For Your Eyes Only (1981) Retrospective / Review 

Get For Your Eyes Only on Blu-ray here goo.gl/qVyRPx Get the soundtrack to For Your Eyes Only here goo.gl/XYJmQz

I don’t know why Moore gets so much flak, I just rewatched this a few weeks ago and it still holds up. Great flick.

The most serious of the Moore era. It's a fun espionage adventure. Also, the stunts are spectacular.

Rogers’s most serious film, and as a result it still holds up. Nice Bond watch.

Still have the movie poster.....80s NEVER left me.....memories deep engraved....

When I was a kid I remember thinking "I wouldn't mind being dragged through the water if I was tied to her" haha some things never change.

RIP Sir Moore.

In my opinion Roger's best Bond film and one the best Bond films overall.

This is one bad ass movie... Roger was BOND.... That man represents everything Bond is.... Handsome, brave and cool under pressure.... Roger Moore just lit up the screen....

My Favorite Roger Moore 007 film 1. For Your Eyes Only 2. Live And Let Die 3. Octopussy 4. The Spy Who Loved Me 5. The Man With The Golden Gun 6. Moonraker 7. A View To A Kill

This is definitely the most visceral and true-to-Fleming Bond that Moore ever did. It bored me to tears when I was a kid but it's aged very well. I actually didn't realize that was Tanner giving the mission to Bond! I always thought Tanner was first played by Michael Kitchen. Great review as always Oliver!

The scene of the french girl in her swimsuit made this one of my favorite Bonds when I was a teen.

This is actually my favorite bond film.

Going through all the Bond films since Sean died and just watched this one today. It has held up well. Visually beautiful and some real touches of class and elegance, in addition to a good story line and great stunts.

Best line: shirts your granddad would wear in the summer, very funny stuff

"You were supposed to observe Gonzalez. Not let Miss Havelock perforate him."

one of my top bond films..

I had to watch this again after hearing Roger Moore passed away.

This and The Spy Who Loved Me were Moore's best.

You gotta do all the Bond films, Oliver! They're as essential an archive as the Beatles discography!

I think its the best of the Moore films.

The first Bond film I saw in the cinema, and it left a lasting impression, I think through Bill Conti’s terrific score.

I loved the part where he kicked the car off the cliff. I think the mix of comedy and seriousness in FYEO worked just as it did in The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger's films were great, he was an excellent bond for the time and he bowed out when the time was right. Miss you Roger. Still think he should have jumped into bed with the ice skater LOL

Roger Moore was always my favorite Bond. I admit that it's purely because of nostalgia. I got to know the character through him and I watched his Bond movies with my father constantly. We still do, actually. Much to the annoyance of my mother. ;)

Personally, this and the Spy who Loved Me are my two favorite Roger Moore films. I don't get people that say their favorite is A View to A Kill, it's always struck me as dull

RIP Sir Roger!

With 'Spy who loved me' it's my favourite Bond with Moore. Wonderful 007 film.

Great review! This is actually the first Bond film I'd seen, and think that's why I always liked Roger Moore's portrayal best. Moonraker and Octopussy are also favorites of mine. Being young when they came out I think the humor appealed alot to me

In the video -- you mentioned 'FRONT PROJECTION' ... which it was, in fact, REAR PROJECTION. Other than that, very good review. SIDE NOTE: I was fortunate to have worked on the last outing as Bond by Mr. Moore in the San Francisco sequences for A VIEW TO A KILL ... and it was truly a wonderful experience. D.A.

FYEO was the first Bond film I ever saw. I was too young to fully understand everything that was happening in the film, but it's still my favorite Bond film.

wow I never noticed that underwater effect with the slo-mo... once you said it I see the bubble effect but its pretty remarkable

Although Moore's over the top films were fun, I really liked For Your eyes only and would have liked to see more films like this that he did.

It may seem bizarre today but you have to understand that Janet Brown was, at the time popping up absolutely everywhere, appearing on British TV on almost a daily basis as "The Iron Lady", almost as much as Margaret Thatcher herself. When the film came out, it certainly did not seem out of place and was, as I remember, absolutely hilarious at the time.

You nailed the pacing issues. Yes. Well done, once again, Oliver.

James Wan should use that underwater technique for Aquaman.

No self-aware humour, no silly stuff (after the pre-credits sequence), a more or kess realistic plot with a believable villain. Not just Moore's best Bond film, but one of the best of the entire series.

I used to see this on TV all the time! I never knew the name of the movie, but the ski scene was what stuck with me at a young age.

Made such an impression that I can’t remember when I didn’t want to be in Cortina Di Ampezza anytime it was winter and snowing. It’s still on my bucket list all these decades later.

RIP Sir Roger Moore.

That soundtrack.....sounds so awesome!

Does anyone else think it's odd how few sources mention that a stuntman DIED shooting the bobsled scene. I thought it must be an urban legend but, no, it's true. Paolo Rigoni died when he became trapped under the sled. The making-of documentary doesn't mention it and even the HUGE book, "Some Kind of Hero" which covered every nook and cranny of the franchise, totally omits his death!

One of my favourite Bond movies.

I still see For Your Eyes Only like a reboot for the series due to the drastic change in tone after Moonraker.

Love this film ! Easily in my top 5 Bond movies. For me this is Roger's best performance as Bond. Great review and glad to hear that you're a big fan of the score too. Hope you get around to doing more Bond retrospectives in the future.

Loved the song, 11 years old at the time and felt like I was in Heaven!

Great that you mention the work of great DP Alan Hume. His best work is in "Runaway Train" IMHO . One of the best and more underrated action movies ever made. Hope that you find time to cover it in your retrospectives.

Great job. For some reason your James Bond reviews are my favorite reviews of yours.

Of all the nearly Bonds, Lewis Collins is the one I would have loved to have seen.

Thank you for this retrospective. You put in so much work and it shows. As such, you have my utmost respect. I also grew up with Roger Moore as James Bond. It is funny, because Pierce Broman was the Bond that I should have related more to(being a 90s kid). And while I love Brosman(he's my third pick, after Daniel Craig), Moore to me is James Bond. He captured that playful, yet serious aspect of the character. And while I know the books are more serious, I do like the Moore films for their style. That said, I'll admit For Your Eyes Only was a film I often skipped as a child. I loved the Spy who Loved me and Moonraker. But being a bit older, Moonraker actually is my least favorite film( a bit too over the top for me, despite Jaws being in it). While this movie is a bit long and the bad guy is forgettable, I love as you stated how grounded the film was. it was much more serious, but still had that humor. Also, the opening song still remains one of my favorites. And the soundtrack is amazing. So overall, this is a film that I have a much greater appreciation now, then I did when I was little.

You ask if a spy movie gag in Archer was intended? A show that has included reference gags to authors from the 19th century, done straight homage/parodies of obscure films from the 70's and 80's, and has carefully balanced monster of the week plots with a growing sense of continuity, and for which the whole concept of the show is specifically James Bond + Arrested Development. Yeah, probably a total coincidence.

I remember the newspaper headline of its review for FYEO. It stated: “The Spy Who Bored Me.”

saw this as a kid in the movies...going to a new 007 movie being always so special in those times......where did the years go...? Anyway 80s decade was INCREDIBLE and the BEST, after that life ended imo, really

Great vid, this is my favourite bond film(second is Spy who loved me). I had no idea Mileena's voice was dubbed.

For you eyes only is my favorite of the roger Moore films it perfectly has the action and comedy in tone very well to be a good film

Oliver, really impressed by your retrospective review, this is my one of my personal favourite bond movies along with Spy who Loved me. Having visited Corfu a couple of times, most of the locations are still there as they were in 1981.

Rate your Favorite Bond actors mine are : 1).Sean Connery 2).Timothy Dalton 3).Roger Moore 4).Pierce Brosnan 5).George Lazenby 6).Daniel Craig

The Margret Thatcher characterisation in the film at the time I first saw it, and still does today, put me in mind more of Fanny Cradock.

On the soundtrack (available on iTunes) the music used for the downhill ski chase is called "Runaway."

One of the greats!

I actually really love For Your Eyes Only... It's one of my favorites. You're totally right about the soundtrack, it really grows on you.

Roger Moore will always be THE James Bond to me.

My favorite James Bond.First one i saw as a kid on vhs copy in the early 90s.Thank you so much for the review.

I love your bond reviews, it's clear you get whats bond is all about.

Want to say I love all you videos Oliver, I find them all interesting, and very engaging, (I've probably watched a few of them more than once)

This was my first Bond film and despite having watched it several times I can't really remember that much about the plot, just the action.

1981 2021 Damn! 40 years and my parents were teenagers during that year!

By the way, your editing is top notch. Gives a whole new meaning to the films you review. Very cool.

Your reviews are so good and this is no exception. I particularly enjoyed this one as For Your Eyes Only is one of my favourites, but I do agree there's some slow moments, and the soundtrack is one of my fave's too. I love it when I learn something new about the film, I had no idea Carol Bouquet's voice was dubbed! I thought it was her voice all these years!A few years ago I did a job for EON as a model maker and visited their warehouse where they keep old Bond props and models and a lot of Derek Meddings models have still survived like the Universal Exports Helicopter, love all that stuff!Excellent retrospective!

Watching these always makes me smile, my dad and I watched your three Star Wars reviews that you've made recently and loved them, and I always enjoy watching a james bond review you do. I love the two dalton movies and Goldeneye is a bonafide classic for the ages, I actually thought FYEO was boring, but, I might have to check it out again, it actually looks much better than I remember!

I'm baffled by people who heap so much criticism on this film. It's awesome, beautiful to look at, wonderfully scored, well-acted, and a nice unique, more serious turn from Moore, which I'm glad to have. No matter how many RU-vid reviews someone does on this film, when they criticize it, I don't think of them as a real fan of the series as a whole.

Seeing it in real time after Moonraker was like a breath of fresh air. On the big screen in the theater, it had some impact. But yeah, too long. Cut the skater subplot and it would have been much more focused. Lynn Holly Johnson was a popular figure skater before the movie, so that may have been a marketing ploy.

Another superb review Oliver, very well documented. I especially love the trailer you created for this movie ! The way you use Bill Conti's score is amazing ! The movie itself is quite good if slightly too long at times. One of Moore's best in my opinion !

Oh yes. For your eyes only! This is the Bond movie that got me interested in James Bond. This is the first one I saw in the theater. I was 16. I know I’m dating myself. After that, my father borrowed the entire set recorded on VHS by a neighbor and I binged watched all of the movies prior to For your eyes only. I love Sean Connery, but Roger Moore is still my favorite Bond. I remain a fan to this day only I couldn’t bring myself to watch the very last installment. Maybe someday…

Love these retrospectives. Came across them when looking for reviews on the Alien series. Please do more Bond Oliver, your opinions are really interesting.

I actually like this Bond film. Perhaps it's because I watched it after I had watched Dalton and I thoroughly enjoyed Dalton's portrayal. The music and great chase scenes are what do it for me.

An underrated Bond film, I think. One of my favourites. I love Bill Conti's groovy soundtrack: Disco Bond!

Roger was so cool, farewell Roger Moore, you are missed. RIP

Actually the novels talk of Bond's love for shirt sleeved collared shirts specifically, reflecting Flemming's own taste.

It's sad talking about Cassandra's death because over 20 years later her and Pierce's daughter died of the same thing knowing it was genetic. Piece is a big speaker on cancer screenings and is reported telling people to get them when they have the chance.

You're a bit harsh with this movie, and with Carole Bouquet. I remember loving it when it came out when I was 14, and for me it still holds up. I actually like the fact that we didn't spend too much time with the villain and concentrated on watching bond going through his mission. This and Spy Who Loved Me are def RM's best Bond movies.

I thought this was one of the best Bond films, but it really should have been Roger Moore's last outing in that role.He really starting showing his age in the later films.

I really enjoy these films for being exactly what they are, beautiful time capsules from a time that is lost much for the worst. I always remember the winter sports section of the film the most. It's a very comfy thing to watch. I used to enjoy drinking Scotch whiskey heavily and watching these Moore Bond films, it was always an experience that I never regretted. I always felt like these movies brought classy, surreal experiences to regular low class Americans like me and I am thankful they were made because it feels like the "entertainment industry" is running head long off a cliff to never give people proper entertainment ever again.

great job on the review man... love the work and been a fan for a while

I think this had to be my first Bond film I ever saw. I had to have been 7 or 8 years old. I'm with Oliver on this one. A very grounded 007 but I did find the underwater effects weird after I saw it a few years ago.

I love this film and I love your review. Top job.

The trailer you made at the beginning gave me chills!

I think it would have been very interesting if they had decided to go with Lewis Colins as Bond for this one as the more serious tone might have suited him better but the producers felt he was too thuggish for Bond and they wanted to keep the films light hearted. The Janet Brown section was probably due to her being a big TV personality at the time and they always had "funny bits" at the end of Bond films pretty much until the more serious Daniel Craig films

It's my favourite Bond film and I cannot fault it whatsoever. It think it's perfect. Thank you for praising Bill Conti's score; it's stunning!! He actually took a lot of hooks from Ennio Morricone's spaghetti western scores. I can't remember which Sergio Leone film in particular, but I think it was one of The Good The Bad and The Ugly scores.

Roger Moore's take on Bond was never very faithful to the novels. That is probably why, through most of his tenure, he had to listen to critics saying they liked Connery better than him. But he was never given enough credit for actually having saved the Bond franchise. And he did so by intentionally not playing it by the book. He effectively modernized the character ant took it through the much more different eras of the 1970s and 80s. Unlike Ian Fleming's Bond, Roger Moore's Bond was fun. He wasn't misogynous or sadistic. He wasn´t static or conservative. He reflected the times he lived in. He changed, he learned and he evolved. He was my first Bond. And to me, he will allays be the best. Because he was by far, the coolest!

Moonraker was the first Bond film I saw in the theatre. This was the second and I always had a massive soft spot for it.

Haha that opening with Blofeld had me in stitches when I first saw this film and the ending with Maggie Thatcher I'd completely forgot about that haha.. This is actually the last 'pre Craig' Bond film that I watched too as it was on tv not long back. That underwater effect they used looks flawless, the film is older than me and that effect still holds up, I wouldn't of even known had you'd not pointed it out in the review.

For your eyes only is Roger Moore best performance as James Bond. This film also have the best rendition of the OO7 theme via Submarine by Bill Conti and the framework of the stunts is amazing, especially the ski chase and the best part of the movie is when Moore’s Bond did the car kick to kill Loque. FYEO is one the best Bond films in the franchise! RIP Sir Roger Moore

01:59 Sir Roger always gets me with that nod!

Amadeus I think you are the only one who could honor that movie the most. Please, when you have the time, do the Retrospective / Review: Amadeus (1984) Love your work

Julian Glover was a great villain. He also played villains in Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. FYEO is an under-rated film and holds up very well today.

This is a great movie. Also great retrospective again.

A retrospective on Braveheart would be absolutely class

Great review as always, Oliver :) I re-watched this movie a few months ago, and thought it held up pretty well. Not Roger's best outing (The Spy Who Loved Me takes the cake there), but it's certainly in my top 3 of his.

This was an excellent and very informative analysis of this movie.

you do amazing wrork. always a great joy given when your videos pop up on my subscription page :)