Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘For Your Eyes Only’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

When it comes to the many iconic franchises that happen to be out there, every single person fondly remembers their first experience with that particular world. Because there's something incredible about meeting the rich characters and delving into that universe for the first time, and often times there are elements from that first experience that you hold onto every single time a new adventure pops up in the series. 

For me, that first experience when it came to the James Bond franchise, happened with For Your Eyes Only. I had never heard of the character or the series when I was a young lad and it wasn't until my teenage years that I happened to catch this movie on cable and lo and behold, I was hooked. I had to know more about this character, learn what made him so badass, everything, so imagine my surprise when I came to discover how long the franchise had been running at the time and how vastly different this particular Bond tale differed from the rest of the Roger Moore era.

After all, Roger Moore is more or less known as the fun Bond, the guy who had the cheekiest of one liners, the craziest of gadgets and perhaps the wildest of adventures, and if you need any further proof of this, never forget that Roger Moore is the only Bond in the series to venture into outer space. But I digress because while many still see Moore as the silly Bond, this is the film that to me, cements him as a top-notch actor in the role, simply because this one took some serious risks with how the character was portrayed and well, Roger is absolutely fantastic in this particular film. 

This Bond adventure is far more subdued because the plot removes us from grand adventures and instead places us square in the middle of a classic spy tale, one worthy of the Connery days and one that is heavily mired in darkness and revenge. After all, the stakes are high in this one since it's a race against time to bring the A.T.A.C. home before the Russians can get their hands on it and wreak havoc with it and I was always a fan of the strength and fury that comes from Melina Havelock and her plot for revenge. It makes for a compelling tale and while the critics of past and present see it as a so-so entry in the Bond film, it reminded us of one simple fact... Bond is a spy, a man off the grid in many ways who is charged with keeping the peace at any cost necessary. 

It was that rawness to the film and the visceral nature that came with it that made me instantly fall in love with the character and the franchise and the low fi approach to the whole thing makes this a vital entry in the series. Bond was no longer a man on silly adventures, he was a tough as nails spy once again and I would venture to say that this film laid the groundwork for the Bond that we see today. The coldness of Bond, his quick thinking and willingness to make tough sacrifices, all those elements are present here. If anything, it's a shame this film doesn't quite get all the respect it deserves. It allowed Roger Moore to finally show off his full range as an actor, and it made James Bond relatable for the first time ever and for all the reasons I've listed above... that's why this film remains one of my all-time favorites in the series.

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