For Your Eyes Only (1981)

New York Times
"...[Moore's] Bond retains an ageless cool....Slick entertainment..." 06/26/1981 p.C8

ReelViews 8 of 10
With For Your Eyes Only, Roger Moore's fifth appearance as Bond and the twelfth entry in the long-running series, 007 enters the 1980s with a return to the "glory days" of the '60s. Realizing it would be tough to top the technical glitz of Moonraker, the film makers wisely chose not to try, opting instead for a retro-Bond adventure that takes the intrepid superspy back into familiar territory: KGB involvement in a plan that centers on classified British secrets...But that's not the only aspect of For Your Eyes Only that looks more to Bond's past than his future. Blofeld, the constant nemesis during the Connery years, makes a brief return appearance, and the film opens with 007 visiting the grave of his dead wife, Tracy. Regarding familiar faces, M isn't in this movie (Bernard Lee having died just prior to the start of filming), but Q (Desmond Llewelyn) and Moneypenny (Lois Maxwell) are...Like Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Carole Bouquet is one of the few Bond girls who can actually act (although she doesn't get much chance to show it)...In the final analysis, For Your Eyes Only is a solid adventure, although it could have been better. There's enough action to hold those with even a short attention span, and Roger Moore's deft charm hasn't yet begun to wear thin (that starts with the next film, Octopussy). By the end of the '80s, Bond would be viewed as something of a relic, but at least the decade opened with an enjoyable outing. - James Berardinelli
 
Reel.com 8 of 10
It was way back in 1981 when this reviewer was first introduced to the original international man of mystery, James Bond. The film shown on cable that night was For Your Eyes Only and Roger Moore played the debonair spy who lived the ultimate jet-setting lifestyle. To be sure, the intrigue, glamour, and sophistication of it all were overwhelming for this young audience...Roger Moore is joined in the production by Topol, who plays a hard-edged, yet warmhearted smuggler; Lynn-Holly Johnson as an over-sexed Olympic figure-skating contender; and Chanel model Carole Bouquet as the requisite Bond Girl, who is out to avenge the deaths of her murdered parents. - Noah Wiss
 
DVD Verdict 9 of 10
Perhaps the best entry in the Roger Moore era, For Your Eyes Only returns to a tougher, grittier Bond who saves the day but this time with very limited gadgets and some of the most amazing stunt sequences ever packed into a single movie...Roger Moore is by this point in the franchise very comfortable with his role and it shows. His humor avoids going over the top, and is as convincing as the suave gentleman as he is as the cool killer. The rest of the cast has more talents. Topol, perhaps best known for his leading role in Fiddler on the Roof, is perfect as the gregarious Milos Colombo. Julian Glover is a low-key Bond Villain, who depends on his actions and a quiet menace to get his points across. The role of the Villain's Helper is divided into two characters, with Michael Gothard as Emil Locque (whose looks and evil silence are enough) and John Wyman as Erich Kriegler (whose athletic prowess makes him a worthy 007 opponent). The only grating role is that of skater Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi, whose bouncy, bubble-gum ways may induce some eye-rolling or nausea. Of special note is Cassandra Harris as Topol's mistress, who was to-be-Bond Pierce Brosnan's wife but who died tragically in 1991...A back-to-basics Bond, For Your Eyes Only should appeal both to the die-hard Bond fanatic and the more casual movie watcher with its strong lead actors and numerous action scenes. - Nicholas Sylvain