Plot
Bond must try to find a missing ATAC (Automatic Targeting Attack Communicator) – a system which may allow enemy countries access to British missile technology, which could cause massive casualties if they get their hands on it.
Joining him is the daughter of the victims of an unknown antagonist, who is out for revenge for her parents murder.
Director
Directed by John Glen, who also worked on On Her Majesty’s secret service, The Spy Who Loved me, and Moonraker, and would direct four more Bond movies.
Cast
Returning for his fifth film is Roger Moore, who is starting to show his 53 years of age.
carol Bouquet plays Melina, the daughter of archaeologists who were murdered while looking for the ATAC for the British government.
Chaim Topol plays Colombo – who is presumed as the culprit to the murder, but is actually falsely accused and becomes an ally to bond.
Julian Glover plays Kristatos, who is first seen as an ally to bond, but then… becomes the primary antagonist in a not so obvious twist.
Breakdown
The 12th Bond film and Moore’s fifth outing, is quite possibly the first time I’ve been bored watching.
The opening sequence, in which the ATAC is ‘lost’ in an attack is okay, but does feel a tad redundant, like we’ve seen this type of thing a dozen times before…
It then cuts to Bond still mourning the death of wife Tracey and then being attacked by a wheelchair bound, bald villain with a cat… but no names are mentioned for “legal” reasons…. This actually has one of two incredible stunt sequences within the film. The other being the cliff climb at the climax to the film.
Bond is then asked to assist (No M this film due to Bernard Lee’s passing away the same year the film came out) in locating the ATAC, and the usual investigations are seen,
I’ve always quite like how the writers make the investigation portion of the films. There are many moving parts, where you the audience are feeling the same thing Bond is feeling, and then are just as shocked when you discover the truth.
There are some fun additions that are humorously aged now, but were possibly great technology then (the face rendering moment with Q who gets to do a little bit here again),.
In this instance, is that the big bad is not Colombo… but Kristatos (who tried to let Colombo take the fall, and even had poor Colombo’s mistress killed after a night with Bond… but never mentioned again after she is killed).
The film does have its realism going for it, and has gone away from fancy gadgets, for a more believable narrative than the previous entry. Bond is also much more ruthless here, especially in the car on the cliff sequence with Locque.
There are some issues with the usual Bond bed-mates. – as well as a few more Bond girls floating around. The age difference between Bond and some of the girls (thankfully not all become bed-mates) is getting somewhat distracting, as Moore was 53 here.
Melina, isn’t a terrible bond girl, as she is cold and calculated wanting revenge for her parents. It is the age difference between herself and Bond (30 years) that is troubling. Thankfully he had the foresight to turn down Bibi who was even younger (and he acknowledges … finally!)
There are some moments that do go on a little long, such as the ski sequence in which bond travels down a bobsled… without a bobsled – once again this all seems like its been done before and nothing really feels ‘new’ about it. Bond’s plot armor is rather on the nose too, especially given he’s being chased by a world champion shooter!!!
I didn’t really care for the character of Kristatos either, he feels rather underwhelming, and it is if Glover felt rather bored by playing him?
I enjoyed the return of Walter Gotell as Gen Gogol, who will return several more times throughout the next few films… and I admit, I found the Margaret thatcher moment with bond on the phone quite humourous.
Overall
A little by the numbers of a bond film. Moore is sadly starting to show his age at 53 (with two more films to go), and the bond girls here are nothing compared to previous entries.
A weak villain, with a weak subplot, and very little action that is as breathtaking as past movies have given us in terms of stunts.
The finale rock climb scenario is okay, but doesn’t save a dreary runtime.
3/5
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Ryan's Movie Reviews 