The Spy Who Loved Me
United Artists | Release Date: August 3, 1977
6.9
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 69 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
42
Mixed:
22
Negative:
5
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6
tontoSep 26, 2021
The Spy Who Loved Me was the third James Bond flick starring Roger Moore as the iconic MI6 spy 007 and is named after Ian Fleming's 1962 novel. The storyline involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Karl Stromberg, who plans to destroy theThe Spy Who Loved Me was the third James Bond flick starring Roger Moore as the iconic MI6 spy 007 and is named after Ian Fleming's 1962 novel. The storyline involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Karl Stromberg, who plans to destroy the world with nuclear missiles and create a new civilization under the sea (which is sort of similar to Lex Luthor's plot in the original 1978 Superman). Bond teams up with a Soviet agent, Anya Amasova, or XXX, to stop the plans, all while being hunted by Stromberg’s powerful henchman, Jaws who is about 7 feet tall and possesses metallic teeth that can cut through steel. The movie has its fair share of action and chase scenes and some explosions, but also is stymied by tedious scenes that don't do much to move the plot along and some cheesy one-liners and gimmicks. There were also some cringeworthy dated politically incorrect aspects of the movie regarding Bond's interactions with the opposite sex which shouldn't be surprising. Overall it was decent, but not the greatest Bond film. It does feature one of my favorite Bond adversaries, Jaws, though.… Expand
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5
VidyaBumOct 22, 2021
Having watched 25 Bonds from Dr.No to Skyfall, I place this one at 15/25.

It's the first movie in the franchise that I consider to actually be worth watching, which is not saying much. I'll be honest and say that The Spy Who Loved Me isHaving watched 25 Bonds from Dr.No to Skyfall, I place this one at 15/25.

It's the first movie in the franchise that I consider to actually be worth watching, which is not saying much. I'll be honest and say that The Spy Who Loved Me is extremely on the edge of my personal cutoff point between "rather good" and "rather bad".

In a one sentence review, it's an entirely mediocre movie with few to no real good elements and few real weaknesses, particularly its main villain and its main romance plot point.

In length, Moore started off on a terrible foot. Playing a prancing, smiling, ever-cheeky aristocrat that didn't at all felt like an agent in danger, his first outing was one of the worst films in the series. In its sequel, Man with the Golden Gun, EON tried to reverse the awful results of the first one by making it one of the darkest and most vicious movies, forcing him into a much more serious Bond.

The Spy Who Loved Me is the first Moore where his footing was neither his old role, neither a fabrication. It's the first time where the shoes of Connery have been replaced, fully, by Moore's new shoes. The first "proper" Moore Bond, with its brand of comedy, lightheartedness, and somewhat cheap wit.

Beyond even the last 2 movies, Bond had been more or less in crisis since 10 years. The last "proper" movie with an actor that did the part harkens back to You Only Live Twice, a decade prior. Amateur actors, unwanted jobs by Connery (Diamonds are Forever) and a very ill-fitting Moore were all we had from 1967 to 1977.

In this regard, Spy is an important movie in the history of James Bond, as it finally completes an extremely long and painful transition of styles, actors, and eras.

However, that is the most important, and only thing that is purely positive to say.

The Spy Who Loved Me is an utterly mediocre movie. Its villain has a plan that is just as nonsensical, thoughtless, and pointless, as it is ridiculous. Bond always had those grandiose villains with absurd beliefs, but here it's not absurd in grandiose, it's just absurd in how empty it is. Sadly, the actor had real presence, but his lines and actions sound so false, his character falls apart entirely. His death is also absolutely ridiculous and poorly filmed.

Besides having a foe with the impact of a paper plane, this movie relies on a romance between Bond and a Soviet agent. The problems with that are everywhere:
- Chemistry is completely absent, they just do not have any kind of credibility
- Personality is also absent, they just smile to each other a lot, it feels like a bad romance crammed in a terribly written action movie, it's Star Wars 2 tier
- The plot of the romance is shooting itself in the foot with a rocket:

At the intro sequence, Bond kills someone. We later learn that man to be the lover of the Soviet agent. Bond and Soviet girl meet, and start their very fake romance. Sometime during the movie, she learns that he was her boyfriend's killer, and we get to see poor Moore try to act like a murderer that only does it for duty (about as credible as a teletubby teaching a seduction class). She swears that when the mission is done, she'll kill him in revenge.

At the end of the mission, Bond goes to save Soviet girl from the villain, without a real reason, since the villain's ploy has been foiled, so he's literally saving the enemy that swore to kill him, but I guess he's being noble.

After he saves her, she pulls a gun on him. He then...offers champagne with a typical (bad) Bond witticism. She kisses him and murdering her lover is all forgiven I guess.

Now if the romance wasn't so poorly portrayed, or written, or anything, maybe this could have been an interesting plot.

But starting off with a giant revenge, and with two actors that couldn't make a credible romance, bad lines, bad wits, and a generally very weak story and chemistry...it's an outright disaster. The Spy Who Loved Me relies on this romance for about 40% of its plot and story, and it is really, really poor.

The movie gets a pass for being a typical Moore, with the amusing addition of Richard Kiel as the memorable Jaws, who returned in Moonraker and had a better job there. It's a generally fun and alright Moore movie, but it is in my opinion the first and weakest of his good ones.… Expand
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5
Onlyclassicvg1Aug 11, 2022
Spy (1977) is undoubtedly the best 007 film from Moore. Featuring the first of two franchise appearances by the late Richard Kiel (7' 2") as the villainous killer Jaws. Nominated for a franchise-best three Oscars
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5
SoapNuggetNov 5, 2021
Usually I agree with the critics on Bond (80% on Rotten Tomatoes) but I just can't seem to understand why The Spy Who Loved Me is praised so much. Sure the performances are good and there are some good sequences but the music is bad, the plotUsually I agree with the critics on Bond (80% on Rotten Tomatoes) but I just can't seem to understand why The Spy Who Loved Me is praised so much. Sure the performances are good and there are some good sequences but the music is bad, the plot is just You Only Live Twice on a bigger scale. Overall it's just an overrated film. Nobody Does It Better is one of the best Bond songs though… Expand
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6
liamexeNov 23, 2022
Jaws, who makes his movie debut in this one, is absolutely something. He is the epitome of a Bond villain; a freak of nature and human invention, his fangs are truly terrifying.

Anyhow, without Jaws, this movie would have been very dull,Jaws, who makes his movie debut in this one, is absolutely something. He is the epitome of a Bond villain; a freak of nature and human invention, his fangs are truly terrifying.

Anyhow, without Jaws, this movie would have been very dull, wouldn't it?… Expand
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