2. Live And Let Die (1973)
Right from the beginning, Roger Moore’s Bond was destined to be the era of the “Oh, James” catchphrase. Even with the telltale signs of the more humorous era of James Bond being on the rise, Live and Let Die still maintained an air of serious danger. In particular, Yaphet Kotto’s quietly insidious reign as Kanaga provides a more calm and collected villain who poses a great threat to 007 and his compatriots. Also, it needs to be said that the James Bond series really does love its sharks, as this film also marked the beginning of a recurring aquatic motif for a lot of Moore’s adversaries. Though the evolution of female protagonists would have to wait a little longer, as poor Solitaire (Jane Seymour) is pretty mistreated from all sides. It may be far from a socially-enlightening adventure, but Live and Let Die delivers a solid start to this era in Bond history.
