The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Introduction:

James Bond needed a boost. While audiences seemed to be agreeable to Roger Moore in the role, the first two films of his tenure were not well regarded. The creative forces behind the franchise knew something needed to be done, and quickly. It became an all or nothing gamble. 1977 was going to showcase the biggest James Bond film yet. If it didn’t work with audiences, than it was time to throw in the towel. But if it did work… well James Bond would return.

Summary:

British Secret Agent James Bond (Roger Moore) is put on his most vital case yet. A British submarine literally vanished. MI6 discovers that someone has figured out a way to track submarines, and is willing sell the technology to the highest bidder. Bond makes his way to Cairo, Egypt to find out more. When he gets there he meets the lovely Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), a Soviet secret agent who is also in Cairo to buy the plans for this technology. You see the Russians have lost a sub too.

There is a third party involved in this, a super-rich eccentric named Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens). He dreams of a world without war and torment: a world completely under the oceans. To accomplish this, he will use the nuclear submarines to start World War III, while he sits in his underwater laboratory of Atlantis and watching the world burn. Of course he can’t have Bond or Anya messing up his plans so he dispatches his deadly henchman, a hulking brute with metal teeth called Jaws (Richard Kiel). The hunt is on, as Bond and Anya put together the sinister plot, battle Jaws among the ruins of Egypt, drive a car that turns into a submarine and face the villain in not one, but two huge lairs! But things take a final turn for the worse, when Anya discovers that Bond killed her lover. Once the mission is over, she will save one bullet – for Bond… James Bond.

Good Points:

• Goes back to the huge scale and scope of the biggest Bond films
• Balances humor and action almost perfectly
• Anya and Jaws are two of the best characters of the Moore era

Bad Points:

• This plot should sound awfully familiar
• Hate disco? Then you’ll hate the disco-tastic score by Marvin Hamlisch
• Bond is pretty much a superman in this movie

Overall:

If you don’t mind your James Bond films to be filled to the brim with fun, then you’ll enjoy this film. The writers finally found the sweet spot, providing Moore with a part he can really get into. Lots of great stunts, visuals and one of the most iconic henchmen of the franchise, The Spy who Loved Me is certainly the best Bond film of the 1970s.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 5

Sound: 4

Acting: 4

Script: 4

Music: 4

Direction: 5

Entertainment: 5

Total:  5

In Depth Review

Bringing a whole new meaning to detante.

One of the most amazing things about the James Bond franchise is its ability to soldier on, even when things start to get tough, or audiences seem disinterested, the creative minds come together and are able to knock one out of the park. The early 70s were something of a low point in the franchise. The movies seemed smaller, and even the injection of Roger Moore into the main role didn’t help things. The Man with the Golden Gun had some the key ingredients, like exotic locales and a villain with potential, but the final product just didn’t work. It still felt like someone attempting to make a Bond movie.

One of the largest and most complex sets ever
made for a James Bond film.

By the time they decided to work on The Spy Who Loved Me a few changes had to be made. Albert Broccoli took over as the sole producer. Guy Hamilton who had helmed Goldfinger, but also directed the previous three films was out. Instead Lewis Gilbert was brought back. He worked on one of the biggest 007 adventures of them all, You Only Live Twice. But one of the most important elements missing from the previous two films was production design by Ken Adam. When it comes to the 1960 and 1970s, Bond films, Adam defined the look for James Bond’s world. His eye for clean lines, immense scope is unmistakable, and became one of those things that an audience doesn’t even realize they are missing, until it is gone. Yep, Adam was not around for Live and Let Die or The Man with the Golden Gun.

With these new elements in place, The Spy Who Loved Me was ready to roll with an immense budget. For Broccoli, this was the big gamble and in a lot of ways this would be the turning point for James Bond. If the character and concept could become a huge hit again, then they knew the franchise was unstoppable. If it failed here, well, folks would be shaken and stirred.

Ken Adam's futuristic design is all over this set.

In a lot of way The Spy Who Loved Me takes the familiar and best loved elements of a James Bond film, gives the whole thing a new coat of disco-tastic 70s colored paint. The goal is to deliver pure entertainment. The movie is both looking backward at the legacy and cementing its place in the present. This may be the main lesson that all the James Bond films learned afterward.  When the movies worked best, it is when they were able to comment on pop culture and events of the moment, but still keep the all the “classic” elements you want in a James Bond film.

Ken Adam’s production design was a perfect example of this. Yes the scope to the film was huge, and set elements like the enormous cargo bay in the mega-tanker (that fit three submarines inside it) reminded folks of the volcano base in You Only Live Twice. But Atlantis’ extremely mod design could only have come from the 70s. The interiors of that laboratory just look like they came from the disco era, but still have that clean look we associate with 007 mega-villains.

Egypt gets a chance to show off in this film.

The Spy Who Loved Me also keeps the exotic locales as a key highlight of the film. The pre-credit sequence features snowy thrills. Then we jump into the heat of Egypt, with lots of footage taken around the pyramids and other famous ruins. Next it is off to Italy, with some lovely beachside location shooting and an exciting chase on seaside cliff. It is a great variety of real locations that gives this film a distinct feel far from the routine location drabness of Diamonds Are Forever or Live and Let Die.

Bond car vs. helicopter? I think we all know who
is gonna win this one.

Then you have the visual effects. Much like You Only Live Twice, this film is certainly going for more visual wows. So there is actually a lot of model work, crazy gadgets and rear projection on display. Some of these models were enormous beasts, like the mega tanker. But the star of the show was James Bond’s new car. Yep, it was that melding of “classic” and current. Bond hadn’t had a really cool car chase in years (the one in Diamonds are Forever is really sad, in my opinion). So here, Bond gets an oh-so 70s Lotus Esprit. This little car is packed with gadgets and turns into a submarine. How frickin’ cool is that? Finally Moore felt like he was stepping out of the shadow of Connery in more than just his performance. Even the surroundings were telling audiences, this is Bond, but this Bond of today.

Jaws closes in for his final confrontation with
007,

Let’s talk about the action. With the smaller budgets and scope of the previous three films, some of the action scenes suffered. The Spy Who Loved Me decided to correct that. The pre-credit sequence makes it very clear that action and stunts are on the menu for this film. The ski chase followed by one of the most amazing visual freefall stunts ever put on film. It makes this easily one of the top ten best pre-credit sequences of the series. It also whets the appetite for more. Most of the work in Egypt is of the cat and mouse chase and escape variety. Bond and Anya do their best to complete their mission with Jaws dogging their every move. It’s a nice switch up, to put this type of henchman in such a prominent role, and effectively executed too. Then you get the fun and exciting car chase in Italy. But the whole thing is cranked up to 11 when Bond leads the captains of three captured submarine crews against a horde of villains. This huge battle aboard the tanker is filled with stunts, gunfire, explosions and excitement. It really takes the model of Thunderball’s final battle and places it on land and gives it a bit more excitement (and is more effective to the similar battle in You Only Live Twice). The only misstep is that this is not the finale. Bond still has to face Jaws and Stromberg in a final test, and these are low key, feeling more like an epilogue then a climax.

All this action requires a lot of solid sound effect work. The sound team delivers with one of the most action packed tracks yet. But things go a bit differently on the music front. Instead of turning to John Barry, the man who provided James Bond with his signature sound and who worked on most of the previous 007 films, the producers turned to a composer with a more modern approach. Marvin Hamlisch took Monty Norman’s James Bond theme and made it boogie. You heard that right, Disco Bond, or Bond 77 fits the movie like a glove. It is a ton of kitschy fun, and certainly told moviegoers that stuffy old 60s 007 was in the rear view mirror. Hamlisch also composed some solid action and suspense music, not mention some interesting source music for the Egyptian scenes.

Bond races to the rescue.

Perhaps his most memorable contribution to the Bond musical legacy is the song Nobody Does it Better. This pretty much became Roger Moore’s tag line, and it was used going forward. The song is adapted wonderfully into the score as the love theme for Anya and Bond. But it is the opening credit performance by Carly Simon that everyone remembers. So yeah, Carly Simon, Marvin Hamlisch – it really doesn’t get much more 70s than that.

The script to The Spy Who Loved Me was really tailor made for Roger Moore, so it really isn’t a surprise that we get one of Moore’s best performances in this movie. This is the script where they finally adjusted the humor and style of Bond to fit Moore. Yes, he still gets in those one-liners, but he has this smooth charm without the blunt edges of Connery. It is this element and the dash of dry humor to his reactions to situations that just clicks. No matter how outlandish the film gets, Moore’s Bond takes it all in stride. He’s James Bond, he’s pretty much seen it all. Not to say that all the edge is gone, but it is toned way down. We do see him get a bit grim during the battle aboard the supertanker as the tide turns against his side. But all in all, Moore’s Bond is a lover with a dry wit more than a fighter.

Looks like the cold war is freezing over again.

Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova is a perfect foil/love interest for Bond. The part is one of the best written ones for a female lead in the Bond film since Domino in Thunderball. She’s got a solid back-story, she’s a capable woman and she uses her charms to thwart Bond on a number of occasions. He does end up one step ahead of her most of the time, and she does end up captured in a skimpy outfit by the end, but hey it is still more progressive a character than Goodnight from Man with the Golden Gun. Bach is adequate in the role. She does play some scenes better than others, and she certainly looks sexy in some of the outfits she wears. But the edge is missing, and that is something that we’d see portrayed a bit better with Melina in For Your Eyes Only.

The main villain is the nefarious Stromberg played by Curt Jurgens. It is actually not a very interesting part. He is basically Captain Nemo taken to further extremes, but lacking the dynamic personality. He’s obviously determined and obsessed with creating his undersea kingdom. But he doesn’t really have much screen time. Jurgens’ performance works well, but he actually pales a bit compared to the similar character of Drax in the next film Moonraker.

Jaws noire.

No, the villain who steals the show is Jaws played by Richard Kiel. As much as Oddjob became the henchman for Connery, Jaws became the henchman for Moore. He’s a great mix of hulking power, persistence and humor. During the Egyptian portion of the film he is like a juggernaut of horrors, relentless in his execution of all who come in contact with the microfilm. Time and again Anya and Bond thwart him, but he keeps coming back. And each time Kiel survives the latest debacle; he looks mildly annoyed and dusts himself off. Just another day at the office. This humor just the right touch for this villain and even though we were rooting for Bond to win, we were pleased to see Jaws get away.

Naomi makes one fine welcoming committee.

Supporting cast includes all our London regulars such as Bernard Lee as M, Louis Maxwell as Moneypenny and Desmond Llewelyn as Q. We are also introduced to Walter Gotell character of General Gogol, the equivalent of M for the Russian side.  Gogol would go on to appear in all the following James Bond films until his final appearance in The Living Daylights. Robert Brown also shows up as Admiral Hargreaves, but the actor would take over as the new M starting with Octopussy and ending with Licence to Kill. Not sure if Hargreaves is the same character, but it is interesting to see him here. Last but certainly not least is the sexy Caroline Munro as the femme fatale Naomi. She certainly steams up the screen. It’s a shame they didn’t give her more to do. But I love that wink she gives Bond as she tries to blow him up from her helicopter.

Stromberg monologues his evil plan.

When it comes to the script, it is the details that make The Spy Who Loved Me work so well. Bond is written to suite Moore. Anya is a fresh take on the Bond Girl trope. Jaws is a fresh take on the unstoppable henchman. There is a focus on scope and wow factor. But underneath all that, you can see that the basic story is essentially a rehash of You Only Live Twice. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that the original villain for the film was intended to be Bloefeld (after escaping his horribly cheesy demise at the end of Diamonds Are Forever we presume). But legal issues prevented this so Stromberg was created. Still, Bloefeld used a titanic space capsule to swallow up Soviet and American capsules to start a world wide panic in You Only Live Twice. Same essential story here with the supertanker swallowing up submarines.

Yeah, the Lotus is one cool car/sub.

Even some of the basic story beats are the same, with Bond putting together the pieces of the puzzle in Egypt and Sardinia instead of Japan. The huge finale end battle is pretty much set up and executed in a similar fashion in both films. But as I mentioned earlier, I think The Spy Who Loved Me does it a bit better. There seems to be more tension in the later film. The only other element that really comes out in this script is that James Bond is essentially a super man. He can do no wrong, never gets hit, his hair always looks great. It’s pretty darn ridiculous, but it fits right in with the film. This super-Bond version of the spy would be the default version for Moore’s Bond, and it is one of the reasons some fans of the franchise aren’t too keen on his films. The thrills are diminished as the scope increases. So the script isn’t terribly original on the surface, and yet all the details molded to fit the 1977 model of James Bond are worked really well into this plot structure.

Lewis Gilbert injects the whole movie with a fun spirit and plenty of momentum. Unlike the previous films helmed by Hamilton, this movie never feels bloated, or over-long. It slows a bit during the big battle scene, but it is nothing compared to the dreary boat chase of Live and Let Die or the dull car chase of Diamonds are Forever. Gilbert makes sure everything stays fun, humorous and engaging. In so many ways, he got to remake You Only Live Twice and improve the whole thing. When you run into fans of Roger Moore’s take on 007, this is usually the movie that made them fans. It is not hard to see why.

Naomi waves bye, and then tries to blow you away.
Such manners.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Introduction:
When it comes to the James Bond series, everyone has their favorites, and their least favorites. Some folks will champion some of the lesser loved films. Other madmen will call Goldfinger a merely average film. But there are a few James Bond films that most folks can agree on. The Man with the Golden Gun is one of those. But do they consider it a winner or a stinky dog best left alone.

Summary:

British secret service agent James Bond (Roger Moore) discovers that he is on the hit list of the most dangerous assassin in the world. The killer is named Scaramanga (Christopher Lee). He charges 1 million dollars for each job and always does it with a golden bullet, shot from a golden gun. He’s never failed an assignment, and the gold bullet with 007 etched in it means Bond is next.

This is a bit of a problem since Bond is attempting to track down a solar cell that may solve the world’s energy problems. M (Bernard Lee) takes Bond off the case, and lets him go on leave. Bond takes the opportunity to track down Scaramanga. The journey takes him to Beirut, Hong Kong and Bangkok.  Along the way he teams up with Goodnight (Britt Ekland) a klutzy but cute civil servant, and Hong Kong agent Hip (Soon-Tek Oh). But he must also face Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize) Scaramanga’s height challenged henchman, and figure out what side Andrea (Maud Adams) will play for. It all comes down to a face off between James and The Man with the Golden Gun. Winner take all.

Good Points:

• Christopher Lee is a excellent villain
• The location shooting is impressive
• The final duel has some very tense moments

Bad Points:

• The tone never figures out what it wants to accomplish
• The script is horrible
• The pacing is lethargic

Overall:

What kills me about this movie is that you’ve got all the ingredients for one of the best James Bond adventures ever. Lee makes a perfect foil and dark mirror for James Bond. When he’s driving the story, the movie works at it’s best. But the humor is handled very poorly, the tone tries to juggle edgy and super silly from scene to scene. It doesn’t know what to do with Goodnight. The pacing meanders, never creating any urgency. This is certainly one of the weaker entries in the series, but not quite the worst.

Scores (out of 5)

Visuals: 4

Sound: 3

Acting: 3

Script: 2

Music: 3

Direction: 2

Entertainment: 2

Total:  2

In Depth Review

Bond is keeping an eye out for the screenwriter.

While Live and Let Die wasn’t a triumph, it did achieve what it set out to do, put Roger Moore firmly in the role of James Bond. He seemed a natural fit and for the most part, when that movie was working, it was because of Moore’s easy charm and skill in the role. I can imagine that he was pretty hopeful about the follow up film; especially when he found out he would play opposite one of the best actors to play a villain in the 1970s, Christopher Lee. How could this not work?

It all comes down to the script and lack of concept behind The Man with the Golden Gun. Everyone knew that Roger Moore could handle comedy. Everyone felt that folks wanted to see a less serious Bond film, and have more fun at the movies. But the problem is, no one really figured out how to best utilize Moore, and focus the script. The result is a film with split personality. One moment it tries to get edgy and dark. The next we have James Bond in mortal peril because of a woman’s butt. I’m not kidding.

The movie provides some wonderful exotic locales.

But the film isn’t a complete waste of time, and the first reason is the wonderful location shooting. You’ve got some great sequences in Macao, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Everything from the inside of casinos, to lovely views of Kowloon Bay and surrounding city are a sight to behold. The chase scene in Bangkok provides plenty of visual eye candy. But the most amazing location is in Phuket in Thailand. The islands of Phuket create some of the most memorable visuals in the James Bond series. The way the rocks stretch up like pillars is amazing. It seems the perfect spot for the finale of The Man with the Golden Gun.

Less impressive are the sets used in the film. Ken Adam was not brought on for this film and the production design was also limited by the budget. The result was some really unimpressive sets that just don’t measure up to the larger scope of the James Bond films. But really, that type of set wasn’t needed in this film. Because the script inserted the whole solar cell MacGuffin, it probably felt like they needed to have an exploding lair sequence. All it did was end up making the film look cheap, something no other James Bond film ever suffered from, even Dr. No.

Nick Nack attempts some karaoke to Lulu's title song.

The sound work is up to scratch. Nothing stands out, but the gunshots, squealing tires and fisticuffs sounds all work well. For the musical score, composer John Barry was brought back. He brings his lyrical sense with him, and creates a James Bond score that was less funky than Live and Let Die, but more in line with the sound he created in You Only Live Twice. The tune for the song The Man with the Golden Gun is used quite a few times and handled well in the score. He adds a bit of Asian flair, but keeps it on the lighter side, arguably tongue in cheek. His action music is still pretty fun, and helps move those scenes along. It’s not a great Bond score, but it’s solid work by Barry.

As for the song itself, well it’s really a doozy. Lulu sings it with a sassy brassy style. But the lyrics are so ridiculous you can’t help but laugh. I mean, they are eye-rollingly bad. You’d think they came from a James Bond parody. At the same time there isn’t much they could do with that title. I find it to be a song that is so bad, I get a kick out of it each time it comes on.

Lee adds some much needed danger to the film.

This brings us to the acting in The Man with the Golden Gun. Well, part of the problem here is that the script is so bad, I can’t blame the actors for not being able to pull some of this off. Let’s start with the good, Christopher Lee makes a great James Bond villain. He’s cold, calculating, urbane and intelligent (for the most part). His scenes are always the best of the film, and his interaction with Moore makes for some of the best moments of the Moore era. Villechaize makes for a good henchman. His small size makes for a deceptive villain. He’s got a sadistic streak in him, and there is an added playfulness that makes it work. The script does end up failing the two characters. Scaramanga does some really stupid things near the end of the film, and they seem out of line for the character. Nick Nack is played for laughs a few too many times, and it cheapens the character in the end.

The two ladies fare little better. Adams is sultry as Andrea, but her part is under written. I’m not sure if the writers knew what to do with her, other than make her into a plot point. What we get isn’t bad, but I always wish they did more with her, either make her a co-villain, or work her into the story better. Ekland looks great in a bikini. She plays ditzy fairly well. But Goodnight is pretty much around for eye candy and laughs. It’s a thankless role really, and Ekland does what she can, but frankly her character annoys me. She ends up getting into numerous scrapes, and is only around for Bond to rescue or kiss.

This karate scene is a miscalculated mess.

This leaves us with Moore. Roger had it rough in this one. One minute he has to be a cold brutal agent, the next he’s in a silly karate battle that’s setting up one lame joke after the other. Then he’s got some horrible scenes with J. W. Pepper (Clifton James), and then gets his great scenes with Lee. James Bond is not clearly defined in this film. Even in Live and Let Die he seemed clearer in concept then in The Man with the Golden Gun. The result is Moore’s most uneven performance. He doesn’t quite nail the darker scenes when he interrogates Andrea. The humor doesn’t play to his strengths, and so scenes where he chastises Goodnight come off badly. Moore is capable of both side of Bond. His anger in For Your Eyes Only is played perfectly. He is able to keep the parody mode of Moonraker fun. But in this film, he is scuttled time and again by the script.

Guy Hamilton is once again at the helm here, and like his work on Live and Let Die and Diamonds are Forever, there are some serious pacing issues. The movie just meanders around, never getting any urgency or momentum. Tension is kept to a minimum, with only the Scaramanga scenes providing any kind of thrills. But I think most of that comes from Lee's sheer force of will. Hamilton does provide some good framing for the location shooting. But he doesn’t handle the action scenes very well. The chase scene is lifeless. The amazing stunt involving a 360 roll in mid air is the highlight. But a stupid slide whistle effect turns it into a joke. Other moments, like the whole karate school segment feel like a bad joke poorly executed.

Amazing stunt? Yes. Amazing movie? Not quite.

Once again Hamilton directs a script that is set pieces in search of a story. The Man with the Golden Gun is the most interesting of the three Hamilton films from the 1970s. It has some very good moments, but the typical problems of pacing and poorly executed humor injure this one. Hamilton was picked because of his work on Goldfinger and the resulting popularity of that film. But when looking at the four Bond films he directed, they are overwhelmingly some of the weakest of the bunch.  The flailing of the script and direction here seriously derail what could have been a classic Bond film. It would take The Spy Who Loved Me to really get the right tone for the Roger Moore era. Looking at the behind the scenes issues during The Man with the Golden Gun I’m willing to give it a little bit of a break. The two main producers of the series were in the middle of a falling out. But it doesn’t make it an average film. It’s better than the two movies that preceded it, but not by much.

Goodnight's butt is about to kill Bond.

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Introduction

Roger Moore is most often thought of as the ‘70s James Bond but he actually was in three Bond films in the 1980s, it just seems that most folks try to forget those. This is a bit of a shame because the 1980s were ushered in with one of Roger Moore’s best James Bond films, For Your Eyes Only.

Summary

A top secret encryption device has been lost! British secret agent, James Bond (Roger Moore) must hunt it down. His first contact is with Melina Havelock (Carol Bouquet) whose parents were killed in connection with the lost device. The trail leads to Greek isles and the notorious smuggler Milos Columbo (Topol). With some new information from a powerful Greek merchant, Aristotle Kristatos (Julian Glover), James closes in on Columbo. However things are not as obvious as they appear, especially when the Russians want the device and are willing to kill to get it. James finds himself in a tangled web in For Your Eyes Only.

Good Points:

• Roger Moore’s best performance as James Bond.
• Goes back to the thriller roots of the series with a bit more action.
• Carole Bouquet is smoldering hot in this movie.

Bad Points:

• The humor is pure Moore style silliness.
• There are some major script contrivances
• The Bibi Dahl (Lynn-Holly Johnson) subplot is pointless

Overall:

This is the best of Roger’s efforts. There are a couple of missteps here and there, but for a first attempt at directing John Glen does a great job. This is how I like my James Bond adventures, plenty of action, a script focused on thrills instead of fantasy, exotic women and just a touch of humor (Ok a little less humor would not have hurt).

Score (out of 5)

Visuals– 5

Sound– 5

Acting – 4

Script – 4

Music – 4

Direction – 4

Entertainment – 5

Final Grade: 5

Film Review

I’ve heard people refer to this movie as the forgotten Bond film. Whenever someone mentions plot points, characters or even the title itself, most people don’t remember much about it. It’s a shame too, because For Your Eyes Only is one of the better Bond films in the cannon. It’s probably my favorite Roger Moore film, and it ushered in the 1980’s and director John Glen’s tenure as James Bond’s director.

The movie is an obvious retaliation against Moonraker. James Bond goes back to basics, attempting to find and recover a decoding device. He has very few gadgets, and his super car (the Lotus) doesn’t do much more then explode. Bond relies on his wits, his ingenuity and his charisma to get him in and out of jams. Some call this low-key, and may find the film boring. It is miles away from The Spy Who Loved Me and You Only Live Twice. Fans of From Russia With Love, and the 2006 version of Casino Royale are going to enjoy this take on Bond.

The reduction in special effects and gadgets gave the crew a chance to focus on other elements like location shooting. The studio work we do get is more grounded in reality, instead of going for the huge set stylings of Ken Adam. This means there isn’t a huge villains lair. Instead we get a more realistic look, including a smuggler’s dock and the monastery interiors for the finale.

The locations are a real highlight of For Your Eyes Only. This movie was filmed in Greece and Italy. The Mediterranean is photographed in all its glory, especially in the scenes in Corfu. Scenes set in Spain were also filmed in Greece, but they double very well. Cortina provides us with most of the snowy action during the film. The Olympic grounds there are utilized in several key action scenes. Much of the underwater filming took place in the Bahamas, masquerading as the Mediterranean. Perhaps the most impressive location was located in Meteora, Greece. Saint Cyril’s monastery, located on top of towering spires of rock, create an impressive backdrop to the film’s climax and complete the exotic flavor of the movie.

When it comes to hard hitting action, For Your Eyes Only raises the bar over previous Roger Moore installments. Its packed with gunfights, fist fights, chases (with all kinds of vehicles), hair breadth escapes and dangerous sieges. Unlike The Spy Who Loved Me, the action is not overly concentrated at the end. 

Keeping up with all the pyrotechnics is the soundtrack. While Moonraker had to work with creating new sci-fi sound effects, this film is dealing in volume (both amount and loudness). Showcased are the underwater battles where Bond and Melina face off against several dangerous submersibles and explosives. The water muffles the sound, and yet when the metal on metal contact occurs it is appropriately chilling. I also enjoyed the chaos of the raid on the smuggler’s dock. Lots of bullets and bombs going off and it works perfectly to pull the viewer in.

Bill Conti provides the musical score. Conti is most famous for his work on Rocky, The Right Stuff, and The Karate Kid. His work here is closer to Marvin Hamlisch’s on The Spy Who Loved Me. He takes traditional Bond music and fuses it with current music trends. What does this mean in 1981? A strange light FM sound to the soundtrack. The action scenes have this groovy late disco era sound. Conti uses a touch of ethnic instruments to bring out the Spanish, Greek and Italian locales. He handles the suspense scenes very well. But the disco sound immediately dates the film and some people find it distracting and annoying. I love the funkiness of the soundtrack during the escape in Melina’s little yellow car, as well as the ski chase music. Conti never fails to use the Bond theme to punch things up.

Sheena Easton performs one of the most memorable Bond title songs of the ‘80s. It is typical of the traditional Bond style love song and Conti works it into the score for the romantic moments. If you can get into it, the music is a funky relic, but I can see why many fans think its one of the weaker scores.

With For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore finally got a chance to play James Bond as spy and not as a superhero. Roger was always a capable actor, and he could play the part with an edge. We got to see some of it in The Man With the Golden Gun and The Spy Who Loved Me. Here he combines his charm and suave with a bit more intensity. This is most obvious when he’s confronting Columbo and Kristatos. His interaction with Melina and Bibi definitely comes across as more mature. With Melina, he’s obviously attracted to her, but keeps his distance, not completely at ease with her till the finale of the film. His approach to Bibi is even more amusing. She obviously much younger than him, but Bond resists her constant affection. In a way, Roger plays Bond as a mature spy in a serious world where his life is on the line.

Carole Bouquet as Melina, is one of the best Bond girl of the ‘80s. She plays a woman driven by vengeance, and her single-minded approach carries thorough most of the film. Her part is a bit underwritten, but when she’s on screen she is captivating. Her interplay with Roger is pretty good. I just wish her part could have been a bit juicer.

Comprising our possible villains are veterans Topol as Milos Columbo and Julian Glover as Aristotle Kristatos. Topol is plays the smuggler as an earthy man with a likable charisma that can quickly switch to menace. His possible involvement in the communist plot keeps us from trusting him completely. On the flip side Julian Glover is all calm, cool and controlled. He is obviously a very intelligent man, one who appreciates the finer things in life. He isn’t as uncouth as Columbo, but you can see the steel inside him as well. Both actors do a great job keeping you guessing which on is telling the truth. When the villain is finally revealed both men settle into the roles superbly.

The supporting cast is good. The most notable include Lynn-Holly Johnson plays Bibi Dahl an overly cute, overly enthusiastic, and over sexed ice skater. The character is played for laughs and its all very silly. I also liked Cassandra Harris as Countess Lisl is smooth and sophisticated in her small part. Her interplay with Bond is well done and Roger actually shares some great chemistry with her. Louis Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn play their respective roles with the same skill they always have. In honor of Bernard Lee’s death before filming began, the part of M was not recast for the film. Most of his lines were separated the characters of Bill Tanner and Sir Frederick Grey.

While the script of For Your Eyes Only is the best of the ‘80s Bond scripts it does suffer from being over long. Some trimming of characters and subplots would have made this a more intense film. The focus on action is welcome, but it comes at the cost of some characterizations; Melina taking the biggest hit. I do like how it gives us two possibilities for the villain, and keeps the audience and Bond guessing for a good chunk of the running time. The more realistic edge to the villains plot is also refreshing after the over the top madness of Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me.

There are a couple of missteps here and there. A few nonsensical plot contrivances occur. In most Bond movies these are flimsily explained away, but they don’t even try in this movie. Characters just perform actions for no reason that affect the plot later on. Also the bookend sequences of the film are pretty silly, fitting easily into the previous Moore films, but feeling really out of place here. Seriously, a parrot asking Margaret Thatcher for a kiss?

With For Your Eyes Only director John Glen begins his tenure as the Bond movie director for the 1980s. He’d worked on the Bond films since the 60’s so he knew his way around the cast and crew. He also understood the meaning of pacing and tension. James Bond is in very real danger in this film something that hadn’t happened since 1969 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. While he doesn’t move the plot along at a breakneck speed, he keeps most of the scenes trimmed down and efficient. Most of the exposition is concise. He only slows down when building tension, especially during the underwater and climbing sequences. If things seem to be getting a little too stodgy, he throws in an action scene.

That is one of the main faults of the film. Its so action packed that it starts to feel like less of a James Bond movie and more of an action show piece with Roger Moore in it. Some of the scenes are great, with my favorites being the shark reef scene, the assault on St. Cyril’s, and the funny and exciting car chase in Spain. Others are entertaining, but go on a bit long; the ski chase, the raid on the warehouse. Then there’s the over the top; killer hockey players? It does reduce some of the tension when Bond dodges attack after attack. If Glen kept the prime set pieces and cut away the clutter, then add some time fleshing out Melina, this movie would be up there with Casino Royale. By the time Licence to Kill rolled around Glen had streamlined his technique and that movie works much better. Still it’s a great way to start his directing career.

For Your Eyes Only doesn’t deserve to be the forgotten Bond. It’s in the top tier of the series. It proves that Roger Moore could handle a more serious take on the character and represents a new era of James Bond, one with an eye on realism (for the most part). Unfortunately for Roger, he did not make this his swan song. It would have been a great way for him to exit the part.

Looking for more? Check out how Raiders of the Lost Ark changed the action movie genre in the '80s and how For Your Eyes Only was the first casualty at my old blog Jones vs. Bond.