After returning to Earth from his MOONRAKER fiasco, Roger Moore resumes his role as James Bond without the excessive technical gadgetry. Against a sea-and-ski Greek backdrop, Bond and the obligatory beauty, Melina (Bouquet, lovely but lifeless), race Soviet agents for a device lost in a
shipwreck that transmits the "fire" order to missile-carrying British submarines. The same Soviet agents killed Melina's parents, motivating her to seek Elektra-like revenge. One fast-paced chase follows another, and a slightly more vulnerable Bond gets his share of knocks along the way.
The success of this picture (perhaps Moore's best in the Bond series) can be attributed to the marvelous direction of Glen, who had previously worked as a second-unit director on earlier Bond movies. Not surprisingly, the stunts are some of the best in the series. Lynn-Holly Johnson is decidedly
annoying in the unnecessary role of a horny young skater, but Topol helps offset this gaffe with his engaging presence. Very pleasant, unforced, throwaway entertainment, though Moore is clearly getting a mite too old for all this.
