The Spy Who Loved Me
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Synopsis
When British and Soviet nuclear submarines vanish without a trace, James Bond joins forces with a vengeful KGB agent to track down shipping magnate Karl Stromberg, who plans to wipe out surface civilization and establish an underwater utopia.
Plot
British and Soviet ballistic missile submarines disappear while on routine patrol in deep waters. MI6 operative James Bond, designated 007, is recalled from an Austrian mission, narrowly escaping an ambush by Soviet assassins and skiing off a cliff to deploy a Union Jack parachute. Meanwhile, KGB director General Gogol assigns Major Anya Amasova, known as Agent XXX, to investigate the vanished Soviet vessel. Anya vows personal revenge against the British agent who killed her lover during the Austrian shootout, unaware that Bond was the shooter.
Both agents travel to Egypt tracing a microfilmed submarine tracking system offered on the black market. Surviving deadly assaults from steel-toothed giant Jaws, Bond and Anya discover they must form an official joint intelligence alliance. For more espionage reviews, retro breakdowns, and streaming availability, check out MovieToWatch. Posing as a marine biologist and his wife in Sardinia, the duo investigates eccentric billionaire Karl Stromberg. Using Q’s gadget-packed amphibious Lotus Esprit to explore Stromberg’s aquatic fortress “Atlantis,” they discover his massive supertanker, the Liparus, has been secretly swallowing submarines at sea to launch an apocalyptic first strike.
Ending Explained
Bond and Anya join an American submarine investigating the Liparus, but the tanker captures their vessel as well. Stromberg separates the captured crews and takes Anya hostage to his Atlantis headquarters. Stromberg launches two nuclear missiles from the stolen submarines, targeting New York and Moscow to trigger mutual nuclear annihilation, allowing his chosen society to repopulate Earth beneath the ocean waves.
Bond breaks free, rallies the imprisoned British, Russian, and American submariners, and leads an all-out assault on the tanker’s command center. Bond breaches the control room and reprograms the submarines’ coordinates, causing the two missiles to destroy the hijacked submarines at sea. Escaping the sinking Liparus, Bond infiltrates Atlantis on a wetbike. He shoots Stromberg dead through a dining table tube and drops Jaws into a shark tank, though Jaws bites the shark to death and escapes. Bond frees Anya and they flee aboard an escape pod just as British torpedoes demolish Atlantis. Aboard the pod, Anya holds Bond at gunpoint to avenge her dead lover, but Bond charms her into letting go of her vendetta, leading to an intimate embrace interrupted when their pod is recovered by British naval brass.
What We Think About This Movie
What We Liked
The breathtaking pre-credits Union Jack parachute cliff-jump stunt performed by Rick Sylvester.
Ken Adam's monumental 007 Stage supertanker interior set design at Pinewood Studios.
The white Lotus Esprit transforming into a submarine during the thrilling Sardinia coastline escape.
Richard Kiel's legendary, menacing debut as the towering, steel-toothed enforcer Jaws.
Carly Simon's timeless, Oscar-nominated opening theme song "Nobody Does It Better."
What We Didn't Like
Dated disco-infused variations of the James Bond theme that can feel jarring during action beats.
Conspicuous optical composite and blue-screen work during portions of the Austrian ski pursuit.
Barbara Bach's acting delivery occasionally falling flat during tense dramatic exchanges.
Who Should Watch
Anyone seeking the quintessential, grand-scale Roger Moore James Bond experience.
Fans of vintage practical stunts, massive set constructions, and creative espionage gadgets.
Viewers who love classic Cold War rivalries turning into uneasy romantic alliances.
Who Should Skip
Purists looking for grounded, gritty espionage realism in the vein of modern spy films.
Audiences sensitive to mid-1970s camp, disco arrangements, and over-the-top villain plots.
Movie Details
Where to Watch The Spy Who Loved Me in the USA
Frequently Asked Questions About The Spy Who Loved Me
Who played the assassin Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me?
Seven-foot-two actor Richard Kiel portrayed Jaws, an enforcer with stainless-steel teeth whose overwhelming popularity led to him returning in the 1979 sequel Moonraker.
What was special about the Lotus Esprit in the film?
The white Lotus Esprit S1, nicknamed "Wet Nellie," was designed with fins, propellers, and underwater missile launchers, functioning both as a sports car and a submarine.
Did Ian Fleming write the story for the movie?
While Ian Fleming wrote a 1962 novel titled The Spy Who Loved Me, he only permitted Eon Productions to use the title and none of the book's storyline, prompting screenwriters Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum to craft a completely original narrative.
Why was the Pinewood Studios 007 Stage built for this movie?
Set designer Ken Adam needed an indoor tank and stage large enough to hold the interior of a full-scale supertanker containing three real submarines. Albert R. Broccoli funded the construction of the massive 007 Stage specifically for the production.
