Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’

Written by Scott Edwards

It is hard to imagine that anything could be lost in the world these days, but as time has proven, the ocean seems to have been less explored than space. With so many people being lost at sea, we still have very few ideas of what causes this to happen. It is a shame since the oceans hold so much beauty and danger that very few people can completely appreciate, as for me, I just know there are sharks out there and have decided to stay out of the water unless I'm on a boat bigger than the shark in Jaws.

Two nuclear subs have gone missing for no reason and both the British and Soviet governments are forced to take action to find them before something bad happens. While Major Anya Amasova is on retreat with her lover and Bond is in Austria, they are destined to cross paths when both of their leads send them to Egypt to talk to the man who is trying to help move the new submarine tracking system. But the two agents are not alone in their search, as they quickly find out, when an enforcer the size of nothing Bond has ever seen before, arrives on the site.

With their only lead dead, Bond finds that a meeting with Max Kalba, the seller of the tracking microfilm, reveals he was on the books and comes clean to the seller about his intentions. Anya has the same plan and while the two are about to enter a bidding war, Kalba is called away for an urgent phone call. Finding another victim dead and lying on the floor, Bond sees a familiar face fleeing the scene. Being able to jump into the back of the van with Anya, the two are forced to wait to try and recover the microfilm from their new foe Jaws who is planning his own surprise for the two. Being taken to an out of the way Egyptian restoration site, Jaws has nefarious plans for the two, but his strength gets the best of him and allows the couple to escape.

---

​The two are still competing for the microfilm for their governments and although Bond has the upper hand for a short time, he loses the race. Arriving at MI6’s Egypt office, Bond is shocked to find out that the competing agencies will be joining forces to find and destroy the submarine tracker and they find that all signs are pointing towards Karl Stromberg and a cover story has to be formulated quickly to meet the rich man. Posing as a sea biologist, Bond is able to enter the depths of the research lab but is not able to gain all of the facts he needs. Seeing a model for Stromberg’s new tanker, the Liparus, the largest tanker in the ocean, Bond and Anya know that there is something fishy going on.

Needing to get another look at Stromberg’s facility, Bond and Anya find themselves being chased by several different employees and are able to find a safe place under the water. Seeing designs of what is to come, the two find themselves being flown to a local American sub that has located the Liparus. With the search in full effect, it turns out the Liparus is actually the hunter and swallows the sub. With the other two missing submarines in its hull, Stromberg is ready to take his plan to the next level by sending out his newly acquired killing machines to take out two of the largest cities in the world: New York and Moscow. Knowing this, Bond, Anya and the crews of the hijacked submarines are in a race against time to disable the subs before they are able to make the world above the water uninhabitable. 

Although I don’t like the story as much as I should, I do love this movie for two reasons. One, the beginning takes place in Egypt, and I have always loved seeing and reading about this region ever since I was a young child. The second, Anya Amasova (Agent XXX), Barbara Bach has to be the most beautiful Bond woman that has ever blessed the screen. With my crush out of the way, you also have Jaws running amuck and trying to kill everyone in his path. I am a sucker for Jaws as well since he is a force to be reckoned with and for some reason, he is not able to die. This is the villain that should scare you the most, with his power and metal teeth, his ‘grill’ is the best in the business. This movie also has a much lighter tone to it when it comes to the comedy, one liners and even the sound track when Bond raises his eyebrows. Keep watching and remember to keep it Shaken, not Stirred.  (They actually say it in this movie!)

---