(15 votes, average: 3.47 out of 5)
Loading …Rent Movie.com movie reviews presents A View to a Kill movie review a 1985 film starring Roger Moore, Christopher Walken and directed by John Glen An investigation of a horse-racing scam leads 007 to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California’s Silicon Valley. A silicon chip is captured from the Soviets and found to be identical to a prototype British design capable of withstanding the intense electromagnetic radiation of a nuclear blast. The British suspect industrialist Max Zorin of leaking details of the design to the Russians. When James Bond is sent to investigate he finds that Zorin is stockpiling silicon chips and, mysteriously, drilling near the San Andreas fault. Roger Moore’s last outing as James Bond is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, the film is largely interesting for Christopher Walken’s quirky performance as a sort-of supervillain who wants to take out California’s Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken’s (and who, in the best Bond tradition, has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later), and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, this is a very slight effort. –Tom Keogh
Comment by Arondale
# December 31, 2006,
A VIEW TO A KILL is Roger Moore’s last James Bond film and it is one of his best. It is the pinnacle of Roger Moore’s irony and contradiction to the James Bond established by Sean Connery and brought to fruition by George Lazenby. Here Roger Moore gives greater depth to James Bond than we have ever seen making his performance one of the most endearing. Guy Hamilton established this approach with GOLDFINGER and honed it with his excellent THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, which was a mixture of action and absurdity at its best.
A VIEW TO A KILL is the most luxurious looking Bond movie. Zorin’s magnificent palace and stables are the type of cinematic refinements found in GOLDFINGER, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, MOONRAKER and OCTOPUSSY. Zorin along with Scaramanga, are the best villains of the series. Zorin’s a real psycho. May Day, Zorin’s right hand, gives a real twisted performance right out of the outrageous 80’s.
The opening pre-title sequence is one of the best. Bond is being chased down an ice-covered slope by Russian troops in Siberia to an exciting John Barry score highlighted by the Beach Boys’ “California Girls” while he escapes on a ski mobile runner turned ski board. This is an excellent scene full of action and laughs. The Beach Boys’ “California Girls” was a stroke of genius. John Barry really knows how to score a Bond movie!
The getaway in a mini sub disguised as an iceberg was another stroke of genius. I was on the edge of my seat. Duran Duran’s opening main theme is the best of the series. It was even better than Lulu’s THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Maurice Binder’s main titles were his best since THE SPY WHO LOVED ME.
This film is just so great. Roger Moore looks young at heart in this one. I never saw him move better. I think these are the most stunts that he ever did in any Bond movie. The fight scene in Zorin’s warehouse was one of his best. I like the way he lays out the guard on the conveyor belt and gets automatically wrapped like a corrugated carton.
The steeplechase scene was also great and real suspenseful. I didn’t know that Roger could ride a horse like that. When he breaks away into the woods that was really well filmed just like the similar scene in MOONRAKER.
The Eiffel Tower scene where Bond is chasing May Day through Paris in a stolen taxi, is one of the greatest scenes in the series. It was so amusing. When Bond’s taxi gets cut in half I thought he was done for. However, he keeps up with her and manages to crash a wedding on a moving barge. Crazy stuff! This kind of thing is what made the 80s so great!
Q had some of his best scenes in this film. The microchip briefing in M’s office was good and reminiscent of MOONRAKER and OCTOPUSSY. I liked Q’s surveillance machine. That was very innovative. It was also good to see Bond, Moneypenny and M all at the races. General Gogol had some good scenes too. I like when he puts the cassette in the player in his car and it starts playing the Japanese Spa music. That was really funny.
The underwater scenes in this film were excellently filmed. I was holding my breath when Bond taps the tire of the sunken Rolls for air. That was very innovative. Zorin’s San Francisco pumping station was also done well. When Bond was underwater I thought for sure he was going to get sucked in by those propeller blades.
The sets in this movie were great. The interior of Zorin’s airship was very reminiscent of GOLDFINGER and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. Zorin’s mine was one of the best sets from the entire series. Just like SPECTRE, Zorin eliminates undesirables just like they were terminated similarly in THUNDERBALL and YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.
Stacey was the best Bond girl since Mary Goodnight. You really feel for her. I almost thought Bond was going to leave her in the elevator shaft the way she was screaming. Bond saves her just in time. She was also great in the fire engine chase and the ultimate battle between Bond and Zorin on top of the Golden Gate Bridge.
This film has it all: action, suspense, humor, laughs, terror, set designs, great underwater scenes, car chases, an great John Barry score and one of Roger Moore’s best performances.