IMDb > For Your Eyes Only (1981)
For Your Eyes Only
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For Your Eyes Only (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 4 NEW)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- Trailer for this James Bond classic
For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- Agent 007 is assigned to hunt for a lost British encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.
For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.8/10   21,503 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 15% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Glen
Writers:
Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
Michael G. Wilson (screenplay)
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Contact:
View company contact information for For Your Eyes Only on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
26 June 1981 (USA) more
Tagline:
Bond Has Everything - James Bond Agent 007 Is Back more
Plot:
Agent 007 is assigned to hunt for a lost British encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(17 articles)
Geek Deal: James Bond Blu-Ray Three-Packs for $30 Each
 (From Slash Film. 25 September 2009, 1:00 AM, PDT)

James Bond has licence to thrill in new comic strip collection
 (From The Geek Files. 9 September 2009, 3:53 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Roger Moore's best Bond hands down more (195 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Runtime:
127 min
Country:
UK | USA
Language:
English | Greek | Italian
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
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)
Company:
Danjaq more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Trademark: [John Glen] [pigeon]Bond almost loses his footing during his climb to the monastery when a pigeon from a nest unexpectedly flies in his face. more
Goofs:
Factual errors: When Bond and Melina are to do the deep dive Bond mentions that they must use a mixture of helium and oxygen but when they communicate through the helmet radios there voices sound normal not high pitched like it should be. more
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.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (2008) (VG) more
Soundtrack:
For Your Eyes Only more

FAQ

How does the movie end?
Who sings the title song?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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33 out of 54 people found the following comment useful.
Roger Moore's best Bond hands down, 11 April 2003
7/10
Author: TimBoHannon from Seattle Washington area

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.

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Love or hate this movie. . . . rkjabc
Sir Roger Moore's finest 007 moment... NYJetsAFL
Five things to like and to dislike in FYEO Rascar-Capac
Top 10 Bond Films of all time.... syncopation1981
Should have been Dalton's first rickmeister95
Is this seriously how Blofeld ends? mikoman2
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