For Your Eyes Only [VHS] [1981]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
After the lavish, effects-heavy splash of IMoonraker/I, the twelfth Bond film and the seventh with Roger Moore concentrates more on core car-chase-and-crumpet values, evoking an almost retro feel that harks back to the first pressings of the Bond vintage in the 1960s. Starting to look a little wrinkly around the edges by this point, Roger Moore toughens his usually smarmy act up here with a gratuitous bit of killing, casually kicking a baddie and his car over a precipice, reviving memories of the ruthless streak with which Sean Connery made his name. Good old-fashioned Cold War politics lie at the heart of the plot, concerning a weapons system hijacked in the Mediterranean Bond must rescue. He's assisted by the exquisite Carole Bouquet, the only actress in history who can claim to have been both a 'Bond girl' and the star of a Luis Buñuel movie (IThat Obscure Object of Desire/I). Sadly, this is the first film to lack Bernard Lee's spymaster M, the actor having died beforehand, although British comedienne Janet Brown is on hand for an amusing Margaret Thatcher impersonation. --ILeslie Felperin/IpbOn the DVD/b: The first audio commentary here is another one of those edited selections of interviews with sundry cast and crew members, tied together by an over-earnest host. Producer Michael G Wilson and others provide a somewhat more illuminating second commentary track. Once again the best extra feature is the "making of" documentary, which gives an almost scene-by-scene breakdown of the movie. The animated storyboard sequences will appeal to filmmaking aficionados. Avoid, if at all possible, the Sheena Easton video of arguably the most forgettable Bond song of all time (both song and score were perpetrated by series newcomer Bill Conti, not the estimable John Barry). --IMark Walker/I

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Customer reviews

review by: s.vernon date: 2007-06-03 rating:
BOND IS BACK
For Your Eyes Only has some of the better action of the Bond films, but there are so many other things wrong with it that it almost cancels out the quality action sequences. The opening sequence of the film, with the remote controlled helicopter and Blofeld in a wheelchair, is excellent. The theme song for the film is awful. What you have with For Your Eyes Only is a stereo typical 80s love song and the entire soundtrack consists of 80s music. I do realize this was made in the 80s but the music is so 80s its funny. br / br /One of the noteworthy things about this film is that the action scenes were either done very well or they were incredibly realistic. For Your Eyes Only is one of the only Bond films with ski scenes that don't only avoid coming of a plainly ridiculous , but that are actually are very good. There is a particularly excellent scene involving Bond on skis being pursued by a motorcyclist that has a cool climax on a luge track. There is a good scene with dune buggies, where one of the brief Bond girls in this film suffered a death that was disturbingly convincing. There is a good scene in which a Mercedes falls off a cliff and it lands on the rocks below, you can see the villains fall out the driver's side window. The scene where the villains dragged Bond and Mendena over the coral reefs, intending to make them bleed in the water, thus attracting sharks which were meant to finish them off was very good and also involved one of the more intelligent escape scenes in the Bond series. There was excellent tension created by the rock climbing scene near the end of the film - as Bond scales a ridiculous tall cliff in order to gain access to a out of the way hideout - particularly when there is a bad guy above Bond trying to cut him loose and cause him to fall to a bloody death below. br / br /Clearly, there is no shortage of satisfying action and fast paced scenes of good tension, but it seems for every good scene in the film, there is a pathetic discrepancy of some sort. In one of the chase scenes. Bond jumps off a tall fence, using a pool umbrella as some sort of parachute. Thats not only unnecessary and far too lowbrow for a stunt for a Bond film, it's also just dumb. Then in one of the car chases there is a car full of villains behind Bond who is firing at him like crazy, then when they are just beside him, the don't start shooting at him when he smugly nods at them. During the skiing scene that I mentioned above, somebody gets a pie in his face for no apparent reason. After the excellent ski/bike chase scene, the villain on the bike after having crashed badly enough so that the bike was un-ridable, actually picks it up and throws it at Bond. During the rock climbing scene near the end, Bond suffers a fall from the rocks that would have cut him in half in real life, or at least broken his back. Not only that, he performs the superhuman feat of coming up with a magical trick with his shoelaces that allows him to climb right back up the rope as though it was a ladder. br / br /However, despite all the flaws. For Your Eyes Only did have one of the better stories for a Bond film. The effort to recover the infinitely valuable British encryption device known as ATAC is made much more complex by the character of the Bond girl. Medena's parents have been killed by people looking to recover the ATAC because her father has been assigned to search for it, and being Greek, she intends to avenge because as she says "Greek women always avenge their loved ones". Unfortunately, if she avenges her loved ones too soon, she'll kill Bond's only chance of finding out who is behind the whole operation. This is the kind of thing that you see in this film that is not very common in other Bond films, and that makes a rare effort to put a new spin on this otherwise traditional plot. br / br /The film is still good (Moore still doesn't have Connery's endless charm). The villains are very well presented and the action sequences seem to have a little thought put in to them. There was a lot of flaws but there was also a lot of acceptable excess in this film, which is unusual. Usually when Bond goes overboard he goes WAY overboard. But the film is still a quality Bond adventure and is better than Moonraker. So watch it and make up your own minds. br / br /Thank you for reading my review.

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review by: lkulling date: 2006-01-05 rating:
For Our Eyes Only
After the comdeic excess and space age silliness of Moonraker, Bond returns to earth, with Roger Moore's finest outing as the legendary secret agent. The first Bond film of the eighties represents a virtual reboot of the series, harkening back to the glory days of the sixties with a leaner, more serious spy adventure. brThe plot is refreshingly simple and realistic whilst in his directional debut John Glen infuses the film with energy and style, expertly staging some thrilling and innovative action. The cast is also excellent with Bond's leading lady, ally and antagonist being wonderfully portrayed by an eclectric array of actors. Roger Moore himself turns in his finest performance in which he displays a harder edge balanced with his trademark laconic charm. brAll in all FYEO is a worthy addition to the Bond cannon, presneted beautifully in the new DVD addition surging with special features.

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review by: wolvie-ware date: 2005-12-20 rating:
Private and confidential!
After the space shenanigans of Moonraker, the next Bond film, For Your Eyes Only brings the famous spy back down to earth with a bump, some action, and a more serious role for Roger Moore.pThe plot is, however, one of the weakes Bond stories - something about retrieving an ATAK machine that can control missiles - but the actual journey is great fun.pFrom the helicopter heights of the pre-credit sequence, featuring the return of a famous, cat-stroking villain, to an icy, skiing chase to underwater fights. It's all done with a verve and energy, and although we have seen ski chases and underwater fights in other Bond films, these are significantly different to not feel rehashed.pMoore gets the occasional one liner, but this movie sees Bond as a harder edged spy, evidenced when he pushes a henchman over a cliff without a seconds thought. pThe addition of Topol is also a great move, bringing real prescence to a the Bond film, and proving to be a lovable character. pThe DVD contains all the usual Bond DVD extras: in depth documentary, music video and trailers.

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review by: date: 2005-03-26 rating:
A great addition to the wonderful movies of 007..
It has been said by many James Bond fans, movie critics and by Roger Moore himself that "The Spy Who Loved Me" was Roger Moore's best Bond movie. But it is my opinion (as a Bond fan who likes all Bond actors) that "For Your Eyes Only" was Roger's best effort as MI6's license to kill agent.pThe producers decided to cut down the gadgets, Roger Moore's one-liner humor and the silly out-of-this-world villain. What we are left with is a simple secret agent-spy movie that stands with the absolute BEST 007 movies ever made.pThe movie begins with a BANG, and those hardcore 007 fans will notice the connection to the ending of another Bond movie "On Her Majesty Secret Service" But I can't say more because it would spoil the fun. From then on it's just pure 007 magic: great action, beautiful locations, one hot Lotus car (actually two, one of them explodes) and a sexy Bond Girl.pBut what's most impressive about "For Your Eyes Only" is that Roger Moore cuts down a lot of his silly humor and plays James Bond straight. And it comes out surprisingly well.. He does a wonderful job as 007. The skiing scenes in northern Italy are very well done, the action sequence in the Spanish hills (were Bond drives a very unglamorous yellow Renault) is amazing and who could ever forget that opening scene were Bond is hanging from a helicopter flying over London??p"For Your Eyes Only" is Roger Moore's best Bond, and a great addition to the wonderful movies of 007.


review by: anthonyrawdin date: 2004-01-16 rating:
Excellent
For Your Eyes only is one of my favourite Bond films. Representing brilliant appearances by the villainous Julian Glover's Aris Kristatos, Carole Boquet's Melina Havelock and another good film by Roger Moore, 9this time a little mores serious) as the suave agent 007. Although Moore looks a little old, he still keeps his reknowned wit and charm. The plot takes place in Greece and the Mediterranean as Bond eventually tracks down his principal adversary in this intruiging storyline. On the DVD there is the usual Making of documentary and thoughts and opinions by the cast and crew. The TV spots on this DVD are excellent and the glossy in-case booklet completes the package of yet another DVD Bond masterpiece.

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