John Glen direct Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet and Topol in the surprisingly hard edged Rog Bond compared to his camper, lighter entries. 

In much the same way that Diamonds Are Forever feels more like a Moore Bond movie than a Connery, this feels more like a Dalton than a Roger. Determinedly lower key, slightly less joshing, a focus on tension rather than spectacle and the only time My Bond gets his hands dirty. Often critiqued for being a little dull (the grand finale involves mountaineering bolts being kicked out at great altitude rather than doomsday devices ticking away in an underground lair) and a little dour (this feels the closest Rog gets to showing emotion or existing in the real world) these to me are the thriller’s strength. The set pieces truly grip. The only real fault is Topol’s red herring “bad guy” proves a more suitable romantic match for 007 than the Bond girls, though Bouquet has lovely sleek hair and looks iconic with her vengeful crossbow. Coming after the crass tinfoil campiness of Moonraker, this feels like a swerve in the right direction, and prematurely showed the franchise a course it currently seems to enjoy taking more and more. Back towards Fleming.

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