After battling megalomaniacs under the water and outer space, and saving the world from annihilation/domination, it was time for 007 to return down to earth to face his old adversaries, the KGB.
And this he does in this high octane action packer gritty thriller which saw him become more of a grittier secret agent instead of a playboy messiah.
In Roger Moore's fifth installment as James Bond, 007 is sent to retrieve the ATAC that was sunk in the sabotage of a British spy ship. The ATAC is a device that whoever gains control of it can order the submarines to attack any country even Britain. Of course, the Russians want it and the British want it back. The problem is that neither knows exactly where it sunk.
The pre credit sequence starts with Bond's old nemesis (presumably Blofled) using a remote control to take over a helicopter that was carrying Bond. Needless to say Bond survives.
The movie then continues with the sinking of the British spy ship, Bond's briefing by Bill Tanner the Chief of Staff. Bernard Lee was dead by then so as a mark of respect, his character was made absent from the film, rather than get another actor to step into a role that Lee made as iconic as that of 007 himself. Instead it was explained that he was on holiday.
Bond's assignment takes him to Greece where he meets a woman with a deadly crossbow who has her own agenda to pursue, a killer who never utters a word and a Blond Aryan looking hit-man who pursues Bond in one of the most exhilarating ski chases in the Bond franchise.
Roger Moore gave one of his best Bond performances in the movie. Here we see a more serious, harder, grittier and colder blooded Moore. In one occasion he has no mercy in a man trapped in a car hanging on a mountain edge. Even the film toned down the glamour of Moonraker and TSWLM and the result was a gritty picture.
But Moore fans should not be disappointed if they think Moore was too serious. He still delivered some of his witty one liners which is his hallmark but on the whole he was more serious than his previous performances.
Both Carole Bouquet who played the Greek woman on a mission to avenge her parents' death) and Julian Glover (Kristatos, the Greek millionaire and World War II hero decorated by the Queen of England for his acts of valour who tried to assist Bond to disrupt a smuggling ring) gave decent performances. It may be worthy to note here that Julina Glover has been a previous Bond contender.
But the stand out was Topol who plays Columbo, the Greek smuggler who in an interesting twist of events reveals why he wants Kristatos dead.
The action was fast and furious, even though I'm sure fans may be disappointed at the anticlimax of the final battle scene on a mountain top. Nevertheless, the movie fast paced and remains of my my favourite Bond movies.
And this he does in this high octane action packer gritty thriller which saw him become more of a grittier secret agent instead of a playboy messiah.
In Roger Moore's fifth installment as James Bond, 007 is sent to retrieve the ATAC that was sunk in the sabotage of a British spy ship. The ATAC is a device that whoever gains control of it can order the submarines to attack any country even Britain. Of course, the Russians want it and the British want it back. The problem is that neither knows exactly where it sunk.
The pre credit sequence starts with Bond's old nemesis (presumably Blofled) using a remote control to take over a helicopter that was carrying Bond. Needless to say Bond survives.
The movie then continues with the sinking of the British spy ship, Bond's briefing by Bill Tanner the Chief of Staff. Bernard Lee was dead by then so as a mark of respect, his character was made absent from the film, rather than get another actor to step into a role that Lee made as iconic as that of 007 himself. Instead it was explained that he was on holiday.
Bond's assignment takes him to Greece where he meets a woman with a deadly crossbow who has her own agenda to pursue, a killer who never utters a word and a Blond Aryan looking hit-man who pursues Bond in one of the most exhilarating ski chases in the Bond franchise.
Roger Moore gave one of his best Bond performances in the movie. Here we see a more serious, harder, grittier and colder blooded Moore. In one occasion he has no mercy in a man trapped in a car hanging on a mountain edge. Even the film toned down the glamour of Moonraker and TSWLM and the result was a gritty picture.
But Moore fans should not be disappointed if they think Moore was too serious. He still delivered some of his witty one liners which is his hallmark but on the whole he was more serious than his previous performances.
Both Carole Bouquet who played the Greek woman on a mission to avenge her parents' death) and Julian Glover (Kristatos, the Greek millionaire and World War II hero decorated by the Queen of England for his acts of valour who tried to assist Bond to disrupt a smuggling ring) gave decent performances. It may be worthy to note here that Julina Glover has been a previous Bond contender.
But the stand out was Topol who plays Columbo, the Greek smuggler who in an interesting twist of events reveals why he wants Kristatos dead.
The action was fast and furious, even though I'm sure fans may be disappointed at the anticlimax of the final battle scene on a mountain top. Nevertheless, the movie fast paced and remains of my my favourite Bond movies.