For Your Eyes Only Appreciation

James Suzuki

Now I am quite notorious for creating threads which are left unanswered.
However please hear me out and comment.
If you remember me well you will know that my favourite Bond film and favourite film of all time is For your eyes only. Which is interesting because I have always thought that you never hear about this movie, barely ever. It’s tucked in after Moonraker and before octopussy.
Many people have asked me why is it your favourite film?
Well, it’s very hard to answer that, to tell the truth I don’t know?
Comparing it to the others, it doesn’t have the best pre-title or song. Doesn’t have the best villain or Bond girl. The score is great but Barry’s is better.
But something,not nostalgia however because I only first saw this when I got into Bond in 2008, makes it on top on my list.
Yet, it isn’t I agree the best made Bond film if you get what I mean, that title will go to the classics, Goldfinger, OHMSS, Casino Royale.
Would I be right in saying that this film needs some love and attention? So I have decided to make a thread just about this film, where one can talk about the actors, the plot pieces.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Your_Eyes_Only_(film)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082398/

ZorinIndustries

It's a very traditional Bond film in my opinion. I always enjoy watching Moore in this one. He does a magnificent job. The score is fairly outdated, but that doesn't bother me. Great acting all around. The weakest is probably Malena, and she's not that bad. I enjoy this film quite a lot!

hehadlotsofguts

I love this movie also. I love the locations, Kristatos was a great villain. The fact that he didn't look like your typical villain made him more sinister. My favourite scene involving Kristatos was the keelhauling scene and the bloke is knocked off the boat to be eaten by sharks ("Ah leave him!") he was really psychotic in that scene.

The cliff climb remains one of the most suspenseful scenes in the Bond films, i liked the fact there was no music during that scene apart from a loud sting when Bond reaches the top and sees Apostis.

chrisisall

I have come to really appreciate this movie- one of Moore's best. -{

James Suzuki

I love the mountain Climbing scene and for Me, Melina Havelock is my favourite Moore Girl (Love her hair :x )
Would I be correct in saying that it isn't mentioned much?

Dalkowski110

I love this film save the PTS and the ending and Bibi Dahl, but if you manage to overlook those, you have a genuinely creepy villain in Kristatos, a truly intering character in Columbo (Chaim Topol has to be given some serious credit here; his suggestions gave Columbo many of his personal quirks, such as his love of pistachios...he also supposedly ad-libbed the bit about handing Roger Moore some pistachios in the middle of a gunfight, which was funny, but believeable based on what we saw of him), and probably the single-greatest scene in a Roger Moore Bond film: kicking the Mercedes-Benz off the cliff.

As side note, I've since gone back and looked at the Citroen 2CV vs. Peugeot 504's chase and no longer view it quite as harshly as I once did. I still maintain Bond should be at a disadvantage in a car chase, but not such an extreme disadvantage. Then again, Bond's repeated attempts at evasive action thanks to knowing he'll be outrun are very nicely done. Had they given him something more along the lines of a Citroen Visa (knowing full well they had to put some Peugeot or Citroen product in there), I would have found the chase to be perfect.

Higgins

FYEO made me a Bond Fan and it's still nr.2 on my list - after OHMSS.

I love the extensive ski scenes, the Lisl story, the night fight and the climb sequences.
The underwater sequence is great, too.
I still adore Bill Conti's different and variable approach, Melina was great, I like Bibi and FYEO is Moore's best preformance.

I often wonder how the car chase would have been with the beautiful Lotus involved - I am drooling everytime that I see one - onscreen and in real life.

About the lack of mentioning: You referred to MR as an example but MR usually gets a lot of criticism.

Jarvio

It's one of the best for me too. It really is a highly consistent movie. I has so many great moments in it, such as the ice rink fight, the sharks scene, and scaling the cliff. Melina IMO is quite a strong bond girl. Kristatos wasn't too memorable, but there was nothing wrong with him either - and as mentioned, he is quite sinister in that shark scene.

I'd agree that FYEO isn't talked about that much. It really is a dark horse of a bond film - it's one that I never seem to remember/immediately think of, yet every time I watch it I love it. Right near the top of my list.

Higgins

your signature still has a lot of flaws, Jarvio.

Just drop me a note if I can help you with it

Thunderpussy

As others hsve posted IMHO it's one of Sir Roger's best Bonds. -{

Sir Hillary Bray

Count me in as a supporter. Despite a dated score and a '70s/'80s sheen that doesn't always wear well, FYEO is a strong entry in the series -- Moore's second-best after TSWLM and easily in my top 10. Highlights for me include the Bond-Melina relationship (deepest for 007 after Tracy and Vesper, IMO), Topol as Columbo, the standount Cortina action sequence, the superb monastery finale, and the fact that the whole plot is set in motion by an accident (the only film that can say that). The PTS is lame, Bibi is a waste of time, and I know many consider the Thatcher parody to be completely cringeworthy, but I can get past all that because the rest is so good.

always shaken

YOLT ,good typical Bond film I looked up Bibis details and she is as old as me now
and im 54 DOH

James Suzuki

Yay! its getting heaps of love
Bibi doesn't bother me, I just shrug my shoulders and keep watching.

Bondtoys wrote:

FYEO made me a Bond Fan and it's still nr.2 on my list - after OHMSS

.

I respect you Bondtoys.

Higgins

James Suzuki wrote:

I respect you Bondtoys.

Like everyone here -{

Peppermill

I’m not a big fan of FYEO. I think it is a good movie but it is somewhere in the middle for me, one of the more forgettable movies, not bad, not great. It has some great scenes, a good plot and Melina is one of my favorite Bond girls.

Blackleiter

Moore's best.

L Jones

FYEO is my fourth favorite Bond movie ever. I think it's Moore's best Bond flick. My only problem with the film is that lousy pre-title sequence with a wheelchair bound Blofeld.

Peppermill

L Jones wrote:

FYEO is my fourth favorite Bond movie ever. I think it's Moore's best Bond flick. My only problem with the film is that lousy pre-title sequence with a wheelchair bound Blofeld.

Just curious. What do you think of the last scene with Maggie?

chrisisall

L Jones wrote:

My only problem with the film is that lousy pre-title sequence with a wheelchair bound Blofeld.

Except for the music, it's one of my favourite scenes.

DEFIANT 74205

I really like this film. It's by far the best Bond film that Roger Moore has starred in, and most "Fleming-esque". Overall it just misses out in my top 10, but that doesn't mean it isn't a great film, because it is.

jimmyunderscorebond

At least the film tries to put an end to the dastardly Blofeld once and for all. And It is a nice change to see a slightly more serious film during the "eyebrow years" as I call them.

DieAnotherDay

Like TSWLM the music dates it terribly but the film itself is Moore's best for me...no doubt!

Golrush007

FYEO may be dated in some respects but i think it is one of Moore's strongest entries. There is relatively little over-the-top nonsense and silly humour is kept to a minimum, so most of the complaints directed at Moore's films don't apply in this one. However, despite some strong moments and sequences there is little that really makes it stand out as a great film. So, in my opinion, it stands as a very decent, solid entry in the series but not one of the true classics.

chrisisall

Golrush007 wrote:

despite some strong moments and sequences there is little that really makes it stand out as a great film. So, in my opinion, it stands as a very decent, solid entry in the series but not one of the true classics.

Precisely what I thought, then & now. Only back then it was also a nice band-aid to the still-open wound that was MR.... :v

Gassy Man

It's a fine film and the first Bond one I actually saw in the theater. I waffle between it and The Spy Who Loved Me as my favorite Moore Bond movie -- depends on whether I want pure escapism of just some escapism.

Mr Mallory

It's the Best Moore Bond, not as silly as some.

Barbel

Mr Mallory wrote:

It's the Best Moore Bond, not as silly as some.

Agree with the second part, not the first! (I prefer OP)

Mr Mallory

OP was good but FYEO was closer to the modern Craig type film.

Barbel

..as well as being fairly faithful to Fleming, always a strength IMHO.

AirJordanFan93

I rank it 3rd among the Moore Bond films. Ive always thought LALD was his best not sure why I thought that but I like it the most out of his movies then TSWLM 2nd followed by FYEO. FYEO is the furthest thing away from what we expect out of a Roger Moore Bond film it lacks all the OTT stuff we think about when it comes to the Moore films. I guess they had to scale it back a lot after Moore had his space adventure and all.

Felix the Leitercat

Nice choice by Mr. Suzuki--FYEO is a special film to me because it brought Roger Moore back to earth literally as it followed the two mega save the world and outer space epics Moonraker and Spy Who Loved Me. Bond was older, thought and reacted differently, dealt with mortality in glimpses and small nicely thought out sections--the flowers at the grave of Theresa Bond, whose death was very long ago far away for both him and we the audience--his turning down of bouncy little Valley Girl ice skater Lynn Holly Johnson who was cute but one of the most annoying Bond Girls ever--I especially like Moore and the late Cassandra Harris together sharing a moment when her countess accent slips--they're both role players who fake it to get what they want and they share this camaraderie briefly.

IMHO--It was the first time where Bond is seen and sees himself as an older man--he hooks up with Melina Havelock but offers fatherly, stern advice--"Out for revenge? Dig two graves." I like that scene because again it shows he's older and worldly enough to know how hard killing is and is trying to talk the beautiful younger woman assasin out of doing something she'll regret and might get her killed too.

May I say Carole Bouquet may have been the hottest Bond Girl up to that date with the long dark, hair, not a strand out of place, the fine athletic girl figure and fantastic eyes, reserved and held back--liked her smart, no nonsense manner, no excessive gushing over oo7, determined, on mission approach to the task at hand. Was she an early prototype for today's action adventure gal?? Can enjoy our man Bond in bed, and handle keel hauling and sharks, and nail a few villains with that handy bow. Also she took part in the final assault actively, fighting alongside the guys, effectively too, unlike many a Bond woman.

Finally, the low key plot, a race to get a super laptop computer, actually worked well because it allowed for more character driven moments and the actors were not overwhelmed by the usual world Armageddon plot, sets, last mega battle with bad guys, explosions, falling towers and walls, etc. Nice film all in all, FYEO, I tuck it away in a special category all its own.

Felix, Leiter Cat