Released (US): June 26, 1981
Genre: Action/Adventure
Length: 127 Min.
Director: John Glen
Writer:Richard Maibaum & Michael G. Wilson
Major Cast Members:
Roger Moore – James Bond
Carole Bouquet – Melina Havelock
Julian Glover – Aristotle Kristatos
Topol – Milos Columbo
Lynn Holly Johnson – Bibi Dahl
Awards:
ASCAP Award – Most Performed Feature Film Standards (Bill Conti)
Golden Screen Award (Germany)
Budget: $28,000,000
Box Office: $195,300,000
Plot Overview: After a quick run in with an old friend, Bond is sent to recover the lost ATAC system, a computer that controls the entire English nuclear submarine fleet. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, the entire British Polaris fleet could be used to attack its own cities. In order to get it back, Bond must travel to the bottom of the ocean and find the St. George’s (the ship that was carrying it). Unfortunately, Bond will have competition from Aristotle Kristatos, a Greek working for the Russians. With the help of Melina Havelock and Milos Columbo, Bond must get the ATAC back before the Russians can get their hands on it.
Did you know?:The title song, “For Your Eyes Only,” by Sheena Easton, was ranked #8 in the UK and #4 in the US on the charts. It was also nominated for an Oscar.
Review: Roger Moore is back again for the twelfth installment of the Bond series, and, while he is better than past duds such as Moonraker and Live and Let Die, Moore still fails to deliver the goods that were abound in the Connery films. Of the Moore films, this one is better than some, but doesn’t quite reach the pinnacle, otherwise known as The Spy Who Loved Me.
To start, this was not one of the stronger casts that the makers of the Bond franchise has ever assembled. Moore (as usual) is solid, but is too light-hearted and comical to be considered a true James Bond character. He has some decent moments of humor in this one, but they somehow lack the same zing compared to the one-liners so masterfully delivered by Sean Connery.
Additionally, the Bond girls were weak here. Bibi Dahl (played by Lynn Holly Johnson) was a typical dumb blonde. A young woman training to become an Olympic figure skater, her young, flirty personality doesn’t work well with Bond. Her flirting scene in the hotel room is awkward at best, and she seems like an empty shell of a character that serves little purpose. Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet) is better, however, and saves this episode from having the worst Bond Girls in the franchise (up to this point). She is attractive and self-reliant, which is something that all Bond Girls should have, and something that Bibi is greatly lacking.
The criminals are solid in this movie, headlined by the Greek villain Aristotle Kristatos (Julian Glover). It is refreshing to have realistic bad guys return, as the Russians have hired Kristatos to go after the lost British ATAC device, a computer that can control the entire British submarine fleet. Kristatos is not the best Bond villain by any means, but he is deceiving (he nearly fools Bond into going after the wrong guy) and efficiant at his job, nearly accomplishing the Russian objectuve.
The plot is realistic as well, something that seems to be lacking in some of the more recent Bond adventures (Moonraker comes to mind). However, there are still some exciting moments to be had, such as the early car chase and the underwater fight scene towards the end of the movie. Just goes to show that you don’t need an outlandish, ridiculous plot to create excitement. Overall, the script was solid that paced itself well, but there were some holes, however, and the movie didn’t always keep up to speed.
For Your Eyes Only is a decent addition to the Bond movie series. Isn’t the best, but it is certainly not the worst by any means. Better Bond Girls and some slight plot tweaking was all that was really needed to raise this movie’s status a notch or two. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.
Final Grade: B-
Other Reviews:
DVDTown: “Most of the outlandish silliness of a few other Bond issues is mercifully absent, replaced by a greater emphasis on believable thrills.”
Reel Views: “In the final analysis, For Your Eyes Only is a solid adventure, although it could have been better….By the end of the ’80s, Bond would be viewed as something of a relic, but at least the decade opened with an enjoyable outing.”
DVD Verdict: “Perhaps the best entry in the Roger Moore era, For Your Eyes Only returns to a tougher, grittier Bond who saves the day but this time with very limited gadgets and some of the most amazing stunt sequences ever packed into a single movie.”
Filmcritic.com: “As unlikely an adventure as James Bond has ever taken, For Your Eyes Only is one of the better Roger Moore vehicles, thanks to a script that overflows with exotic locales and extreme adventures for our hero to undertake.”
Movie Vault: “The action sequences are entertaining, and sadly are the only good points.”
EFilm Critic: “…its rightful place as one of the best Bonds ever. After all it’s the best Sean Connery Bond that Sean Connnery never made.”
TVGuide: “The success of this picture (perhaps Moore’s best in the Bond series) can be attributed to the marvelous direction of Glen, who had previously worked as a second-unit director on earlier Bond movies.”
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