Review of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) by Derick K — 30 Mar 2013

"The Spy Who Loved Me" was what the series needed after three disappointing Bond outings. From the memorable teaser that had audiences get up and cheer for Bond again to the thrilling climax on board a supertanker the action never lets up.

The storyline involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Stromberg who plans to destroy the world and create a new civilization under the sea. Bond teams up with a Russian agent Anya Amasova aka XXX to stop Stromberg. Along the way is a nice subplot which involves James and Anya working together and Anya finding out that James killed her lover earlier in the film. Will she take revenge or will she let it go?

In this film Roger Moore hits the mark with James Bond who manages to be cool, suave and dangerous with a dry quip afterwords. Barbara Bach as Anya is just terrific and one of the best Bond girls having great chemistry with Moore and is not only beautiful but is a strong and capable counterpart agent that gives James a run for his money. Curd Jürgens is good as the reclusive Stromberg but the seven foot tall Richard Kiel steals the show as Stromberg's henchman Jaws. Jaws like Oddjob and Red Grant before him never speaks and is incredibly menacing in every scene hes in and uses a pair of hard silver teeth to kill his victims.

To direct is "You Only Live Twice"'s Lewis Gilbert and for screenwriters: long time Bond writer Richard Maibaum and Christopher Wood. Lewis Gilbert's direction got the series back on track after "The Man With the Golden Gun" with epic action and scale. The screenplay is much better written with better globe trotting storytelling and a good mixture between camp and adventure that feels like a mixture between "Goldfinger" and "From Russia With Love". Helps that Christoper Wood was also a fan of Bond.

"The Spy Who Loved Me" is a great and fun addition to the Bond series and a lot of fun to watch.