| For Your Eyes Only (1981) | |
|---|---|
 |
Rating: 6.7/10 (107,866 votes) Director: John Glen Writer: Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson, Ian Fleming Stars: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol Runtime: 127 min Rated: PG Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller Released: 26 Jun 1981 |
| Plot: Secret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. | |
Opening with a nod back to the Connery and Lazenby films, we see Bond at a grave for his wife, right before Blofeld tries to kill him in a scene that makes pretty much no sense. Throw in the fact the music cues on the helicopter action are back to the dreadful disco-style, and it certainly isn’t a strong start for the film.
As we enter the main film, Bond is sent to locate and retrieve a missile command system, the ATAC, after the vessel carrying it was attacked. The plot is quite heavy on themes of revenge and betrayal this time, feeling an attempt at a far more serious affair than the frivolous prior entries. At the time of release, the film received a lot of negative reviews due to being more talky than action focused, and it is fair to say that it is one of the most forgettable of the franchise, even though it is also, perhaps, the strongest dramatically of Moore’s era. Yes, there are some poor choices in action set pieces (and not just the disco-pop music), but story wise it is well played out, and it balances the wit to the drama a lot more evenly than the farcical previous couple of films. That said, it seems Moore was not keyed into this idea, and sadly continues his nods and smirks to camera at every opportunity.
The film is quite beautiful to look at. Locations are well chosen, and the camera captures some great scenery, and follows the few action sequences well. Whist we have already seen ski chases before, this time it actually looks real (and doesn’t utilise back projection), making it more thrilling than previous attempts. But the whole thing, whilst being solidly plotted, is just so forgettable. There are no iconic villains, no standout set pieces, and Bond girls that don’t really have any impact. Had this film come earlier in Moore’s era it would have stood on its own a lot more. As it is, it feels like a regurgitation of old ideas and nothing more. Moonraker was more memorable (admittedly for the wrong reasons).
