For Your Eyes Only (1981)

So could anything get better going from the 70's to the 80's? Oh yes. Definitely yes. Bond goes straight from the grave of his wife to a crashing helicopter, that he in turn uses to kill arch-nemesis Blofeld. And all before the vignette. Most needed interest after the dreary puddle that was "Moonraker".

The first scene after the vignette is rather bleak as a ship full of agents is sunk with ensuing chaos, mass-death (usually reserved for a bigger, less personal scale in the end-scene) and sad destinies, made worse as Bond later swims around in corpses in an attempt to retrieve the ATAC (MacGuffin of the day). The sinking of the ship does feel as if it should have been the opening scene, leaving the very first scene to seem a bit moot. With the next scene being the cold-blooded murder of Melina's parents (ending in a most ill-adviced extreme close-up of Bouquet), it really leaves us longing for some lightness. Thankfully the next scene is Moore and Maxwell.

Casting is also vastly improved from Moonraker. Apart from key players Bouquet and Gothard, Topol and Julian Glover are excellent actors giving good value for money. Add to that a fine turn from Geoffrey Keen, and one of the finest interactions between Bond and Q, FYEO really has a bit extra here. And for an added bonus, spot a young Charles Dance trying to kill our hero. Bouquet isn't at her best when being hateful and cold, and the frequent close-ups from director John Glen does nothing to aid her. She is a more modern turn, and can kill in cold blood. Most delightful.

Barry was canned for this instalment, most likely to make room for a more 80's sound in Bill Conti. Big mistake as there are more annoying bleeps. Thankfully the action has improved, so the music can stay in the background. Particularly the chase with the biathlon-nazi is entertaining, as well as the 2CV-chase. At times, they still fall for the temptation of soft, unfunny, jokes to deteriorate the quality of the action, unfortunately. They could also have reduced the amount of winter olympic sports they try to kill Bond in, to at least single digits, but it is still varied enough to entertain.

Moore is getting a bit older here, and nothing shows it more than when a top athlete works all her charm to get him into bed and he responds with "Get your clothes on, and I'll buy you an icecream". Probably a smart move, as he has enough difficulty looking young enough for Bouquet.

So the action is good, the acting above average, the story very original for a Bond-caper (with Bond caught in the middle of a Greek turf-war), and the music terrible, though the underwater-action towards the end has plenty of late tension. Moore redeems himself from the horror that was "Moonraker".

7/10

Best car used: 1980 Lotus Esprit Turbo
Most memorable drink served: Theotaki Aspo
Henchmen: Michael Gothard as Locque. A cold, calculating bastard that feels most intimidating. Even with those glasses.
Villain: Julian Glover as Kristatos. A most conniving liar. Fresh trait for a villain.
Best one-liner: "He had no head for heights"
Song: "For Your Eyes only". Sheena Easton. A poor man's Bassey. Not the best ballade either.
Bond-girl: Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock. Now here's strong and feisty (though her car is shit).