James Bond
Moonraker Laser Limited Edition prop Replica
“Mr. Bond, you persist in defying my efforts to provide an amusing death for you.“ Hugo Drax
Made
at the height of a global science-fiction craze in the late seventies,
1979’s Moonraker is probably the most fantasy-laden Bond film. The
film’s plot deals with the genocidal plans of Hugo Drax. On the surface a
hugely successful global business titan, Drax is, in truth, a madman
bent on world domination.
The laser prop is
first seen being used by an MI6 operative disguised as a monk in a
Brazilian field office. Many more of them are later seen during the
climatic final battle sequence, both as hand held weapons and mounted
onto US Marines’ space walk apparatus. The original props were resin and
rubber with no moving parts. They were specially constructed for the
film by the EON Productions prop department, and a large number of them
were crafted. The body was constructed around a casting taken from an
‘Uzi’ machine gun. Various real world parts, including plumbing
supplies, were then added to complete the fantasy look. Laser effects
seen on screen were added later during post production using a complex
and labor-intensive animation technique known as ‘rotoscoping’. Totally
cutting edge at the time the process has been all but been replaced by
modern digital effects today. The laser also featured heavily in the
films marketing and promotion and is seen being wielded by Bond in the
iconic illustrated poster artwork.
The Replica
The
Factory Entertainment Moonraker Laser prop replica was created after
exhaustive and careful study of the original props in the EON
Productions archives, as well as hundreds of reference photographs and
original production drawings and blueprints. All the detail on the
original has been retained including some of the casting asymmetry on
the handmade original, which would not have been visible on screen and a
missing trigger. Triggers were deliberately omitted to allow actors
wearing thick astronaut style gloves to use the props. This makes the
replica visually indistinguishable from the original. However, a heavier
weight polyresin and an internal support frame have been employed on
the replica to give it more heft and strength than the original.
Each
finely crafted Moonraker laser replica comes with a museum quality
display stand, numbered limited edition plaque, COA, and detailed prop
story booklet. Each replica is also presented in a full color box
designed to emulate the distinctive ‘Drax Enterprise Corp’ shipping
crates seen in the film.
Limited to only 500 pieces worldwide.
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