Roger Moore's best and one of the best Bond movies of all time! Still holds up today and after Craig's run,I would love to see the films get back to this style. Over the top-larger than life but with a great story with plenty of humor and spectacle...It is everything we all love about 007!
Im 52 , i grew up in the seventies and Roger Moore was MY Bond. I saw his movies at the cinema. The Spy who loved me is still my favourite. I had the corgi lotus car/helicopter toys. Wonderful memories. And Caroline Munroe xxxxx
Im 33 so brosnan was my bond, when I saw goldeneye for the first time my mom said, you know there are more bond films right? Immediately starting renting one from the video store each week the spy who loved me was so great i rented it 2 weeks in a row
Right there with u ! Spray painted my toy gun gold & had & cherished my Bond Corgi cars ! Going to the new Bond movie with my dad was an event for 3 decades starting withDiamonds are forever ! Can’t believe he took me to that at 5yrs old ! Good times
Always been hard for me to say which is my favorite bond films, depends on my mood and which bond I want to watch. Its definately my favorite roger moore film by a mile but sometimes I want to watch from Russia with love, the living daylights, goldeneye or casino royale
My first Bond movie in the theaters. The ski jump scene hooked me as a permanent Bond fan. Love the film! Roger Moore finally nailed the Bond part (the 3rd movie theory).
Favorite Part: When Bond swats his tie to cause the henchman to fall to his death. Cold and calculated. Bad ass moment...I wish Roger Moore was allowed to do more like that. Weird moment: Why does Anya act shocked and concerned when the Lotus goes into the water, if she stole the plans and knew all about its features?
Aside from the other plausible explanation given in this thread, maybe she was pretending in order to not reveal her knowledge (although changing her mind soon thereafter).
Yes! A nice surprise waiting for me when I got home from work today. Absolutely loving these videos. Edit: has it really been two years? I'm back round for another listen, great work guys!
Anya Amasova: the best female character in the James Bond franchise ever!!! 12.43: Barbara Bach was a goddess! I understand that she was 30 in this film, so not very young anymore, but still looked so young and hot! The most beautiful woman in 1977!!!
This was my first Bond in the theater, when my Dad was stationed at Incirlik AFB in Turkey. Most movies were months or even a year behind the US in getting to the base theater but this one was fairly on time, and my parents took me to see it opening weekend. I remember walking out of there gobstoppered, and my love of Bond started right there.
Roger Moore sealed his fate as my favourite Bond after I met him. One of the nicest people I've ever met. I had the pleasure of a half hour car journey with him. I heartily recommend listening to the chat track on the Michael Caine movie "Harry Brown". It's hilarious and Michael talks about his friendship with Roger.
I get sick of the Bond argument. I think Roger was fabulous in the role. He had a 1000x the polish of Sean. Not to take anything away from Sean. I really liked Rog in Live and Let Die, Golden Gun and Spy Who Loved me. I think they are Bond classics.
@@christianpoint0888 I saw both in the theatre!! Live and Let was the very first Bond I ever saw. I've never followed the crowd. Both films are classics as far as I am concerned. They have style and great scores. To me they have an elegance the latter films didn't have. Spy is a classic too.
My very first Bond film. I was so young that my brother had to take me to see it. I've been hooked since the ski jump with the British flag. Does Bond get any better?!? And Barbara Bach as Maj. Anya Amasova was positively gorgeous to a thirteen year old. The steel toothed Jaws and Jurgens as Stromberg were fantastic! This is not my favorite Moore (Bond) film. But I do love it!
Favourite Part: The score for when the subs depart The Liparus and when the latter sinks. Least Fav: The goofy theme when the van bounces up and down in the desert before they become stranded. Overall score: solid 10!
First Bond film I saw on TV. In the days of 3 TV channels, it was a major UK TV event & was advertised heavily, espescially as it was it's UK TV premiere. Adverts looked really great so decided to watch it. I was then hooked on Bond.
The Roger Moore era was saved by this one. It's one of the best. The action scenes are fantastic. Sir Roger delivers one of his best performances. Barbara Bach is great. I loved the scene where she mentions Tracy and Moore cuts her off. Perfect. Jaws is great in this one. Stromberg is an ok villain. I wish they had the rights to Spectre and Blofeld. Bond's violent shooting of Stromberg at the end would have been better if it was Blofeld; better end than the dumb smokestack thing. It's one of my go to Bond films.
This was in the every other film era for me. Similar to how the even numbered films for TOS Star Trek were the best ones. So, Live and Let Die, SKIP, Spy Who Loved Me, SKIP, For Your Eyes Only. These three Roger Moore films are right in my wheelhouse with Eyes being my favorite. But, Spy Who Loved Me is a very close second. So good. And that tanker battle is amazing!
I actually liked all but a view to a kill of Moore's films. Golden gun can drag a bit at times, usually isnt my first choice. I'm sorry you dont like the other ones man
Certainly one of the smoothest and graceful films in the franchise and Roger hits the spot with his performance And I would love to see this style Bond again we need escapist movies more than ever now
My all time Favourite Bond ! ..No 1 for me ! I was a teenager back in 77 ! A Great time for movies tv shows , and music imo ! Brill memories from these times ! And to see this Movie ...WOW !! It had everything imho . And Moore was at his peak ! The correct balance of drama , humour and characterisation ! It's a pity Hamlish wasn't invited back to score another Bond as his score for TSWLM is Brilliant !
Bonds lines to XXX as regards her Boyfriends Death on the Ski Slopes .... ..His comments to XXX as regards Tracy's Death .. A few lines here and there really make us appreciate Moores characterisation of Bond more imo ! My favourite Bond !!
This is an interesting film on a whole lot of levels. First up...the longest gap between Bond films that there had been up to that point and after Golden Gun...maybe the powers that be had a lot to prove. The Moore era had gone from insanely fun to insanely stupid(if you extend the run back to OHMSS then you get the feeling of a series that was getting a bit all over the place)...and now finally Roger gets a shot at a straightforward Bond film...and the result is rock solid which is probably what the series needed at this point! Includes one of the greatest chase scenes in the series. Also includes an odd decision by Bond to rescue a woman who said that she was going to kill him...that he manages to get away with! Overall though this film would have told contemporary audiences "we've been doing this for 15 years...and we've still got it". MIssion accomplished. 8/10.
The film was pretty much just a remake of You Only Live Twice. Just substitute the spacecraft with submarines. The villains in both films were looking to start WW3 with russia and america. Both films directed by Lewis Gilbert.
I saw the movie on BD for the first time tonight and to say that the restoration is stunning is an understatement. I swear, it's like watching the film for the first time again.
I remember back in 1977 my dad wanted to go see this movie and 7 year old me said a resounding NO! I think it was because Connery was my Bond, after watching repeated showings of his movies on ABC, and I couldn’t accept the fact that some other guy was playing 007. Saw Spy years later and realized what scmuck of a kid I was. Did see Moonraker in a theater back in 1979 though.
You forgot least favorite parts - not that it really had any apart from some of the technical SFX issues ie the toy speedboat launch off the Atlantis and the rather shaky animation sequence of the Atlantis. Favorite part - The Tanker scene from sub capture until sinking with the score at the end when the subs blow their way out...very captivating.
Thanks for Reviewing this film, Albert R. Broccoli's Debut as SOLO Producer. Roger moore's Favorite outing as James Bond New Bond Car Breaking away from the traditional Aston Martins. Great Action Sir Roger Moore at his Best. 10 out of 10
Your right Harry Saltzman was still involved as other producer with Broccoli until their partnership deteriorated on set of The Man With Golden Gun. Saltzman sold his 50% share during that time and left. Albert Broccoli became solo producer for The Spy Who Loved Me and was main producer until Goldeneye his last Bond film and died in 1996.
This is my favorite Moore Bond, I’m in my 20’s and grew up with these movies and loves the franchise. As a kid I loved the Moore movies, as I’ve gotten older I’ve liked the majority of his movies less & less. This movie and FYEO are really the only 2 Moore Bonds that I like now.
At about nine minutes in you said the preceding film didn't have crazy spectacles. *ahem* car flip. *ahem* Next comment will be 💯th! Also love the theme song.
I am not a fan of either The Spy Who Loved Me or Goldeneye but understand both films probably saved the franchise. The franchise could have easily ended after The Man with the Golden Gun or Licence to Kill (which is one of my favorites).
Great reviews guys ..with TSWLM ..I totally agree . It's my all time favourite Bond ! . Absolutely faultless imho. TSWLM, FYEO , OP , OHMSS , and MR are my faves . Not 1 Connery / Craig / Brosnan movie in my top 5 . But everyone has their faves ... Great reviews guys ! Keep em coming .
Spy Who Loved Me is easily Roger Moore's best Bond film. It's also one of the best Bond films period. It is an outstanding film and hits all the right notes. The locations are magnificent, Roger Moore is perfect here, the villains are great, the story is great. I have nothing negative to say. The Carly Simon theme is gorgeous and ends up being one of the all-time best Bond theme songs if not THE best all-time Bond theme song! Roger Moore's Bond films all had the best theme songs and scores, by far! Music is a sort of forgotten aspect of all newer Bond films since Moore's era. SWLM is without question in the top five Bond movies for me!
I remember seeing the actual Lotus they used in this movie on display in Blackpool in the late 80s, Beautiful car. Caroline munro was offered the role of Ursula in superman the following year, but she turned it down, I can't remember why.
Caroline Munro couldn't take the role of Ursula because Roger Moore *_killed her_* with a missile, exploding her to bits...aren't you paying attention? Thank goodness Roger's reign of terror is over!
This has probably the best pre-title sequence of all the Bond movies (if only that yellow ski suit could have been avoided!). I'm beginning to doubt a previous assertion I made that LALD is Moore's best Bond outing. TSWLM could well claim that title. The issues I have remain - the fashion (especially that yellow ski suit) and the scenes with Jaws (from his dropping a stone onto his foot onwards). That said the earlier Jaws scenes - before they stray into comedy - are great and menacing and I wish that character had been taken in a different direction in the style of Robert Shaw's Grant in FRWL. And Moore is less a fashion victim than I remembered (helped by the wearing of military uniform for a good chunk of his scenes). The car chase is superb. The locations and effects (especially Atlantis) are great (though I still find the overlong shootout a la YOLT tiring). And this movie of course has Caroline Munro 🙂. All in all on a par with LALD as Moore's best Bond movie. "Keeping the British end up", this movie gets an 8 from me. Keep up the good work fellas.
If you've ever read the novelisations of the scripts for The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker written by Christopher Wood himself, they are much less cartoonish and much darker than the film versions. In fact Wood was quite a decent novelist and he can write perfectly in the style of Fleming. I would have loved to have seen him given the chance to continue the literary series of Bond novels. Unlike the movies, Bond does not emerge from the action completely unscathed in both Moonraker and Spy. In the Spy Who Loved Me novelisation for example, Bond is tortured in front of Anya Amasova in a scene reminiscent of the torture scene in Casino Royale. It's funny that the novelisation of the Moonraker script is also much better than the camp, over-the-top film version. One other thing I would like to mention is that Roger Moore joked that when he shoots Stromberg in the crotch, he was going to quip; 'Balls eye, fish finger.' But they didn't go with it, probably because it would have undermined the intensity and dark, cruelty of the scene. It was probably a good decision, but still...shame.
Great Review Guys Love the Film From Beginning to End but to me the Biggest Letdown is the Score of the Film is just a Tad Bit Poor. I would add some Music in some Scenes Particularly the Train Fight with Jaws and the Fight with Sandor( The Bald Guy) in Egypt I would've change a Little Bit of the Score so I would give this a 9 because of it but overall This Movie has Everything you want in a Bond Film!!! Moore's Best Film by Far!!! Great Review Guys
If The Spy Who Loved Me was made for today's political climate, they would've allowed Agent XXX to kill Bond at the end and take over the 007 moniker for her future assignments.
This is Roger Moore's best James Bond film. All of the elements are there- action, humor, cool gadgets, high production values, exotic locales, and a good villain in Jaws. The movie plays to Moore's strengths by balancing the seriousness with his style of humor. Yes, it has cartoonish elements, but never to the point of cringiness. Which is more than I can say for Moonraker, Octopussy, or A View to a Kill.(especially A View to a Kill)
wife and I just watched it.. meh. Score missed the mark. Bach is stunning visually but dreadful when acting. Moore was the right guy at the wrong time All the call backs and stunts are gratuitous. Ski jump was good Carly Simons theme was good Rest of score sounds like disco duck
Everyone loves the score, but I'm not so into it. "Nobody Does it Better" is one of the best title theme songs, but I find much of the rest of the movie's music is dated and cringey at parts, in particular the marching band music when they're driving through the desert, the sax music when Bond and Anya sleep together, those cheesy 70s analog synth stabs when Jaws is revealed at the pyramids, and the disco music during the ship siege.
The Bond/Jaws dynamic is all wrong. One minute Jaws is threatening the next he's a butt of a Bond quip. It's the Marvel Universe 30 years before it's time.
Saltzman had left the " Broccoli / Saltzman " team of producing Bond due to financial problems apparently . So Broccoli was left to do what he wanted to do with Bond .. He wasn't constrained by Saltzman and his opinions !
I may be biased, but I think Barbara Bach's acting was just right play the no-nonsense Soviet agent with smoldering sexuality just below the surface. The movie didn't need her to be anything more, really.
I never noticed Stromberg's had webbed-fingers! And I have seen this movie countless times. How silly! Only issue with the movie are the models. Atlantis just does not stand the test of time....
Pros: -Opening -car -car chase -story Cons: -Barbara Bach: Worst Bond girl acting up to 1977, this is a surprise that they picked someone who couldn't act as its a big Bond girl role. -Soundtrack: sounds so much more dated than the 60s movies. Cringed at certain stages. Barry dearly missed -Maximum cheese of all action scenes. 6/10
I can't believe that Joe thinks that this is not as good as Octopussy. This movie is too cartoony? The jungle hunt scene in Octopussy is cringe worthy. The Tarzan yell scene alone is worst than anything in The Spy Who Loved Me. Questionable judgment. P.S.- I don't totally hate Octopussy, but the The Spy Who Loved Me is definitely better. TSWLM may be over the top but the tone is even. Octopussy's tone is uneven. It doesn't know if it wants to be a thriller or a romp.
The worst stuff in Octopussy takes place in India and unfortunately, those scenes take up the most screentime. The film improves dramatically once Bond arrives in Germany because that's where Bond's investigation should have started !
What about bond apparently also being a world-class jet fighter pilot, flying through a hangar and sideways through a closing door. Of course, it's common for him to be portrayed as being skilled in just about everything, but this one seems over the top even by Bond standards.
@@xyhmo have you noticed the gaff in that scene? I didn't notice it when I first saw the movie but only after repeated viewings. When they show close ups of the plane while it's flying in the hangar, you can see that it is being supported by a metal rod on a wheel base and it's being rolled across the floor of the hangar. I understand why they had to film a shot like that but they should have hid the rod and wheel base better than they did. To me it ruins the illusion of the scene.
Just recently rewatched Octopussy and it went down considerably in my rankings. The cringeworthy scenes in India really bring down movie. And even the scenes on the train are marred by the fact that you can tell almost every time when Roger Moore is being doubled. Also the fight choreography is terrible. I rewatched FYEO just before it and it is much better. In fact it went up in my rankings. Moonraker is better than Octopussy too.
Dear Scott. I respect your opinion but 10 for this and 9 for Thunderball??? Is this movie superior to Thunderball? Not even close. Ok, The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only are probably the best Bond films from the Moore Era. But you cannot even compare them with films of the Connery Era such as From Russia With Love and Thunderball or Goldfinger. They were last way better. Even the plot of this movie is not original. It's actually a copy, a remake of Connerys You Only Live Twice. The producers wanted to connect the classic Connery Bond with its parody which was Moore,s edition of Bond. Indeed in this film some elements got better than YOLT. But still Moore played Bond in a cartoonish way. We have to understand that BOND movies are NOT supposed to be action comedies.. The humor element must exist of course but always in balance with Bond's dark and ruthless side. Just to light up the hard scenes. Exactly as Connery did (with the pittyfull exception of DAF). Beyond all these The Spy who Loved me is undeniably the most entertaining of the Roger Moore Bond movies. Regards
Scott here...Yes Thunderball is a great movie. I love it. But the third act does drag a little bit. That's why I rate The Spy Who Loved Me just a tiny bit above it. The Spy Who Loved Me by contrast has a killer third act that really moves. But I totally respect your opinion! Connery was the Man!
I also respect your opinion dear Scott. I just believe that the 50% of a movie is the leading actor. Moore is not bad at this. But Connery is way much superior in Thunderball as Bond... That's all friend. Thanks for the reply