Review of For Your Eyes Only (1981) by Robin W — 20 Jan 2010

When "Moonraker" stretched the series beyond the point of ridiculousness by spending James Bond into space, it was decided to bring 007 back down to earth, so to speak; the result was "For Your Eyes Only", which is the most serious-minded of all the Roger Moore films.

After a rather cartoonish opening sequence that disposes of the character of Blofeld once and for all, this becomes a pretty straightforward spy story that more closely resembles Ian Fleming's novels than any of the other Bond entries from this era; the villain in this piece is only interested in personal gain, not world domination, and the film generally avoids becoming over-the-top and silly.

This approach works very well as this is definitely one of the best Roger Moore entries, and the more down-to-earth philosophy does not deprive the film of spectacle, as it delivers plenty of outstanding stunts and action scenes to appease the fans; major highlights include a spectacular ski chase and an edge-of-your-seat mountain climbing sequence.