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Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel, Caroline Munro ... see more see more... , Walter Gotell , Geoffrey Keen , Bernard Lee , George Baker , Michael Billington , Desmond Llewelyn , Edward de Souza , Vernon Dobtcheff , Valerie Leon , Lois Maxwell , Sydney Tafler , Nadim Sawalha , Sue Vanner , Marilyn Galsworthy , Milton Reid , Cyril Shaps , Rafiq Anwar , Olga Bisera , Keith Buckley , Jeremy Bulloch , Sean Bury , Nicholas Campbell , Anthony Forrest , Kim Fortune , Garick Hagon , Ray Jewers , Bryan Marshall , Vincent Marzello , Kevin McNally , Albert Moses , Christopher Muncke , Shane Rimmer , George Roubicek , Bob Sherman , Milo Sperber , Barry Andrews , Ray Evans , Murray Salem , John Truscott , Anika Pavel , Yasher Adem , Peter Ensor , Doyle Richmond , John Salthouse , Peter Whitman , Ray Hassett , David Auker , Dennis Blanch , Nick Ellsworth , Tom Gerrard , Michael Howarth , Eva Reuber-Staier , Robert Brown , Irvin Allen , Keith Morris

Though not Ian Fleming's most famous James Bond novel, 1962's The Spy Who Loved Me was distinguished by the unique device of telling the story from the heroine's point of view; in fact, Bond doesn't m... read more read more...ake an appearance until the book is two-thirds over. This would hardly work in the film world's Bond franchise, so the original austere plotline of the novel was eschewed altogether in favor of a labyrinthine story involving outer-space extortion. The leading lady, a "hard-luck kid" in the original, is now sexy Russian secret agent Barbara Bach, who joins forces with Bond (Roger Moore, making his third appearance as 007) to foil yet another megalomaniac villain (Curt Jurgens), who plans to threaten New York City with nuclear weaponry. Beyond the eye-popping opening ski-jump sequence, the film's best scenes involve seven-foot-two Richard Kiel as steel-toothed henchman Jaws. Fifteen scriptwriters worked on The Spy Who Loved Me; only two were credited, including Bond-film veteran Richard Maibaum. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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71% liked it

57,392 ratings

Critics

79% liked it

38 critics

PG, 2 hr. 5 min.

Directed by: Lewis Gilbert

Release Date: July 13, 1977

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DVD Release Date: October 22, 2002

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Stats: 2,118 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,118)

  • spielberg00
    August 1, 2011
    spielberg00
    THE SPY WHO LOVED ME is Roger Moore's second best Bond film, behind LIVE AND LET DIE. It's without a doubt funny (though most likely intentionally) and, around the second half, unrealistic, but unlike his next four films (starting clearly with MOONRAKER), it never reaches the po... read moreint of silly or asinine. This time, 007 is underwater with a Bond girl.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    June 29, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the best James Bond films, and is one of my personal favorites. After the somewhat lacking The Man With Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me is a fine return to form with rousing action unique villains and quite possibly the most beautiful Bond girl to ... read moregrace a Bond film. This film has it all. The plot of this film is very thrilling, and will keep you on the edge of your seat til the end. For me, this is one of the best of the Roger Moore Bond films, and with a villain like Jaws; how can you go wrong?
  • skactopus
    January 9, 2010
    skactopus
    Lewis Gilbert's second James Bond film is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to Bond films. This is a good thing.

    At just over 2 hours, The Spy Who Loved Me creeps along as it slowly unveils the story, which in the end comes down to a villain looking for power an

    ... read mored domination. The action is a little bit of a letdown. Other than a decent car chase with some good helicopter piloting, most of it is typical fist fights and mass shootings. As for the fancy gadgets, it all comes down to the car ... and some salt water.

    Once again, Roger Moore successfully pulls off James Bond. The memorable villain goes to Richard Kiel as Jaws, who helms the evildoer role for the first half, while Curd Jurgens steps in for the final half as Karl Stromberg. Bond girl Barbara Bach is a treat to watch and her part in the early going, as she goes head to head with Bond, is a nice touch to the story. The beautiful Caroline Munro stimulates the eyes with what little time she has. More please.

    The Spy Who Loved Me has all the necessary components of a Bond film. So just sit back and let Bond go to work. "Which bullet has my name on it? The first or the last?"
  • SirPant
    September 23, 2009
    SirPant
    I think it?s safe to say that this is one of the best Bond films, it?s certainly one of my favourite Bond films! The end sequence is brilliant!
  • sononothing
    November 29, 2008
    sononothing
    The Spy Who Loved Me opens with something happening to a British submarine. What happens we don't know, but we soon find out that the same thing has happened to a Soviet sub at around the same time. What's the world to do? James Bond (Roger Moore) must join forces with the beauti... read moreful Russian agent XXX (Barbara Bach) to find out what happened to the subs and who holds the technology to find them underwater.

    The Spy Who Loved is not only the best Bond film from the Moore era, it also ranks up there as one of the best of the series. After the previous two lackluster Bond films (The Man with the Golden Gun caused Harry Saltzburg to sell out his half to UA) the series goes all out with over the top gadgets and villains with super cool hideouts. I wouldn't rate Stromberg (Curt Jergens) on the same page as Goldfinger, but he is an interesting villain unlike the one that followed him.

    This film is a great Bond romp and even though it screams the '70's with it's disco soundtrack and numerous ascots it stands as a return to form that the series had not seen since Connery held the number 007.
  • matertenebraum
    November 17, 2008
    matertenebraum
    Roger Moore has always maintained that The Spy Who Loved Me is the best of his Bond films. Personally I prefer Octopussy and For Your Eyes Only, but this one certainly has its moments. The original novel by Ian Fleming was an odd-one-out in the book series, describing as it did h... read moreow an off-duty Bond saved a female hotelier from a couple of nasty hoodlums. However, in this film adaptation the novel has been completely jettisoned and replaced with a story about Bond thwarting a megalomaniac from achieving world domination.

    Bond (Moore) is partnered with Russian agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach - most beautiful of all the many Bond girls) to solve the mysterious disappearance of two nuclear submarines, one British the other Russian. They follow the clues to the underwater lair of Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens), an elegant and educated psychopath with a plan to destroy the world in a nuclear holocaust and retreat to his undersea empire. To add to their complications, Anya learns that her recently killed boyfriend was eliminated by Bond during an assignment.

    The pre-credit sequence is among the better pre-credit sequences in the series, involving an extraordinary ski stunt which many consider to be the most breathtaking stunt ever devised for a Bond film. Moore is good as Bond, Bach stunningly attractive as his partner (though not very convincing as an actress), and Jurgens provides a suitably over-confident villain. The location work in various locations, most notably Egypt, is nicely photographed. Marvin Hamlisch provides the music, marking a change from the usual composer John Barry, and Hamlisch's score is decent enough though it does have a dated '70s quality to it when listened to nowadays. The plot is totally implausible and self-parodic (if they'd stuck to the plot in the book though, it would've been almost impossible to make a Bond movie in the expected sense of the phrase), but director Lewis Gilbert cleverly plays it with tongue-in-cheek so that the absurdness of the on-screen events becomes curiously endearing. The Spy Who Loved Me is silly, entertaining and extravagantly spectacular.
  • DrZeek
    November 10, 2008
    DrZeek
    Q: Right. Now pay attention, 007. I want you to take great care of this equipment. There are one or two rather special accessories...
    James Bond: Q, have I ever let you down?
    Q: Frequently.

    The best of the Roger Moore Bond films, as well as, in my opinion, one of the best Bond ... read moreflicks of them all. It supplies the right kind of story and some really good gadgets, namely, Bond's car. The movie also introduces Jaws, a villain who is a lot of fun to watch. The Bond girls are good enough, along with an evil villain to provide another ridiculous plot. All the quintessential Bondisms fall into place here.

    James Bond: Which bullet has my name on it? The first or the last?
    Major Anya Amasova: I have never failed on a mission, Commander. Any mission.
    James Bond: In that case, Major, one of us is bound to end up gravely disappointed, because neither have I.

    The story involves Bond working with a female Russian agent to stop a powerful man bent on world domination of course. Problem is that Bond may have more in common than he may think with his Russian partner.

    James Bond: [after detaining Jaws with a huge magnet] How does that grab you?

    As mentioned, everything that makes a Bond film comes together wonderfully here. The standard opening minutes that features a cool action scene. Exotic locations. Various Bond style moments. Even Moore's Dean Martin approach to Bond seems fitting here.

    A really fun 007 adventure.

    James Bond: Mmm, maybe I misjudged Stromberg. Any man who drinks Dom Perignon '52 can't be all bad.
  • Chiefilms
    March 1, 2008
    Chiefilms
    Along with The Man With the Golden Gun, my favorite Moore Bond film. Great Villain, Jaws man.
  • puffchunk
    January 24, 2008
    puffchunk
    By far the worst Bond I've seen yet, though I have many left to go. I can see why Roger Moore films get the frown. The only cool stuff was his car-sub, and the ski pole rifle. At least it had Jaws killing a shark in the neck.
  • danperry17
    December 1, 2007
    danperry17
    A solid flick, the one with the amazing skiing chase scene and which really fuses the typical cop/spy movie "reluctant partner" gag with the proto-X-files sexual tension between partners... though keep in mind that this is Bond, so naturally, he beds her. Great sets and good acti... read moreon, it dates a little now with its Jacques Cousteau-type villain, somewhat silly fight choreography and visible strings and other problems in the effects, but the big shootout, Jaws (and the villain's somewhat-related fondness for sharks) as well as the, uh, mastery of (obsession with?) double-entendre make this one a classic that appears well-worthy of its rep as one of the best of the Bonds. And bonus points for Agent XXX; I don't usually rate a movie on a star's attractiveness, but wow, she is stunning.

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Critic Reviews

October 13, 2008
TIME Magazine

Never did top that first stunt. Full Review

Dave Kehr
May 5, 2008
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The ostensible hero is just a fleshy blur. Full Review

Variety Staff
May 5, 2008
Variety Staff, Variety

As always, story and plastic character are in the service of comic strip parody. Full Review

Janet Maslin
May 9, 2005
Janet Maslin, New York Times

The film moves along at a serviceable clip, but it seems half an hour too long. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Of Roger Moore's seven James Bond pictures, The Spy Who Loved Me stands out as the best. Full Review

Charles Cassady
December 15, 2010
Charles Cassady, Common Sense Media

1977's 007 still gettin' lucky in underwater lair. Full Review

Dennis Schwartz
February 10, 2009
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Overwhelmed with its cartoonish absurdity. Full Review

Ian Freer
May 5, 2008
Ian Freer, Empire Magazine

It may not be Fleming but it is terrific fun. Full Review

May 5, 2008
TV Guide's Movie Guide

As the Bond series moved deeper into the 1970s, the emphasis moved away from the inventive scripts that made the best Sean Connery films fine examples of the spy genre and toward the kind of feats of ... Full Review

Felix Gonzalez Jr.
July 10, 2007
Felix Gonzalez Jr., DVD Review

... the first truly original Bond movie, this one is actually more tightly constructed than several of the adaptations and remains consistently surprising and witty. Full Review

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The Spy Who Loved Me Trivia

  • Which movie is the odd one out?  Answer »
  • Which movie has this tagline : " It's the BIGGEST. It's the BEST. It's Bond and B-E-Y-O-N-D "  Answer »
  • Which James Bond title track does not have the same name as the movie it appears in?  Answer »
  • What movie is this? Both the British and Russians are amazed when a submarine from each country disappears and the only link is a microfilm detailing the movements of the British submarine meaning that somehow a submarine can be tracked via it's "wake".   Answer »
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