Most critics agree on what For Your Eyes Only is trying to do: after the excesses of Moonraker, it strips the gadgets back and aims for a leaner, more grounded Bond adventure. The reviews are split on whether that works, but the praise clusters consistently. John Glen’s direction is credited with keeping the action tidy, Carole Bouquet is noted as an appealing, classy heroine, and Topol’s turn as the rogue Columbo is singled out more than once as the film’s most colourful presence.
The spread is wide. Variety calls it among the most enjoyable entries in the series, while Time Out finds it flat and undercooked despite the sterner approach. The reservations cluster on Roger Moore, whose drollery several critics feel sits awkwardly with the more serious tone, and on a plot that offers few surprises; Roger Ebert finds the central relationship routine and short on chemistry. The contemporary reviews are the warmest, and the later retrospective assessments the coldest.