The Spy Who Loved Me has a sublime theme song, superbly sung by Carly Simon. Yet on every other level the movie is a complete washout.
Commercially, it was a hit, with it's $79.9 million gross over twice that of the previous film in the series. (Though in fairness, The Man With The Golden Gun was nearly half as cheap to make). Critically, too, this film is generally regarded, if not the best of the series, then the best vehicle for Roger Moore.
Personally, I can't see why. While it IS a step up from the all-time nadir of "Golden Gun", it is still a wholly unsatisfying movie. Maybe it's the "greatest hits" mentality behind it that pleases so many, as Thunderball is gutted to form the basis of it's plot. The pre-credits teaser is a rehash of the skiing stunts from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and many of the elements of that flawed-yet-worthwhile flick seem to be dredged up here. For this is one of the few times Bond has a relationship with a woman that isn't based solely on his libido. (Though Barbara Bach as Agent XXX must qualify as the most gratuitous display of cleavage in a Bond movie - and THAT'S a feat).
007's murdered wife is mentioned in the film, and this gives us one of the few moments where Moore does any acting. Make no mistake, while his sense of irony was a breath of fresh air in Live and Let Die, here it is a noxious odour. The constant schoolboyish, smutty puns are no longer post-modern, just DUMB, and date the film quicker than any 60's equivalent. Bach, who plays off Moore as a female counterpart, kills any repartee with what may seem wooden acting, but is probably just the actress weighed down by her heavy cod Russian accent.
Stromberg is a sub-sub-sub Blofeld, surrounded by a set that outdoes Dr.No's aquarium with all the spectacle but with none of the style. Richard Kiel does well as the mute "Jaws", but his mechanised fight then fall through a window with Roger on the train is a straight steal from the fight with Tee-Hee, just two films earlier. And Moore CAN'T do fight scenes, giving us a series of incongruous edits.
Amidst all this Deja Vu is a series of pointless, dumbed-down chases, explosions and unrealistic sex. Bond can even dodge bullets in this one, for goodness sake! But the real crime is that 95% of negative views surrounding James Bond films seem to stem from this era - and that IS unforgivable.
Commercially, it was a hit, with it's $79.9 million gross over twice that of the previous film in the series. (Though in fairness, The Man With The Golden Gun was nearly half as cheap to make). Critically, too, this film is generally regarded, if not the best of the series, then the best vehicle for Roger Moore.
Personally, I can't see why. While it IS a step up from the all-time nadir of "Golden Gun", it is still a wholly unsatisfying movie. Maybe it's the "greatest hits" mentality behind it that pleases so many, as Thunderball is gutted to form the basis of it's plot. The pre-credits teaser is a rehash of the skiing stunts from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and many of the elements of that flawed-yet-worthwhile flick seem to be dredged up here. For this is one of the few times Bond has a relationship with a woman that isn't based solely on his libido. (Though Barbara Bach as Agent XXX must qualify as the most gratuitous display of cleavage in a Bond movie - and THAT'S a feat).
007's murdered wife is mentioned in the film, and this gives us one of the few moments where Moore does any acting. Make no mistake, while his sense of irony was a breath of fresh air in Live and Let Die, here it is a noxious odour. The constant schoolboyish, smutty puns are no longer post-modern, just DUMB, and date the film quicker than any 60's equivalent. Bach, who plays off Moore as a female counterpart, kills any repartee with what may seem wooden acting, but is probably just the actress weighed down by her heavy cod Russian accent.
Stromberg is a sub-sub-sub Blofeld, surrounded by a set that outdoes Dr.No's aquarium with all the spectacle but with none of the style. Richard Kiel does well as the mute "Jaws", but his mechanised fight then fall through a window with Roger on the train is a straight steal from the fight with Tee-Hee, just two films earlier. And Moore CAN'T do fight scenes, giving us a series of incongruous edits.
Amidst all this Deja Vu is a series of pointless, dumbed-down chases, explosions and unrealistic sex. Bond can even dodge bullets in this one, for goodness sake! But the real crime is that 95% of negative views surrounding James Bond films seem to stem from this era - and that IS unforgivable.