spot on reading of cards (this is the most mystic of the Bond films) but then losing her virginity strips her of her power (gender studies writers would have a field day with this, particularly with Bond and the head villain arguing over ). The one positive of this is its dramatically interesting that Bond is so ruthless about seducing her for his own ends - he goes out of his way to use his sex appeal.
Yaphet Kotto’s Mr Big is not one of the most famous Bond villains but he’s pretty good - I've come to appreciate Kotto's skill as an actor more in recent years, he had tremendous presence and that great voice. (He is better as the politician than as Mr Big because he has that ridiculous make up... You're never fooled Mr Big and Kanaga are different people.)
He is also backed by one of the best line ups of henchmen in the whole series: the dancing Baron Samedi, one armed Teehee and fat deadly Whisper. Every single one of these is excellent; there is also a wide variety of sub-henchmen (eg the smiling cab driver, the fat assassin, the girl in the voodoo store in Harlem, the Voodoo priest, all those waiters who help Bond disappear at Fillet of Soul restaurants not once but twice). I don't think there's a Bond film where the baddies are so efficient; they always track down Bond relatively easily. Yes Kanaga does monologue and the killing of Bond is conveniently delayed a few occasions but its no way near as bad as Diamonds Are Forever. The baddies have the drop on Bond pretty much the whole film – it’s really only his ability to get Solitaire into bed which means he can save the day.
Writer Tom Mankiewicz redeems himself from Diamonds. He had a genuine gift of thinking up memorable "bits" – the double decker bus crashing on to the bridge, the escape from the crocodile farm (very clever), the tarot cards, killing the snake with a make shift blow torch, how Bond gets rid of Teehee. The film also offers a few interesting quirks for series fans – we see Bond’s apartment, the opening pre-credit sequence doesn’t involve Bond but the death of various agents around the world.
The film is a bit racist, even by Bond standards: white man beats black men by converting a white woman to the black cause – blaxploitation in reverse. The character of Rosie the traitor (the first African American to sleep with Bond) is also disappointingly whimpy and scared of voodoo, and it lacks black goodies (there are two small roles: Quarrell Jnr, who is basically a cab driver in this one, and Leiter's fellow agent Suttor who saves Bond's life and is later killed). In addition to that a redneck Southern sheriff who calls the black baddies "boy" is treated comically as opposed to villainous. (He's pretty dreadful as a character.)
At least it is less racist than the book (which contains the line "I like blacks… except when they’ve had a bit too much to drink of course") and does allow Quarrell to live at the end of the film – something which wouldn’t happen in Dr No and Licence to Kill. I think some of the criticism might have been lessened had they cast a black actor as Felix Leiter. Having said that, David Hedison is that rarest of beasts - an engaging, likeable Leiter; easily the best to date (not a very prestigious honour). I also think that Solitaire was meant to be played by a black actress (they might have figured Bond sleeping with one black girl was enough).
Two of the best scenes from the book weren’t used here for some reason, but popped up in later films – Felix Leiter’s torture (used in Licence to Kill) and Bond and Solitaire being dragged over rocks (later used in For Your Eyes Only).
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