THE MOONRAKER (not to be confused with the Roger Moore James Bond film) is a late '50s swashbuckler set during the time of the English Civil War. Charles I is dead, and Charles II is on the run from Cromwell's troops after being defeated at the Battle of Worcester. Into this simmering mix comes George Baker's Moonraker, a dashing hero who fights for all that's right and proper.
The genre is ripe for parody (anyone who's seen THE FLASHING BLADE ought to agree) and, indeed, THE MOONRAKER is a dated film, twee sometimes in its pleasantries. Nonetheless, it proves to be an amusing enough little film, punctuated with enough intrigue and rapier fights to keep it moving merrily along. The scriptwriters have an ear for historical dialogue so that the cast members have a lot of fun slinging it back and forth.
Baker never really made it as a leading man but he's not bad here, and at least looks the part with his broad chest and dominant height - there's nothing worse than a feminine 'girly man' in this type of role. Sylvia Sims is as alluring as ever as his love interest, and Paul Whitsun-Jones bags a particularly fine comic relief role as the overbearing Parfitt. Eagle-eyed viewers may spot Brit favourites Patrick Troughton and John Le Mesurier (as Cromwell, no less!) in brief roles.
The genre is ripe for parody (anyone who's seen THE FLASHING BLADE ought to agree) and, indeed, THE MOONRAKER is a dated film, twee sometimes in its pleasantries. Nonetheless, it proves to be an amusing enough little film, punctuated with enough intrigue and rapier fights to keep it moving merrily along. The scriptwriters have an ear for historical dialogue so that the cast members have a lot of fun slinging it back and forth.
Baker never really made it as a leading man but he's not bad here, and at least looks the part with his broad chest and dominant height - there's nothing worse than a feminine 'girly man' in this type of role. Sylvia Sims is as alluring as ever as his love interest, and Paul Whitsun-Jones bags a particularly fine comic relief role as the overbearing Parfitt. Eagle-eyed viewers may spot Brit favourites Patrick Troughton and John Le Mesurier (as Cromwell, no less!) in brief roles.