When a British spy ship is accidentally sunk with a top-secret code machine aboard, MI6 agent James Bond is given the mission to recover it. Can he find it before the Russians ?
Some view the Roger Moore era of James Bond as a bit dated and silly, but personally I think they're amongst the best - I like the gadgets, the over-the-top action, the dolly birds and the bad jokes. They make the films exciting, glamorous, and most of all fun, which is what most movies (and all James Bond movies) should aspire to. This one is a series of fantastic sequences; Bond trapped in a crazy helicopter, a car chase (in a 2CV !) through the Spanish countryside, an action-packed interlude at the beautiful Cortina D'Ampezzo ski resort, an undersea adventure in a mini-sub to recover the MacGuffin, and a vertigo-inducing finale at the Holy Trinity monastery in Metéora. The action flows effortlessly across these locations as the story sweeps along and Moore exudes poise and charm in his signature role. Whilst the support cast are not great, they are all good, particularly Topol as the worldly wise smuggler who turns out to be a key ally. Look also for Harris as the groovy Contessa (she was the wife of future Bond Pierce Brosnan) and Dance in his film debut as a wordless thug. The photography in this movie is superb - it was shot by Alan Hume (Return Of The Jedi, Runaway Train), one of Britain's greatest cameramen, and he does everything from strap the camera to a bobsleigh to stage an interior fight underwater with stunning, razor-sharp looks. The film was recently restored by Lowry Digital Images with excellent results - if possible, please try to see the new print. The stuntwork is also outstanding, and Bill Conti provides a thumping score to accompany it all. Whilst this may not be in the top drawer of Bond flicks (You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldeneye), it's not very far behind. Extremely well directed by Glen, who edited the previous two Bond movies and directed the next four, this is a first-rate action thriller and solid entertainment all round. Trivia - singer Sheena Easton here is the only performer of a James Bond theme song who also appears in the iconographic opening credits.
Some view the Roger Moore era of James Bond as a bit dated and silly, but personally I think they're amongst the best - I like the gadgets, the over-the-top action, the dolly birds and the bad jokes. They make the films exciting, glamorous, and most of all fun, which is what most movies (and all James Bond movies) should aspire to. This one is a series of fantastic sequences; Bond trapped in a crazy helicopter, a car chase (in a 2CV !) through the Spanish countryside, an action-packed interlude at the beautiful Cortina D'Ampezzo ski resort, an undersea adventure in a mini-sub to recover the MacGuffin, and a vertigo-inducing finale at the Holy Trinity monastery in Metéora. The action flows effortlessly across these locations as the story sweeps along and Moore exudes poise and charm in his signature role. Whilst the support cast are not great, they are all good, particularly Topol as the worldly wise smuggler who turns out to be a key ally. Look also for Harris as the groovy Contessa (she was the wife of future Bond Pierce Brosnan) and Dance in his film debut as a wordless thug. The photography in this movie is superb - it was shot by Alan Hume (Return Of The Jedi, Runaway Train), one of Britain's greatest cameramen, and he does everything from strap the camera to a bobsleigh to stage an interior fight underwater with stunning, razor-sharp looks. The film was recently restored by Lowry Digital Images with excellent results - if possible, please try to see the new print. The stuntwork is also outstanding, and Bill Conti provides a thumping score to accompany it all. Whilst this may not be in the top drawer of Bond flicks (You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, Goldeneye), it's not very far behind. Extremely well directed by Glen, who edited the previous two Bond movies and directed the next four, this is a first-rate action thriller and solid entertainment all round. Trivia - singer Sheena Easton here is the only performer of a James Bond theme song who also appears in the iconographic opening credits.