For Your Eyes Only : Blu-ray Review

The Movie Itself is directed by John Glen (Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, License to Kill).

Following on the heels of one of the more “out of this world” Bond films — Moonraker — the decision was made early on that James Bond’s twelfth outing would need to be far more grounded in reality, and so the creative forces behind cinema’s most recognizable character went back to the basics: minimal gadgetry, earthly locales and more serious James Bond. The result was For Your Eyes Only, a film that is hardly “edgy” — especially when considering the most recent entries — but still maintains a more sedate tone than Moore’s previous entries, and in the end, all of the ingredients make for a pleasing, entertaining and fulfilling James Bond experience.

Growing up, my brother and I watched this film repeatedly — along with The Man With The Golden Gun — and the same goes for many of Roger Moore’s films. I think at a young age, we simply found them more entertaining than the rest. His comedic delivery resonated with us, and we were more concerned with that than whether or not the plot made sense. These days, that’s not the case, and as I return to childhood favorites, I’m wary of what I might find. Worried that they won’t measure up to the fond memories I have tucked away. As you can imagine from this intro, it’s been more than a few years since I’ve seen this film, and so when finally I sat down to review it, I was equal parts excited and nervous.

Thankfully, it was every bit the film that I remembered from my youth. The action still enthralled and entertained. The women more gorgeous than I remember. And the underwater sequences still captivating. On the one hand though, the movie hasn’t aged quite as gracefully as the other Bond films, due to the intense eighties vibe that emanates from the contemporary soundtrack, but it doesn’t really detract from the film. In some ways I think it makes the film slightly more entertaining.

Beyond my sentiments, the film marks two milestones: the authorship of a screenplay by Michael G. Wilson, and the directorial mantle being passed to John Glen. Fans of the Bond films should instantly recognize Wilson’s name. The step-son of long time producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, who began producing on Moonraker, was given the opportunity to write for the film, and his efforts continued through to the end of John Glen’s directorial run, which leads me to the second milestone. Having helmed five Bond films in total, John Glen holds the record for the most Bond films under his belt, as well as the most consecutive Bond films — he carried the franchise from 1981 to 1989. Where I happen to like nearly all of Glen’s 007 pictures, many fans believe that he delivered some of the weaker films in the collection, directly following For Your Eyes Only. And while I don’t agree with that statement, this review is hardly the appropriate place to come to his defense. At a later time, when the other films make their way to Blu-ray, perhaps I’ll go into more detail.

At any rate, For Your Eyes Only is definitely one of Roger Moore’s best pictures, and as such it should comes as little surprise that it still maintains its allure to this day.