For Your Eyes Only
By Charles Cassady Jr.,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sea and ski with 1981's Bond in an average outing.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Based on 2 parent reviews
One of the better bonds
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Boring
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What's the Story?
A NATO spy vessel in the Mediterranean is struck by an old, derelict sea-mine and sinks with no survivors off the coast of the chilly Communist dictatorship of Albania. A high-tech surveillance-communication console on board the wreck would be a prize for the Soviet Union, so the superpowers race to recover it, via their assorted agents and hired stooges and gunmen. A Greek archaeologist and his wife who saw the wreck are quickly killed by a Cuban agent. James Bond is on the case, but he sees the assassin in turn slain by Melina (French actress-model Carole Bouquet), the victims' pretty daughter, who favors crossbows as her weapon in exterminating all those responsible for her parents' deaths. Next in line on her list is a smuggler (Julian Glover) in league with the Russian KGB.
Is It Any Good?
The tone of this film is consistently lighthearted and comedic; when a talking parrot provides a vital clue, viewers know not much of this can be taken seriously. Propelled by a hit Sheena Easton song as an especially popular main theme, FOR YOUR EYES ONLY was the 12th entry in MGM's "official" series of James Bond movie adventures. It gets by as undemanding entertainment for the fans, with some particularly excellent underwater cinematography and action sequences. There's a little moral lesson in Bond chastising the fierce Melina about seeking vengeance, but these words seem a little hollow coming from a spy who has just killed, what, 20, 200, 2,000 bad guys?
Viewers can insinuate a little Greek-myth lesson in there by emphasizing how Melina compares herself to the avenging heroine Elektra, of ancient drama (the name and vibe was later hijacked for a comic-book heroine and movie Elektra ). And you can amaze kids with your 007 I.Q. by telling them that the late actress Cassandra Harris, playing a phony countess who has a romantic fling with Bond, was in real life the wife of an actor who would later play Bond -- Pierce Brosnan.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the way Bond settles a Cold War standoff at the end, enforcing "détente" so that even the villainous Russians go away satisfied. You might have to explain to younger fans exactly what the Cold War was anyway (and the joke appearance at the end by a Margaret Thatcher impersonator). Of course, Bond kills numerous henchmen and attackers throughout; does this make his negative attitude toward the heroine's quest for revenge seem a little hypocritical? Also, do kids think James Bond is a good role model? Why has this movie franchise been so successful?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 24, 1981
- On DVD or streaming: October 19, 1999
- Cast: Carole Bouquet, Julian Glover, Roger Moore
- Director: John Glen
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Adventures
- Run time: 127 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: sex and violence
- Last updated: February 26, 2023
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