For Your Eyes Only (1981)
When a British ship is sunk in foreign waters, the world’s
superpowers begin a feverish race to find its cargo - a nuclear
submarine control system. And 007 (Roger Moore) is thrust into one
of his most riveting adventures as he rushes to join the search
and prevent global devastation (again) in the 12th Bond movie.
The Bond series had become so formulaic by this stage that
audiences barely batted an eyelid when the requisite chase segment
started - but that was not the case here.
For Your Eyes Only contains two such sequences - A car
chase and a ski pursuit. The former got an entertaining twist
since the car Bond was driving was a Citroen 2CV, a European
crap-mobile that looks a like a VW Beetle, and drives even more
slowly.
The ski-chase scene is even better, as Bond finds himself under
pursuit at a winter sports complex, and we see him skiing on
slopes, across tables, through a bobsled course, and over a ski
jump - All the while, pursued by creeps on motorcycles. The Bond
series built much of its reputation on its stunts, and these are
some of the best.
Carole Bouquet plays leading Bond Girl, Melina, and she's a bit
darker and grittier than the average Bond girl. She can take care
of herself (she rescues Bond as much as he rescues her!) and she
has to be one of the prettiest Bond women ever.
On the down side, the villain this time around (Julian Glover's
Kristatos) is dull and lifeless. Vaguely based on Largo from Thunderball,
he seems more bureaucrat than badass, especially after the fun of
Jaws in the previous two Bonds.
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