Moonraker Plot, The

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Moonraker Plot, The
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Franchise:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1979
Original Running Time:
125 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
115 minutes
Time Cut:
10 minutes
Synopsis:
This edit of Moonraker tries to eliminate a lot of the silliness that was prominent in what is considered one of the cheesiest Bond films of all. A few quick cuts has now made Jaws seem more threatening, Bond a little more clever since now he isnā€™t saying something stupid every 30 seconds (ā€œPlay it again, Sam!ā€), and some of the eye rolling scenes have been scrapped. I have also completely rescored the cable car fight and the speed boat chase as well as added additional sound effects to those scenes.
Intention:
I was never really a fan of Moonraker. I always thought it was so terrible and cheesy and borderline unwatchable, especially after watching some Connery Bond films and recently seeing Skyfall (this was almost a year ago). Finally, with the tools in front of me, I decided to tackle editing this while interest in Bond was high. Unfortunately it took me a little bit longer than expected to finish this, but I am happy that it is done and ready for people to see.
Other Sources:
David Arnoldā€™s amazing work from the Tomorrow Never Dies score
Special Thanks:
Dwight Fry
Release Information:
DVD
Special Features:
Fanedit Trailer, Scene Comparison
Cuts and Additions:
-The outer space battle outside of the space station has been cut
-Jaws biting through the cable car wire is now gone. I moved the thug knocking out the control room worker to right as Bond and Goodhead get on the cable car so it looks like the reason the cable car stops is because the thug stopped it. Jaws appears as his cable car is approaching Bond's now.
-Some of the real chessy Bond lines have been taken out (ā€œPlay it again, Samā€ ā€“ ā€œHe was a real pain in the neckā€)
-The gondola chase is now gone. It was way way too silly, even for a Roger Moore Bond.
-Sorry Jaws, but no girlfriend for you.
-Jaws will still help Bond at the end, but he will meet his demise on the space station)
-Close Encounters 5 note motif has been replaced with a standard beeping sound for the keypad
-No Magnificent Seven theme.
-The laser gun that melts the mannequin's head is gone
-I forget her name now, but the first girl that helps Bond in Drax's office dies offscreen, but her screams are heard
-You won't be able to see Bond's camera saying 007 on it when he is taking pictures of Drax's blueprints.
-Completely rescored the cable car fight
-Rescored the speed boat chase as well as removed Jaws from the chase completely
-Jaws will not be going through a metal detector at the airport
-Less time in between Bond shooting Drax at the end and throwing him out into space
-Bond doesnā€™t knee Jaws in his groin (which meant removing the metallic impact sound)
-Jaws doesnā€™t flap his arms as he falls during the opening freefall

There are probably more that Iā€™m not thinking of at the moment.
Moonraker Plot Disc Cover
the-moonraker-plot
Moonraker cover
moonraker-disc
Faneditor Name:
Original Movie/Show Title:
Franchise:
Fanedit Type:
Original Release Date:
1979
Original Running Time:
125 minutes
Fanedit Release Date:
Fanedit Running Time:
115 minutes
Time Cut:
10 minutes
Synopsis:
This edit of Moonraker tries to eliminate a lot of the silliness that was prominent in what is considered one of the cheesiest Bond films of all. A few quick cuts has now made Jaws seem more threatening, Bond a little more clever since now he isnā€™t saying something stupid every 30 seconds (ā€œPlay it again, Sam!ā€), and some of the eye rolling scenes have been scrapped. I have also completely rescored the cable car fight and the speed boat chase as well as added additional sound effects to those scenes.
Intention:
I was never really a fan of Moonraker. I always thought it was so terrible and cheesy and borderline unwatchable, especially after watching some Connery Bond films and recently seeing Skyfall (this was almost a year ago). Finally, with the tools in front of me, I decided to tackle editing this while interest in Bond was high. Unfortunately it took me a little bit longer than expected to finish this, but I am happy that it is done and ready for people to see.
Other Sources:
David Arnoldā€™s amazing work from the Tomorrow Never Dies score
Special Thanks:
Dwight Fry
Release Information:
DVD
Special Features:
Fanedit Trailer, Scene Comparison
Cuts and Additions:
-The outer space battle outside of the space station has been cut
-Jaws biting through the cable car wire is now gone. I moved the thug knocking out the control room worker to right as Bond and Goodhead get on the cable car so it looks like the reason the cable car stops is because the thug stopped it. Jaws appears as his cable car is approaching Bond's now.
-Some of the real chessy Bond lines have been taken out (ā€œPlay it again, Samā€ ā€“ ā€œHe was a real pain in the neckā€)
-The gondola chase is now gone. It was way way too silly, even for a Roger Moore Bond.
-Sorry Jaws, but no girlfriend for you.
-Jaws will still help Bond at the end, but he will meet his demise on the space station)
-Close Encounters 5 note motif has been replaced with a standard beeping sound for the keypad
-No Magnificent Seven theme.
-The laser gun that melts the mannequin's head is gone
-I forget her name now, but the first girl that helps Bond in Drax's office dies offscreen, but her screams are heard
-You won't be able to see Bond's camera saying 007 on it when he is taking pictures of Drax's blueprints.
-Completely rescored the cable car fight
-Rescored the speed boat chase as well as removed Jaws from the chase completely
-Jaws will not be going through a metal detector at the airport
-Less time in between Bond shooting Drax at the end and throwing him out into space
-Bond doesnā€™t knee Jaws in his groin (which meant removing the metallic impact sound)
-Jaws doesnā€™t flap his arms as he falls during the opening freefall

There are probably more that Iā€™m not thinking of at the moment.
Cover art by MusicEd921 (DOWNLOAD HERE) image

Cover art by OnlyOneKenobi (DOWNLOAD HERE) image

Trusted Reviewer reviews

5 reviews
Overall rating
 
8.4
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.4(5)
Audio Editing
 
8.2(5)
Visual Editing
 
9.0(5)
Narrative
 
8.2(5)
Enjoyment
 
8.0(5)
Overall rating
 
7.7
Audio/Video Quality
 
7.0
Audio Editing
 
7.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
7.0
This is a tough one for me. As a Bond fan I can enjoy all eras of 007 - including even the so-called "cheesy" Roger Moore period. So, whilst I fully acknowledge that Moonraker took it to the extreme (double taking pigeons anyone?), the one thing which always kept me entertained was Moore's one-liners. He's the best at delivering them and I have to say that the amount which have been cut in the edit is a little disappointing (and not just Moore's humorous quips are gone - some others too from other characters are sorely missing). However, the purpose of this edit is to cut back on as much as the over the top style nature of the piece as possible, so in that musiced certainly succeeds.

Most of the visual edits work a treat, but audio-wise I feel this is a bit less consistent. The added music is at times somewhat ill-fitting (the cable car fight just doesn't work for me) and the replaced key-entry beep sound effects are way too loud. Perhaps a small criticism, but I really think this could have been caught by musiced when he was checking the edit back and adjusted.

By far the best piece of this edit is the much discussed speed boat chase. Very nicely done and the use of White Knight from David Arnold's Tomorrow Never Dies actually works a treat. I'm not sure I would have totally removed Jaws from the scene though, as when Bond meets him soon after, Jaws is clearly soaked through and we have no idea why.

I'm also not sure of cutting the "space battle". As over the top as the scene is, there's some terrific model work going on and the outlandish nature of that scene is so much fun. I was also surpised to see what is probably the worst product placement in Bond history left totally intact (7-up, Marlboro and British Airways all in the space a few frames).

However, I did have fun watching the edit. On the whole it's well edited and does present what it sets out to achieve in making a more serious, less cheesy take on Moonraker. Maybe I just like my Moore a little more humorous and cheesy than other people do?
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(Updated: July 08, 2015)
Overall rating
 
9.2
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
7.0
This was a nice Bond edit. I only watched Moonraker once and quickly forgot most of it. This doesn't save everything for me; I would have cut more of the cheese, but hey I wasn't a fan of Roger Moore Bond films so there's that.

The editing here was good, no harsh cuts detected. After comparing to my DVD, I was quite impressed with the editing in the speed boat chase.

Overall if you're a fan of the Roger Moore era and like your bread to be cheesy, you'll get a kick out of this fanedit.

A/V quality - 9
Editing - 10
Narrative - 8
Enjoyment - 7 (original 6)

Recommended drink: Balls in my Jaws

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: November 16, 2013)
Overall rating
 
8.7
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
Moonraker edited by MusicEd921

Confession first. I always liked this film. Not because it was a great Bond film, but because it was a great ā€œbadā€ film.
The lavish amount of money tossed at such stupidity remains mind-boggling.

OK, wow, what an alteration.
Moonraker now resembles an actual Bond film. Not top tier, but respectable.
The most noticeable plot restructuring was the minimizing of Jaws. And Dolly! (Whom I kinda missed since I always had the most lurid fantasies about her Swiss Miss kink.)
To my mind, other sequences could have been truncated, but the timing would fall to 90ā€ which most would find too brief for Bond.
Video editing seemed smooth, with no choppy cuts or abrupt jumps.
No problems with any sound.
Recommended to 007 fans, even those who disliked this outing.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
(Updated: October 24, 2013)
Overall rating
 
8.3
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.0
Audio Editing
 
7.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I really enjoyed this Moonraker edit. It really displays how great of a Bond movie this was and easily my favorite of Roger Moore's outings. This will easily replace the version of the movie I have on my shelf. Almost all of the silliness has been removed or corrected.

Most of the rescoring was a nice touch but one scene really stands out as having been hurt by this treatment. The cable car fight seems much weaker with the new score. The music does not really enhance the battle and the editing has made it so that all of the fight punching and hitting sound effects sound like they were recorded from a pachinko machine. This was unfortunate because when I looked at the original quickly on Youtube it seemed like this scene would have been better without the changes.

It also seemed extremely unusual at the end of the movie for the space station to break out in a laser fight without any mention of laser weapon technology before that point. It would have been OK if only the bad guys had lasers as they were obviously developing advanced technology but then the cavalry charges in and they all have lasers as well. I think it was a big mistake to cut out the scene where Q Branch is testing the military laser technology at the MI6 monastery, without this scene Moonraker really loses all remaining credibility right at the home stretch.

Regardless I was thoroughly impressed and greatly enjoyed the new film. I especially like that you've restored Jaws rightful place as one of the best Bond villains. I would recommend this edit and definitely watch it again.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
8.3
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
8.0
Visual Editing
 
8.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
Moonraker is proof that sometimes too much of good thing is just.... well, too much.

In essence, Moonraker is a remake of extremely successful THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, just made even bigger....
Move the plot from the Ocean to Space, add more gadgets, more humor, more Bond Babes, more winking at the camera... and oh yeah, more Jaws... and you have a movie that went too far for most audiences to follow.

But MusicEd's fan edit corrects many of these missteps, and brings the over the top tone back down to Earth. Most of the cuts worked for me and the audio work is fairly impressive though I did not agree with every choice. For me the greatest achievement of this edit is Jaws is restored to being a menacing figure instead of comedic fodder, and I applaud Ed for this -- Bravo!

If you are a fan of the Roger Moore Bond era, I think this is a must see adventure, as this fan edit could easily be titled MOONRAKER REDEEMED!

Thanks for the fun Ed!

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Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
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User reviews

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1-3 stars
 
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Overall rating
 
9.0
Audio/Video Quality
 
8.9(15)
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8.7(15)
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9.3(15)
Narrative
 
9.1(15)
Enjoyment
 
9.0(15)
View all user reviews View most helpful
Overall rating
 
9.5
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
I enjoy this edit. You took care of all the silly junk in the move. I like you made Jaws more serious & scarier. Also I like better that Jaws does not have a girlfriend. That's good you took out the boat-car in the park with that double looking pigeon that was so retarded, that did not look like a Bond movie at all. That boat chase edit & new music was really good part. I thought it was funny and different that you had Jaws killed off towards the end. I do not mind if you kept some of Bond one line jokes in the movie, you see that's how Bond make fun of the bad guys & humor. That's why Roger Moore was good at it and unique, no one does it better then him. The Audio and visual was great.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
9.3
Audio/Video Quality
 
7.0
Audio Editing
 
10.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
10.0
Roger Moore's Bond is a cheeky one, but removed of all the cheesiness you get a great adventure! It feels like it should, moves at a good pace, great sets and locations, beautiful women and a spectacular finale. This is what Fleming readers expect to see in the movies!

It's a standard resolution with good picture. Can only wish it was in Hi-res and with english subtitles.
Overall, great job!

Slowly i'm replacing my BR/DVD with fanedits.

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
Digital
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
9.4
Audio/Video Quality
 
10.0
Audio Editing
 
8.0
Visual Editing
 
10.0
Narrative
 
10.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
A great improvement! Already stated by reviewers are the many positive ways in which MusicEd921 trimmed the original. I can only concur in the brilliant re-edit/re-scoring of the boat scene. Vastly improved and to me the highlight of the movie. All cuts and trims are done with careā€”the gondola and Jaws the Smitten are easily forgotten! Great editing overall.

Audio is also good across the board, though I didn't particularly like the re-scoring of the cable-car scene. It didn't fit the slow and rather poor action sequence (no fault to MusicEd921). Other than that, the only thing out of place is the (overly) loud keypad sound.

Definitely my preferred version of Moonraker. Great job, MusicEd921!

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
8.7
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
9.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
8.0
Enjoyment
 
8.0
Been a while since I watched the original so was coming into this with a clean-ish slate.
I had forgotten how silly it all was but bravo to MusicEd921 for eliminating my main gripe of the 'Jaws in love' sub-plot. Now Jaws is restored to being the formidable foe of TSWLM, being manipulated by Bond out of self-interest but rightly meets his comeuppance. I thought the cable car scene seemed to end rather abruptly but can't remember the original, so can't say if there was something that had to be cut there.
Gondola chase - didn't even notice it was gone!
Scene where Bond follows Goodhead again seemed like it jumped but don't know why.
Fight scenes mostly poor - not much can be done with what's available.
Speed boat chase was good although it felt like it belonged in a full re-edit rather than a fanfix. I'd like to see more of that though; can the pedestrian original be edited in a modern style?
What else...nothing really stood out; watching it again did make me realise how sloppy the whole original production was. Essentially it was TSWLM in space done to pander to the Sci-Fi mania of the day. The craziest thing is that in 1979 it was the number 1 worldwide box office draw so who are we to argue!
All-in-all good edit. Makes a poor movie a little more serious and faster paced but it's impossible to eliminate every stupid scene.
Now, on to View to a Kill...

User Review

Do you recommend this edit?
Yes
Format Watched
DVD
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Overall rating
 
8.8
Audio/Video Quality
 
9.0
Audio Editing
 
8.0
Visual Editing
 
9.0
Narrative
 
9.0
Enjoyment
 
9.0
I liked this a lot; MusicEd921 has done a really good job putting this together and removing some of the more frustrating elements of the movie;
A few notes
1. I've actually had this for an age and kept forgetting to watch it; glad I finally got round to it; definitely worth it
2. I have 2 minor quibbles; Firstly the editing of Corinne's death; that's one fo the darkest scenes in the movie and is beautifully scored by Barry; I would have liked to have seen that stay
Secondly; I love the editing of the boat chase and don't mind the removal of the 007 theme, but would have liked another Barry piece in it's place, as good as Arnolds work on TND is, the style just doesn't fit as well as a Barry piece would've..

These are minor quibbles over what was an excellent edit;
I should also add, I love Moonraker, it's actually one of my fave Bond pics, but I absolutely think that it suffers from the overuse of humor/silliness that damaged a number of Moore's Bond pics (and Diamonds Are Forever as well)

Good work MusicEd921!!

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Yes
Format Watched
DVD
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