Not all that long ago I reviewed GoldenEye and in that review, I explained how that was really my “first” Bond. I had seen a few of the older James Bond movies before as they were on TV quite consistently here in the UK when I was growing up. Yet, James Bond was never something I gravitated to, but there was one movie that does have a lot of nostalgia for me and that is 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me.
How to Download The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me was released on 8 July 1977 in the United Kingdom and on 3 August 1977 in the United States. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
This is a movie my dad made a big deal about due to having Jaws in it and my dad loved Jaws. This was actually the first time Richard Kiel would play the iconic role of Jaws, although he will always be Mr. Larson from Happy Gilmore to me. Again, I am not a James Bond expert or die hard fan, I just take the movies as I see them, but The Spy Who Loved Me is one of my favorites of the older Bond movies.
Roger Moore as Bond: A Perfect Match
Roger Moore plays Bond for the third time and I think that he is great in the role. This movie also has a really iconic Bond girl in KGB agent Anya Amasova who is forced to put her differences with Bond to the side and work with him. Anya is played by the very talented and beautiful, Barbara Bach.
The Exciting Plot: Nuclear Threats and Underwater Cities
This time around a British sub carrying a bunch of nuclear warheads has disappeared without a trace! Bond and Amasova find out that the person behind this nuke hijacking is the rather “fishy” Karl Stromberg, a rich nutcase who wants to unleash nuclear war on the world and build an underwater city to start things over. I have to say that I think this is a really awesome premise.
Villains: Karl Stromberg and Jaws
The combination of the brans, all be it the completely crazy brains of Stromberg and the muscle of Jaws makes for a great combination and a truly dangerous threat for Bond. There are some great action scenes in the movie and I think that Jaws is one of the more formidable physical foes that Bond has faced, especially in these older movies. We also have some iconic Bond scenes such as the famous Union Jack parachute.
Chemistry Between Bond and Amasova
As well as a formidable set of villains, I feel that the pairing of Bond and Amasova is very entertaining too, and of course, Bond gets the girl in the end. I saw The Spy Who Loved Me as a kid and to be honest, it never left an impression on me, but I have grown to really like and appreciate this movie. I got a James Bond box set on Blu-Ray many years ago and for me, it breathed a ton of life into this franchise.
Why The Spy Who Loved Me Stands Out
The Spy Who Loved Me is a movie that I have a lot of fun with and if I had to watch one Roger Moore Bond movie, it would be this one. I think the fact I am a huge fan of the Bioshock games and the fact that Atlantis kind of reminds me of The Legion of Doom from the DC Super Friends may play a huge part in why I get such a kick out of this movie.
Conclusion: A Classic Spy Thriller
If you are in the mood for a bit of classic Bond and you just want to get lost in a classic spy adventure thriller. In my opinion, you will struggle to top the charm of Mr. Moore as he goes up against the steel fanged Jaws and web fingered Stromberg! I am more than happy with the version I have of this in the Bond Blu-Ray set, but I would double dip to get this on 4K if they ever made it happen.
