Directed by:
Lewis GilbertCinematography:
Claude RenoirComposer:
Marvin HamlischCast:
Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro, Walter Gotell, Geoffrey Keen, Bernard Lee, George Baker, Michael Billington, Olga Bisera (more)VOD (3)
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When a massive underwater craft abducts U.S. and Russian submarines, global tensions are heightened to the brink of war. In order to find the true culprit, James Bond (Agent 007) joins forces with beautiful Russian agent Anya Amasova. Together they follow a trail that leads to Karl Stromberg, a powerful shipping magnate who is implementing a horrific scheme for world domination. Bond struggles to foil the plot, but Stromberg has provided him with a most lethal adversary: Jaws, a seemingly indestructible steel-toothed giant. Agent 007's adventure takes him to the Egyptian pyramids, under the sea and to a mountaintop ski chase. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (7)
The three-year hiatus swiftly aided this and even though the script, suffering from about a dozen rewrites this time around, is truly lame, The Spy Who Loved Me has become for me a top 3 representative of the current trio of Bonds. Sharing second to third place with On Her Majesty's Secret Service and trailing behind Goldfinger. This is mainly due to the production team's respect for the work of production designer Ken Adam, after whose painstaking and unceasing work on all the previous installments was given a blank check to create the exteriors and interiors and was thus able to go all out, both in creativity and in all his grandeur. So whether its the Eisenstein-inspired office of the KGB general, the secret British Secret Service base under Abu Simbel, the monstrous tanker-submarine, or the famed construction of the submarine Atlantis, they all retain exactly the creative period esprit of technological advancement combined with innovative design for which Bond films are famous. Plus, the closing submarine love nest is one of the coziest spots on the movie screen, where I could easily hump for days. This time, you really can cheerfully ignore the lame old man in the jacket and his rubber plaything trying to convince you of something she can't even pronounce. Because here above all you can enjoy to the fullest the environment where it takes place and the wild action scenes, where no expense was spared. The Leicester cinema where the film was screened on opening night with the assistance of Prince Charles knows a thing or two about that, where the entire cast stood in silent awe during the opening jump off the mountain.
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Roger Moore at his best, dropping zingers left and right. The writer was able to deliver the material in time for the filming, so the necessary final touches were made before shooting, and everything finally got back on track. Plus, the film features Richard Kiel for the first time, an underwater car, and a Soviet agent whose ‘death wish’ turns into a ‘sex wish’ under Bond's influence.
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It's well known that films with Roger Moore tend to play more on a humorous note. That kind of delivery suits him well. However, The Spy Who Loved Me can be a bit silly in places, and the humor can feel a bit forced or even intrusive at times. It's balanced by interesting characters and gadgets, with Jaws standing out among henchmen like Tee Hee, Nick Nack, and Oddjob. The Egyptian artifacts really contribute to the exotic atmosphere. There are indeed some great gadgets here - the submarine is excellent - but unfortunately, that doesn't mean the overall impression is that great. It’s good, it’s cool, but it’s not excellent. On the other hand, it's an undemanding spectacle with interesting settings that you won't mind watching on television.
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I never really liked Roger Moore's Bond. To this day he still seems like an old man (you can see it well in fights that were infinitely more brisk in Connery's performance), but on the other hand, I have always appreciated his perspective and excellent sense of self-irony. And I really loved The Spy Who Loved Me as a kid, and with a little bit of nostalgia, I still like it today. The script is really good, Jaws is a scumbag, Barbara Bach is gorgeous, and the action sequences have flair and wit (especially the one with the car-submarine). This Bond movie has everything I love about agent 007 - an engaging story, power disputes, a perverted villain, perspective, and a tolerable dose of naivety (e.g., Moore's ridiculous "skiing" in front of the screen). The only thing missing for the last star is the only true Bond – Sean Connery.
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The change of director was a good decision and moved the franchise closer to the eighties as well. Bond stopped making stupid jokes and started playing a real agent, women dress much more daringly than ever before, there’s plenty of technology, and no shortage of refined shots of sunsets. The cold and intimate spy thrillers have turned into full-fledged eye-candy spectacle, without losing any of the traditional values and attributes that make Bond Bond. By far the best Moore film to this day.
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