A View to a Kill

Closing out the Roger Moore era is a tad awkward and it's interesting to think about how much Bond was truly "in flux" during the time of 1983 - 1987. 

You had the double dipping of 007 in 1983 with the too-silly Octopussy and the surprisingly entertaining Never Say Never Again. But even in Octopussy it was clear that Moore (who doesn't exactly age well...just Google Image search him now) was too old. 

And yet, he came back for Bond in 1985's A View to a Kill which is widely referred to as one of the worst Bond films in the storied franchise. About as soon as this film was announced, it was clear it would have to be Moore's last. 

As a closing "argument" to the Moore era, A View to a Kill doesn't change my opinion much. My bottom-line-view is that this is no worse than Octopussy (it's better IMO) and that overall, Moore's Bond films can be classified as mostly just "good". Obviously he got to take part in the legendary The Spy Who Loved Me, but otherwise, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker, Octopussy, and now A View to a Kill are all generally fine, with often too much silliness at inopportune times. For Your Eyes Only stands as about the only "great" feature he had aside from the pinnacle and that was largely because it was the most focused on being more serious and spy-oriented. 

I was surprised to hear that A View to a Kill was one of the worst (outright worst for some people) Bond films in the series. I wholly disagree and find it'll likely sit middle of the pack for Moore's films overall and below-middle for the Bond series. It's a film that cuts down on a lot of the silliness that has marred Moore's Bond films and while it's nothing incredibly special, I did find it generally entertaining for a variety of reasons. 

For starters, the plot feels focused this time, as opposed to its immediate predecessor who was introducing nuclear weapons in the last act (or so it seemed). The villain's plan is preposterous - aiming to cause an earthquake with lots of explosives to flood Silicon Valley and take control of the microchip economy - but hey, this is an 80's action film. And when you have Christopher Walken as bad guy Max Zorin, of course the story is going to be a little loopy. Walken is a memorable villain here, as good as any of the other ones we've seen in Moore's films and better than many. After Never Say Never Again featured an iconic (but "unofficial") Bond villain, I'm glad we got a solid one with Max Zorin, even if his machine gun massacre (which I'm sure was too violent for a Bond film in the mid-80s) seems to come out of nowhere. Equally impressive is his henchwoman, May Day, played by a ripped Grace Jones. Verbally, she doesn't get much to do, but she's menacing physically and has a satisfying (if not rushed) character arc. 

Walken looking like a mad man already [pre machine gun massacre]

Fake! Bond at this age would never
make it up all those stairs

The action takes a considerable step down in terms of stunt work as the highlights feature a lot of greenscreen and or use of stages. You know Tom Cruise would have actually gone to the top of the Golden Gate Bridge you cowards! Either way, it's mostly entertaining with an over-the-top firetruck and police chase, a mine escape, and a final battle atop the Golden Gate Bridge all being the final moments of action for this era. Moore's age comes into play here as it's obvious his Bond couldn't actually do any of this in real life and would likely be dead multiple times over, not to mention how silly it is that he can still attract any woman he wants. But his age doesn't ruin the movie, which I feel like was the main complaint of reviews I've seen. Moore still fills the role well, though not as much as he used to, and he does feel somewhat tired. Tired of age or tired of playing the same character, it's hard to tell, but there's less energy overall. 

A View to a Kill features another wonderful score by John Barry - who I admittedly haven't given enough praise in past reviews - and the movie's theme (different than the Bond theme) is one of the series best and is used frequently.

Outside of those callouts, A View to a Kill is largely fine, which is perhaps why many look back on it with such distaste, coupled with Moore's age. There's not much outside of the Golden Gate Bridge/blimp sequence that stand the test of time for memorable scenes in the Bond franchise, or action franchises in general. Like the first couple of Moore's early films, this is ultimately forgettable action fare coupled with a recognizable brand name. It's certainly not as boring or awkward as Connery's [second of three] send-offs, but it does continue to affirm just how damn awesome The Spy Who Loved Me was, and unfortunately Moore and Co. were never able to recapture that lightning in a bottle.

CONS

• Overlong at nearly 2 hours
• Moore's age is at the point where most of what Bond is doing is unbelievable (action, wooing women, etc.). He looks tired in the role
• Action is a step down because of less stunts and more greenscreen
• Forgettable first half and generally not much stands out
• Bond girl(s) that don't leave a mark

PROS

• Strong villain and henchwoman in Max Zorin and May Day, respectively. They're both menacing and a little crazy, adding much-needed energy to the film
• Awesome original score by John Barry who deserves more credit than I've given him!
• Preposterous plot that I liked and was generally straight forward and different than "save the world from a Soviet nuke"
• I appreciated the silliness in previous Moore films was minimalized
• Entertaining finale. The Golden Gate Bridge scene is memorable and fun
• Moore may end his term on a "meh", but he filled the iconic shoes well during his run

Retro Rath's Review Score | 7/10