Review of For Your Eyes Only (1981) by Tia G — 21 Oct 2008

Aside from the dated plot, some goofy humor, and a lack of good camera flair, this entry, along with The Spy Who Loved Me, ranks among Moore's best. It's certainly his most serious. It's interesting how he's portrayed here. He was 52 years old when this was made, and from the very start, Bond is established as an aging spy looking back on an old mission. After this, he's basically acting as a father figure to the main Bond girl (ew), trying to fend off the advances of a particularly young one (ew again), and bonking the shit out of an older woman (ehh). I like how they just accept that Roger Moore was getting old as fuck (except in the next two, they forget that angle, which causes suckage).

I'd say it's one of the better Bond movies as a whole. It was the most realistic one since From Russia With Love, so after seeing Moonraker, the absence of extravagance (thank you, Bryanna) almost hurts it.

However, with the next two entries, I'd wish they were as unsophisticated as this one.