A View to a Kill (1985)'s comments

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Earring72

Underrated James Bond Adventure. Yes, Roger Moore is too old and the Tanya Roberts is weak but Walken and Jones are great. Some great set pieces, adventure and excitement.

9 years 2 months ago

So from what I gathered A View to a Kill is mostly disliked because: Christopher Walken slaughters a lot of people in one scene, cops in San Francisco are idiots, some bad acting and poor special effects (that's subjective!), Moore is too old to play Bond (though to me he looks like a young boy when he stands next to Moneypenny). Is there anything else? I don't find it to be any better or worse that many other Bond films. I certainly don't see any reasons to call this one the worst, especially in the world where Moonraker exists.
It was enjoyable to me. The villain is fantastic, the Bond girl is likable, the plot is not overly complicated or silly. I see nothing wrong, only mindless entertainment and that's what Bond movies always were. I'd say it's underrated.

9 years 10 months ago

hoogys

By.. FAR... one of...the BEST ....under RATED..bond villains... (whispers) of all time....packs with FLAVOR.

12 years 8 months ago

Siskoid

Finishing off Roger Moore's long stint as 007 is A View to a Kill, not the best Bond film by a long shot, it's nevertheless vaguely entertaining. It was one of the first I saw, so that could be it. I rather suspect, however, that it's because it's a "Bond's Greatest Hits" with barely connected set pieces we've seen in some shape before - the skiing teaser, the turned henchman, the business partner killed for disagreeing with the villain à la Goldfinger/Austin Powers, etc. - and it has one of the more memorable Bond villains in Christopher Walken and Grace Jones. They really deserved a better script, one that had a coherent story line that didn't conveniently forget Bond's original goals, one that used Q's gadgets for more than the final punchline, one that didn't completely stall when we hit anti-exotic San Francisco, and one that wasn't so damn bloodthirsty, killing characters for killing's sake.

8 years 10 months ago

Xondar

May Day steals the show in this Bond movie.

3 years 5 months ago

chunkylefunga

My second favourite Moore Bond film.

8 years 5 months ago

SpacedJ

That mine set is impressive, especially considering Ridley Scott's Legend accidentally burnt it down four months before shooting.

10 months 3 weeks ago

demagogo

[GUITAR SOLO PLAYS OVER A FUCKING SYNTH BASE]

8 years 3 months ago

CinemaDump

A View to a Kill is the third Bond film to be directed by John Glen out of the five titles he did in succession from 1981 to 1989. It's also his worst performing Bond film, grossing a little less than License to Kill. Not that $152.4 million is anything to sneeze at on a budget of $30 million. What's interesting though is that it held its first premiere in San Fransisco instead of in the UK as usual. This was because of the warm welcome the production got from the mayor at the time who loved Roger Moore and granted all the liberties the crew wanted. It made $50.3 million from the US alone so it was a decision that panned out.

The fourteenth 007 movie also features Roger Moore for the very last time. Most people have a favourite Bond but I like them all, including Moore so I'm sad to see him go. After seven movies, twelve years and finally reaching the ripe old age of 57, I can understand Roger's decision to retire. Apparently he was horrified when he learned that Tanya Roberts' mother was younger than himself which I guess really made him look in the mirror. To be honest his age does get distracting in certain instances. Seeing him performing during action sequences isn't really affected, but when he's getting it on with the ladies? It doesn't feel the same unfortunately. On another sad side note, this is also the final appearance of Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny.

Synopsis

After having recovered a microchip from fellow agent 003 who was killed in Siberia, it's discovered that it is a Russian copy of a radioactive-resistant chip manufactured by Zorin Industries. Owned by Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), his company had been contracted by the government to develop this chip in secret. So clearly there's definitely something fishy about the leak. James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent out to investigate Max Zorin, first at the Ascot Racecourse where one of Zorin's horses will be racing.

Review

The usual Bond opening is a little disappointing. It's a ski chase and the ski chases in On Her Majesty's Secret Service and For Your Eyes Only are among my favourite action sequences of all time. This one is too short-lived, it's clunky and it ends with a disappointing snowboarding sequence with The Beach Boy playing. On the bright side, the title credits are cool in a lasery/neon kind of way and I personally love the Duran Duran song. Really, I'd listen to it day and night.

Resembling the story from Goldfinger, A View to a Kill still makes for a pretty good story. Max Zorin ends up having a pretty bold plan and Christopher Walken pulls off the role with complete ease. He's a psycho in the best sense, eerily laughing when no one else would. His back story is maybe a bit silly but Max Zorin is still one of the better Bond villains in the 007 stables.

Like I had said earlier about Roger Moore, his best days are clearly behind him as much as it pains me to say it. I can say that the action sequences with stuntmen are done convincingly enough. It's not like an on/off switch between Roger Moore and stuntman. However, the real problems arise when it's time for James to turn the charm up. Yes Roger Moore is still charming at 57, but it's in an old man charm instead of the Bond charm he needs. It's true that James Bond movies have never been about realism, but it's completely unconvincing to see Roger Moore performing with the young female actresses in A View to a Kill.

Who I truly do hold the most disdain for in A View to a Kill though is Tanya Roberts. It's not her fault that her character is noting more than a screeching damsel in distress being carried around by James, but her performance isn't good either. It's impossible to take her seriously as a geologist and it's really irritating to watch her stand around with her hands over her mouth while 007 is punching out baddies. Blame can be put on both Tanya and the scriptwriters for the poor Bond girl that Stacey Sutton is. Grace Jones as May Day is actually pretty cool but she's misused and underused. spoiler

In terms of the action in A View to a Kill, the best way to describe it is clunky. Editing and choreography seems off and just plain lazy. The only only car chase that's actually of any interest is one involving a fire truck and it just doesn't truly reach its potential. The best action is reserved for the end with a really nice big action set piece. spoiler

A View to a Kill is one of the lesser Bonds unfortunately. Even with a great villain like Max Zorin and a pretty good story, there are too many problems with the action and a lot of other things too. Roger Moore shows his age and Tanya Roberts is plain awful. spoiler

It's still a watchable movie but it just doesn't deliver what a Bond movie should. It's not as fixated on creating humour as Octopussy was but there's a real lack of fun this time around. A View to a Kill just strikes me as lazy.

On a fun side note, this is the first film appearance of Dolph Lundgren! Dating Grace Jones at the time, he was lucky to get a part as an extra when an actor failed to show up when he was supposed to.

Rating

5.5/10

9 years 8 months ago

Big A2

Sorry Walken, but not even your MAG-NIFIcence could save this drek.

You know what would make the best Bond movie ever? No Bond. Just have the villain be the main character and have his plan thwarted by some off-screen secret agent. This one certainly would have been better for it.

11 years 4 months ago