The Spy Who Loved Me (Special Edition)

007 is on another mission to the save the world (what else?) in "The Spy Who Loved Me." A pair of nuclear submarines from England and Russia have strangely disappeared and Bond...James Bond, is assigned to retrieve a microfilm that has recorded the movements of the British sub. The Russians send their own spy, the beautiful Anya Amasova, to find the film as well. At first, Amasova and Bond attempt to outwit each other to get the film but eventually the pair are ordered to team up to get to the heart of the problem. The trail they follow leads them to billionaire Karl Stromberg who has a dastardly plan to destroy the Earth...

This Bond episode works well thanks primarily to some good direction from Lewis Gilbert. Though the film is not well paced, Gilbert makes up for that with some excellent set pieces. I thought the fighting sequences on Stromberg's boat were particularly well done. There are some other good moments too, including the chase in the Lotus Espirit (which can transform into a submersible), the opening ski-chase, and Bond's dueling with steel-toothed bad guy Jaws. The acting here was serviceable, though I felt it left something to be desired. This happens to be the first Bond film I've seen in which Roger Moore is carrying the 007 moniker. Moore gets the job done but he seems to lack the edge of the two other Bond's I've seen: Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. Meanwhile, Barbara Bach has the looks for a typical Bond-girl but is a bit stiff in her role. Still, she gives an effective performance. One more thing worth noting is the theme song by Carly Simon, "Nobody Does It Better." I really liked it and it seems to complement the James Bond character well.

This is a great entry in the 007 series. If you're a Bond fan (or even a non-fan) and haven't yet seen this episode, then be sure you do so. This movie will be a fresh reminder that indeed "Nobody Does It Better" than James Bond.