It’s 1977, and Roger Moore is playing Bond for the third time and behind the scenes, the franchise enters new territory with an original script that uses only the title of Flemming’s 10th book.
The Plot
Once again, the bad guys are stealing things from England, only this time it’s a submarine carrying missiles, and Russia has been hit too. And once again it’s Bond to the rescue to figure out who’s behind it. After a memorable pre-title ski chase and escape, Bond finds the plans for a sub tracking system… The same kind of system that would be needed to nab the missing subs… Are on the black market in Egypt. While trying to track them down, Bond discovers that Russia has their own man in the field… Or rather woman in the field… Trying to accomplish the same as Bond when he runs into KGB Agent Major Anya Amasova, code designation ‘Triple X’ (subtle, no?), played by Barbara Bach.
The trail leads them to wealthy businessman/anarchist/scientist Karl Stromberg (Curd Jurgens), who’s planning on wiping the slate clean and starting civilization over by using the subs to attack Moscow and New York, thereby causing WWIII which he and his people would survive in his underwater base, Atlantis. As Bond and Amasova work together, they inevitably grow closer until Amasova learns that Bond killed her lover in the pre-title sequence and vows that once the mission is over, she’ll exact her revenge.
While Jurgens’ Stromberg is, in my opinion, both well-acted and eerily close to Wiseman’s Dr. No in personality, the ‘villain’ show is stolen by Richard Keil as Jaws who, not only is immense in the size department, but brings a depth to what might have otherwise been a rather one-dimensional character.
With some more textbook Bond escapes and a near-miss air collision of ballistic missiles (not quite as impressive as it sounds), Bond saves the day, himself, and Amasova in an escape pod while Stromberg’s Atlantis sinks.
With the mission over, Amasova prepares to get even with Bond, but ends up realizing her feelings for him have grown too strong. What’s a female KGB agent to do? Well, sleep with him of course… And get caught red handed (so to speak) when their escape pod is found by the Royal Navy with both Bond’s and Amasova’s bosses in tow.
The Women
Anya Amasova is the only one that even matters in this one, and even more than 30 years later the (ahem) impression she leaves is more than memorable.
The Gadgets
In addition to the memorable Triple X, TSWLM also gave us two of the most memorable ‘gadgets’ in Bond franchise history… Jaws’ teeth and the Lotus Esprit given to Bond by Q Branch. Armed with landmines, missiles, smoke screens and… Oh, did I mention it can TURN INTO A SUBMARINE?
I’ll repeat that…
It can turn into a submarine.
I’ll take two please.
Overall
For a movie that only had permission to use the title of an Ian Flemming novel, they got the formula right in this one without making it too campy (forgiving Anya’s codename) and simultaneously brought in some of the most memorable characters and toys the franchise would ever see.
Grade : A
