9th movie and this time we have Cristopher Lee as Scaramanga, the assassin that seems to be after 007 and trying to get his hand on some solar device (a Solex) that will make solar energy the most efficient energy source in the world and combat the energy crisis. The energy crisis which they never mentions is the founding of OPEC, the oil cartel, that after the Yom Kippur war between the Arab countries and Israel stopped the flow of oil to the west since US and UK supported Israel. The price hike that followed pretty much destroyed the cheap energy boom that probably helped the upward spiral of the economies of the west after World War II. It showed how reliant the western economies was on oil and therefore most countries tried to try to get out of that. So much of the alternative energy resources was spearheaded just for that reason. So here is one of the most forward looking plots of the Bond-movies so far. Sadly we don't explore that avenue but instead looks on Bonds dark shadow, Scaramanga.
Cause it's more a Scaramanga movie than a Bond movie. Who gets the awesome flying car? Scaramanga. Who gets the gadgets? Scaramanga. Who gets at least a competent Bond-girl (until she betrays him at least)? Scaramanga. So the plot kicks off a golden bullet being sent to MI6 where it pretty much points toward 007 as the next target of Scaramanga. Bond goes to Beirut to get the bullet that killed 002... why not use the bullet they got in the mail? Is it since they don't know what caliber gun was used? They still figured out where the bullet was from with the amount of nickel and gold so why not just use the bullet they got? It leads to Macao where 007 is able to tail Scaramangas girlfriend and get the info that Scaramanga is staking out this club. Before entering Scaramanga shoots a person leaving which turns out to be the solar specialist Bond was originally working to find, but was discharged from due to the Scaramanga situation.
007 looks into the scientists boss who hired Scaramanga, but Scaramanga takes the solar device and kills the boss. His girlfriends betrays him, since she was the one arranging Bond to look for Scaramanga so that 007 could kill Scaramanga. Scaramanga kills her and after some complications kidnaps 007's assistant that happened to have the device on her. So Bond has to go to Scaramanga's secret island hideout, duel Scaramagna, get the Solex and escape after the assistant by mistake puts the whole island on a countdown to explosion. As well as almost frying Bond with the solar laser when she accidentally pushes a switch. I can't stand that girl. She caused more troubles and pushed the movie 30 more minutes.
Still, great music and there is an interesting conflict on the world stage behind the movie so I give it at least that. Best things about the Roger Moore movies is the rock music titles and the Lulu song is no exception. The biggest problem though with the Solex plot is that, it should have had some effects on the real world. All other we can believe that Bond stopped World War III before it began or something, upholding status quo and all that, but here he actually gets the one thing that would end the energy crisis and therefore put the Bond-universe to another trajectory than our own world. Where are the solar farms, why are there still oil being drilled for and whatnot?
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