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With a streamlined attitude and synthesized score, 1981's For Your Eyes Only ushered in a new decade of James Bond. Even 007's handlers knew that if the character's limits were tested any further (as Moonraker did two years prior), they just may as well bid sayonara to their credibility. A return to basics was in order: no campy jokes or ridiculous baddies, just Bond on a global quest to bust some heads. With the leisurely Roger Moore back in the saddle, devising a less light-hearted adventure would be no small feat. Still, with crisp plotting and actors like Carole Bouquet, Topol, Julian Glover, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Jill Bennett along for the ride, For Your Eyes Only embodies the 007 formula at its most simple and effective.
 After cleverly dispatching one of his oldest adversaries, Bond is summoned by queen and country in a matter of grave importance. A communications vessel has been felled by a wayward mine, carrying with it to the briny deep the ATAC encryption device. Were it to fall into enemy hands, the ATAC could be used to order Her Majesty's navy to unload its artillery on native soil. Bond is the only one to help avert such catastrophe, but he runs into someone else with an axe to grind. Enter the stunning Melina Havelock (Bouquet), whose parents died keeping tabs the ATAC. Although her quest for vengeance at first endangers Bond's mission, he comes to adopt her as an ally (and then some) in his bajillionth attempt to save the free world.
For Your Eyes Only is the refreshing detox the Bond series had been asking for. As with any form of rehabilitation, the movie takes some getting used to, especially when Moore's previous adventures were more cinematic Pixy Stix. Emphasized more are tension and suspense; even the finale focuses on stealth tactics over perforating every enemy in sight. While a few lagging patches have viewers wishing Bond would get with the gadgets already, not rolling one's eyes every scene is rewarding.
Lynn-Holly Johnson & Roger Moore
Director John Glen maintains a grounded approach to the preposterous proceedings and tailors the stuntwork to match it. Witnessing Bond's precarious cliffside ascent and nighttime raid on a villain's warehouse incite much more excitement than a silly old car or ski chase - which the picture provides its share of, as well.
The movie has the benefit of not only an appealing Bond performance but also an even more beguiling Bond girl. It's great to see Moore not come across so much as a leering souse, even turning away an admirer's amorous advances at one point. Bond has his mission on the mind here, though the opening scene contains a reference to the agent's darkest hour.
Concurrently, Bouquet's Melina proves herself to be more than 007's latest accessory. Melina's a resourceful gal with an agenda of her own, and despite some dodgy moments, Bouquet's performance is appropriately fiery and strong-willed. Julian Glover's turn as a key figure is mighty tepid, but Topol's robust personality nicely compliments his role as a good-natured smuggler. Curiously, though, Desmond Llewelyn's appearances as faithful gadget man Q rank among the film's most inert instances.
While it's not bursting at the seams with action, For Your Eyes Only is a more classic Bond film that trips this critic's trigger. Though the outcome is, as always, foregone, I found myself invested in the espionage and enjoyed it more than those Bond flicks that went berzerk trying to show me a good time. Some folks prefer their spy cinema shaken, but For Your Eyes Only fares just fine with stirring.
Director: John Glen
Writers: Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson (from stories by Ian Fleming)
Cast: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Julian Glover, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Jill Bennett
Rating: PG (violence and sensuality)
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Run Time: 128 minutes
Studio: United Artists
Format: Color, widescreen
Photo credits: United Artists
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