Probably the best film the late Roger Moore did as Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007, 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me is both derivative and original, and despite some corny comedy scenes, it still holds up after forty years.
Spy was producer Albert R. Broccoli’s first solo Bond film after the departure of co-producer Harry Saltzman and despite the luxury of a bigger budget, had to scramble to concoct a new storyline. Broccoli was only allowed to use the title of Fleming’s 1962 thriller and of course James Bond. Falling back on the storyline of the 1967 film You Only Live Twice, Broccoli, director Lewis Gilbert (who also worked on Twice), and screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Christopher Wood have Bond (Moore) once again prevent a nuclear war between the US and Russia like in the earlier film. But instead of that movie’s space capsules, this time it’s submarines!
Seems the UK and Russian nuclear submarines are being hijacked by a mysterious organization, but each side is blaming the other. Bond is assigned to follow up leads in Egypt and Italy, where he meets up with KGB agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) who’s also on the trail, which leads to shipping tycoon Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens) and his henchman, steel-toothed contract killer Jaws (Richard Kiel). Bond and Anya fall in love but an unexpected development regarding the death of Anya’s former lover may impede their chances to stop Stromberg from setting off World War III!
This is the third film Moore did as 007 and it’s the first one where he makes the character into his own, without copying previous Bond Sean Connery. He’s suave, good-natured, and cheerful, yet has the ability to turn deadly at the drop of a hat. Unlike later films in the series, Moore doesn’t let himself be laughed at but rather laughed with. The supporting performances are uneven -Jurgens’ Stromberg is one of the dullest villains in the series- but the various action sequences, including that classic ski jump at the beginning of the film, along with a witty script (and how about that cool car Bond drives?) and Moore, make Spy fun from start to finish!
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