Russian and British submarines with nuclear missiles on board both vanish from sight without a trace. England and Russia both blame each other as James Bond tries to solve the riddle of the disappe...
WHAT I LIKED: 'The Spy who Loved Me,' has one of the greatest Bond stories of all, as it sees 007 and his female Russian equal (sharing a link they're both oblivious to) sent on the same mission by their respective governments. They're completely at loggerheads whilst a romance inevitably begins to emerge, and that contrast should make for a pretty compelling central drama.
Mostly it does too because the film successfully builds the sense that these are two lonely souls travelling to the corners of the world on dangerous assignments, simply finding some solace in their shared connection amongst the stresses around them. Roger Moore also is also finally able to come into his own as the character; lending a gentler, more comedic slant to bring him away from the cocky, assured persona of the previous two efforts. In fact, we even get to explore a little of his vulnerability, as he occasionally seems to let it show the toll his job is taking on him, whilst his Russian counterpart mourns the death her lover - another victim of this espionage game. The way the script then builds that relationship equally makes the drama work, as it doesn't glibly have the girl fall for Bond and instead develops genuine sparks all whilst showing the professional and even personal resentment between them as well.
Couple that with some very high stakes to up the pressure the pair are under with a pretty well-realised espionage world at the hand of director Lewis Gilbert, as well as some of the series' most memorable set-pieces and some comedic moments which play Moore's strengths, you've got yourself what is certainly a highly engaging and enjoyable entry into the series, and definitely one of Moore's best Bonds.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The film is sadly let down a little by its performances though. Heck, on paper it could have rivalled 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service,' in the way it builds a relationship under the stress and jeopardy of this world, but Roger Moore is still perhaps a little too prim to sell any torment hugely well, and - most unfortunately of all - Barbara Bach is as catastrophically wooden as a stack of nice coffee tables. That hampers the affect of much of what's going on, and in the end it just has to be said that imagining this script and story in the hands of some more emotionally-invigorating on-screen talent would have improved things drastically.
VERDICT: Roger Moore begins to come into his own within one of the very best Bond stories, 'The Spy Who Loved Me,' brings a smattering of character intrigue to the Moore era, but it's let down a little by Barbara Bach's supporting performance.
