Spoilers
Bondathon is still going. I have memories of watching this as a child & not really understanding it after seeing some initial bond movies. So this one will be interesting to rewatch. Lets do this James.
Lets start off with the song shall we. Its very soft for your eyes only. Also thats now the only way you can say it. Also wasnt Sheena the first & only person to appear in the intro who sung it, because she looked like a Bond Girl. ITs very romantic & sweet. IT could be a lots worse, but is still a rather safe ballard compared to some of the other softer Bond songs we have. Also the vide lots of bubbles & swimming, so even that is very serene. Its just nice & pleasant.
I do believe this is the last film produced before a full MGM take over, which is a bit odd to me, as i always assumed they were all MGM, so that was a bit like oooh okay then.
We go back to proper Bond woohoo. No space race anymore woohoo. Okay yes its still got gadgets but still, its a proper bond film if that make sense.
THAT BEING SAID…
Was this just an advert for all the Olympic sports you can do or skiing holidays for people. Everything was linked to this somehow & its was really obvious. I mean i get that if you want to have a figure skater you need an ice rink, but it was really was using everything from an olympic park for sure.
Once again we have to take on the USSR, again! Urgh. I get the cold war was a big thing but come on. Isnt there someone else Roger Moore can deal with other than them stealing something british or american to show power. I mean it does still work so i cant complain to much. But its like if Vin Diesel picks up another long lost family member is the fast & furious franchise.
Of course our tracking service is called st George, duh. It stupid to think it would be called anything else. & then of course the only person who can track it, is then murdered while his kid watches. Cliché yes but actually a good intriguing start, you know people are going to get onto bond almost straight away when he starts to dig about for it.
Got to love a random weapon in a spy film. This on has a crossbow & i feel a bit sorry if im honest for Gonzales, we hardly get to know him & then he gets taken out, but the revenge was quick & swift & to the point. Does seem a little to early for it though should have happened maybe at the end of act 2, but still.
So Q can track people using his new tech but cant find st George… anyone?! IF Q can do that in the 80s he can tract the tracker for sure.
Bond spends a good hour of the film as a chaperone at points for the figure skater, but as much as i went its an olympics advert, he does do a lot. Bobsleigh, hocky, biathlon. Its a lot he gets into this section. Did anyone watch this Bond film & go you know what… i want to be a biathlete.
So after all that winter olympic stuff where does bond go Greece, to get the sun & mosaics.
Standard disposable bond girl. The bad guys mistress turns up, tells James info, has sex with him, dies within 24hours. Yep not good for how man treat women is it. Death by beach buggy is a new one though.
Death over a cliff is cool & Locque so deserves it. Also that base destruction & showdown with the mines is so so so good. I remember that from being a kids & going ooooooohhhhhhhh at it.
My face part of this film is the shark assassination attempt & chase. Its amazing. Maybe why i dont like to go too far into the sea (not that we get sharks here, but damn its good). It always has me on the edge of my seat & is just so good & clever.
Kristatos demise takes a while once the final show down gets going. Everyone gets attempts at him but im glad its Columbo who gets to do it. IT had been a long time coming for him. I do also love Bond going no one needs this power & sending the tracker into the abyss, so no one can use it. Very diplomatic, but also made the last 2hours a bit of a waste of rime.
The Parrot is comic relief at points. saying things at the right & wrong time & i love that he gets the last word to the PM while Bond once again shags the Bond girl hes had no chemistry with at all(except for when they almost get eaten by sharks)
In 2023 this is now a little cringe, but as it was the first bond film i think i ever saw parts of it always has a special place in my heart. Its well written & the story if they jazzed it up now & had it be less misogynist, it would still work today. Maybe this needs to be a good one for whoever the next leading 007 is to restart with. Its definitely high up my Bond list of films for sure.