For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Overall Rank- 5th
To me, this is Roger Moore’s best portrayal of Bond. One big reason is that he was more serious with the role. There were not as many one-liners and at times he seemed genuinely stressed (as any secret agent should). In addition, this film was a very physical film for Bond. Moore did a wonderful job with the action scenes.
As one of my favorite Bond films, one would expect some of the best villains. Still, there is no one particularly memorable. Kristatos plays a good double role, yet he never really seems truly evil.
This is one of the few Bond films in which I truly connected with a supporting character. Columbo is likely my favorite supporting character in any Bond film besides Kerim Bay in From Russia with Love. He seems very relaxed (always eating pistachios) and though not a man of the law, he seems to have a good heart. For characters like this, it lends some extra suspense to the film because I truly do not want them to get hurt. In Columbo’s case, I needn’t have worried.
This film also has who I believe is the most appealing and beautiful of all the Bond girls, Melena. Something about her eyes and dark hair make her particularly attractive to me. While Bond women are generally a secondary thought in a Bond film, I found myself mesmerized by her character. She is strong and that also makes her appealing. Her character goes through some very strong emotions as well, and it works well.
Bibi is also an interesting character. She seems to be one of the only Bond girls to actually irritate Bond, and that makes her somewhat more intriguing. It is likely that Bond finds her too immature.
The final sequence with the monastery on the mountain top is a very suspenseful and well thought out scene. The skiing scenes are also very well done.
Overall this is my favorite Roger Moore Bond film and I highly recommend it. Truly it is a classic Bond movie.