The Spy Who Loved Me (film) could not help but stand up. Even Prince Charles stood up." It was Roger Moore's favourite Bond film, and many reviewers consider it the best installment to star the actor. Christopher Null praised the gadgets, particularly the Lotus Esprit car. James Berardinelli of Reelviews said that the film is "suave and sophisticated", and Barbara Bach proves to be an ideal Bond girl – "attractive, smart, sexy, and dangerous". Brian Webster stated the special effects were "good for a 1979 [sic] film", and Marvin Hamlisch's music, "memorable". Danny Peary described "The Spy Who Loved Me" as "exceptional ... For once, the
M (James Bond) that the character is said to be on leave, with his lines given to either his Chief of Staff Bill Tanner or the Minister of Defence, Sir Frederick Gray. Later films referred to Lee's tenure as head of the service, with a painting of him as M in MI6's Scottish headquarters during the 1999 instalment "The World Is Not Enough". After Lee's death in 1981, the producers hired actor Robert Brown to play M in "Octopussy". Brown had previously played Admiral Hargreaves, Flag Officer Submarines, in the 1977 film, "The Spy Who Loved Me". Bond scholars Steven Jay Rubin, John