For Your Eyes Only (James Bond 007)

I think this movie was a turning point. Tell me if I'm crazy or if other Bond fans have noticed this. This specific turning point was ALWAYS going to happen, but I expected it to happen later and not yet. The film's pacing is very frenetic and action-packed, and there are far fewer slower or quiet moments than previous movies. James Bond has officially entered the era of the movie blockbuster. I had expected this transition to actually occur during Timothy Dalton's first film. I didn't expect it during a random movie in the middle of Roger Moore's run.

I can't say this was a great film, but I think it will be the baseline for the rest of the more modern films of the original 20 film continuity. I'll give it a solid four stars out of five, and grade the followings movies by its standard, and by their quality.

"For Your Eyes Only" by Sheena Easton is probably the worst of the Bond Themes so far. It sounds bad, which is bad enough. It's also weirdly an earworm, which is worse. Nobody would ever hate Achy-Breaky heart if it were forgettable. Because it's both bad AND gets stuck in your head, which is why people hate it. Same for this theme.

I expected Kristatos to be the bad guy, but Bond's alliance and friendship with Columbo was a nice surprise in a franchise that always refuses to surprise me. Much less with nice ones.

That bit with the parrot and the Prime Minister at the end was SO bad. It's not inconsistent with a Moore Bond movie. But I feel like it belongs in a MUCH worse one.

M is on holiday probably because the cast is still grieving Bernard Lee's sudden death. They are going to have to replace him at some point, but I understand why they couldn't bear to for this.

Not a huge fan of the Blofeld teaser. Yes, Blofeld and Spectre's absence during Moore's run is annoying. This was hardly a worthy return to it.

I like that Bibi is the first woman whose advances Bond rejects. He says it's because Kristatos wouldn't like it, but in reality it's probably because she's too young for him. I like him for that, and the harsh truth is there are very few things I actually like James Bond for.

Solid movie, that shows the shape of the franchise to come. ****.