Continuity mistake: When Bond takes off in the plane, we see - in one shot from Bond's view - the Cubans approaching. The background is a flat (English) countryside. In the next clip, we see a close-up of one of the Cubans. behind him are quite large hills/mountains. (00:04:55)
Revealing mistake: In the scene where Bond is trying to escape with his new Mini-Jet, he flies through a big hall. If you look carefully, you can see that the aeroplane which is supposed to be flying with its wings vertical is fastened to some kind of sustainer.
Continuity mistake: When Bond is fighting the twin on the top of the train, there is a carriage behind them, but when both of them fall off the train, the carriage has suddenly disappeared.
Factual error: Bond is given a tag in Spanish, but it shows the word Col., short for Colonel. It should read Coronel.
Revealing mistake: Near the end, When Bond is hanging onto the outside of Kamal's plane (first on the roof, then on the side), we see two instances of Roger Moore's stunt double. (02:04:13 - 02:05:10)
Revealing mistake: When Bond horseback rides towards the plane, Roger Moore is replaced by an obvious stunt man wearing red goggles. (02:02:50)
Continuity mistake: When Bond escapes from the train and drives away the number and position of the bullet holes changes between shots.
Revealing mistake: When Bond throws the baddie on the bed of steel spikes, the spikes bend revealing they're made of rubber (despite a crunch and a yell of pain being heard).
Revealing mistake: On top of the plane, Gobinda's stunt is noticeable because he has less of a beard.
Other mistake: Some of the shots of Kahn wrestling with the controls in the fight on the plane are reversed. The writing on the controls is backwards (eg RADAR JUNCTION BOX in the middle of the screen). (02:05:35)
Answer: It wasn't meant to be related at all. It was just an action sequence to start off the film as Bond completes a previous assignment before a segue into the familiar 007 opening theme and a new song. I recall there were some other earlier Bond films that also used this formula. After the opening bit, the story starts as Bond meets with "M" for a new mission, then a briefing with "Q" about the latest spy gadgets. There was also the obligatory flirtatious banter between Bond and Miss Moneypenny.
raywest ★
I see what you mean. I'm thinking of those films where the opening scene has some link to the main plot (e.g. The Spy Who Loved Me), but Moonraker is like this one, it starts off (spectacularly) with Bond at the end of a previous assignment.