After the disappointing Moonraker the producers had to keep the OO7 series up and running. Against going to a farther away galaxy, the producers wisely made a much better movie: For Your Eyes Only. When comparing it with the rest of the films in Roger Moore’s Bond years, this one seems to be the most serious of the bunch, featuring a down to earth plot with more realistic villains. The realism is what makes this movie very beautiful.
PLOT: When an undercover British vessel carrying the ATAC system(a device used by the British government to communicate and coordinate with its Polaris submarine fleet) is attacked and sunk to the bottom of the Mediterranean, Bond must locate and retrieve it for the other side does. However, the Greek arm of the KGB payroll is trying to do the same thing and make 007’s mission difficult and dangerous. After some confusions as to *who *the real villain is, Roger Moore finally confronts the foes and destroys ATAC.
For Your Eyes Only cleverly ties more of the series together by opening with Bond at his wife’s grave and, after a 10 year absence, features the Blofeld character. Death of loved ones and revenge are constant themes throughout the film and as a result, For Your Eyes Only is
more meaning than any average Roger Moore Bond film. The action scenes are so well shot and real that they maintain anastier and edgier tone than Brosnan’s making me feel he’s the best Bond(Sorry Connery fans, this IS my opinion). Whether it’s when Moore sneaks into the villain’s swimming pool or when he confronts Dove’s men after Melina’s dead or when he stands next to an exploding dynamite or when he shoots Dove with a revolver or when he nears sharks when pulled underwater or of course when he climbs a cliff in Greece, Roger Moore has never been better as 007 than in THIS!
While The Spy Who. is a sparkling gimmick, this is a more realistic outing. The specialty of Moore as OO7 is that though he is witty gentle & womanising, when it comes to mission he’s equally cunning, sharp and suave. Whether you like him or not, Moore definitely has his own unique take on the James Bond character and he performs it well, with his Bond usually focused more on the humorous and charming side of things(depending on the film). I don’t think he embodies Fleming’s literary character 100%, but he does do it in spurts - being ruthless here, resourceful there, etc. Here in For Your Eyes Only, Moore is different from afast / paced hero as in Spy Who ., but his Bond also bleeds, kills in cold blood, shows genuine emotion, and relies more on his wits than on his MI6 issued gadgets. Moore looks v old in this movie(unlike Craig) yet does the action scenes quite well that left me surprised. For Your Eyes Only is not a one man show however and Moore is joined by a great supporting cast featuring Topol, Julian Glover, and Carole Bouquet as the beautiful, smart, and cross-bow toting Bond Girl Melina Havelock. For Your Eyes Only does everything that most other Bond films did before it extremely well, and in some cases it does them even better. The humor aspect of For Your Eyes Only is also handled very well.
Too many times throughout much of the Roger Moore Bond era, the so-called "humor" aspect takes away from the enjoyment of a film. But For Your Eyes Only is the example that proves the rule. Filled with amazing action sequences, For Your Eyes Only particularly features one of the best car chases in film history, an exciting chase on skis, a sub-marine face-off, and a nail biting rock climbing scene all of which are superbly filmed by director John Glen in his Bond film directorial debut. But one of the biggest reasons For Your Eyes Only is one of my favorite Bond films is the
fantastic look of the film. With so many breath-taking locations, sharp picture, and a simply brilliant use of light and color throughout, For Your Eyes Only has its own brilliant look that is different from all the other Bond films.
For Your Eyes Only is one of the few prestigious Bond films that breathed
new life in the series Instead of returning to the worn out familiar Bond scenarios of extravagant fantasy, For Your Eyes Only is* less imagination and more reality* - delivering an exciting and authentic espionage adventure. Is it better than The Spy Who Loved Me? Well that is just a
matter of personal opinion. This movie is quite good and that’s obviously why I named my profile on Mouthshut after it!
Conclusion: Though not highly reputed, FYEO isby far one of the best Bond Movies ever.