Earl Anthony (aka The Moonraker) is a gentleman swordsman who is the thorn in the side of Oliver Cromwell and his battle to rid Britain of the royalists. The Moonraker is feared among Cromwell's men and has been responsible for the escape of over 30 royalists to France. When Anthony tries to lead Prince Charles Stuart to safety after a defeat at the hands of Cromwell, they are recognised and forced to evade capture but can they get passage to France in time?
Contrary to my wife's beliefs, I didn't watch this film in the mistaken belief that Roger Moore was going to burst onto the screen at any moment, but at times I wished he had. The film is a old fashioned swashbuckler done without too much in the way of individual flair. The plot is easy to predict and it is much more wordy that I had expected, with much of the second half being confined to an Inn. That said it still is enjoyable and is worth watching for what it is.
The fights are a little dull and there is nothing to suggest that Anthony is worthy of his fearsome reputation but the sense of period is good. The film drifts between romance and action with an uneasy lilt to it, but the romance works well as it has the darker edge of being forbidden.
The characters are all a little flat with the odd exception. Baker doesn't manage to bring anything to the role of Moonraker except the normal leading man strong jaw and big chest. The support cast are all colleagues or `evil' bad guys, the love interest is OK but is won over a little too easily. A horrid bit of miscasting is Le Mesurier as Cromwell. We all know what type of roles he is famous for playing and the end result here is that Cromwell comes off as one of them and not a real threat.
Overall I enjoyed this film even though it didn't really distinguish itself in any specific way. As part of the genre it is par for the course and will please those who like this type of thing.
