Dr. Kananga / Mr. Big
Dr. Kananga © 1973 Metro Goldwyn Mayer, United Artists, Danjaq LLC.
When three MI6 agents get killed while investigating a Caribbean dictator called Dr. Kananga, James Bond is sent to New York to investigate. His arrival doesn´t go unnoticed and he nearly dies in a car crash after the murder of his driver by one of Kananga´s men. The car of the assassin is registered to a man called Mr. Big who owns a restaurant chain called “Fillet of Soul”. When Bond investigates one of the restaurants, he encounters Solitaire who has the gift to see the future through tarot cards.
When Bond and Solitaire meet again on the Caribbean island of San Monique, he seduces her. Not only does she lose her virginity to Bond, but also the power to see the future. After both can initially escape Kananga´s reach to New Orleans, Bond is captured and confronted by Mr. Big. When Bond refuses to answer about sleeping with Solitaire, Mr. Big removes his facial mask and is revealed as Kananga. Proudly, he shares his master plan with Bond.
While Kanangas men are trying to get rid of Bond by taking him to a crocodile farm, Solitaire is handed over to voodoo priest Baron Samedi to be sacrificed. After escaping from the crocodile farm, Bond is caught up in a thrilling boat chase before heading back to the island of San Monique to save Solitaire. He kills Baron Samedi and heads down to Kananga´s lair for the final confrontation.
“Names is for tombstones, baby!” – Mr. Big
The days of super villains like Blofeld seemed over with the release of ‘LIVE AND LET DIE’ in 1973. Roger Moore had taken over the Bond role from Sean Connery and his first film was heavily influenced by the blaxploitation era. This time, the villain was not keen on world domination but on drug trafficking. While being a very intelligent and occasionally witty character, Dr. Kananga leaves all his dirty work to be carried out by henchmen. He somewhat lacks brutality which makes him stand out a little from the other villains of the series. Nevertheless, he was a different kind of villain with a dual personality that actually produced two villains. His demise at the end of the film can safely be called one of the most disgusting in the James Bond series.