--- title: "The Spy Who Loved Me: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-spy-who-loved-me/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-spy-who-loved-me" critics_score: 74 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): what the critics said Critics' score 74 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics take this as the high point of Roger Moore’s run, and the praise clusters around the same things: Moore’s deadpan, the scale of the set-pieces, and a heroine treated as his equal rather than his prize. The pre-credits ski jump, the Lotus that turns into a submarine and Richard Kiel’s Jaws come up in nearly every notice, and several reviews argue the film plays its Bond staples straight enough to stay clear of camp. Ken Adam’s sets and Claude Renoir’s photography draw approval even from the less enthusiastic. The reservations are about the writing. Sight and Sound finds the plot barely coherent, a string of borrowed set-pieces held together by seaside innuendo, and Time Out goes further, calling the flag-waving and schoolboy smut desperately weak and sparing only Jaws. Variety sits between the camps, enjoying the props while conceding the story is comic-strip parody. The spread is wide: seven critics rate it warmly, but the two dissenters are not mild about it. ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. Roger Moore’s third Bond outing is his best and a terrifically entertaining adventure that plays all the Bond staples without tipping into camp. The critic singles out Ken Adam’s brilliant sets, the gripping action sequences including the iconic ski chase and submarine car, and Jaws as a memorable henchman for praise. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/spy-loved-review/) ## RogerEbert.com — Brian Doan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 August 2017. The film is a triumph of absurdity and the best of the Roger Moore Bonds, excelling through its playful style, visual flair, and Moore's witty deadpan performance amid the spectacle of gadgetry and stunts. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/features/keeping-the-elegant-end-up-the-spy-who-loves-me-at-40) ## Little White Lies — William Carroll Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2017. Moore cemented his reputation as the most charming and exciting Bond in this series highlight, turning the character into someone audiences could laugh at as well as admire. The critic singles out Moore's self-aware performance, innuendo, costumes and chemistry with Q and Anya Amasova for praise. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/in-praise-of/roger-moore-james-bond-the-spy-who-loved-me) ## Radio Times — Alan Jones Rating 4/5. Roger Moore excels in this big-budget adventure with a welcome accent on character rather than just spectacle. The critic singles out the pre-credits ski-jump stunt and Carly Simon's theme song for praise. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-evrw2r/the-spy-who-loved-me/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1976. Story and characters serve comic-strip parody, spotlighting props, sets, stunts, and spectacle such as the Lotus car that converts to an underwater craft and the gimmick villain Jaws. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1976/film/reviews/the-spy-who-loved-me-1200423844/) ## Sight and Sound Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). The film continues the Bond formula with seaside-postcard smut and comic-strip feats, but narrative coherence is disregarded in favour of derivative set-pieces. Claude Renoir's visuals are often easy on the eye. [Read the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=34) ## Time Out — CPe Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. This Bond entry pushes the myth of British technological wizardry with patriotic flagwaving, pre-pubescent sexuality and puerile innuendoes; it has its moments with Kiel's Jaws but the rest is desperately weak. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-spy-who-loved-me) ## Den of Geek — Max Williams Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 7 July 2018. The critic hails it as the best of the epic Bond films, a fun-filled globetrotting adventure with an iconic opening, standout henchman Jaws, and the Lotus submarine car. They single out the film's sheer entertainment value and strong heroine Anya Amasova for praise, while noting minor flaws like the villain's lack of depth. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-spy-who-loved-me-the-best-of-the-epic-james-bond-movies/) ## Film Stories — Mark Harrison Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 16 June 2022. The critic celebrates the film as a workplace romantic comedy that pairs Bond with an equal in KGB agent Anya Amasova. The piece singles out the fun, flirty dynamic between the leads and the film's humorous tone for particular praise. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/the-spy-who-loved-me-celebrating-james-bonds-workplace-romantic-comedy/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-spy-who-loved-me.md