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The Reason Behind The Dumbest Moment In James Bond History: "Broke The Golden Rule"
In 'The Man with the Golden Gun', there's a moment that's often regarded as one of the most foolish in the Bond franchise.
It all started with the novels by Ian Fleming. In 1962, the first James Bond film Dr. No premiered with Sean Connery as the secret agent. Since then, five other actors have taken on the role of Bond, and following Daniel Craig's departure, a search for the next one is underway.
The Bond films have all been box office successes, but they haven't always been critically acclaimed. The James Bond series features some of the most ridiculous stunts and spectacles in film history. However, there is one moment that stands out as the dumbest, and there is a reason behind it.
When it comes to absurdity, one Bond actor often tops the list: Roger Moore. During his 12 years and seven films as 007, Moore ventured into a form of farce that even the most ridiculous moments of Pierce Brosnan can't touch. Moore is truly the ultimate joker among Bond actors.
It's not as if he only has one blunder to his name. There is an abundance of moments that are not just silly, but downright embarrassing. From blowing up Dr. Kananga like a balloon in Live and Let Die, to incapacitating Nick Nack with a suitcase in The Man with the Golden Gun, and sailing through Venice in a wheeled gondola in Moonraker; wherever Moore goes, hilarious antics soon follow.
And we haven't even mentioned his clown outfit in Octopussy. But the moment that truly takes the cake is the famous corkscrew jump with the car in The Man with the Golden Gun. Not because of the stunt itself, which is outright spectacular.
Without CGI, miniatures, or special effects, stuntman Loren Willert made a single jump in an AMC Hornet X over a river, which remains one of the most impressive car stunts ever filmed.
However... you ideally want to watch this scene without sound. Because composer John Barry, usually a master of the Bond soundtrack, made a fatal choice on his eighth Bond film: he added a slide whistle.
A whistle. A comical sound that completely undermined all tension and seriousness. Together with the return of the annoying sheriff J.W. Pepper, who hysterically screams, the scene becomes almost unbearable.
What makes it worse: producer Cubby Broccoli decided to keep the slide whistle in the film, even knowing it ruined the entire scene. Even Barry himself regretted it later. In the DVD commentary, he states that he had "broken the golden rule" for what was "actually a life-threatening moment... in true James Bond style."
James Bond is rarely averse to a bit of cheesy humor, but the slide whistle stands as the most embarrassing example of how far the series could go. The Man with the Golden Gun also happens to be one of the Bond films with the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Bond films have all been box office successes, but they haven't always been critically acclaimed. The James Bond series features some of the most ridiculous stunts and spectacles in film history. However, there is one moment that stands out as the dumbest, and there is a reason behind it.
Ultimate Joker
When it comes to absurdity, one Bond actor often tops the list: Roger Moore. During his 12 years and seven films as 007, Moore ventured into a form of farce that even the most ridiculous moments of Pierce Brosnan can't touch. Moore is truly the ultimate joker among Bond actors.
It's not as if he only has one blunder to his name. There is an abundance of moments that are not just silly, but downright embarrassing. From blowing up Dr. Kananga like a balloon in Live and Let Die, to incapacitating Nick Nack with a suitcase in The Man with the Golden Gun, and sailing through Venice in a wheeled gondola in Moonraker; wherever Moore goes, hilarious antics soon follow.
Corkscrew Jump
And we haven't even mentioned his clown outfit in Octopussy. But the moment that truly takes the cake is the famous corkscrew jump with the car in The Man with the Golden Gun. Not because of the stunt itself, which is outright spectacular.
Without CGI, miniatures, or special effects, stuntman Loren Willert made a single jump in an AMC Hornet X over a river, which remains one of the most impressive car stunts ever filmed.
Whistle
However... you ideally want to watch this scene without sound. Because composer John Barry, usually a master of the Bond soundtrack, made a fatal choice on his eighth Bond film: he added a slide whistle.
A whistle. A comical sound that completely undermined all tension and seriousness. Together with the return of the annoying sheriff J.W. Pepper, who hysterically screams, the scene becomes almost unbearable.
Golden Rule Broken
What makes it worse: producer Cubby Broccoli decided to keep the slide whistle in the film, even knowing it ruined the entire scene. Even Barry himself regretted it later. In the DVD commentary, he states that he had "broken the golden rule" for what was "actually a life-threatening moment... in true James Bond style."
James Bond is rarely averse to a bit of cheesy humor, but the slide whistle stands as the most embarrassing example of how far the series could go. The Man with the Golden Gun also happens to be one of the Bond films with the lowest rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
