11/11/2015

MOORE BOND FIVE: SNOW TO SEA 'FOR YOUR EYES ONLY'

Lynn-Holly Johnson & Roger Moore YEAR: 1981
Something about ski chase scenes brings out the corniest disco music in the Roger Moore era James Bond films: And this was the early eighties so the previous decade's cheesy groove still resonated...

But that doesn't ruin what was probably created to aptly re-stir what the far-fetched MOONRAKER shook after the wonderful SPY WHO LOVED ME genuinely rebooted the franchise's new mug. In fact, in many ways, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY embodies Roger Moore's sarcastically dapper style better than any other 007 vehicle; even the action sequences fit like his stiff suit that never gets ruffled. Sort of a fancy classy yacht of the series... but with a powerful speedboat engine, on occasion.

More Lynn-Holly Johnson
Lynn-Holly Johnson's "Bibi" is, like Johnson herself, a professional ice skater and part of the most entertaining section when Bond, dodging a handsome Olympic skier who happens to be a sharp-shooting sniper, along with a trio of thug hockey players, is searching for a particular hit man responsible for paying off a hired gun who slaughtered the parents of the main "Bond Girl," Greek beauty Carole Bouquet as Melina, who doesn't melt into our hero's arms too quickly: she's tough, stubborn, and sticks to her guns, literally...

Autographed by Lynn-Holly Johnson
The main plot is somewhat reminiscent of THUNDERBALL, involving a strategic bomb planted underwater: And here there's also a long underwater segment that includes sharks... pretty spooky once it gets rocking, yet beforehand, a sunken ship investigation by Bond and Melina drags...

And despite a rushed red herring in the form of Topol as a cocky Greek smuggler, the main villain turns out to be a twist to Bond, but not really to the audience given his overall countenance. If you look at the narrowed, sinister expression of British actor Julian Glover, and remember him as General Veers, manning the lead Imperial Snow Walker in STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, he makes the perfect Bond villain...

Blofeld getting blown off in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY Score: ***1/2
So it's no spoiler that all things nefarious lead into his sole sinister clutches... bringing back Lynn-Holly during a long overdue mountain castle finale in a movie that, despite being one of the classiest in the series, again, like underwater, goes on a bit too long...

And although Sheena Easton's main theme is pretty decent as far as intentionally cheesy Bond tracks go, the instrumental variation of the theme rears up too much during particular romantic scenes, reminiscent of a condom ad, and is even being played by a patio band in the background of one of many locales: now that's jumping the shark.
Carole Bouquet as Melina in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY

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