Review of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) by Topher H — 09 Feb 2012

It may not have been the greatest Bond film, but The Spy Who Loved Me was one refreshingly engaging espionage thriller, with just about the right mix of thrills, suspense, and of course sexiness. Regarding the latter especially, one might find fault with Barbara Bach for not being that appealing. But after watching this, I definitely disagree whole-heartedly with that viewpoint. Because Bach as Anya wasn't just appealing: she was ravishing, and with Moore's Bond alongside her, it made such a lovely interwoven chemistry one rarely gets to see with regards to Bond flicks. It even surpassed the chemistry with Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the film I felt most to have a really appealing Bond-girl romance circle. Hence, I feel that The Spy Who Loved Me is quite firmly the Bond movie with the right Bond-girl chemistry: though she certainly isn't the most appealing in the entire franchise, that chemistry was quite thirst-quenching to watch. And in certain circumstances, it was quite unstable and funny too.

With regards to the villains, I must say Curt Jurgens made a very good impression on me as the megalomaniac Karl Stromberg (who not inaptly was 'deformed' with webbed hands - a fitting symbol of his inhumane world domination plans!). But ultimately, it was Richard Kiel as Jaws who really caught my eye. He may yet be the best henchman in the entire pantheon - bar of course Oddjob from Goldfinger. Indestructible and speechless as he was (as Oddjob almost was), he seemed to lack an Achilles Heel: a title he would have won had it not been for his magnetically-inclined metal jaws! In any case, he was quite refreshing to see, and I think not inaptly that Kiel would be remembered for that role throughout his later career (which again landed him in the same spot with Moonraker - although that rarely did him proper justice).

In all, with Carly Simon singing "Nobody Does him Better" so wonderfully, and of course Moore's ever-present humor and wit in his refined speech, The Spy Who Loved Me can even be regarded as Moore's best Bond role yet. And although my firm Moore favorite remains to be For Your Eyes Only, there's no denying that the apex reached in this masterpiece can ever be matched properly again.