Bond Week Day Three - For Your Eyes Only

To celebrate the UK cinema release of Quantum of Solace this Friday, the HCC team will be taking a look at a new 007 Blu-ray release every day. Today we get a slightly more serious dose of Roger Moore than normal (well he does kick a car over a cliff) with For Your Eyes Only.

For Your Eyes Only was designed as a way of bringing Bond back down to Earth after the sub-Star Wars sci-fi stupidity of Moonraker. After an opening sequence that manages to reference the past (Bond visits his wife’s grave) and dispense with arch-enemy Blofeld once and for all (the rights to the character were owned elsewhere), Roger Moore’s unflappable Bond sets out on another globe-trotting adventure. Admittedly, there’s absolutely nothing new here – it’s the usual round of car chases, girls, gadgets and fights. But at least it’s a well-crafted adventure yarn that succeeds in bringing Bond back to something that is at least vaguely reminiscent of Ian Fleming’s original character.

Anton van Beek: While not likely to blow you away, it’s safe to say that For Your Eye Only’s Blu-ray debut offers a significant AV improvement on all previous versions of the film. Contrast and colour reproduction are spot-on, and whatever DNR tech was used in the restoration, it hasn’t resulted in the kind of waxen skintones and absence of film grain that often results.

Steve May: Another lossless DTS-HD Master Audio presentation, another faultless remix. With astounding attention to detail and an admirable restraint, the audio mix is coherent and believable throughout – unlike the spoofy action of the feature itself. The Sheila Easton opening sequence is terrific, while the action scenes – complete with strident Foley work – are never less than energetic. The lossless presentation really emphasises all the ADR work, but that's the nature of this particular Bond beast.

Mark Craven: As with the other releases in this series, there are new extras per se, as everything here was previously included on the early Ultimate Edition DVD. However, some of the material has been reworked in HD, a move we approve of whole-heartedly.
There’s a trio of audio commentaries (one by director John Glen and actors Roger Moore, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson and Julian Glover, a second featuring producer Michael G Wilson and various members of the crew, and finally one with Roger Moore flying solo). Also included are the 28min retrospective Inside For Your Eyes Only documentary, animated storyboard sequences, music video, deleted scenes, production footage, trailer, TV/radio spots and photo gallery.

We say: One of Moore’s better Bond flicks given a brand new licence to thrill by this superb Blu-ray.

MGM/20th Century Fox, Region B Blu-ray, £23, On sale now
HCC VERDICT: 4/5