Here's every James Bond movie starring Roger Moore, ranked worst to best. The Bond franchise was in a dangerous place when Moore inherited the role in 1973. Sean Connery had made the character an icon, but his very public exit and falling out with the franchise producers left the future of 007 uncertain. George Lazenby was Connery's first replacement for 1969's fan favorite On Her Majesty's Secret Service but he exited after only one film. Connery was lured back by a huge payday for Diamond Are Forever but made it clear he was done. Had Moore's debut failed to click with audiences, the series would have ended prematurely.
Except, the opposite happened. Moore established a take on Bond that was totally different from Connery. Where the latter played a more grounded character, Moore always looked for the gag and wanted audiences to have fun. This formula worked, with the actor playing the part for seven movies before retiring from Bond aged 58. Retrospective reviews on the Moore era can be mixed, thanks to their reliance on goofy humor and outlandish villains and subplots. What can't be denied is the charm and humor the star brought to the James Bond movies, and how he helped them survive and thrive against the odds.
7. A View To A Kill (1985)
A View To A Kill was Moore's seventh and final time wielding the Walter PPK - and the movie feels as tired as the actor looks. Outside of some bright points like Christopher Walken's over-the-top villain or Duran Duran's catchy theme, the sequel suffers from an uninvolving story, tacky comedy and one of Bond's least compelling love interests. Moore himself labeled A View To A Kill his least favorite, feeling he was too old for the part and disliking the increase in violence, such as Walken's massacring henchmen with an uzi during the finale.
6. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Moore's second outing Man With The Golden Gun almost ended Bond thanks to its underwhelming financial performance. The film benefits greatly from Christopher Lee's title villain, with the actor being both charismatic and menacing. Much of the film has aged poorly, from returning "comedy" relief Sheriff J.W. Pepper to Bond's treatment of women or the uninvolving narrative. The film is just about saved by a great showdown between Moore and Lee, but there's a good reason The Man With The Golden Gun often ranks low on Bond movie lists.
5. Octopussy (1983)
Moore very nearly stepped away from Octopussy, with American actor James Brolin in line to replace him. However, the studio wanted to compete with Connery's "unofficial" Bond Never Say Never Again, so Moore was lured back. If audiences have an image of a stereotypical Roger Moore Bond - one filled with double entendres, bizarre gadgets and hammy villains - then Octopussy is likely the one they picture. From top to bottom, it's a silly spy adventure that steadfastly refuses to take itself seriously. In the right mindset that makes it kind of fun, while it has some nice sequences like a chase on a train.
4. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
For Your Eyes Only signaled a shift in Moore's era. His previous two outings brought Bond's success to new heights - literally, in Moonraker's case - but the reliance on gadgets, special effects and world-destroying villain schemes threatened to overwhelm the series. For Your Eyes Only stripped away many of those elements, attempting to tell a more down to earth spy story that still featured the location hopping and action audiences liked. It also featured Roger Moore's darkest scene as Bond where he cold-bloodedly executes an assassin by knocking his wrecked car over a cliff edge.
That makes For Your Eyes Only an outlier in Moore's Bond adventures. On one hand, it's easily the most "realistic" of the actor's run. It still contains some impressive setpieces such as an underwater fight scene or a ski chase, but much of For Your Eyes Only is kind of dull. The stretches between action can be interminable, while Moore shares disastrously little chemistry with leading lady Carole Bouquet. It feels like there's a better movie in For Your Eyes Only waiting to come out, but it never quite emerges.
3. Moonraker (1979)
Moonraker is a divisive Bond entry. It's either seen as a series nadir due to being "Bond in Space!," or one of Moore's most purely enjoyable entries. It's borderline Austin Powers plot sees Bond race to stop Michael Lonsdale's Drax - one of 007's most underrated foes - wiping out humanity to start a new society in space. The story takes 007 from Italy to Rio de Janeiro and - of course - outer space. Most of Moonraker plays out as a spy adventure before this, doubling down on the amount of action and comedy, in addition to production designer Ken Adams' impressive sets. Silly as the finale is, it's still a guilty pleasure.
2. Live And Let Die (1973)
Moore's 007 debut was Live And Let Die (which Anthony Hopkins rejected) and it set itself apart from the Connery movies by ejecting aside elements such as a Q scene or Vodka Martinis. The film mixed a spy story with a blaxploitation movie, which has seen some parts age poorly; the same can be said for Bond tricking Jane Seymour's Solitaire into bed. Those elements aside, it has a banger of a theme, features an incredible boat chase and broke ground for the series, including featuring Bond's first Black leading lady in Gloria Hendry and only supernatural foe in Baron Samedi. The voodoo angle is also unique for the franchise.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me is not only Moore's best 007, it's one of the best in the series. The film is overloaded with iconic moments, from Bond's Union Jack parachute, the introduction of Bond henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel), Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" theme, 007's submarine car and much more. The film gave Moore's James Bond his best love interest in Russian agent Anya (Barbara Bach) and the film's reception ensured the character would survive, following the disappointment of The Man With The Golden Gun. The Spy Who Loved Me is the perfect storm of everything that worked about Roger Moore's era.