A British spy ship has sunk and on board was a hi-tech encryption device. James Bond is sent to find the device that holds British launching instructions before the enemy Soviets get to it first.
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If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,
This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.
In 1969, George Lazenby's 007 stampeded the screen with the exquisitely '60s marketing battle cry of "Far up! Far out! Far more!" (and how! Like, wow!). Unfortunately, it's advice that Mr. Bond, James Bond continued to follow, well into the Roger Moore era, until the franchise had somewhat written itself into a corner of exponential excess, cultivating in the grotesque, campy bloat of Moonraker. So how to top Bond in space? Bring him back down to earth, naturally, with a cracking, gritty tale of espionage, to reestablish Bond as secret agent rather than Jedi Knight. And For Your Eyes Only nearly works as a welcome revitalization of Bond's class and spy credibility (even if it borrows even more liberally from From Russia With Love than The Spy Who Loved Me did from You Only Live Twice). It's just a shame that director John Glen seems to have overcompensated somewhat, endeavouring so tirelessly to deliver 'serious Bond' that his resulting romp, while pleasant, remains one of the blandest and least memorable outings of the series. To his credit, Glen rides the 007 franchise's most flamboyant, pointedly responsive tonal shift with ease, conjuring a distinctly vintage Fleming/John Le Carré vibe, and that rare shocker of a Bond film where (gasp!) the plot is actually its main selling point. And no, that's not just a jab at the comparative lack of 007 razzle-dazzle populating the spectacle frontier. Indeed, Glen stages a good action scene (the opening double-whammy of shipwreck and aeronautical murder are both genuinely alarming), even if many could do with having the pace and intensity accelerated to avoid pacing drifting into worrisomely laggy territory (the underwater submarine subterfuge and cliffhanger finale are all fun, but so lugubrious they're - literally, in the case of the shark-baiting water skiing - a drag). Glen makes good use of his experience as a veteran 007 second unit director, and evocatively captures the natural flavour and unassuming beauty of Italy and Greece. Still, the restrained spectacle and distinctly grey colour palate - set largely at night or in earthly locales, the only real colours pop up in Moore's gaudy wardrobe - do lend the film a disappointingly muted feel, which can't help but suck a lot of the fun out of proceedings. Serious is one thing, but snoozy is a step too far. Equally, the fawning fandom renown for the film's grit and credibility do demonstrate some selective memory: a somewhat shambling subplot having Bond subdue assailants by use of every Olympic winter sport is a strained contrivance whose fun factor wanes quickly, while a 'deus-ex-parrot' has to be one of the lamest plot devices of the entire franchise. Then there's the pre-credits sequence, which takes its place as the least thrilling and most idiotic offloading of Bond's legendary arch-nemesis imaginable (its inclusion being a thinly-veiled middle finger to Kevin McCrory, who hoarded Blofeld's rights for the execrable Never Say Never Again, is droll, but still self-indulgently stupid). And then there's Bibi - Lynn-Holly Johnson's contribution to the 'most annoying Bond girls' pantheon, whose infamous whiny, childhood petulance is excused only as cue for Moore's most amusingly acrid one-liner in his 007 tenure ("Put your clothes on and I'll buy you an ice cream"). Perhaps said ice cream could help sooth that burn. Bill Conti's jaunty disco synths and cowbells are groovy, but toe the line of distracting silliness, saved only when weaving the Bond theme in (more sparingly than usual, though - boo), while Glen anchoring the film's predominant car chase with a VW Beetle is really pushing the limit of tongue-in-cheek. And speaking of cheek: Daniel Craig's 007 may have met Queen Elizabeth, but it took Moore to take the p*ss out of Margaret Thatcher. It's a closing note of such amusing ballsiness you have to wonder how many shaken-not-stirred martinis Cubby Broccoli imbibed in before signing off on. Pairing the legendarily droll Roger Moore with the film's self-declared serious ethos could have misfired terribly, but Moore flexes his acting chops and keeps the British end up masterfully. He's starting to look a touch too old for the part here, and tempers his Bond appropriately - more sparing with the quips (though his incredulous eyebrows provide perennial punchlines in themselves), sombre and dignified visiting his wife's grave, and even more so when cautioning Melina not to be consumed by vengeance. As said vengeful firecracker, Carole Bouquet may be a touch flat, but she's elegant and credibly fierce, and welcomely far more capable than the average Bond girl. The same cannot be said for Julian Glover, whose adversary is so dull and immediately forgettable he's almost invisible while sharing scenes with his fellow actors. Thankfully, as the film's Kerim Bey surrogate, Topol is practically bursting at the seams with bawdy, infectious charisma (ten points if you recognized him without his Tevye beard, too). Cassandra Harris (Pierce Brosnan's late wife), is charmingly prissy as one of Bond's motivationally vaguer trysts. Finally, Desmond Llewelyn and Lois Maxwell's Q and Moneypenny are charm incarnate as always, while James Villiers, dripping with snide contempt, covers the vacancy of M well, after Bernard Lee's tragic mid-film passing. For Your Eyes Only marks a valiant social experiment in fighting against the decade's excesses in the interests of re-grounding the ethos of the character, and for this it deserves credit. Ultimately, it's one of Bond's quieter, more sombre and reflective outings, and in somewhat steadier hands could have served as a strong character study. As it stands, it's a pleasant, suitably engaging watch, with many strong moments undermined by inconsistent silliness and a general sense of hazy disengagement. Ultimately, for better or worse, it's a moment of zen for Bond - intriguing but scarcely memorable for many outside of die-hard fans, and unlikely to spur any new recruits into posing in tuxedos (or powder blue snowsuits) in changing rooms. Maybe if you offer to buy them a delicatessen...-6.5/10
A British spy ship, operating off the coast of Albania, is sunk. The ship was carrying the British ATAC system. The ATAC is a device used to secretly coordinate the movements of Britain's submarine fleet. If the ATAC were to fall into enemy hands, they would be able to track naval movements. James Bond is called in to find the ATAC.What works for me: 1. Tone – I appreciate the more serious tone of For Your Eyes Only. Gadgets are kept to a minimum. The final assault on the mountain fortress is a real highlight of the movie and was filmed in a very realistic fashion. And baddie Aristotle Kristatos' plan is also realistic. He's not trying to take over the world or steal space shuttles or anything like that. His plan is to get his hands on the ATAC and sell it to the highest bidder – something that's completely believable. Finally, Roger Moore was a decent enough Bond, but he turned into something of a joke to me, spitting out cringe inducing quip after quip. Not so much here. After the goofiness of Moonraker, a more serious Bond film was more than welcome. Unfortunately for the Bond series, this more serious tone would not last long.2. Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock – What a fantastic Bond girl! Not only beautiful, but smart, brave, and capable in her own right. Her crossbow skills are on point. 3. The Underwater Scenes – The scenes where Bond and Melina are dragged through the sea are as good as anything you'll find in a Bond movie, filled with exciting and dangerous looking moments. Also, the underwater photography in For Your Eyes Only is stunning. Really gorgeous stuff.What doesn't work for me:1. Some of the Logic – If you want to make sure the Soviets do not get their hands on a strategic military device that is sitting at the bottom of the sea, why not head there first? Why does Bond head to the Alps for what almost appears to be a holiday? He knows exactly where the ATAC is – just go get it. But, I suppose that would have taken at least an hour off the movie's runtime and we couldn't have that.2. Lynn Holly-Johnson as Bibi Dahl – How annoying can one human being be? I still think that Denise Richards' Christmas Jones is the worst Bond girl in the series' history, but Bibi Dahl is a close second.3. Kristatos – I hope I'm not contradicting myself, but while I appreciate the realism in Bond villain Kristatos, he's very unremarkable and unmemorable. I'd most likely put Kristatos near the bottom of the Best Bond Villain List (if I had one).Overall, For Your Eyes Only is a solid entry in the Bond series. It's not without its faults, but it's an enjoyable enough experience and a considerable improvement over its predecessor. I really appreciate the film's tone. If only Bond had not made what seems to be the unnecessary side-trip to the Alps and everything that entailed (like meeting Bibi), I would probably rate this one much higher. I'm still giving it a rock-solid 7/10.
Not the typical Moore era film. After "Moonraker" the direction taken was more serious and realistic. "For Your Eyes Only" takes a lot of queues from "OHMSS" and I quite enjoyed it. It drags a bit, and surely it could have benefited from a shorter running-time but it still makes for a pleasant watch. Moore is really at ease in the character at this point, and you can see that he's just having such a good time playing Bond. The very well crafted action set-pieces make up for the somewhat thin plot and its interesting to see how the franchise constantly evolved, entry after entry, technically wise in order to remain fresh and appealing. Although not anywhere near greatness when comes to acting, Carole Bouquet still makes for a compelling Bond Girl. The all around cast is quite a good ensemble."For Your Eyes Only" is one of the better Moore films and still holds up as a good action piece up to this day.
For Your Eyes Only was the first of the 1980's Bond films. It was released in 1981 and was the first Bond film to be directed by John Glen, who had worked on previous Bond films.The film, for me, marked a welcome return to the more realistic and back to basics Bond films, after the appalling OTT Moonraker. The plot revolves around Bond's hunt for a stolen submarine tracking device. I found the story easier to follow than some other Bond films, it was well-acted and the action scenes were very realistic, but spectacular. Moore was starting to look his age in this film, but he is a more grittier Bond in this film, which I liked. There are fewer gadgets, less silly humour and Bond has to use his wits more to survive in this film. I also thought that FYEO features some fantastic stunts and action sequences, notably the pre-credit scene, the snow chases and the mountain-climbing scene towards the end.The supporting cast are also exceptional. Carole Bouquet is the Bond girl and I thought that she was stunningly beautiful. Julian Glover is the villain, though he doesn't have much to do. I also enjoyed the performance of Fiddler On The Roof star Topol, who I found very amusing as Bond's ally Columbo. Cassandra Harris, formerly Mrs Pierce Brosnan, also has a small part as another lady whom Bond seduces. Although a lot of people seem to have found Lynn-Holly Johnson annoying as Bibi Dahl, I found her to be quite amusing and endearing. She is the only Bond girl that he has ever turned down to date, though.To sum up, I have always enjoyed FYEO and I think it is extremely entertaining and one of the most action-packed Bond films. I much prefer it to most of the other Roger Moore Bond films, with the exception of The Spy Who Loved Me. FYEO is the least silliest and more grounded of all of the Moore Bond films, which is why I have always liked it. I doubt that I will ever tire of watching it. I give it a solid 8 out of 10. The film was followed by Octopussy, which I also enjoy nearly as much as this. I recommend FYEO to any serious Bond fan, or fans of the earlier Bond films, to which this is very similar.