This is an improvement on Ian Fleming's novel, with Christopher Lee making a fine villain, sporting a golden gun, a third nipple and a tiny henchman called Nick Nack, who's wittily played by Herve Villechaize. Britt Ekland is funny, too, sending herself up as Bond's clueless assistant and surviving the most sexist scene in the entire 007 series: "Forgive me darling, your turn will come," Roger Moore assures her after he's dallied with Maud Adams. The use of the old Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth is clever, but there are major faults as well - notably the repeat of the pre-credit scene for the climax (borrowing from Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai) and the return of redneck sheriff Clifton James from Live and Let Die. Thailand's Phang-Nga Bay was a stunning choice of location, though it was soon to become a tourist trap.

Cool government operative James Bond searches for a stolen invention that can turn the sun's heat into a destructive weapon. He soon crosses paths with the menacing Francisco Scaramanga, a hitman so skilled he has a seven-figure working fee. Bond then joins forces with the swimsuit-clad Mary Goodnight, and together they track Scaramanga to a Thai tropical isle hideout where the killer-for-hire lures the slick spy into a deadly maze for a final duel.