FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1981) // James Bond Review and Whisky Pairing
"For Your Eyes Only" Plot
The ATAC device that controls the British fleet is stolen. Bond (Roger Moore) must secure it before the Russians do.
Whiskey Lore Review
FINALLY a Roger Moore movie with some grit! This was supposed to be the follow-up to The Spy Who Loved Me (as you will notice at the end of that movie), but they just couldn't help themselves and followed Star Wars and Close Encounters with Moonraker. I'm glad they waited. Even though Roger Moore is getting long in the tooth by 1981, I think it took the backlash from Moonraker to get this film on a serious track.
Oh, there is comedy in this film. The Citroën car chase is an example of how comedy should be approached - as something to break up the tension in a serious movie. It does get a little slapstick, but it is at a much more tolerable level. The hockey scene also works. But the Margaret Thatcher parrot thing at the end is just silly.
But even with an average villain like Aristotle Kristatos, this movie has an edge - mostly thanks to the henchmen and the bad guy who ends up being the good guy - the pistachio eating Columbo, played by Topal. The action scenes are top notch, including the ski jump, cross country skiing, and Bond scaling the rocks at St. Cyril.
Best of the movie: The locations in this movie are brilliant. But my favorite is the Monastery of Holy Trinity (St. Cyril). Plus so much great action - the fight at the pool, the motorcycle fight in the square, the skiing sniper and Bond escaping, Columbo's fight against Locque at night at the port, the fight inside the sunken St. Georges, and the dragging beyond the boat hitting the coral reefs.
Memorable moment: The moment when Bond kicks Locque and the car off the side of the cliff is what defines this movie for me. Roger Moore didn't want to do that scene, but it gave a glimpse of the colder side of Bond and his license to kill.
Where it goes wrong: While I like Sheena Easton's song and the opening titles, Bill Conti (of Rocky fame) goes back into the world of disco. I can't imagine how good this movie would have been with a John Barry score. It definitely would have elevated it.
Extra: The opening scene used to be the only part of the movie I didn't like. Bond is visiting the grave of his wife (Tracy from On Her Majesty's Secret Service). Suddenly a helicopter picks up Bond and then we find that Blofeld (the man how killed his wife) is controlling the helicopter. Bond somehow escapes, picks Blofeld up and deposits in him a smokestack. It's all handled with humor. As a fan of Tracy this ticked me off. But that scene had a darker purpose. Frustrated that Kevin McClory was holding the Blofeld character hostage, the Broccoli's decided to kill him off as a FU to their adversary.
Paired Whisky: Ardbeg 5 Year Old "Wee Beastie" Islay Single Malt Whisky
I decided that if Moore was going to amp it up a bit and get a little more edgy, then I needed a whisky that did the same. If you're a fan of peat, the younger expression of Ardbeg, known as the Wee Beastie, will give you a heavy dose. At 5 years, a little youth shows through, but the smoke steals our attention - as does Roger Moore when he is rock climbing and is almost jettisoned down the side of a cliff.
Whiskey Lore Rank: #12 (Score 6.29) > Next Movie
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