The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

[Star Lord]

Caroline Munro

This movie perfected the Bond formula, while having everything people like about the franchise and changing it a bit. I'm not a huge fan of the third act but rest of the movie is near perfect. It was easily Moore's best outing and Jaws was a great addition.

[imsounoriginal]

A strong entry with some iconic moments and a great score. Just not one I re-watch often.

[Dunemoon]

Originally Posted by Cruel Angel

This was the first 007 film I saw at the theater, loved it, and it is still my overall favorite film in the franchise.

Why?
The opening ski chase and jump
The theme (and still my favorite out of all the films)
007 finally has to deal with a lady that is an elite spy herself
Jaws.
The Lotus.

Same. TSWLM was the first Bond I saw in the theater. It's a shame modern movies just don't have that same talent behind and in front of the camera. For me, it ties with OHMSS.

[tsetse27]

this is not my favorite Bond films, but like many of you, this is the very 1st Bond movies I watched. (guess we are in the same age group.) I have fond memory of my parents taking me to theater and watching on big screen.

[Cremildo]

This should have won the Best Art Direction Oscar over Star Wars.

[Martoto]

I prefer Moonraker to this.

[Ben_UK]

Its a great Bond film, one of the best, however boy is the soundtrack as distracting as hell.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by Martoto

I prefer Moonraker to this.

i'm sorry to hear that....

[bladerunner6]

TSWLM is definitely one of my favorite Bonds. Best stunt ever in a Bond movie, awesome song, Barbara Bach is simply stunning and Moore actually gets serious for a few minutes. This and FYEO are the only Moore films I will positively watch again.

[bladerunner6]

Originally Posted by Martoto

I prefer Moonraker to this.

I think you have mistaken this thread for the unpopular movie opinions thread.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Really? JAWS!

How does this comment of yours in any refute my statement that "None of those things were endemic to, or even began with, the Moore films."?

Originally Posted by trevanian

but MR really crosses the uncrossable Bond line with the gadget he uses to escape the blastoff chamber, which we never even know about beforehand. That is a megacheat of the first order, but I guess anybody looking for screenwriting lessons would know better than to go to MR for them.

Sort of like how in Thunderball the Aston Martin can all of a sudden shoot jets of water with the strength of a firehose?

Or how about in You Only Live Twice when Bond magically has full commando gear including suction cups underneath his clothing allowing him to sneak into the volcano?

Don't let your constant denigrating of the Moore era films make you forget that all of that sort of crap was in the Connery era films too.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

How does this comment of yours in any refute my statement that "None of those things were endemic to, or even began with, the Moore films."?

Dr. No: Dr. Julius No
From Russia With Love: Rosa Klebb
Goldfinger: Auric Goldfinger
Thunderball: Emilio Largo & Ernst Stavro Blofeld
You Only Live Twice: Ernst Stavro Blofeld (a.k.a. Dr. Guntram Shatterhand)
Diamonds Are Forever:Jack Spang & Seraffimo Spang

Real people with real names. No monikers or nicknames. The next two Moore films follow this with a change:

Live and Let Die: Mr. Big (Buonaparte Ignace Gallia) - notice a moniker
The Man with the Golden Gun: Francisco (Paco) "Pistols" Scaramanga - moniker
The Spy Who Loved Me: Sol "Horror" Horowitz and "Sluggsy" Morant & Jaws - monikers
Moonraker: Sir Hugo Drax & Jaws

Sort of like how in Thunderball the Aston Martin can all of a sudden shoot jets of water with the strength of a firehose?

Q upgraded the Aston Martin DB5 used in Goldfinger. Duh.

Or how about in You Only Live Twice when Bond magically has full commando gear including suction cups underneath his clothing allowing him to sneak into the volcano?

No different from him wearing a dry suit, traveling underwater then taking off the dry suit with his tuxedo underneath. 100% plausible.

Don't let your constant denigrating of the Moore era films make you forget that all of that sort of crap was in the Connery era films too.

The Moore films took them "over the top". A car that converts to a submarine

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

The Moore films took them "over the top". A car that converts to a submarine

One of the Connery movies literally had him disguised as a Japanese man.

[AKORIS]

if people are going to start debating about realism in Bond movies.... then it's time to stop while we're behind....

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by imsounoriginal

One of the Connery movies literally had him disguised as a Japanese man.

LOL - I thought that was well presented. Definitely believable.

BTW the only convertible Toyota 2000 GT appears in You Only Live Twice. The cars are coupe only. Connery was too tall to fit in one so they modiified it as a convertible. But once again his height presented a problem - his head was above the windshield so the lowered the seat some to make it just right.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

if people are going to start debating about realism in Bond movies.... then it's time to stop while we're behind....

The point is - when does plausible become impossible

[zen007]

Talking about "realism" in YOLT, it was fascinating to see Bond enjoy the live telecast of the henchmen car being dumped into the sea. It is good to know that Japanese secret service had cameras everywhere:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=129&...ature=youtu.be

From 2.18 onwards

[Martoto]

Originally Posted by AKORIS

i'm sorry to hear that....

Originally Posted by bladerunner6

I think you have mistaken this thread for the unpopular movie opinions thread.

I prefer Diamonds Are Forever to this.

[RCRochester]

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

Dr. No: Dr. Julius No
From Russia With Love: Rosa Klebb
Goldfinger: Auric Goldfinger
Thunderball: Emilio Largo & Ernst Stavro Blofeld
You Only Live Twice: Ernst Stavro Blofeld (a.k.a. Dr. Guntram Shatterhand)
Diamonds Are Forever:Jack Spang & Seraffimo Spang

Real people with real names. No monikers or nicknames. The next two Moore films follow this with a change:

Live and Let Die: Mr. Big (Buonaparte Ignace Gallia) - notice a moniker
The Man with the Golden Gun: Francisco (Paco) "Pistols" Scaramanga - moniker
The Spy Who Loved Me: Sol "Horror" Horowitz and "Sluggsy" Morant & Jaws - monikers
Moonraker: Sir Hugo Drax & Jaws

I don't know what names have to do with it. But is "Oddjob" a real name? Red Grant and Tiger Tanaka sure sound like nicknames to me.

The point was about cartoonish characters. Only someone being deliberately ignorant would think that a man with metal arms that can crush solid objects is not on the same level as a man with metal teeth that can bite through solid objects.

Furthermore, half of the names you provided on this list aren't even used in the films - there are no characters named Sol "Horror" Horowitz and "Sluggsy" Morant in the The Spy Who Loved Me, for example. Those were the characters in the original novel who were the basis for Jaws and Sandor.

Originally Posted by Lee A Stewart

No different from him wearing a dry suit, traveling underwater then taking off the dry suit with his tuxedo underneath. 100% plausible.

Thank you for reinforcing my point.

But that's not the argument that Trevanian was making. He was saying that Bond using a detonator inside his watch was a cheat because the audience is not made aware that he has this gadget available to him, not that it wasn't a plausible gadget. The audience is not made aware beforehand in YOLT that Bond is equipped with suction cups, or that in Diamonds Are Forever he has a gadget that can crush the fingers of anyone trying to search him for a gun.

All of these cartoonish elements were not an invention of the Moore films, they were present right from the beginning.

[Lee A Stewart]

Originally Posted by RCRochester

I don't know what names have to do with it. But is "Oddjob" a real name? Red Grant and Tiger Tanaka sure sound like nicknames to me.

His name was Donald "Red" Grant - from Russia where Red means communism. Tiger Tanaka was not a villian.

The point was about cartoonish characters. Only someone being deliberately ignorant would think that a man with metal arms that can crush solid objects is not on the same level as a man with metal teeth that can bite through solid objects.

Oops! No metal arms - only metal hands. Surprised you missed that one.

But that's not the argument that Trevanian was making. He was saying that Bond using a detonator inside his watch was a cheat because the audience is not made aware that he has this gadget available to him, not that it wasn't a plausible gadget. The audience is not made aware beforehand in YOLT that Bond is equipped with suction cups, or that in Diamonds Are Forever he has a gadget that can crush the fingers of anyone trying to search him for a gun.

Guess you don't know what . . . suspension of disbelief means. It is prevelant throughout Hollywood movies. Always has been, always will be.

All of these cartoonish elements were not an invention of the Moore films, they were present right from the beginning.

Like I said - the Moore films put everything over the top. The game of one upmanship.

We agree to disagree.