For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Director:

John Glen

Writers:

Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
Michael G. Wilson (screenplay)

Release Date:

26 June 1981 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Bond Has Everything - James Bond Agent 007 Is Back

Plot:

Agent 007 is assigned to hunt for a lost British encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.

Plot Keywords:

British | Agent | Spy | Ship | James Bond

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Roger Moore	...	James Bond
Carole Bouquet	...	Melina Havelock
Topol	...	Milos Columbo
Lynn-Holly Johnson	...	Bibi Dahl
Julian Glover	...	Aristotle Kristatos
Cassandra Harris	...	Countess Lisl von Schlaf
Jill Bennett	...	Jacoba Brink
Michael Gothard	...	Emile Leopold Locque
John Wyman	...	Erich Kriegler
Jack Hedley	...	Sir Timothy Havelock
Lois Maxwell	...	Miss Moneypenny
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Geoffrey Keen	...	Minister of Defence (Sir Frederick Gray)
Walter Gotell	...	General Anatol Gogol
James Villiers	...	Bill Tanner

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Greek | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:12 | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:M (video rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | New Zealand:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1981) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (Certificate #26343) | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Achillion Palace, Gastouri, Corfu, Greece

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

It was an early intention of the production to put James Bond in a scene with Greece's classic architectural building, The Parthenon. Old world architecture had previously been a backdrop for Bond in From Russia with Love (1963) (Istanbul and The Basilica Cistern) and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) (Cairo and The Pyramids). But in this case permission was refused to film at The Parthenon.

Goofs:

Continuity: As Bond climbs up through the forest to the pool party, the guard is distracted by a woman with long curly brunette hair and a red flower over her right ear; she is wearing a blue bikini and a long cover-up. After Bond passes her and the guard and proceeds up the hill to spy on the pool party, this same woman is now seen dancing at the party in the first shot seen through Bond's binoculars; she could not be in both places at once.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Vicar: Mr. Bond, Mr. Bond. I'm so glad I caught you. Your office called. They're sending a helicopter to pick you up. Some sort of emergency.
James Bond: It usually is. Thank you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) (VG)

Soundtrack:

For Your Eyes Only

Roger Moore's best Bond hands down

After 1979's sci-fi cartoon called Moonraker, Albert Broccoli and the rest of the James Bond producers decided to change the pace for Roger Moore's fifth adventure. This included firing incumbent director Lewis Gilbert and writing a more believable plot, to begin with. The second item on the agenda was to write a script which curbed Roger Moore's obsessive tendencies to pile on the jokes. Add a few good villains and allies, and voila! a classic James Bond adventure there is. All right, maybe it was not that simple.

This time around, Bond is sent to investigate the murder of one Timothy Havelock, who was working to salvage the wreckage of a spy boat carrying a vital command system called A.T.A.C. Bond's investigation leads him to believe that the Russians are also trying to recover the system, and may be using one Aris Kristatos (Julian Glover) to carry out their dirty work. Aiding Bond is the beautiful sharpshooter Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet) and an old acquaintance of Kristatos's named Milos Columbo (Topol).

As good as it is, 'For Your Eyes Only' starts out terribly. The pre-title sequence involves an attempt on James Bond's life by a bald guy in a wheelchair with a white cat (I wonder who that could be?). The scene is campy and don't get me started on the remark about the delicatessen in stainless steel (obviously put in there at the request of some actor). I understand why the sequence was filmed, but that does not make it good. Thankfully it would not be a barometer on the rest of the movie!

It may not be among the very best in the series, but believe me when I say that the difference between this and the pathetic 'Moonraker' is like day compared to night. It is easily the preeminent Roger Moore Bond film, and is well worth watching in every area. The villain is not trying to kill a majority of the human race for some outlandish purpose. There are no extravagant weapons or billionaire lunatics, no silly motives or doomsday schemes. Instead, we have a lean adventure that a Bond fan can actually enjoy. There are many outstanding qualities about this film, mixed in with a few notable negatives.

Any list of what went right with this film has to begin with Roger Moore. After two mediocre performances, he really nails down the part here. He is courageous, commanding, tough, and, most importantly, serious, thanks to new director John Glen (who apparently had to do some prying to slow down Moore's humor blitz).

Another BIG breath of fresh air is provided by the villains and allies, who are also treated seriously and given unusual depth of character. Julian Glover is exceptional as the ruthless and deceptive Kristatos. It is villains like this that help make the Bond series so great, and Glover is excellent indeed. No wonder Steven Spielberg cast him for Indiana Jones! In Topol, most famous for his work in 'Fiddler on the Roof', we get a terrific ally who has a great chemistry with Bond. I imagine I am not the only person who found him to be much like Kerim Bey in the great 'From Russia With Love'.

Then there is the matter of the women, who both bring good and bad qualities to the table. Carole Bouquet is somewhat wooden as female lead, Melina, but can also hold her own when the heat is on, which makes her the best Bond girl in some time. Lynn-Holly Johnson provides a lovable portrayal as Bibi Dahl, a figure skater who gets the hots for Bond (don't get me started on the age difference). Her bubble headed character makes for some humorous moments and is used to make the character of Kristatos stronger. Dahl is also enrapturing to look at, but I find her ditzy part a little too over the top, but not to the point of weakening the final product.

Unfortunately, there are a few items that bug me about this film. The first is Bill Conti's soundtrack. While it would be terrific literature for an up-tempo jazz band, it really clashes with the action more than anything. Another weakness is Roger Moore's lack of talent for fight choreography, which detracts from the action slightly. The last is Eric Kriegler (John Wyman), another invincible Oddjob rip-off that at one point picks up a motorcycle and hurls it at a fleeing Bond (!).

This is all forgivable, however, because the action, from the mountainside ski chase to the climax atop a rock cliff, is of very high standards. The absurdity of the previous chapter is shed, and we get a highly entertaining adventure that appeals to fans and non-fans alike. I can certainly live with all of the flaws any day. So grab a bag of popcorn and enjoy another great 007 adventure.