The Man with the Golden Gun

Movie review by Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media
The Man with the Golden Gun Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 13+

Action-packed Bond film has sexual situations, shooting.

PG 1974 125 minutes
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Parents say

age 14+

Based on 2 reviews

Kids say

age 12+

Based on 14 reviews

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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Man with the Golden Gun is the ninth James Bond movie and the second to feature Roger Moore. It contains some iffy material, but it's fairly mild and should be OK for teens. It shows guns and shooting, dead bodies with bullet holes and a little blood. There's fighting and car chases. We get sexual innuendo and several sexual situations. Nudity is frequently implied. Language is limited to "goddamn," "hell," "damn," and "ass." Pepsi signs are shown. Characters briefly smoke and drink. Fans of the Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings films may be drawn to this movie thanks to the presence of Christopher Lee as the villain. The movie is rated PG but might be closer to a PG-13 today.

Community Reviews

Anne R.
Anne R. Adult
April 10, 2018
age 15+

After watching this with my kids I felt the need to give a heads up

I wanted to watch this with my kids (ages 10 and 12) before visiting Thailand. Mistake. Naked and bikini clad women. A naked woman in the pool named "Chew Me." A strip club scene with a woman's butt in your face. A scene where James beds a woman while another woman is waiting in the closet for her turn. Bad messages I didn't want my preteen boys to hear. Miss Moneypenny says to James "I do lots of things well that you don't take advantage of James" while giving him the up and down eyes. James was an a-hole and women were falling all over him. The only scene I really enjoyed was the boat chase. Everything else was cringey.

This title has:

Too much sex
Matthew S.
Matthew S. Adult
January 30, 2017
age 12+

Cheesy but still enjoyable

I enjoy this film, mainly because of nostalgia, but I feel that this film still falls flat because of how cheesy it is. But Christopher Lee's villian and some of the action scenes saves this film from being a disaster and entertaining nonetheless.
See all 2 parent reviews

What's the Story?

James Bond (Roger Moore) receives what looks to be a death threat: a golden bullet with "007" engraved on it. It can only have come from the legendary assassin Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), who uses a golden gun and charges $1 million per job. Bond decides to go after him, even though Scaramanga is a ghost; no one knows where he is or what he looks like. The plot grows more complicated when Scaramanga's sidekick Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize) steals a key piece of a solar power station. Bond must get it back while defeating the villains. Unfortunately, Bond and his MI6 helper Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland) wind up imprisoned on Scaramanga's island, and the hunter is on the hunt.

Is It Any Good?

Though it's not one of the very best Bond films, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is still an enjoyable thrill ride, thanks in part to its top-notch cast. The suave Christopher Lee is a snaky, silky low-key bad guy, and future Fantasy Island star Herve Villechaize is his polite but vicious sidekick. Britt Ekland and Maud Adams are fine Bond girls, though they don't have the chance to show much strength. Throughout, Hamilton keeps up the pace and includes a number of solid chase scenes, fights, and exotic locations.

Director Guy Hamilton, of Goldfinger, returned to direct this ninth James Bond adventure. It was Hamilton's fourth and final time out on the series, and it was Roger Moore's second time in the lead role. He hadn't yet sunk into the silliness of his later films, although this movie does contain the unfortunate return of the comical redneck sheriff Pepper (Clifton James) from the previous film, Live and Let Die. (This time the sheriff is on an unlikely vacation in Thailand.)

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the movie's violence. How intense is it? How many characters have to die so Bond can save the world? Are there any consequences?

  • Bond is definitely a good guy, but his methods and behavior are questionable. Is he a role model? Does he seem "cool"? Is he someone to emulate? Why, or why not?

  • What are the sexual situations in this movie like? How much is shown or not shown? How effective are these choices?

  • How are women portrayed in the movie? Are they realistic? Strong?

  • What makes a good movie villain? Are the villains in this movie appealing? What about their personalities makes them interesting?

Movie Details

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