Potentially it could have been amazing. With the freefalls and whatnot. But Jaws completely ruined it. And the ending was just stupid, how he fell onto the circus and survived.
For me it's FYEO. While I rather like the movie and think it is the best Roger Moore in his later years the PTS is simply demeaning and unworthing of a character like Blofeld. In many ways a typical Roger Moore scene of the worst kind.
I didn't mind the opening sequence of FYEO; basically it was EON's way of tying off loose ends with Blofeld, who is IMO an overrated villain made overly complicated by Kevin McClory's involvement with the franchise. It's also left kind of ambiguous as to whether or not the character is actually Blofeld, but I don't think this helps matters much; same goes for the "delicatessen" line, which is mafia lingo that nobody got. At least the helicopter stuff is fun to watch... it's an OK scene in what I consider to be an otherwise fine film.
Worst PTS, for me, would be Diamonds Are Forever -- an easy pick considering how much I borderline despise the film itself. You get the hint that Bond is after Blofeld to avenge Tracy, yet there is no mention of it; only a silly montage of Bond beating on people and demanding information. I always found the bikini strangulation scene extremely tasteless, even for a chauvinist like Bond. Then we get to the scene where he sneaks into the plastic surgery clinic and are treated to groan-worthy lines like "Making mud pies, 007?" and that laughable bit where he tosses scalpels at Blofeld's guard... and then "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld!" after he seemingly gets his revenge. Best thing I can say about the PTS is that it sets you up for the gaudy awfulness to follow, so hey, at least it's not decieving!
"The secret agent. The man who was only a silhouette..." -- Ian Fleming, Moonraker
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
With regard to the pre-title sequence in FOR YOURS EYES ONLY, the helicopter ride with "Bloefeld" is inappropriate because it strikes the wrong pitch. It wants to be funny but instead it's just stupid. You can tell Michael Wilson wrote it. It wasn't part of the actual production. They came back after the film had wrapped and shot it as an afterthought.
The sinking of the trawler followed by the assault on the private yacht were originally intended to be the pre-title sequence by writer Richard Maibaum. As Malena stands over the dead bodies of her parents on the deck the camera pushes into extreme close-up on her eyes we'd hear the first bars of the title song "For Your Eyes Only" to segue into the titles. Then we come out of the titles with Bond visiting Tracy's grave. The helicopter picks him up, and as it rises the priest crosses himself. At this moment James Bond is supposed to become spooked, feeling his mortality and fearing he may not survive this mission. The theme of being spooked by the possibility of one's own death was supposed to start in the pre-title sequence and be sustained throughout the film.
The comedy with "Bloefeld" being scooped up by the helicopter and dropped down the nearest smokestack completely trashes the richer subtext Maibaum was trying to bring to this Bond film. I realize that a lot of Bond fans don't give a damn about the story and characterization so long as there are plenty of laughs and the action is good. But there's no question FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is diminished by the opening title sequence EON settled on.
Richard
The top 7 Bond films: 1) Dr No. 2) From Russia With Love. 3) Thunderball. 4) On Her Majesty's Secret Service. 5) For Your Eyes Only. 6) The Living Daylights. 7) Licence to Kill.
The comedy with "Bloefeld" being scooped up by the helicopter and dropped down the nearest smokestack completely trashes the richer subtext Maibaum was trying to bring to this Bond film. I realize that a lot of Bond fans don't give a damn about the story and characterization so long as there are plenty of laughs and the action is good. But there's no question FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is diminished by the opening title sequence EON settled on.
That's a really good point; I certainly would have rather have seen the PTS you described above.
Still, I like the movie a great deal, and I think it's one of the stronger entries in Moore's overall tenure, but it could have been improved that much more had they fixed the pre-titles (and even omitted that lousy scene with Thatcher at the end).
"The secret agent. The man who was only a silhouette..." -- Ian Fleming, Moonraker
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
I'm kind of surprised that I'm the first person to mention OHMSS. It completely fails for me due to the "this never happened to the other fellow" line.
I realize they were dealing with the then unprecedented situation of introducing a new actor as Bond, but that line just bothers me every time I see the movie.
I'm going to give another vote to Diamonds Are Forever.
Despicable, unforgivable follow-up to the tragedy that preceded it in OHMSS.
Runner up: AVTAK. Corny, bland, and pasty all over.
It's all right. It's quite all right, really. She's having a rest. We'll be going on soon. There's no hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world.
Would have to be IMO FYEO. Blofeld (wearing an obviously fake bald pate) being picked up in his electronic wheelchair by the landing gear of a helicopter? Then being thrown down a smokestack while Bond quips, "Oh, you want to go down?" Pulease.
Sean Connery went up against Blofeld 4 times and couldn't kill him!
George Lazenby tried once and didn't succeed.
Roger Moore met him once and killed him in Within 12 minutes.
Who's the best Bond now?
Would have to be IMO FYEO. Blofeld (wearing an obviously fake bald pate) being picked up in his electronic wheelchair by the landing gear of a helicopter? Then being thrown down a smokestack while Bond quips, "Oh, you want to go down?" Pulease.
Sean Connery went up against Blofeld 4 times and couldn't kill him!
George Lazenby tried once and didn't succeed.
Roger Moore met him once and killed him in Within 12 minutes.
Who's the best Bond now?
I like the way you think!
"The secret agent. The man who was only a silhouette..." -- Ian Fleming, Moonraker
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
Would have to be IMO FYEO. Blofeld (wearing an obviously fake bald pate) being picked up in his electronic wheelchair by the landing gear of a helicopter? Then being thrown down a smokestack while Bond quips, "Oh, you want to go down?" Pulease.
Sean Connery went up against Blofeld 4 times and couldn't kill him!
George Lazenby tried once and didn't succeed.
Roger Moore met him once and killed him in Within 12 minutes.
Who's the best Bond now?
Sean Connery went up against Blofeld 4 times and couldn't kill him!
George Lazenby tried once and didn't succeed.
Roger Moore met him once and killed him in Within 12 minutes.
Who's the best Bond now?
-{ ) well said.
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Potentially it could have been amazing. With the freefalls and whatnot. But Jaws completely ruined it. And the ending was just stupid, how he fell onto the circus and survived.
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
Worst PTS, for me, would be Diamonds Are Forever -- an easy pick considering how much I borderline despise the film itself. You get the hint that Bond is after Blofeld to avenge Tracy, yet there is no mention of it; only a silly montage of Bond beating on people and demanding information. I always found the bikini strangulation scene extremely tasteless, even for a chauvinist like Bond. Then we get to the scene where he sneaks into the plastic surgery clinic and are treated to groan-worthy lines like "Making mud pies, 007?" and that laughable bit where he tosses scalpels at Blofeld's guard... and then "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld!" after he seemingly gets his revenge. Best thing I can say about the PTS is that it sets you up for the gaudy awfulness to follow, so hey, at least it's not decieving!
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
The sinking of the trawler followed by the assault on the private yacht were originally intended to be the pre-title sequence by writer Richard Maibaum. As Malena stands over the dead bodies of her parents on the deck the camera pushes into extreme close-up on her eyes we'd hear the first bars of the title song "For Your Eyes Only" to segue into the titles. Then we come out of the titles with Bond visiting Tracy's grave. The helicopter picks him up, and as it rises the priest crosses himself. At this moment James Bond is supposed to become spooked, feeling his mortality and fearing he may not survive this mission. The theme of being spooked by the possibility of one's own death was supposed to start in the pre-title sequence and be sustained throughout the film.
The comedy with "Bloefeld" being scooped up by the helicopter and dropped down the nearest smokestack completely trashes the richer subtext Maibaum was trying to bring to this Bond film. I realize that a lot of Bond fans don't give a damn about the story and characterization so long as there are plenty of laughs and the action is good. But there's no question FOR YOUR EYES ONLY is diminished by the opening title sequence EON settled on.
Richard
That's a really good point; I certainly would have rather have seen the PTS you described above.
Still, I like the movie a great deal, and I think it's one of the stronger entries in Moore's overall tenure, but it could have been improved that much more had they fixed the pre-titles (and even omitted that lousy scene with Thatcher at the end).
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
Here here! -{
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
I realize they were dealing with the then unprecedented situation of introducing a new actor as Bond, but that line just bothers me every time I see the movie.
Despicable, unforgivable follow-up to the tragedy that preceded it in OHMSS.
Runner up: AVTAK. Corny, bland, and pasty all over.
"And I look and sound exactly like Joliet Jake Blues in the restaurant scene from The Blues Brothers!"
Sean Connery went up against Blofeld 4 times and couldn't kill him!
George Lazenby tried once and didn't succeed.
Roger Moore met him once and killed him in Within 12 minutes.
Who's the best Bond now?
I like the way you think!
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
Well said.
1) The Spy Who Loved Me 2) On Her Majesty's Secret Service 3) GoldenEye 4) Casino Royale 5) Goldfinger
Why Thank you kind sir.
We aim to please!
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