Moonraker

Moonraker is currently streaming on Crave, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. The runtime earns every minute, with nothing here that feels like padding. 2,245 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Roger Moore leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on Crave — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Moonraker arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. What makes Moonraker work is that the ideas never crowd out the people having them. After Drax Industries' Moonraker space shuttle is hijacked, secret agent James Bond is assigned to investigate, traveling to California to meet the company's owner, the mysterious Hugo Drax. With the help of scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead, Bond soon uncovers Drax's nefarious plans for humanity, all the while fending off an old nemesis, Jaws, and venturing to Venice, Rio, the Amazon...and even outer space. Roger Moore and Lois Chiles lead a cast that keeps the bigger ideas grounded in something human. Moonraker came out in 1979. What separates Moonraker from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For late-night viewing or a proper weekend binge, Moonraker fits the bill. It rewards viewers regardless of what else is in their watch history. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Roger Moore grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.