For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only
Director: John Glen
Producers: Albert R. Broccoli; Tom Pevsner (associate); Michael G. Wilson (executive)
Writers: Ian Fleming (stories "For Your Eyes Only" and "Risico"); Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson
Title Song: Lyrics by Mick Leeson and Sung by Sheena Easton
Opening Action Sequence: While visiting the grave of his wife, Tracy, Bond is called off on yet another dangerous mission. During a speedy helicopter flight, Bond realizes that the helicopter and its pilot are property of his old nemesis, Ernst Blofeld. Blofeld takes control of the chopper from a special console miles away, and attempts to get rid of 007, once and for all. But James manages to work his way around the outside of the helicopter and recover manual control. He then picks Blofeld up with the chopper and promptly drops him down a smokestack.
Bond Visits: Madrid, Spain; Cortina, Italy; Corfu Island, Greece; Albania; St. Cyrils Island, Greece
Film Gross: $52,340,842--United States; $195,300,000--Worldwide
Plot Summary: After the murder of her parents, Melina Havelock
(Carole Bouquet) vows to seek revenge. Little does she know that British
agent James Bond (Roger Moore) is looking for the same killer. It soon
becomes evident that Melina's father was murdered due to his involvement
with the ATAC device, a missile decoder that is sought after by the British
and the Russians.
Also vying for the prize is Aris Kristatos (Julian Glover), who is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that the ATAC is his. And when Melina discovers that Kristatos was responsible for the brutal murder of her parents, she does everything in her power to stop him.
Bond and Melina travel the world in search of the ATAC system and escape
one close call after another, but will they be able to get to the decoder
before the Russians get their hands on it?
Review: Definitely the apex of Roger Moore's career as 007,
For Your Eyes Only is a great Bond film, through and through. The
plot is tightly-woven and interesting, the countries visited by 007 are
flavorful, and there are plenty of unforgettable Bond moments (particularly
the creative "coral reef torture" scene).
While the film does not have a strong main villain, it more than makes
up for that with its great story of revenge, murder and romance. Moore
hits all the right notes here, whether they be humorous or deadly. And,
of course, there are all the Bond necessities: a car chase, plenty
of fist-fights and tons of
susp
ense.
Yet another independent Bond woman, played by Carole Bouquet, saves Bond's life on more than one occasion and definitely has her own agenda. It would be safe to say that she is one of the most determined and deadly of Bond's love interests throughout the series. Finding the killer of her parents is a personal mission for Melina, whereas for Bond, it's just another day's work.
The action in For Your Eyes Only rarely lets up, and when it does it's mainly for the sake of story expansion. The adventure is so well-paced and exciting that it rivals some of the later Bond pictures, even the stunt-crazed 90's movies.
Most of the natural intensity of the movie can be credited to director John Glen, who was previously a second-unit director on other James Bond films. This, his first Bond directing attempt, is right on the money in every aspect. The atmosphere, chases, and action scenes are all top-notch in For Your Eyes Only, and certainly make Moonraker seem even more dull.
Roger Moore's performance as 007 is the icing on the cake. Here he shows a level of danger and charm not seen in his earlier movies, where his dry humor would usually overshadow that menacing Bond "edge". In For Your Eyes Only, Moore's Bond gets to play rough on many occasions. This helps to crank the film's level suspense to the extreme and proves that Moore's Bond isn't just a witty fop.
But the humor's still available as well, mostly centered around teenage ice-skater Bibi Dahl, who ceaselessly pines after James Bond's charms. Bibi, played by Lynn-Holly Johnson, is an almost unnecessary character, but at least she's good for a laugh. And it's interesting to note that she's one of the few women whom 007 refuses to sleep with.
Bond does, however, spend some quality time with Countess Lisl (Cassandra Harris), despite her relationship with the charming and powerful Columbo (a wonderfully confident Topol). There's even some skinnydipping.
For Your Eyes Only is one of the few thoroughly enjoyable Bond adventures. It never lags; and it has lots of fun characters, last-minute escapes and beautiful scenery. This one is a must-see!
Grade: A