Pros and Cons: The Spy Who Loved Me

Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
edited September 2015 in The James Bond Films
Released in 1977, it was the 10th official movie in the series and the 3rd movie to feature Roger Moore as James Bond. After the previous movie "Man with the Golden Gun" was considered the disappointment which resulted in the breaking up of Harry and Cubby, The Spy Who Loved Me was considered a big comeback for the series. Many fans acclaim it to be the best film of the Roger Moore era and one of the best films in the series.

Pros:
Has a perfect balance of camp and seriousness
Has a perfect balance of spy and action
Showcases that Moore can do a serious Bond (such as XXX's boyfriend death confrontation)
The raid of Stromberg's base is memorable.
Represents detente very well, with Bond and XXX being symbols for their countries.
Jaws, one of the most iconic henchmen in the series
The amphibious car scenes. Water sequences are paced perfectly.
The scene of Q and his gadgets are full of laughs
Barbara Bach does a good job as Agent XXX
The movie concludes very nicely in its last 15 minutes

Cons:
Follows the Bond formula rigidly (although it does that very well)
Stromberg, while not bad, isn't up to the excellence of other villains in the series.

Overall Thoughts
In many ways it's the most perfect well-rounded films in the Bond series, filled with many of the best moments of the series. The Moore era needed an answer to Connery era classics like Goldfinger and it got one. The Spy Who Loved Me is also unique with regard to it's adventurous grandiosity while still holding many of the traditions we've come to expect from spy films in tact.
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Comments

  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I personally cannot find any Flaws with TSWLM -{ It was the first Bond of Moore's where he really came into his own.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    For me, the flaws in TSWLM, aren't really flaws. I can't find any bad moments. It's more a matter of the good aspects of the movie not standing out as much as the great ones.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I petty much agree with AOS, TSWLM was my first cinema Bond and it
    Blew me away. :x so I probably can't give a reasonable argument against
    It, as it would be like attacking part of my childhood. :))
    Moore is in his element, at last the scripts are turning round to his light comedian
    Skills. The action is top notch, good villain and locations, beautiful car and leading
    Lady. Jaws is a fantastic henchman scary in a few scenes.
    All in all SPY was another reboot and rejuvenation of the series, plenty of Money was
    Spent and it shows. So as I've said, I'm a little biased towards it. ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Anyone who didn't love this movie? We gotta get the other side of the coin in this discussion too.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    the previous movie "Man with the Golden Gun" was considered the disappointment that broke the EON founders (Harry and Cubby) apart

    Whoever considers that is very much mistaken.
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    I enjoyed MWGG but objectively speaking it was the least acclaimed of the first 3 Moore movies.

    TSWLM was considered a big comeback in every sense.
  • Oddjob's HatOddjob's Hat United Kingdom Posts: 22MI6 Agent
    Definitely in my top ten as well.. Definitely Moore's best outing. -{
    Do you expect me to talk?
  • Silhouette ManSilhouette Man The last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,644MI6 Agent
    edited March 2015
    Anyone who didn't love this movie? We gotta get the other side of the coin in this discussion too.

    Read this article for my views on the subject of TSWLM (mainly on the overtly contrived action sequences in the film):

    http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kingsley-amis-draxs-gambit-and-reform.html
    "The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
  • ManxmanManxman Posts: 122MI6 Agent
    Pros:

    • It has a linear plot that makes sense (not the case with “Diamonds Are Forever” and “The Man With The Golden Gun” that preceded it)
    • It’s frequently very exciting
    • It has arguably the best pre-credits sequence of the entire series
    • Major Anya Amasova is a well-crafted, three-dimensional character (quite a relief after the idiotic Tiffany Case and Mary Goodnight)
    • The production design is stunning, as is the filming
    • Roger Moore is on top form
    • The acting is generally excellent, despite Barbara Bach struggling with a “Russian” accent
    • It introduces General Gogol, who would be an effective fixture of the eighties films
    • Jaws is genuinely terrifying
    • Most of the humour works very well
    • The score is excellent, with the title theme being one of the best in the series

    Cons:

    • It’s a thinly disguised rewrite of “You Only Live Twice”
    • Stromberg’s plan is so ridiculous that it’s amazing anyone is willing to collaborate on it
    • Stromberg is a one-dimensional supervillain (fleshed out a bit in Christopher Wood’s accompanying book)
    • A couple of the jokes don’t work well at all
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Anyone who didn't love this movie? We gotta get the other side of the coin in this discussion too.

    Read this article for my views on the subject of TSWLM (mainly on the overtly contrived action sequences in the film):

    http://www.thebondologistblog.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/kingsley-amis-draxs-gambit-and-reform.html

    It would probably be better if you sum up your thesis in a few sentences for the purposes of this discussion.
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Manxman wrote:
      It’s a thinly disguised rewrite of “You Only Live Twice”

    Interesting. In what way. Don't half the films in the series confine to the Dr. No/Goldfinger formula, rather than anything specifically YOLT did. Just the nuclear missiles plan? Because that would be more akin to Thunderball.

    The nuclear submarine could be comparable to the YOLT battle-copter. But what else am I missing?
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    what else am I missing?

    Benson covers this in his "James Bond Bedside Companion", or you might have a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCisJExSWs4
  • The Red KindThe Red Kind EnglandPosts: 3,118MI6 Agent
    Manxman wrote:
      It’s a thinly disguised rewrite of “You Only Live Twice”

    Interesting. In what way. Don't half the films in the series confine to the Dr. No/Goldfinger formula, rather than anything specifically YOLT did. Just the nuclear missiles plan? Because that would be more akin to Thunderball.

    The nuclear submarine could be comparable to the YOLT battle-copter. But what else am I missing?

    I think Manxman means the ships swallowing the submarines (like the space capsules swallowing the Soviet and American capsules in YOLT) and trying to instigate another world war. For sure it's very similar in this regard. But I absolutely love TSWLM and don't have any gripes with it whatsoever {[]
    "Any of the opposition around..?"
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Barbel, I saw the video.

    Some of these are more than just coincidences (the villains bases, sharks, etc), but in most cases TSWLM seems to be just another movie following the formula.

    I think almost every movie after Goldfinger could be likened to another Bond movie in 36 ways.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Manxman wrote:
      It’s a thinly disguised rewrite of “You Only Live Twice”

    Interesting. In what way. Don't half the films in the series confine to the Dr. No/Goldfinger formula, rather than anything specifically YOLT did. Just the nuclear missiles plan? Because that would be more akin to Thunderball.

    The nuclear submarine could be comparable to the YOLT battle-copter. But what else am I missing?

    I think Manxman means the ships swallowing the submarines (like the space capsules swallowing the Soviet and American capsules in YOLT) and trying to instigate another world war. For sure it's very similar in this regard. But I absolutely love TSWLM and don't have any gripes with it whatsoever {[]

    Agreed {[]

    It's hard to find Faults with the Film.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    I don't love it. The PTS is exciting and still ranks high on my list as one of the best, but the rest of the film doesn't do much for me. Moore does okay in this outing, but I think he's better in FYOE and OP. Babara Bach is attractive, but her acting leaves something to be desired. I find Stromberg to be a rather bland villain, and although Jaws is certainly an iconic and memorable henchman, his indestructability just becomes cartoonish after a while. All in all, I think TSWLM is okay for a Roger Moore Bond, but not the best.
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    glad to see another octopussy fan
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I'm a fan of all sorts of .......... :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Barbel, I saw the video.

    Some of these are more than just coincidences.

    Exactly. Some are formula, to be sure. Others may be chance. But the sheer number of them does firmly suggest a deliberate plan.

    "Mr Bond, they have a saying in Chicago. Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    I think the formula is so ingrained, copying older films is instinct - not wholly deliberate. I feel like TSWLM took pieces of all of Connery's films. YOLT may be the most apparent but numerous ones are present.
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    Yes, I agree {[]
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Me too -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    I don't want to hold this against TSWLM because I think most post-YOLT films copy the formula. I guess the only reason why people have a problem with it in TSWLM because TSWLM is otherwise pretty much flawless.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I have also remember an article about some similarities between YOLT and
    Dr No !
    Secret Island Base Interfering with Rockets, escape via a tunnel. Two sides
    Deing played off each other BT spectre etc. ;)
    So I agree that many of the films have reused ideas and " Formula " not just
    TSWLM. ;)
    So you could say Dr No was remade as YOLT, then again as TSWLM, then as MR
    and finally as DAD. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    The Sense of Deja vu :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Where have I heard that before ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • BarbelBarbel ScotlandPosts: 36,053Chief of Staff
    I think it was John Brosnan (no relation to Pierce as far as I know) in his book "James Bond In The Cinema" who first commented on YOLT being a rehash of DN.

    I'd say TND conforms to the formula we're discussing more than DAD does. I have a liking for the other much-used Bond plot (perhaps because it's more Flemingesque) where Bond is assigned to investigate the smuggling of some precious item (gold, diamonds, a Faberge egg, microchips) and discovers that the rich, powerful villain is up to something much more dangerous.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Barbel wrote:
    I think it was John Brosnan (no relation to Pierce as far as I know) in his book "James Bond In The Cinema" who first commented on YOLT being a rehash of DN.

    I'd say TND conforms to the formula we're discussing more than DAD does. I have a liking for the other much-used Bond plot (perhaps because it's more Flemingesque) where Bond is assigned to investigate the smuggling of some precious item (gold, diamonds, a Faberge egg, microchips) and discovers that the rich, powerful villain is up to something much more dangerous.

    1+ {[]
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • Gala BrandGala Brand Posts: 1,172MI6 Agent
    I have also remember an article about some similarities between YOLT and
    Dr No !
    Secret Island Base Interfering with Rockets, escape via a tunnel. Two sides
    Deing played off each other BT spectre etc. ;)
    So I agree that many of the films have reused ideas and " Formula " not just
    TSWLM. ;)
    So you could say Dr No was remade as YOLT, then again as TSWLM, then as MR
    and finally as DAD. :))

    Roald Dahl was the screenwriter on YOLT. He thought there wasn't enough story in YOLT for a movie (plus in the movies Tracy hadn't died yet, so there goes Bond's motivation from the book), so he re-wrote DN.
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