Diamonds are Forever was a big hit with James Bond fans because of one reason: Connery was back. Well, the fans of the 007 series were in for another shock when Sean Connery once again informed the producers that he would not return. So here we go again, a new 007 had to be found. Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman did not wish to bring back fan un-favorite George Lazenby because his film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service performed miserably at the box office. Timothy Dalton was still too young for the role but how about Roger Moore? Two years earlier, Moore was not able to accept 007's licence to kill because of his prior commitment to his television series, The Persuaders. After the series bombed, however, Roger Moore became available to play James Bond. Live and Let Die marked his first appearance as 007 in this, the eighth installment of the series. Roger Moore recieved a much warmer reception to the role than Lazenby did. For some reason, fans took to him much easier because of his debonair style. Live and Let Die begins in New York City at the United Nations building where an ambassador to Great Britain is murdered by a mysterious man. Next we go to New Orleans, Louisiana where another British agent is keeping an eye on a couple of shady characters outside of a local restaraunt. He is murdered by a funeral procession as they go by. Finally, we travel to San Monique, an island in the Caribbean where yet another British agent has been kidnapped, tied up to a post, and then sacrificed by a voodoo cult with a poisonous snake bite. Here, the scene cuts straight into the credits sequence. Even though this beginning does not show James Bond at all, I still like it. many fans will mention that it isn't a good opener because Bond is not present. But unlike most Bond films, this pre-title sequence has a major plot line woven into it. The entire movie surrounds these three murders and it is important that they occurred. It was a good way to open the film. The only reservation that I have about the pre-title sequence is that they did miss out on an opportunity to introduce the new 007. George Lazenby got a good introduction whereas Moore's was not so good.

We are first introduced to Roger Moore after the title track sung by Paul McCartney, which is one of the more finer title songs in the Bond series. "M" arrives at 007's house in the wee hours of the morning to inform him of the three agent murders. Bond is harboring an Italian agent in his apartment doing a little...well, you know. This is another Bond first because here is the only time in the entire Bond series that we ever get a look at James Bond's apartment. "M" sends Bond to New York City to investigate the United Nations where the first agent was killed. When he gets to New York, he boards a cab en route to meet Felix Leiter of the CIA. Along the way, awhite Cadillac pulls up the the side of the cab driver and shoots a lethal dart into the side of his temple. The driver keels over, dead, and the taxi runs out of control. Bond has to steer the car from the back seat and finally stops is by crashing into a van. This is an excellent scene because it is filled with action and has a new Bond twist. Many people may disagree with me on this point, but one thing that makes Live and Let Die so good is because it is so deep 70s. Listen to the music and even the Bond theme and it sounds ever so retro 1970s style. I like 70s crime dramas so perhaps I am biased in this orientation.

Soon, Bond finds out that a Harlem gangster named Mister Big is controlling the city with pushers and hit men that nobody can even get close to him. James tries to tail one of his cars and is followed by damn near every negro in Harlem. When he is captured by the opposition, Bond meets Solitaire, Mister Big's fortune teller. Solitaire, played by Jane Seymour, is one of the best Bond girls in all of the 007 films. It is a real rarity because this one can actually act! Bond tries to give her his charm but she is resistant at first. James escape capture and flees the hideout where he is met by CIA agent Harold Strutter. Live and Let Die is a very fast paced movie which is one of the major reasons it is ranked near the top. The action never slows down for a minute and you are left holding the bag.

Bond is informed of a connection between Mr. Big and a man named Kananga who lives in San Monique, the site of the third agent murder. He goes there to snoop around and while he's there, he decides to infiltrate his quarters and spend the night with Solitaire. Bond wants to take her away from him but she is resistant at first. Soon enough, she agrees to go with Bond and flee the island. When they do, they find out that Kananga is harvesting several acres of poppy plants which are used to make heroin. Knowing this, Kananga orders Bond to be killed so that the information will not escape the island. An action chase scene now ensues with a helicopter, motorcycles, and a double-decker bus. Solitaire and 007 elude Kananga's henchmen and return to the United States. Only along the way, Kananga's men were able to take back Solitaire.

After several scenes of investigation, Bond comes face to face with Mister Big back in New Orleans, site of the second murder. Mister Big interrogates Bond and proceeds to peel off his rubber mask to show his real identity. For the first time, Bond discovers that Mister Big is Kananga. Kananga reveals his plan to Bond and then orders his men to take him to "the farm" where wild animals and vicious alligators sprawl about. The Farm sets the stage for the greatest sequence in the entire movie: the speedboat chase. This scene is nonstop action and you are on the edge of your seat the entire time. Bond is being chased by numerous henchmen on speedboats through the river, jumping obstacles along the way. Note: The part when the speedboat crashes through J.W. Pepper's police car was not scripted! During the filming, the boat accidentally missed the jump and plowed through the police car. The producers decided to keep the scene anyway in this film. So when you look at the boat crashed into the car, just think that it really happened!

Live and Let Die's climax was also a great one. Bond returns to San Monique to rescue Solitaire, who is about to be sacrificed in another voodoo ceremony. Bond is carrying a .44 magnun revolver instead of his Walther PPK in this scene. I thought this was great! This gun packed some power, believe me, and Bond didn't hesitate to blow the snake charmer away when he got too close to Solitaire. Down below when he faces Kananga, Bond and Solitaire are tied up and are about to be lowered into a pool full of sharks. The sharks will supposedly eat them alive and Kananga gets away scot-free. Not so this time. When Kananga is not looking, Bond turns on his buzzsaw watch and slices through the ropes. He and Kananga proceed to wrestle a bit and both are heaved into the shark pool. Underwater, Bond shoves a gas-filled grenade into Kananga's mouth. Before a shark is able to dismantle him, Kananga inflates with gas, rises to the ceiling, and explodes.

Live and Let Die was an excellent film because it paved the way for the new generation of Bond movies during the 70s. None of the 60s films had been this outlandish and wild. This is as good as Bond movies get. I love the fact that Roger Moore is the new Bond; he looks the best in this film; the musical score by George Martin is great; Solitaire is a fabulous addition; the action was never slow; the enemy was great; everything about the film was terrific. I can find few faults in Live and Let Die, so live and let live.

Overall Rating: B

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