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Bond Remastered - The Spy Who Loved Me (1-disc) [1977]


RRP: £9.99
Our Price: £3.81 (subject to change)

James Bond's Greatest Hits - the ultimate Bond compilation film!
Review date: 2007-12-12 Rating: 10 out of 10

The Spy Who Loved Me holds up, along with You Only Live Twice, as the best of the special effects show Bond movies (like Lewis Gilbert's other Bond, the dire Moonraker, it more or less shares the same plot and even identical camera set-ups in places). Planned to turn the Bonds back into blockbusters after the somewhat more down to Earth Harry Saltzman left the series, Cubby Broccoli plays safe with a virtual `greatest hits' compilation album of all your favorite Bond setpieces (the train fight from From Russia With Love, a gadget-filled car a la Goldfinger, a ski chase a la OHMSS, etc), but its put together with skill, panache and a sense of the epic that carries you along. Moore's Bond still has a bit of steel in him and the script is so good you find yourself wondering if it really is the same Christopher Wood responsible for the British soft-porn Confessions series credited as co-writer.

If you only want the film rather than the extras, this single-disc is a fair bet, including the new Roger Moore audio commentary from the two-disc Ultimate Edition.


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Reviews


Everything Golden Gun Wasn't & Moore's Best
Review date: 2007-09-06 Rating: 8 out of 10

Perhaps the producers realised that, as fun as The Man With The Golden Gun was, the Comedy Bond angle could never work as a long term theme. That they followed up that film with The Spy Who Loved me gives us what is more than likely Roger Moore's best Bond outing.

In fact it may well start with the most memorable pre-credits sequence of all (come on, any Brit gets a huge pinch of nationalistic pride watching that) and has the best theme tune of the lot as well. It's a fantastic start to the film and if it never quite goes on to surpass the opening brilliance it does come pretty close.

Barabara Bach shows Britt Ekland how a Bond Girl should be as the Soviet Army officer Major Anya Amasova, Richard Kiel is the awesome Jaws (a sight that so frightened me that I once refused to walk past a waxwork of him in Madam Tussaud's (I was about 7 at the time) and whilst he may not be the most memorable head villain in the series, Curt Jurgens Stromberg is a strong character too.

The action scenes are great, it has some great gadgets (the Lotus Esprit for one) and has a tight, dynamic plot which holds together well (even if it is basically a re-tread of You Only Live Twice). It's not my favourite Moore (Live & Let Die owns that honour due to its place as the first Bond film I ever saw) but I would say it is most definately his best.

Nobody Does It Better
Review date: 2007-08-13 Rating: 10 out of 10

Generally accepted as THE best Bond film ever, The Spy Who Loved me has everything you could come to expect from a great Bond movie. The script is a model for all the great Bond movies, as stated in another review here, 'borrowing' elements from earlier movies. A moot point really, as all Bond films use a pretty much identical formula anyway, it's just here, it all comes together so smoothly. A great cast, reserved but non-the-less charismatic Bond Girl, a superbly over the top henchman in the shape of Jaws, a suitably hammy turn by Curt Jurgens as the webfingered Stromberg, some (for their time) great special effects and perhaps the best Bond Theme ever composed; (although the rest of the soundtrack is ok, John Barry's magic-touch is sadly missing here).

Superb and exotic locations and some fantastic action sequences (particularly involing the Lotus Esprit - I want that car!!) definitely make this an essential part of your DVD collection.

A mixed bag
Review date: 2007-07-09 Rating: 6 out of 10

The third Roger Moore outing as Bond has some terific moments in it, that rank with some of the best in all the Bond films. The start in particular is fabulous. Bond leaves a mountain lodge and starts skiing down the mountain and is then pursued by 4 or 5 Russian agents. Bonds escape is breathtaking and was done for real (no CGI in 1977). Check the credits for the stunt-man who gets a special mention. There are other great moments as well, such as the Lotus Esprit and the first appearance by Richard Kiel as Jaws.

This film repeats various elements from previous Bond films such as the fight on the train from 'From Russia with Love', the Lotus Esprite
is effectively the Aston from 'Goldfinger' etc. For me though the main reason it isn't worthy of 4 or more stars is the less serious nature of the film. Roger Moore uses that irratating smile a few too many times, and the film maintains a jokey attitude throughout. To be fair its better than most of the Roger Moore Bond films that followed, where this jokey attitude got worse and worse (and Roger Moore becane too old for the part as well).

However, the script is pretty good, and the sets are very impressive so overall this IS an entertaining Bond film, but not one you can take seriously.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Curt Jurgens
Roger Moore
Richard Kiel
Sidney Tafler
Barbara Bach

Creators:
Roger Moore (Primary Contributor)
Sidney Tafler (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: MGM Entertainment
Manufacturer: MGM Entertainment
EAN: 5039036032032
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2007-03-12
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 120 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1977
Language: English (Original Language)

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