The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Review

 "Let me try and enlarge your vocabulary."
-James Bond



When both a British and a Russian nuclear submarine disappear, both countries assign their best agents to the mission.  James Bond (Roger Moore) quickly runs into Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) and clash at first, but later team up to stop a madman, Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens), from destroying the world. 


What Works:

The Spy Who Loved Me is, without a doubt, the definitive Roger Moore movie.  It's silly and over-the-top, but manages to be serious when it needs to be.  It gets that balance right more than any of the other Moore Bond movies.  Even when it is silly, it also manages to be awesome and nothing sums that up more than the opening sequence ski chase.  Bond skis off a cliff and parachutes away with a Union Jack parachute.  It's amazing.

The music is also on point in this entire movie.  "Nobody Does it Better" is an excellent Bond song, but the score is awesome as well.  Bond is at his funkiest here and I dig it.  The action sequences also incorporate the music into the scenes themselves, especially at the Pyramids and in the nightclub, and it works to great effect.

Curt Jürgens does a great job as the Bond villain thanks to his memorable and distinctive voice.  His introduction shows him feeding his treacherous secretary to sharks and blowing up two of his allies once he no longer needed them.  He's certainly an over-the-top villain, but Jürgens really sells it.

The highlight of the movie comes from the introduction of the most famous Bond henchman, Jaws (Richard Kiel).  Jaws is my absolute favorite villain and this is the better of his two appearances in the series. He's just this indestructible force that not even Bond can put down for long.  All of his scenes are amazing and he's one of the best parts of both the movie and the franchise.

Atlantis may just be the coolest lair any of the Bond villains have.  It's only real rival comes from the volcano lair in You Only Live Twice.  This is just as ridiculous, but I like the design of Atlantis more.  It's a feat of creativity and I love it.

Finally, the action sequences are kick-ass across the board.  The car chase, the ski chase, and the battle of the Liparus is nothing short of epic.  After the lackluster action of The Man with the Golden Gun, this is a real return to form.


What Sucks:

I got nothing for you.


Verdict:

Of the first 10 Bond movies, The Spy Who Loved Me is without a doubt my favorite.  It fires on all cylinders with excellent action, the perfect blend of seriousness and silliness, awesome music, and top-tier villains.  Without questions, this movie has got it going on.

 10/10: Amazing 

#1. The Spy Who Loved Me

#2. From Russia with Love

#3. Goldfinger

#4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

#5. Live and Let Die

#6. Dr. No

#7. Thunderball

#8. You Only Live Twice

#9. The Man with the Golden Gun

#10. Diamonds are Forever

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