Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5068 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-03-23
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 126 minutes

Synopsis
In the 11th installment of the 007 series, director Lewis Gilbert delivers a visually thrilling progression in filmmaking. Roger Moore returns as dashing secret service agent James Bond. This time around Bond must investigate the theft of a space shuttle with help from beautiful CIA agent Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles) and sexy Euro supermodel Corrine (Corrine Clery). Agent 007 discovers that genocidal maniac-millionaire Hugo Drax (Michel Lonsdale) plans to poison all of humanity from outer space and repopulate earth with only the most perfectly bred humans. A variety of traps and villains awaits Bond, including the recurring character Jaws (Richard Kiel, also featured in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME).

Filmed in such exotic locations as Southern California, Venice, and the Amazon, Gilbert delivers the formula Bond packet of girls, gadgets, and guns. However, he also goes further, sending Agent 007 into space. MOONRAKER takes great risks in blending the spy and science fiction genres. In spite of such an unruly coupling, the film rewards viewers with its finale of climactic plot twists and stellar special effects.

Customer Reviews

Still spectacular 30 years on
Well you either accept the film as a hugely enjoyable escapist romp or not. There's little point adding to what hasn't already been said about the movie over the past 30 years. But the fact it HAS been 30 years shows a remarkable eloquence and test of time. Ironically it's now kinda refreshing to see tongue in cheek hokum in these hard bitten cynical times. Anyway what blu-ray does here is first surprise you with the marvellous cinematography of the film. Something you wouldn't normally associate with a Bond film. Secondly, the genius of Ken Adams' set designs are shown off to even more supreme glory in High defination. He really was one of a kind! As was Derek Meddings of course with his master craftsman special effects... Often here, the model work can look even better than some of the rather flat CGI of today.
OK, yes, this was probably the pininacle of Roger Moore's humourously sly wink to the audience. After this, the laughs seemed to get a bit more painful and forcibly laid on with a trowl. Even the set pieces never seemed to segway or edit quite so well into each other as they were done with The Spy Who Loved Me or here! But alas, no more would the set designs of a Bond movie ever look so lavish, sumptuous or as visually stunning as they were presented here. On the blu-ray extras we even get home movie footage from Ken Adam when the production team was scouting various locations. So if like me you can take the film with a big pinch of salt and end up with a big smile upon your face, then believe me---- the blu-ray experience will only add a few more... Great fun.....

Nice disc
Although this movie has been bashed as one among the worse Bonds lately, it was among the highest grossing in the franchise. The opinion of the movie's qualities is mainly a thing of personal preferences, so I will skip critical view of the film, briefly saying that I like it for what it is.

Picture quality is very good, except for a few dark moments that are abound with compression artifacts which are intrusive, but luckily only present on two or three occasions. Sound is nothing special, but not too bad.

Overall a big leap in quality over the DVD and a highly recommended Blu-ray disc.

P.S. I can't resist the temptation to post my (very personal and subjective) list of Moore Bond films, from the worst to the best:

1. A View to a Kill
2. Live and Let Die
3. A Man with the Golden Gun
4. Octopussy
5. Moonraker
6. For your Eyes Only
7. The Spy Who Loved me

Blu-ray Quality & Languages
Blu-ray all zone

Languages available for the feature film:
DTS 5.1 MA: English
DTS 5.1: French, German
DD 5.1: Czech
DD 2.0: Commentary

Subtitles available for all the videos:
Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Norwegian, Swedish, English for the hearing impaired

Verdict:
An outstanding picture and sound quality, the Lowry Company in charge of this restoration did an excellent job, this film couldn't have been watched in better condition than it is today. If you watch carefully, you should even notice the wire holding Micheal Lonsdale and the others while in weightless conditions or the "handles" of the spacecrafts when securing to the space-station.