For Your Eyes Only

For Your Eyes Only is showing its age a bit now. At the time a hugely welcome return to basics after the leaden FX spectacle of Moonraker (the second remake of You Only Live Twice in a row for the series), it still holds up as one of the best of Roger Moore's Bonds, but its faults are much more apparent than they once were. Among them is the tendency to undercut everything with unfunny little jokes (a scoreboard keeping count of thugs Bond knocks out, Bond giving a bemused royal wave to pursuing thugs, and a horrendous cameo from a Maggie Thatcher lookalike in the end), some flat studio work (no disguising the fact that the mountaintop Greek monastery is just a Pinewood set), a dated Bill Conti score and a comic relief nympho nymphet Lynn Holly Johnson constantly throwing herself at a disinterested Bond. Luckily, the pluses more than compensate - a stronger plot than usual for the Moore efforts, at least one cold-blooded murder, and a very welcome absence of gadgets until the postscript that ensures that Bond has to extricate himself with his own wits in some pretty good setpieces. Best among them is a mountaineering sequence where he uses his bootlaces - not steel bootlaces, just common bootlaces - to save himself in an old mountaineers trick.

Incidentally, with Blofeld still sporting the neck brace he wore at the end of OHMSS, and with the film beginning at Tracey Bond's graveside it's tempting to think of the pre-title sequence as a way of making amends for the jokey way Bond's nemesis was disposed of in Diamonds Are Forever were the following sequence not the proud possessor of the most surreal line in the entire Bond series, the infamous "I'll buy you a delicatessen - in stainless steel!" So, while this may be one of the Moore serious of Roge's outings, it's not exactly Bergman territory.

It's worth picking up the two-disc Ultimate Edition set despite it not having a great many more extras than the original sngle-disc release. However, if you just want the film the remastered single disc is a good bet, and includes a new commentary from Moore (also on the two-disc set).

After the cartoony but still entertaining Moonraker, Roger Moore gets back to Ian Fleming basics. This time Bond has to retreive and return an ATAC machine before the bad guys use it for their own evil ends.

With this 5th go-around as 007, Moore turns in his grittiest, toughest, and best overall performance as Bond! Carole Bouquet has solid presence as the beautiful, resourceful, and revenge-minded Melina Havelock. As Milos Columbo, Topol is a scene stealer! In my own humble opinion, he's the best Bond male ally in the film series history! British pro Julian Glover gives a wonderfully chameleon-like performance as Bond Baddie Aristotle Kristatos. He is almost overshadowed by Michael Gothard who plays henchman Loque with silent and deadly relish! If this movie has one major debit in the casting department its Lynn-Holly Johnson. She is way too young and cute to be a Bond girl!

Former Bond film editor John Glen though, knows his stuff as he takes over the directing reins. He brings the right amount of energy, style, vigor, and realism to his first Bond effort. This Bond epic also contains one of the best assortments of thrill sequences (air, land, sea, snow, beach, cliffs), ever to grace any action film! Sheena Easton beautifully warbles out the Oscar-nominated title tune!

Rating: ****1/2 out of *****

I remember going to see this more than once when it came out & really liking it. After the overblown hi-tech space opera "Moonraker", "For Your Eyes Only" came as a relief. The producers must have re-evaluated what direction the franchise was taking & decided to get Bond back to basics. The decision couldn't have come at a better time; "For Your Eyes Only" ranks as one of Roger Moore's best outings alongside "The Spy Who Loved Me". Here, the gadgetry is minimized & it's all about "the man" again as Moore plays him with lean determination.
FYEO includes one of the best Bond openings ever: A "humanizing" moment with Bond placing flowers on his wife's grave--a really nice touch connecting the film with "On Her Majesty's Secret Secret Service" in nostalgic poignancy--and climaxing the scene with a wild helicopter ride as Bond is menaced by an old nemesis (anyone remember a classic Bond foe with a bald head & white cat?).
The supporting cast is top-notch: Topol as an ally from the Greek underworld; Julian Glover lends sinister presence as the baddie; and there's even an amusing subplot as Bond is pursued by a much-too-young future Olympic skater.
My personal favorite of the Moore-driven Bond films & a terrific effort.

I'll go out on a limb and say that this is my favorite Bond movie ever - period. After the sci-fi fantasy feel of Moonraker, James Bond has been brought back down to Earth - so to speak - in an adventure that is upmost classic in all regards, and highly memorable to the very end. Roger Moore's much improved performance after Moonraker proves he can be ever much as Bond as Connery or the rest of them.

Even the pre-credits scene gives Bond a chance to conclude some unfinished business from the days of SPECTRE. The first image we see is Bond standing above his wife's tombstone, and soon hostage aboard a helicopter piloted by remote by a man who looks like no other than Bond's old nemesis - Blofeld. He's even got the same white cat with him. But before the opening credits and theme begin, it would appear that Blofeld's end has finally come - especially since he never returns again in a Bond film.

The plot is more down to Earth this time around too, and quite more realistic, pitting countries against one another instead of a super-villain attempting to take over the planet. There is however, a load of villains in the story, but all working for each other who in the end, have a connection to Russia. The plot revolves around an English system known as ATAC, which is top secret tracking controls. The ship carrying the ATAC system has gone down in the ocean, and various criminal minds hired by Russia are sent out to find the system, but along comes James Bond and a girl named Melina (who's parent's were murdered by these men) to find the system first.

In addition to a well paced and written plot, the charcaters are certainly above average in this Bond film, both in performance and interest. As stated earlier, Roger Moore proves he can still be Bond and the Bond girl - Melina - is actually an intelligent Bond girl who shows she can have a great use in a Bond movie to get the job done. The villains, especially Kristatos and Eric Kriegler, both prove themselves as well. Kristatos - the main villain in the film - is intelligent and certainly has character. Kriegler is the KBG hitman, who gives Bond plenty of fights and chases throughout a variety of action scenes.

The locations in For Your Eyes Only are also among some of the best. The films begins in Spain, and travels to the snow covered mountains in Northern Italy, followed by both land, underwater, and mountain locations in Greece. All the scenes are beautifully shot, including the action scenes that were filmed in these locations as well.

The action is certainly non-stop in this film, and just about every type of action you can think of is in this movie from beginning to end. In addition to the numerous shootout and one on one fights, there is a car chase scene in Spain, plenty of ski chases on the slopes in Italy, underwater action, mountain climbing suspense, and a wonderfully shot scene of Bond and Melina being dragged through shallow water and coral reefs amongst the sharks. The list goes on.

What joy it is to see that after some interesting (yet fun) films, Bond has returned to his roots - and with a silent bang. For Your Eyes Only doesn't have the ridiculous feel of Moonraker for sure, but quitely, this one snuck up, loaded with tons of action, great characters, loacations, and a well-written story that is a must own film period.

Acting - 4.5
Action - 5
Characters - 5
Story - 4.5
Overall - 5

Agent 007 is assigned to retrieve the ATAC system which went down with a sunken ship and must do so before it falls in the hands of the enemy. He teams up with the lovely Carole Bouquet, a pale, raven-haired vigilante who is also after the bad guys to avenge the brutal murder of her parents in Greece.

"For Your Eyes Only" is a top-notch, wildly entertaining entry into the Bond series. The stunts and action sequences are spectacular. There are spectacular car chases, ski chases, exotic locations, some beautiful underwater photography and as expected, beautiful women. Roger Moore is at his best as 007 James Bond. Despite his age, his charm is intact and his performance here is much grittier than his previous, more humorous portrayals of the celebrated secret agent. Although the film, like previous installments, is grossly over-the-top, it's all done brilliantly and the films pace is virtually flawless. Scene after scene, we are rewarded with suspense, awesome stunts, beautiful photography and I must state that Carol Bouquet's portrayal as a tough-as-nails beauty with a velvet hand in an iron glove is a pleasure to watch. Too bad she is one of the least famous of the Bond girls.

"For Your Eyes Only" is one of my favorite films of the never-ending series, alongside "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Let and Live Die" and technically, I find it one of the best in the entire catalogue. 007 is tougher, meaner and the live action stunt sequences are a refreshing change from the over-top-CGI-Brosnan Bond entries that the newer generation have grown accustomed to.

Highly recommended and a must have for any DVD collection