Thanks, Thuderpussy, my only real criticism of the film is that it was a bit crowded with villains and their henchmen, who were on the bland side, hard to follow the act of Jaws in the two previous films. But I still think the blond guy w/glasses, the Dove, was not menacing enough, and maybe Erik the first Olympic Bond sub villain henchman should have switched over to that role cause he looked meaner and colder. Kristatos vs. Columbo was a good idea but the fine actors, Julian Glover and Topol, also could have played it nastier edgier--would have been great to see them hostile facing off with each other in a casino setting to give us a sense of how much they hate each other with Moore quietly hanging back thinking how to exploit this conflict. They fit more into the reasonable Bond villain strain, like Drax who is dry and witty, controlled and offers 007 a cucumber sandwich. Maybe I just like my Bond villains with a more loud obnoxious maniacal presence like Goldfinger--he wants Ft. Knox bad and he's hot under the collar, a very large man too who gets sweaty and angry about his plotting. In FYEO to end film, the Russian general shows up in his chopper, you start using a roster and scorecard to keep track.
But the film still really works well, it's a great "personal Bond" as some felt OHMSS is--you are more compelled by Bond's character and his interactions with others than any way out over the top exploding volcano endings.
[list=*]
[/list] Moore is at his most dark. Kicking Emilio off the cliff is a highlight
[list=*]
[/list] Villains are interesting without being too OTT
[list=*]
[/list] The Bond girls are hot
[list=*]
[/list] Sillyness is turned down after MR
[list=*]
[/list] Columbo is Bond's best ally since Kerim Bey
[list=*]
[/list] There are skiing scenes! Always a plus!
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.
It is also John Glen's first Bond film of 5 as director.
I like the 2 Lotuses (white and orange) 4 years after TSWLMe.
The Bill Conti music fits with the mediterranean location-although trumpets sometimes sound Mexican!
Very 1981 with Sheena Easton singing the theme and a parrot and Thatcher at the end.
This is in my top 5 Bond films. I'm glad to see it get so much love from other fans cause I, like the OP, never thought it got the love it deserves!
I think a huge part of the credit goes to Columbo. I love it any time Bond finds an ally and he is second only maybe to Kerim Bey. Tough, clever, funny, well equipped with men and weapons - really couldn't ask for more.
Melina's storyline is compelling without getting in the way. I don't mind the PTS as much as others do, either. Sure it's a little corny and extremely heavy handed but it also does something I love - it gives us a little peek into what Bond does with the rest of his life when he's not off fighting bad guys. I think it's a cool little continuity thing and interesting insight into his character that presumably years later he still visits Tracy's grave.
Kristatos is a great realistic villain and the overall plot is believable and straightforward. The fact that they spiced things up with the Columbo/Kristatos "twist" instead of mucking up the plot with over-complicated villain machinations is, I think, a really strong choice that helped the script a great deal.
It could use better henchmen, but I think the somewhat bland henchman fits with the "real life" take on the villain so it doesn't bother me too much.
All in all I think it's a great installment, and probably Moore's best, even though it doesn't make as much use of his camp factor and comedy chops.
Just like FRWL Bond's ally is my favourite thing about this film. I absolutely love Topol's performance as Columbo, a truly likeable and memorable character.
....and the best he ever managed was a sermon on the mount.
I may be in the absolute minority - I see Conti's score as a masterpiece and a welcome contrast to the later Barry.
Imo, Octopussy and AVTAK are pretty boring and uninspired - loved Moonraker though
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I'm not going to knock either OP or AVTAK scores as I think they're great -{ but I
also love the soundtrack to FYEO. IMHO Conti did a great job.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
Thunderbird 2East of Cardiff, Wales.Posts: 2,817MI6 Agent
I am a little embarrassed I haven't spoken up sooner on this one!
To me, FYEO is a text book example of a Bond film that "resets" after excess. What makes it stand out for me is it has a cold war style story at the heart of it. - A reversal of the Lector business from FRWL, where Bond has to retrieve the A.T.A.C.*
The characters are written well into suspenseful drama. (Bibi excepted!) Writing, Casting and performance are key to making characters real, but in this film an added element is included. Fleming. Having read the short stories, I find that Carole Bouquet's Melina Havelock and Topol's Columbo are very much Fleming characters on the screen, a bit like Goldfinger. As others have noted, the way they relate to Bond is brilliant. Ms Havelock can hold her own with a crossbow (as her literary counterpart did) and her need for revenge is frighteningly believable to the end. I also like the fact that she isn't angry that she doesn't actually kill Kristatos in the end. - Vengeance is served by the fact he is dead, and she looks satisfied by that. Another Fleming trait.
Supporting characters like the Countess Lisell is given a zest for life by Miss Harris, and Michael Gothard is creepy as Locque. Doesn't say a word, and proives that not all the Bond baddies have to look like Red Grant or Oddjob to be bad news. Roger Moore is never more Bond than when he kicks the car off the cliff, - but equally Loques look of panic that his time is up is just as memorable to me.
As always the old guard is there, well almost. It was right not to cast a new M straight away and James Villiers plays a wonderfully uppity "Chief of Staff". - I don't think we are told he is Tanner in the film. Other familiar faces in Mr Llewellyn as Q, Ms Maxwell as MPenny and Geoffrey Keen as Sir Freddy Gray, familiar and established, and in the right places, funny too. "That's putting it mildly 007!"
The main baddie. Julian Glover is great as Kristatos, plays the character subtly and its easy to believe he was a turn coat. I love the little touch that when Bond and Luigi are leaving after their talk, Kristatos is polite to Bond, but ignores Luigi like he is contaminated. A subtle hint that thins man can blow hot, cold and sadistic on a whim.
Is it a perfect film? No, no such thing. "Baldy down the Chimney stack" element of the PTS is as poor as the set up with Tracy's grave is great. Bibi as a character I don't mind, except her "Dad fad" on Bond. Even Janet Brown's turn as the then Prime Minister or 'that bloody woman in Downing Street!' as she was known at the time, made me smile even though fog bound London is a bit over the top.
Speaking of over the top, the St Cyrials scenes still make me hold my breath every time I see them. Rick Sylvester must have nerves of Iron climbing up that rock face on top of TSWLM ski jump. Ditto the earlier salvage operation, which in its own way, harks at Bond's naval experience. Lovely locations, great action sequences, the story flows nicely.
I am fine with the soundtrack too, the only theme I don't like is Goldeneye. To me it jars against the otherwise smooth production that makes the film. Here, the style goes well with the aquatic elements of the film and in general I find keeps the right pace with what is on the screen.
Overall, a great film and the one that proved to me Sir Roger was great as Bond without using the world dominating scale of Atlantis, or Drax''s Space station, ad replacing them with suspenseful drama.
* Just to add, seeing the ATAC prop at the Barbican last year brought back a flood of memories of this film and how much I wanted one as a kid! Its odd, no other Bond device caught my imagination as much as this did at that time.
This is Thunderbird 2, how can I be of assistance?
Nice post, TB2. James Villiers is credited as Tanner, though is only referred to as Chief Of Staff. In TMWTGG, Michael Goodliffe isn't credited at all!
Hello TBird 2--That's a great point about the Cold War angle--an astute observation about FYEO being a spin of FRWL, stealing, retrieving, acquiring a code keyboard device. What a difference in the world--From Russia, early 60s, to Eyes Only, early 80s--how the Western and Russian, Eastern Bloc relations changed so significantly.
Great line at the end, oo7 smashing the ATAC, "Detente, comrade, you don't have it, I don't have it." One of my all time fave Moore moments, he seizes spur of the moment opportunity to make sure the device won't end up in Russian hands, does the spontaneous, the unexpected. Perhaps FYEO gave him a chance for grim sardonic, more Sean style actions and delivery on occasion.
Does it seem the Russians started to fade from oo7 world around this time?? There was Gen. Orlov in the next film Octopussy, a Russian presence in Dalton's Living Daylights, though main villain Whitaker was American and support villain Yuri was a turncoat Russian general. Also post-Cold War Russia emerged in Goldeneye, and Russian oil resources are the main target in World Is Not Enough, but it's not quite the same as Red Grant vs Sean on that train, life or death, or YOLT's big space race, US-USSR nuclear stakes. The Cold War was a powerful plot driver in that very different era for the world.
For Your Eyes Only was my first James Bond Film in the Cinema and I must say a high ranking Bond Movie in any Top 10. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end.
Breathing some life back into this thread.
For your eyes Only is still my favourite Bond film. Having watched it with the films before hand. I must admit. It is very dear to my heart.
I am surpirsed that this is not talked about in the threads, I couldn't find a topic on it.
And it's pretty clear they're only allowed to adapt the novel and not the film, so if it's a remake of the film, then yes, they'd probably be taken to court.
Why? FYEO is perfect as it is, it doesn't need a remake. And of all the Bond films, it's not one that you'd expect/need to be remade.
Why? The filmmakers want to adapt this short story since it partially takes place in Canada.
I think it's just the article that is incorrect about the film being a remake of Roger Moore's film. I doubt the author of the article knows that Moore's film is not a direct adaptation of Fleming's short story or is aware that Moore's film takes direct inspiration from a number of Fleming's stories.
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,845MI6 Agent
I really can't see this going forward without Eon suing someone in all honesty. They protect their very valuable asset most assiduously and this case will be no different.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Comments
Sir Roger's best performance as 007.
But the film still really works well, it's a great "personal Bond" as some felt OHMSS is--you are more compelled by Bond's character and his interactions with others than any way out over the top exploding volcano endings.
Felix, Leiter Cat
[list=*]
[/list] Moore is at his most dark. Kicking Emilio off the cliff is a highlight
[list=*]
[/list] Villains are interesting without being too OTT
[list=*]
[/list] The Bond girls are hot
[list=*]
[/list] Sillyness is turned down after MR
[list=*]
[/list] Columbo is Bond's best ally since Kerim Bey
[list=*]
[/list] There are skiing scenes! Always a plus!
Same here.
It is also John Glen's first Bond film of 5 as director.
I like the 2 Lotuses (white and orange) 4 years after TSWLMe.
The Bill Conti music fits with the mediterranean location-although trumpets sometimes sound Mexican!
Very 1981 with Sheena Easton singing the theme and a parrot and Thatcher at the end.
Bleuville. "Go backwards-forwards quickly!"
I think a huge part of the credit goes to Columbo. I love it any time Bond finds an ally and he is second only maybe to Kerim Bey. Tough, clever, funny, well equipped with men and weapons - really couldn't ask for more.
Melina's storyline is compelling without getting in the way. I don't mind the PTS as much as others do, either. Sure it's a little corny and extremely heavy handed but it also does something I love - it gives us a little peek into what Bond does with the rest of his life when he's not off fighting bad guys. I think it's a cool little continuity thing and interesting insight into his character that presumably years later he still visits Tracy's grave.
Kristatos is a great realistic villain and the overall plot is believable and straightforward. The fact that they spiced things up with the Columbo/Kristatos "twist" instead of mucking up the plot with over-complicated villain machinations is, I think, a really strong choice that helped the script a great deal.
It could use better henchmen, but I think the somewhat bland henchman fits with the "real life" take on the villain so it doesn't bother me too much.
All in all I think it's a great installment, and probably Moore's best, even though it doesn't make as much use of his camp factor and comedy chops.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/skyfall-bluray-doesnt-match
That's absolutely one of the best things about FYEO.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
He was busy with Body Heat & Legend Of The Lone Ranger that year...
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
True, but his tax situation had more to do with his absence from FYEO and his suggestion that Conti take his place that (financial) year.
Imo, Octopussy and AVTAK are pretty boring and uninspired - loved Moonraker though
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
also love the soundtrack to FYEO.
To me, FYEO is a text book example of a Bond film that "resets" after excess. What makes it stand out for me is it has a cold war style story at the heart of it. - A reversal of the Lector business from FRWL, where Bond has to retrieve the A.T.A.C.*
The characters are written well into suspenseful drama. (Bibi excepted!) Writing, Casting and performance are key to making characters real, but in this film an added element is included. Fleming. Having read the short stories, I find that Carole Bouquet's Melina Havelock and Topol's Columbo are very much Fleming characters on the screen, a bit like Goldfinger. As others have noted, the way they relate to Bond is brilliant. Ms Havelock can hold her own with a crossbow (as her literary counterpart did) and her need for revenge is frighteningly believable to the end. I also like the fact that she isn't angry that she doesn't actually kill Kristatos in the end. - Vengeance is served by the fact he is dead, and she looks satisfied by that. Another Fleming trait.
Supporting characters like the Countess Lisell is given a zest for life by Miss Harris, and Michael Gothard is creepy as Locque. Doesn't say a word, and proives that not all the Bond baddies have to look like Red Grant or Oddjob to be bad news. Roger Moore is never more Bond than when he kicks the car off the cliff, - but equally Loques look of panic that his time is up is just as memorable to me.
As always the old guard is there, well almost. It was right not to cast a new M straight away and James Villiers plays a wonderfully uppity "Chief of Staff". - I don't think we are told he is Tanner in the film. Other familiar faces in Mr Llewellyn as Q, Ms Maxwell as MPenny and Geoffrey Keen as Sir Freddy Gray, familiar and established, and in the right places, funny too. "That's putting it mildly 007!"
The main baddie. Julian Glover is great as Kristatos, plays the character subtly and its easy to believe he was a turn coat. I love the little touch that when Bond and Luigi are leaving after their talk, Kristatos is polite to Bond, but ignores Luigi like he is contaminated. A subtle hint that thins man can blow hot, cold and sadistic on a whim.
Is it a perfect film? No, no such thing. "Baldy down the Chimney stack" element of the PTS is as poor as the set up with Tracy's grave is great. Bibi as a character I don't mind, except her "Dad fad" on Bond. Even Janet Brown's turn as the then Prime Minister or 'that bloody woman in Downing Street!' as she was known at the time, made me smile even though fog bound London is a bit over the top.
Speaking of over the top, the St Cyrials scenes still make me hold my breath every time I see them. Rick Sylvester must have nerves of Iron climbing up that rock face on top of TSWLM ski jump. Ditto the earlier salvage operation, which in its own way, harks at Bond's naval experience. Lovely locations, great action sequences, the story flows nicely.
I am fine with the soundtrack too, the only theme I don't like is Goldeneye. To me it jars against the otherwise smooth production that makes the film. Here, the style goes well with the aquatic elements of the film and in general I find keeps the right pace with what is on the screen.
Overall, a great film and the one that proved to me Sir Roger was great as Bond without using the world dominating scale of Atlantis, or Drax''s Space station, ad replacing them with suspenseful drama.
* Just to add, seeing the ATAC prop at the Barbican last year brought back a flood of memories of this film and how much I wanted one as a kid! Its odd, no other Bond device caught my imagination as much as this did at that time.
Great line at the end, oo7 smashing the ATAC, "Detente, comrade, you don't have it, I don't have it." One of my all time fave Moore moments, he seizes spur of the moment opportunity to make sure the device won't end up in Russian hands, does the spontaneous, the unexpected. Perhaps FYEO gave him a chance for grim sardonic, more Sean style actions and delivery on occasion.
Does it seem the Russians started to fade from oo7 world around this time?? There was Gen. Orlov in the next film Octopussy, a Russian presence in Dalton's Living Daylights, though main villain Whitaker was American and support villain Yuri was a turncoat Russian general. Also post-Cold War Russia emerged in Goldeneye, and Russian oil resources are the main target in World Is Not Enough, but it's not quite the same as Red Grant vs Sean on that train, life or death, or YOLT's big space race, US-USSR nuclear stakes. The Cold War was a powerful plot driver in that very different era for the world.
Felix, Leiter Cat
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
For your eyes Only is still my favourite Bond film. Having watched it with the films before hand. I must admit. It is very dear to my heart.
I am surpirsed that this is not talked about in the threads, I couldn't find a topic on it.
http://www.digitalspy.com/movies/james-bond-007/news/a775976/are-you-ready-for-a-canadian-remake-of-roger-moores-james-bond-classic-for-your-eyes-only/
Canadian film director is going to make a remake of the film, based on the Fleming short story.
what do you guys think?
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
use the book, I'd say if they stray away from it they'll be sued... big time.
Do you think it will go ahead?
And would you guys be keen for a film like this?
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
Why? The filmmakers want to adapt this short story since it partially takes place in Canada.
I think it's just the article that is incorrect about the film being a remake of Roger Moore's film. I doubt the author of the article knows that Moore's film is not a direct adaptation of Fleming's short story or is aware that Moore's film takes direct inspiration from a number of Fleming's stories.