Review of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) by Mjs M — 07 Nov 2008

The producer?s of the Bond series had really scaled back Roger Moore?s first two outings, it?s like they were losing confidence in the series? sustainability and were winding things down. Someone must have realized that the series really could still thrive in the post-Nixon world and made this third outing the grand spectacle it deserved to be. Interestingly, this is sort of an unacknowledged remake of You Only Live Twice, what with subs being snatched by a bigger boat (instead of rocket ships), and the presence of a large scale battle at the end. Fortunately there aren?t any ninja?s in this one, and I think it?s a generally smoother and more accomplished work than YOLT. I think it?s no coincidence that Lewis Gilbert directed both this and YOLT, and Moonraker, which also ended with a large scale battle. In many ways I think Gilbert and Guy Hamilton are largely the one?s responsible for how stupid some of these movies got, but each of them managed to get their camp style just right on at least one occasion and this is Lewis Gilbert?s Goldfinger.

The movie opens with an awesome stunt, and this also has one of the best theme songs of the series. The first act, post opening credits, is kind of slow. Luckily the whole thing picks up big time with a mid-film car chase. Part of what makes the movie work so well is that Anya Amasova (aka XXX) is by far one of the best Bond girls. Most of these chicks are eye candy and their place in the movie is usually perfunctory, but Amasova really feels like an important character. Making her an agent equal to Bond was a great idea, and the Western/Soviet rivalry between the two really gives the movie character.

The film?s only weakness is really the villain. The problem with Stromberg is that his criminal scheme really doesn?t make much sense, he doesn?t have any real reason to go through all this trouble except that he?s eeeeeeevvvillllll. Granted, none of Blofeld?s schemes made all that much more sense, but that guy had personality, and that goes a long way. Stromberg on the other hand is just a grumpy old man, sort of the John Mccain of megalomaniacs. I know that all the schemes in these movies are just macguffin?s that you have to go with, but this seemed kind of half assed.

The Spy Who Loved Me certainly has its flaws, but they?re mostly overshadowed by some excellent craftsmanship. If its predecessor, TMWTGG, was emblematic of everything wrong with the Roger Moore era; The Spy Who Loved Me was emblematic of everything that made that era cool.