For Your Eyes Only

Rating:
Summary: For Your Eyes Only
Review: My mom bought this one on VHS. As a fan of "Goldeneye", I quickly pulled it out and watched it as soon as she told me about it.
For Your Eyes Only sees Roger Moore at his best performance as Bond. Though the film seem to depart quite a bit from the earlier ones in the series by the lack of excessive gadgets and monstrous vilians, it certainly portrays a maturity which appeals to all. The main Bond Girl, rather than being so cheap like most others were, showed a high level of maturity and respect for the womenfolks. A tough film, hard work and brilliant ideas. I'd like to see it again.

Rating:
Summary: Roger Moore's Best Turn as 007
Review: James Bond films can be divided into two camps. Some have over-the-top villains and larger-than-life plots, while others are down to earth, gritty spy adventures. "For Your Eyes Only" falls squarely in the latter camp. This characteristic has earned it praise from those who enjoy Bond movies with a more realistic air, while those who prefer the more fantastic deride it as boring.

For my own part, I find "For Your Eyes Only" to be the best Roger Moore film and indeed better than most of the Connery and Brosnan films as well. That is not to say the movie is without flaws. The "heavy" and the "henchman" are a somewhat underwhelming, the score is a little too pop, and Bond's flirtation with a young skater strains credulity. However, these minor complaints are overcome with thrilling chases, superb action, tight storytelling, beautiful locations, and intense suspense that is sorely lacking in most Bond films.

On the whole, "For Your Eyes Only" may not be what you expect, but it is one of the best of the series.

DVD: Thankfully, MGM gave this one the full 5.1 sound treatment. Unfortunately, the soundtrack has its jarring moments, especially in the rear channels during the pre-title sequence and when Bond gets caught at Gonzales' lair. The extra features are informative and fun, as has been the case with the other Bond films.

Rating:
Summary: The best Moore
Review: This is clearly the best Moore version of James Bond. Moore finally takes his role seriously and behaves more like a real secret service agent than he did in his previous, mostly comical, turns as 007. I actually think this is Roger Moore's very best acting turn. Which also makes this is one of the very best Bond films.

As usual the scenery is breathtaking, the colors vivid, and the ubiquitous, classic, and certainly cliched by now, ski chases, car chases and underwater encounters are extremely well-done.

This film shows much better attention to detail than in any previous Bond film. It feels like everyone involved decided to give it their best and not just make a Bond movie but a good suspense drama. Which is why it's so enjoyable to watch. I guess the best clue that this movie will be different is the opening scene in which Bond gets the better of Blofeld once and for all in an exciting helicopter ride.

Let's not forget the believable story that doesn't fall into the ridiculous "taking over the world" category. The characters are well-defined and they're not allowed to fall into the classic Keystone Kops buffoons we've so often seen in Bond films. Another welcome change is the absence of the farcical Bond stalker who pops up everywhere and fails time and again to get his man like the coyote in the Roadrunner cartoons.

One of the few negatives is Carole Bouquet who, although certainly more than beautiful enough, is much too taciturn to make a compelling Bond girl looking to avenge the death of her parents at the hands of criminals. This role would have benefited from the presence of a more assertive actress.

It would, of course, be possible to nitpick at this film but there are few bad things to say about this enjoyable outing. Check it out; it's watchable without even knowing who James Bond is.

Rating:
Summary: Moore's best outing as Bond.
Review: This film was far and away Roger Moore's best Bond film. It's also an incredibly stark contrast to its immediate predecessor, "Moonraker". "Moonraker" followed the "Goldfinger" blueprint - an almost outrageously villianous villain (supported by an even more outrageously unusual henchman), involved in the most large scale, diabolical of plots. It's almost a shame that "Goldfinger" was such a success (well... not quite, since "Goldfinger" was such a superb movie), since it gave rise to a real trend for such over-the-top villians and over-the-top threats in the Bond series. That sort of thing can work, when done masterfully, as it was in "Goldfinger", but it's awfully hard to keep to that level of artistic greatness. "For Your Eyes Only" is very much more like "Dr. No", or "From Russia With Love". It's a believable film. It's the kind of espionage thriller that you really believe could almost be based on a true story. There are no comic book villains. There is no B-movie serial threat. This is the kind of thing that feels like it could plausibly take place in the shadow world of spies. The plot concerns a secret, high tech submarine tracking and communication system. If the Soviets should get their hands on a sample of this system, then a vital component of NATO defense technology would be compromised. Yet even if the Russians had gotten the A.T.A.C. system; even if Bond had failed in his mission, it's the kind of thing that most people would never even have heard about until fifty years later when the political situation had changed, technology had advanced, and the relevant documents had been declassified. You can easily suspend disbelief and imagine that this sort of thing could happen (allowing for a bit of dramatic license that is).

This grittier, more realistic, Cold War spy thriller story was a refreshing change from the comic book Bond of "Moonraker", or even "The Spy Who Loved Me". It was a much needed return to the less flamboyant Bond of the Fleming novels. It's almost a pity Roger Moore didn't make his exit with this movie. It would have been a fantastic swan song, and far better than the unworthy "A View to a Kill", which only proved that in terms of artistic success, the excess of the "Goldfinger" formula was the exception rather than the rule.

Rating:
Summary: A True Bond Classic
Review: This is by far my favorite Bond film of the series. Roger Moore is at his best in this film, and it is definately his best performance as Bond. Roger Moore brings a lot of humor to the movie as he usually does, and he shows his serious bond side in several parts of the movie. This movie has a excellent plot, two spectacular chase scenes, some of the most beautiful locations, and above all it keeps you guessing who the real main villian throughout the movie.

The cast in my opinion is one of the best in the series. First you have Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock who is one of the most beautiful bond girls in the entire series. Julian Glover who plays Aristotle Kristatos was equally as evil as Christopher Lee in "The Man with the Golden Gun". I also liked the assortment of villians in the movie such as Locque, and Eric Kriegler. Then you have Topal who plays Columbo the columbian smuggler who turns out to be Bonds ally.

The plot of the movie is based on the A.T.A.C device which can launch submarine missiles on any desired target including your own cities! It also includes Melina seeking revenge for the death of her parents, who soon joins Bond on his mission. I also thought the young skater Bibi who was very cute brought a lot drama to the movie as well.

The only flaw I found in this movie was the lack of gadgets. I can see why they didn't have many in this film. They wanted to return to a more serious Bond who really and truely looked like a spy. I have always been a fan of Q's high tech gadgets that get Bond out of tight situations.

I would recommend this film to anyone, even if you are not a Bond fan like myself.











Rating:
Summary: The last of the classics?
Review: This one is possibly the last really good Bond movies?
It see's the demise of Bond's old enemy Blofeld, who had become quite a fixture in the series. The incredible theme song by Sheena Easton is a credit to the movie.
Bond is once again called on to solve the mystery of the destruction of a British ship and its crew.
He is brought together with a sultry Greek beauty Melina Havalok (Carole Bouquet), who is out to revenge the brutal murder of her parents. They are brought up against drug cartels with links to the Soviet Bloc. Melina's first act is to take out - with her crossbow- the vicious Cuban assassin who dispatched her parents, before trying to find out who was behind this all. It is Bond who needs to get her to slow down, with promises that justice will be done.
At least most of us knew then who the villains of the world where then - and these included Castro's tyrannical regime in Cuba. This was before so many people where brainwashed by Noam `Wormtongue' Chomsky and his ilk, to regard tyrants and terrorists as heroes and those who fight them as villains
And Bond's run-in with the villains brings him up against various East bloc thugs.

Bond has to find out who the real drug lord and killer, who is working hand in glove with the Soviets and Cubans, and it is not who he initially though it was. Lots of thrilling action.

I adored Bibi Dahl, the adorable young skater played by the lovely blond Lynn Holly-Johnson. Bibi is just cute, with a smile to remember forever, even if she is a bit overeager to get into Bond's bed.




Rating:
Summary: Bond Is Truly A Spy In This One
Review: After going all out into the science-fiction domain of Moonraker, Albert Broccoli brings Roger Moore back down to earth for a more sober Bond who's actually spying instead of being the usual mysogenist superman.

The film focuses on the sabotage and sinking of a spy ship: the HMS St. George. Bond needs to find out where the ship has sunk in order to recover the ATAC system: a computer that tracks all of the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines and has the ability of ordering the launch of their nuclear arsenals. Fearing that the system may come into the hands of terrorists or the Soviets, Bond is given his marching orders. Bond soon realizes that he's running out of time and so obtains the help of the always needed beauty: in this case played by Carole Bouquet. After travelling to Spain, Italy, and Greece (taking part in Olympic training and olive harvesting on the way), Bond is hard pressed as to who has the ATAC. Upon obtaining the truth from one he presumed to be an enemy, Bond goes to a Greek monastery perched high on a mountain for the final show down.

This is probably one of the best Bonds in that Bond here is actually a spy and isn't relying on any far-fetched gadgets to save the day. The film is action-packed and has more mystery and suspense than the other typical Bond films. The reason for that is that the true villain isn't immediately identified and this has Bond actually perplexed for a while. On a final note, it's the last Bond film in which Blofeld appears (however briefly) as a character.

This is one of my favorite Bond films in the entire franchise. Moore keeps up his stiff upper lip in the traditional style and the script has all the humor and wit of other great Bond films. I recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Back to Basics Bond
Review: After the over the top Moonraker,The 007 filmakers decided to trim the fat, and deliver a film that has the tone of intrigue and adventure of the early 60's Bond adventures.Cutting back on gadgets and campiness that plagued most of the 007 films of the 70's,FYEO is a winner.
Bond tracks down a submarine stelth device,and teams up with a revenge filled Greek heiress Melina Havalok(Carole Bouquet)whose parents were killed locating it.Filled with memorable scenes including a chase in Melina's car(a small and slow car, as opposed to Bonds' gadget filled cars),A spectacular ski chase, a dangerous coral reef escape, and an attack on the villian's lair including Bond dangerously climbing up a mountain.Topel shines as a dangerous smuggler who turns out to be Bond's ally, as well as Lynn Holly-Johnson as Bibi Dahl, a not so innocent nymphette who's the first Bond girl he turns down.
Although the cheesy tone would return by the time of A View To A Kill,FYEO is a reminder that Roger Moore could play Bond with a license to kill.



Rating:
Summary: Roger Moore's Best Turn as 007
Review: James Bond films can be divided into two camps. Some have over-the-top villains and larger-than-life plots, while others are down to earth, gritty spy adventures. "For Your Eyes Only" falls squarely in the latter camp. This characteristic has earned it praise from those who enjoy Bond movies with a more realistic air, while those who prefer the more fantastic deride it as boring.

For my own part, I find "For Your Eyes Only" to be the best Roger Moore film and indeed better than most of the Connery and Brosnan films as well. That is not to say the movie is without flaws. The "heavy" and the "henchman" are a somewhat underwhelming, the score is a little too pop, and Bond's flirtation with a young skater strains credulity. However, these minor complaints are overcome with thrilling chases, superb action, tight storytelling, beautiful locations, and intense suspense that is sorely lacking in most Bond films.

On the whole, "For Your Eyes Only" may not be what you expect, but it is one of the best of the series.

DVD: Thankfully, MGM gave this one the full 5.1 sound treatment. Unfortunately, the soundtrack has its jarring moments, especially in the rear channels during the pre-title sequence and when Bond gets caught at Gonzales' lair. The extra features are informative and fun, as has been the case with the other Bond films.