Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
James Bond must investigate a mysterious murder case of a British agent in New Orleans. Soon he finds himself up against a gangster boss named Mr. Big.
Live and Let Die is a mid-tier Bond entry that leans heavily into early-70s Blaxploitation aesthetics and voodoo mystique, giving it some period-specific novelty — the tarot card subplot and Louisiana bayou setting are distinctive touches. Roger Moore's debut as Bond is charming but uneven, and the supporting cast is mixed, with Yaphet Kotto's Mr. Big/Kananga being memorable but Jane Seymour's Solitaire underused. Cinematography is competent and occasionally atmospheric in the New Orleans sequences, but nothing exceptional. The plot is formulaic even by Bond standards — drug smuggling via elaborate scheme feels convenient — and the climax (villain inflated by shark gun pellet) is cartoonishly weak. The speedboat chase is a fun action set piece but the ending deflates rather than lands with impact.