Review of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) by Paul M — 09 Nov 2012

I've always thought that this one was a bit overrated by fans. Even Roger Moore claims this is the best Bond film. Moore has finally found his niche as James Bond, and for the first time seems completely comfortable in the role.

This occasionally works to his detriment, however, as he clearly prefers exploring Bond's silly side. One of the best aspects of the film is the return of the epic pre-titles sequence, which involves a ski chase and a Union Jack parachute.

Major Anya Amasova serves as a unique and innovative Bond girl, who is clearly his equal in many ways, and it seems like she knows what she's doing a lot more than he does. Jaws makes his first appearance, and the film effectively portrays him as a big, terrifying killer.

He manages to evoke fear from the audience each time he's seen lurking in the shadows. Karl Stromberg is the dullest villain in the series, and is not the least bit threatening. The sequences aboard Atlantis are kind of boring, and the final assault on the villain's plan doesn't deliver like the big battles seen in the earlier films.

The expected thrills of a Bond picture are there, though, and that's what really matters when it comes to a 007 screen outing.