The Moonraker
Seen it?1958 | 82 min | Action, Adventure, Drama, War
Weeknight Watchearly ratingWhy it’s a Weeknight Watch
With soft box office and little lasting buzz, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Aimed squarely at anyone who likes a story with a soundtrack worth keeping and anyone interested in what war does to people. The music is woven into the story, not just laid on top. A good follow-up to The Guns of Navarone or 1917. It puts you in the middle of the fighting, and doesn't let you forget the cost.
- The mood
- Intense.
- The pace
- Character-first and patient, at 1 hr 22 min. Done before bedtime.
- What might put you off
- Made in 1958: an older pace and style.
- Not for anyone who finds explosions tiring.
After the battle of Worcester at the end of the Civil War, the main aim of Oliver Cromwell's Commonwealth is to capture Charles Stuart. The future king's escape depends on the intrepid Earl of Dawlish, who as the Moonraker has already spirited away many Royalists. Dawlish travels to the Windwhistle Inn on the south coast to prepare the escape, where he meets Anne Wyndham, the fiancée of a top Roundhead colonel.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesNot counted
Not measured yet: not enough ratings
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactBelow par
About 15K people sought it out in the past year
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Cast & crew
Directed by David MacDonald
- George BakerAnthony, Earl of Dawlish/The Moonraker
- Sylvia SymsAnne Wyndham
- Marius GoringColonel John Beaumont
- Peter ArneMajor Gregg/Edmund Tyler
- Clive MortonLord Harcourt
- Gary RaymondCharles Stuart
- Richard LeechHenry Strangeways
- Iris RussellJudith Strangeways
- Michael Anderson Jr.Martin Strangeways
- Paul Whitsun-JonesParfitt