For Your Eyes Only (Special Edition)

For Your Eyes Only (Special Edition)

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DVD Reviews of For Your Eyes Only (Special Edition)

DVD Review: Roger Moore's Best Bond
Summary: 4 Stars

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY opens with a pre-credits sequence that winks at many of the earliest Bond films. It truly sets the tone, yet is wholly unrelated to the plot of the movie. For certain this sequence has at turns over the years been praised and harangued by avid fans of the series. Commencing, our hero places flowers at the grave of his murdered wife, Tracy. Then a shot of the tombstone- the words, "We have all the time in the world," certainly portend a comparatively somber tone with regards to Bond as portrayed by Moore: a softer display in contrast with the usual flippant playfulness. As well, this is a linking reference to the earlier 007 film, ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Within moments, Bond finds himself trapped on a frightful helicopter ride, choreographed by a wheelchair-bound, kitty-petting bald man with remote controls. He's here unnamed, but anyone familiar with the pre-Moore era Bond films immediately recognize this personage as none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld - the notorious megalomaniac who, incidentally, is Tracy's murderer. Most satisfyingly and most befitting, this bad guy gets unceremoniously dumped here for good. I guess my only regret is that Sean Connery's Bond wasn't given the pleasure.

Following the credits sequence - the lovely title song, unfortunately weakly sung by Sheena Easton - Bond's mission takes off after the ATAK, a secret coding device, is sunk to the bottom of the sea when the ship carrying it hits a mine. The British Secret Service charges James Bond with retrieving it before it falls into the wrong hands. The Russians, who are intent on retrieving the device, direct their local contact in Greece to recover it at all costs. Part of this cost includes the murders of Sir Timothy Havelock and his wife aboard their yacht on the Mediterranean. Before long, Bond encounters their beautiful daughter, Melina, who's on her own quest to find the group of individuals behind it all. And since, "Greek women, like Electra, always avenge their loved ones," Melina manages to perforate her parents' assassin with a crossbow before Bond is able to question him regarding involvement with the ATAK.

The quest, nevertheless, does eventually lead our favorite spy to the real villain behind it all: Aristotle Kristatos (Julian Glover), an exceptionally sly and dangerous adversary. His henchman, Emile Locque (Michael Gothard), though he never utters a word during the whole of this movie, is one of the most intensely menacing of all the Bond foes in the series.

Though the lovely Miss Havelock shares the same adversary as Bond, she is working from a completely different angle. The result is an enticing romantic relationship. Commander Bond also gets assistance on this difficult mission from some unexpected quarters: Columbo (Topol), head of a smuggling operation, and the smuggler's lover, Countess Lisl von Schlaf (the late Cassandra Harris- who, coincidentally, was married to future James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan at the making of this movie).

The pace of this movie is perfect - the scenery lovely and sublime - the action and humor subtle and flowing. It does tend to drag slightly during the underwater sequences - and Moore, like every other actor who's played Bond, is somewhat of a laugh in a wetsuit. But I must say, the rock-climbing scene towards the end is exhilarating.

The cast here contains most of the usual personages for a Bond film: Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell), "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn), a ditzy blonde -herein named Bibi Dahl (Lynn-Holly Johnson), and Walter Gotell appears again as General Anatol Gogol. For the first and only time, the character of "M" is absent, as Bernard Lee (who was "M" in each of the previous 11 007 films) passed away while preparing for this role. Bill Conti's musical score is pleasant, but one still cannot help missing John Barry's lush, colorful touch. The cool Bond car of this movie, a Lotus Esprit, makes only a brief appearance - security-protected, it lamentably gets blown up when someone tries to break in. To compensate, this leads to a fun action set piece, wherein Melina & Bond must make a daring escape in a banana-yellow Citroen 2CV- "I'm afraid we're being out-horse powered."

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is the first Bond film to take its title from one of Ian Fleming's short stories rather than his novels. Yet, unlike the book, which is set in the Caribbean, this film is set in the richly scenic surroundings of the Mediterranean Sea. Like all of the other Bond films, this movie doesn't solely follow or specifically stick to the Fleming story on which it's based. There are changes and additions, as well as scenes and sub-plots taken from no less than two of his other novels. Yet the end result is an immensely enjoyable and satisfying adventure, indeed, one of the very best installments in the series!