Grade: B
Synopsis: British spy James Bond (Roger Moore) teams with a Soviet agent (Barbara Bach) to investigate a series of submarine hijackings and avoid a steel-toothed assassin (Richard Kiel).
The Spy Who Loved Me is the tenth entry in the long running James Bond series, and the third for star Roger Moore. This was the first time the series used a completely original story, as only the title, and the inspiration for two villains came from Ian Fleming’s source novel. Fortunately, the screenwriters managed to craft a solid spy thriller that finally gives Moore a movie comparable to some of the early Connery vehicles.
Much of this success is due to the one-two punch of Curd Jürgens and Richard Kiel as the story’s villains. Jürgens is solid as a megalomaniac shipping magnate, and Kiel is great as the now iconic henchman, Jaws. Indeed, despite having no lines, Jaws is a great villain in the comic-book sense, and yet, by using him as an unstoppable, ever-stalking menace, the filmmakers mitigate any camp, thus making him a legitimate threat.
Toss in some great location photography, a good performance from Barbara Bach as the Soviet agent assigned to work with Bond, and more than a few good action sequences and you’ve got a solid adventure/thriller. While The Spy Who Loved Me may not be the best in the series, it’s certainly one of Moore’s best and worth a look for Bond fans.
