A View to a Kill (1985) User Reviews

Moore's last decent Bond very underrated and unappreciated good 007 flick

[ivo-cobra8 · 10/10 · 12 November 2017]

A View to a Kill (1985) is guilty pleasure of mine. I don't think it is a terrible movie like mostly people are saying. I love this film always did and it is one of my favorite Bond films. This is the last Roger Moore movie he did before he was passing on Timothy Dalton. It is very underrated and I know that Roger Moore him self has stated that A View to a Kill is his at least favorite James Bond film because Christopher Walken was machine gunning everyone. I have enjoyed the film it was fast paced, entertaining and it had action. I know it does have flaws and mistakes like every movie does. I have enjoyed action and Roger Moore was good in his performance. He did 100% off him and he is acting was decent it wasn't so much goofy or terrible in my opinion.

A View to a Kill is the 14th entry in the official James Bond series and the final film to star Roger Moore in the role of Agent 007. The 1985 installment follows Bond as he investigates a possible plot to destroy California's Silicon Valley. The film's cast includes Christopher Walken, Grace Jones, Tanya Roberts and Dolph Lundgren, who made his acting debut.

I will say I have simply enjoy this flick more then I did The Man With The Golden Gun, Octopussy, From Russia With Love, Skyfall, Spectre, Quantum of Solace, The World Is Not Enough, Die Another Day and of course the worst Bond ever On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

The cast: Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton was in my opinion good Bond girl. I have read so many negative comments about her performance. Because she was screaming, she was way too young for Roger Moore she looked like his daughter etc. I disagree she was good and I have enjoyed her performance.

Grace Jones as May Day was another bad girl just like Famke Janssen in GoldenEye. Grace Jones was good as May Day Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman I thought she was really good at her performance.

Christopher Walken was good as Max Zorin: a psychopathic industrialist he was really a good bad guy and I have enjoyed his performance. He did his job good and convincing and it was good in his good effort.

This was really the only movie that was filmed in the USA in which they used Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The movie really had a lot of action scenes. The car chases in San Francisco with fire truck the cops are chasing Bond and he with Stacey is fleeing trough the bridge. I love the mining scene in which May Day (Grace Jones) slide down Bond and they bring the larger bomb that would destroy the lock. They put the bomb on a handcar and push it out of the mine along a railroad line. May Day stays on the car to hold the faulty brake lever, sacrificing her own life as the bomb explodes.

Great stunt on Eiffel Tower in which May Day jumps off the Eiffel Tower really great stunt scene. Great car scene in which Bond is chasing May Day with a stolen car. I know it was a stuntman and Roger Moore did not drive the car. In Stacey's house the fight with Bond and Zorin's henchman that wasn't Roger Moore fighting them that was his stuntman and it was funny, I thought the stuntman did a good job. But Tanya Roberts did her own stunts and she was good.

I liked the opening scene in which Bond use a flare gun and shots down the helicopter that was cool. I really enjoy the song A View to a Kill from Duran Duran. I have enjoy the horse riding that was really joy able to me in which Bond races with the horse on the race track with Zorin and Zorin's henchman has set booby traps for Bond and Zorin's men get caught instead. I like Bond with a shotgun Remington and he has a rock salt in it. Pretty cool the first time we see Bond with the shotgun and rock salt.

I did not thought that Roger Moore was that old or was that horrible, no he was really good at acting. I am sorry just my opinion. I like the burning elevator in the building in which Bond escapes and saves Stacey I love that sequence.

I miss those kind of movies: like Rambo, Superman and James Bond 007 Roger Moore I miss movie like this? Why can't we get movies like this one back. Again I did not thought Tanya Roberts was horrible or Roger Moore is too old and Tanya Roberts is his daughter. This movie to me is unappreciated and I wasn't bored with it!

9/10 better the Octopussy in my opinion it was good in my opinion. I have seen this movie so many times and I have always enjoyed it I always had fun with it.

Most underrated of the series

[dieseldemon85 · 10/10 · 20 August 2019]

Not sure why this one gets so much hate. Rating a Bond movie is subjective. Everyone has their personal favorite and this one is mine. Everyone discusses Roger's age and say he was too old for Bond. I disagree, I think as he got older his Bond movies were better. I don't want to give too much away, aside for having the best Bond, you have Christopher Walken playing psycho to the max. Also Grace Jones,and Tanya Roberts who was the girl next door of the Bond girls. Sure she was a bit screamy at times but not her fault alot of females parts were written that way in the 80's. Duran Duran had the best song until Skyfall ,and John Barry produced the best musical score since On her Majesty's secret service (1969). Look for the City Hall scene where Bond climbs down the ladder, with the instrumental version playing in background, has always stood out in mind. This film is different from the other Moore films, he plays it serious and it works well just like in For your eyes only. It really is a good film to kick back with some popcorn on a Saturday/Sunday afternoon. If your one of the haters, go back a re-watch,and look for the other positives I described.

Who car-jacks a snowmobile, taxi cab, fire truck, and blimp . . .

[pixrox1 · 8/10 · 31 July 2014]

. . . all in the same movie? Bond. James Bond, that's who. He also steals a horse, shoots down a helicopter, invents snow boarding, hijacks a truck full of dynamite, jams a drilling rig, replays the "inside job" massacre at San Francisco's City Hall, crashes a wedding, bests Evel Knievel's top vehicle jump, straddles the point of the TransAmerica Building, and saves Silicon Valley. (Almost sounds like Bauer. Jack Bauer.) Roger Moore is back for his seventh and final crack at Bond. Though Electro-Magnetic Pulse resistant (or EMP-proof) microchips are the initial "MacGuffin" of this yarn, that tech angle is soon dropped in favor of rehashing the same storyline of the previous Bond flick, OCTOPU$$Y. The renegade Russian is reduced in rank from "General" Orlov to "Agent" Zorin. Since Orlov never had his own blimp, Christopher Walken as "Zorin" probably doesn't feel too slighted here. Grace Jones essentially plays Wonder Woman, and blows up on the screen big-time. As Bond says to the "Stacy Sutton" character during their joint effort at water conservation, "That's not the soap!"

Moore was a likable hero who softened the menace saving the world seven times with charm, intelligence, and great dialog

[Nazi_Fighter_David · 7/10 · 7 August 2005]

"A View to a Kill" is a true remake of "Goldfinger." Let's start with the villain and his scheme… The villain, Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), is a true and exact copy of Auric Goldfinger… He owns a stud farm, and wins horse races by cheating... He is the European outsider who plans to wipe out a massive American resource, thus increasing the value of his own stockpiled wealth…His lust for power are greater than his loyalty to a lover…

Disco diva Grace Jones took the role of May Day, Zorin's natural born killer… May Day's leap off the top of the Eiffel Tower is a fine moment in best Bond tradition…This statuesque Jamaican woman—with sharp-cut hair to enhance her profile—is cast as a horse-taming, Kickboxing American who, according to Q, 'must take a lot of vitamins.' Nevertheless, at the film's climax, she retained a few shreds of humanity…

The film opens on an icy Siberian shore, where Bond recovers a microchip from the body of 003, driving back a party of Russian militiamen in his flight back to a British submarine disguised as an ice floe and controlled by blonde compatriot Kimberley Jones (Mary Stavin). The location chosen is both arresting and well-photographed enough to distinguish itself…

Bond is alerted to Zorin's intentions while investigating how the Russians have managed to duplicate a secret microchip resistant to damage caused by the magnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion… The technology has been leaked to the KGB following Zorin's purchase of the research company that developed the chip…

Tanya Roberts—who had joined the cast of television detective series Charlie's Ange1s in 1980—is cast for the role of Stacey Sutton, the beautiful blond geologist and heiress who results a vital assistance to 007 in unraveling the details of Zorin's scheme to detonate a bomb in one of his mines and create a cataclysmic earthquake…

"A View to a Kill" represents the farewell of Lois Maxwell who appeared as Miss Moneypenny for over 20 years of loyal secretarial service, and a unique claim to have featured in every Bond film… The motion picture also concludes Roger Moore's activities for over a decade in Bond adventures…In all his Bond's movies, Moore was a likable hero who softened the menace saving the world seven times with charm, intelligence, and great dialog… However action sequences lost their deadly flavor and took on a madcap flavor… In battles with characters such as J. W. Pepper, Nick Nack, Jaws, and May Day, it was hard to keep too straight a face—and Bond didn't

Roger keeps the British end up one last time

[ShadeGrenade · 9/10 · 4 June 2012]

Days before the rogue Bond movie 'Never Say Never Again' - which starred Sean Connery - opened in London at the end of 1983, Cubby Broccoli managed to pull off a champion spoiler. He announced that Roger Moore - who had declared his retirement from the role earlier that year with 'Octopussy' - had signed for a seventh movie, provisionally titled 'From A View To A Kill'. In other words, it didn't matter whether or not 'Again' was a hit, because Moore was still going to be around in the future. Loosely based on Ian Fleming's short story ( which appeared in the 'For Your Eyes Only' collection ) 'A View To A Kill' appeared two years later, again directed by John Glen. Critics who had claimed the 56-year old star too old for the role had to eat their words - in fact, he looks in better condition than Connery did in 'Again'. The plot by Michael G.Wilson and Richard Maibaum has Bond investigating the nefarious activities of millionaire 'Maz Zorin' ( Christopher Walken ). When I saw this originally, I chuckled. "They've remade 'Goldfinger!", I thought. "Only with microchips instead of gold bullion!". The two films are similarly structured. Instead of cheating at cards, Zorin is fixing horse races with the aid of steroids and micro-chips. Whereas Goldfinger wanted to increase the value of his gold by blowing up Fort Knox, Zorin wants to increase the value of his micro-chips by triggering an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault, California, thus destroying Silicon Valley.

'Kill' is a long way from 'Goldfinger' in terms of quality, of course, but it is much better than 'Again'. The equivalent 'Oddjob' is the enigmatic 'May Day', played with gusto by singer Grace Jones. Strangely, she never gets to fight Bond, which is a pity as the posters gave the impression such a skirmish was going to the movie's highlight. The action scenes start with an impressive Siberian skiing sequence ( marred only by the use of the Beach Boys' 'California Girls' ), and go on to include May Day jumping off the Eiffel Tower, Bond losing half his car in a chase, Bond and 'Stacy Sutton' ( Tanya Roberts of 'Charlie's Angels' ) trapped in a burning lift shaft, a chase involving a runaway fire engine in San Francisco, and Bond and May Day in a flooding mine, culminating in a climax involving an airship and the Golden Gate bridge. One of the film's pleasures is seeing Moore alongside Patrick Macnee of 'The Avengers', cast as 'Sir Godfrey Tibbett', Bond's sidekick. There is an amusing scene with Bond posing as a rich man and Tibbett as his chauffeur. It is a pity Tibbett was written out so soon. More of him and less of Fiona Fullerton's arch Russian agent - 'Pola Ivanova' - would have helped the movie no end. Moore was reputedly uncomfortable with some of the more violent aspects, such as Zorin machine-gunning to death his own men.

With its lively 'Duran Duran' theme song, 'A View To A Kill' was another big hit when it opened in the summer of 1985. Though it was not formally announced at the time, it was obvious that Moore was not coming back. Ditto Lois Maxwell as 'Miss Moneypenny'. His tenure as 007 - seven films across twelve years - marks him as the longest serving incumbent in the role. He might not have pleased humourless Ian Fleming fans, but there is no denying that he was massively popular with the general public. His successor, Timothy Dalton, was closer to the original Fleming character but the public chose not to endorse him. It was not until the arrival of Pierce Brosnan in 1995 that Moore was successfully replaced. The look of pleasure Moore put on the faces of cinema-goers world-wide took a long time to fade.

Incredibly Under-rated

[rutherfordh-81993 · 9/10 · 22 December 2020]

A View To A Kill is named as one of Roger Moore's weakest and one of weakest overall. I think it is one of the very best Bond films. The plot may be fairly difficult to understand, but eventually it becomes easier to follow. The villains are some of the very best there are, particularly Christopher Walken. The locations are mostly very good, particularly Paris and Golden Gate Bridge. Some of the action scenes are very strong, like the chase in the Eiffel Tower. Overall, it is a very strong film, which is extremely under-rated

A View to a Thrill!!

[MovieMan1975 · 10/10 · 20 January 2005]

Seriously underrated and lambasted by critics, but in my opinion one of the best Bond films. Moore bowed out of the series, just in time (well, at least close to it...) and with a serious bang. Christopher Walken is deliciously evil and psychopathic as Mack Zorin, the Nazi engineered genius looking to take over the tech industry by destroying Silicon Valley with a major flood disaster and earthquake. He is definitely one of the best movie villains ever. Along with some of the best music scoring of all the films in the series, including the fantastic Duran Duran song which epitomizes the 80's, the final showdown between Zorin and Bond on top of the golden gate bridge is breathtakingly exciting. I get goose bumps watching the ending! Many people hate this entry in the 007 series, calling it cheezy, clichéd, and that Moore is just too hammy and way too old. I disagree. I claim to be a true Bond-phile, having seen every film many times over, and have read every one of the most excellent (and quite different from the films) Fleming novels (btw the Fleming short story View to a Kill is actually the basis for the films Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes Only) and find that this is definitely one of my favourites. A great watch with amazing music, villains, and final action sequence.

Under-rated Bond entry.

[barnabyrudge · 2 October 2003]

A View To A Kill seems to get more than its fair share of criticism. Often it is labelled the weakest of the Bond entries, but I don't think this is particularly true. Personally, I don't even rate it as the poorest of Roger Moore's Bond outings, with Moonraker and The Man With the Golden Gun standing out in my memeory as less memorable escapades than this one.

It's Moore's final appearance as 007, and he is trying to prevent a psychotic business magnate, Max Zorin (Walken) from destroying Silicon Valley and cornering the world electronic market all for himself. To make matters worse, Zorin is not your average adversary, since he was born as the result of a Nazi doctor's scientific tamperings resulting in him being hyper-intelligent but also uncontrollably murderous. The mission takes Bond from Zorin's French chateau, to San Francisco, and ultimately to an abandoned mine close to Silicon Valley, where Zorin plans to detonate a bomb which will trigger a cataclysmic earthquake.

The set pieces are memorable, including a parachute pursuit from the Eiffel Tower, a fire engine chase around the hilly streets of San Francisco, and an airship crash on the Golden Gate bridge. Moore looks a bit old for the part, and his sexual humour bears a greater emphasis than usual of the "dirty old man" baggage. However, he still has an easy-going charisma and good comic timing. Walken makes for a good, supremely confident villain, and is well backed by the fearsome Grace Jones. However, Tanya Roberts Bond girl character is whining and screaming so much in this film that she eventually wears out her welcome. The theme song from Duran Duran is rather too '80s, but the instrumental music by John Barry is stirring and dramatic.

I'm not sure what all the disappointment is about. A View To A Kill is an above average Bond flick with plenty to keep you entertained.

Dance into the Fire.

[Dock-Ock · 10/10 · 26 November 2001]

With A View To a Kill, the cutain falls on one of the greatest era's in action/adventure movies, as we, EON and the rest of the world bid a fond farewell to Roger Moore's James Bond. And what an exit Moore makes, put simply A View to a Kill is on of the most exciting, stylish, well written and under-rated Bond movies of all time.

The basic feel of the movie is pure electric. The series is on a role after the rousing successes that were For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy. Both these movies had represented a maturing point in the series and the shot in the arm of suspense,action and excitement that was needed. This trend is continued to the full with A View To A Kill, and in his goodbye performance Roger Moore manages to remarkably combine all the best elements of his previous Bond movies, and comes up with a perfect way to leave behind Bond and Her Majestys Secret Service.

Cubby Broccoli could hardly have awarded Roger a better acolade in wich to leave the series, than to give him the opportunity to act alongside one of America's all time best character/villain actors : Christopher Walken. Walken as Zorin is the best villain in the series since Christopher Lee's Scaramanga in The Man with The Golden Gun. Walken brings a refreshing air of realism and menace combined to put him amngst the great villains of the series. Equally impressive is Grace Jones as MayDay. Jones is the epitomy of a she-hulk and is the very fore of mid 80-s femenism.She strangely manages to be beautiful and frightening in the same breath, and looks fantastic in the action and love making sequences were she lets Bond know who's on top! Then there is Patrick MacNee as Tibbet. Tibbet is a fun character and when posing as Bonds servent early on in the movie Moore takes every opportunity to ad-lib, ordering and bossing MacNee about. In truth it is very amusing to see John Steed carrying Simon Templer's Bags around. It is a petty that MacNee's character is Killed because other Bond movies would have benefited from Macnee's presence. Less succesfull on the character fronts are David Yip, whos character drifts into the movie, seemingly to make the numbers up and is then killed, and of course Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton. Sutton makes Brit Ecklands Goodnight look impressive. Roberts looks good, nd the part is well written , so perhaps it is a case of miscasting. Luckily, the beautiful Fiona Fullerton, who may have been a more impressive Stacey Sutton turns up as the tantalisingly sexy Pola Evanova.

The action set pieces like in every Bond movie fire and work on all cilendars. There is a wonderfull pre-credits Ski-Chase battle set in a picturesque arctic glacier. The excitement begins in Parris were BJ Worth doubled for grace Jones and parachuted off the Eiffel Tower, and this is imediately followed by a fantastic car chase through the Parrisian locals. This later shifts to a simmilar scene in San Francisco, wich has bon Escape a burning elavator shaft and end up driving a Fire Engine dangling from one] at full speed through the city. And finally to the Golden Gate bridge via Air Balloon were Bond and Zorin battle to death. Here Walken displays all the depth of his character, giving a knowing giggle before plummiting to his death, as though he apreciates the joke is on him.

A View to a Kill represents one of the finest scripts in the series, the battle for monopoly over the microchip market. Even if the climax borrows slightly from Superman the Movies flooding of St Andres Fault, or in this case Sillicon Valley. All the elements work. John Barry's Score is his best since On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and the title song by Duran Duran is one of the most energetic and exciting of the series and has quickly becom a standard. In all this is a most satisfying Bond movie. An adequate exit for Roger Moore and one that has stood the test of time well. Thanks Roger and goodbye.

He's a psychopath!

[acoleman-08466 · 10/10 · 10 November 2020]

Christopher Walken was great as Max Zorin. Zorin is the most diabolical Bond villain to date! Grace Jones was phenomenal as May Day.

Max Zorin for the win

[Sandcooler · 8/10 · 16 September 2011]

Christopher Walken with a machine gun, Duran Duran while they were still popular, James Bond while he was still Roger Moore, steroid-enhanced horses, evil Grace Jones, a zeppelin: it's really tough to find something in this movie that's not cool. "A View To A Kill" wasn't too well-received when it came out, but I seriously have no idea why. It's a highly entertaining movie, filled with all of the elements that you could possibly watch Bond flicks for. It goes on for almost two and a half hours, but it contains more than enough action to justify that running time. And if there's no action, you still have a lot of Walken being completely insane, which is just as good. Highly underestimated entry.

Love the dynamic villainous duo

[taborfreddy · 9/10 · 22 November 2020]

This was a great watch. Christopher Walken and Grace Jones were great together as an evil business duo..The action and thrill was awesome. I, for one, was sad to see Roger more stop playing 007. I liked his charisma, and how he brought glamor and grit together to create a beloved 007 character.

One of the best - beware of spoilers

[Spectravideo · 8/10 · 7 April 2014]

I think Moore does a great job in this his last Bond-film. Actually, I think he's better than ever. Just as Connery is in Never Say Never Again, Moore is here much more confident, charming and delivers his lines superbly. And he's very funny at times, especially when nagging with his "servant" in France. I love the classy style of the film, with the upper class suits and environments. The music score by John Barry is the best ever in a Bond-film. Even the title song with Duran Duran is great. The opening sequence is great, apart from the Beach Boys music (what were they thinking?). Grace Jones does a good job, and so does most other actors. Tanya Roberts, on the other hand, brings the experience down quite a bit. So does the strange massacre at the end, which is pretty gruesome actually and not really necessary. The female KGB-agent is also more looks than brains and is not very believable . Other than that - great action and a really fun Bond-film!

Very good!!!

[blakeboyuk · 8/10 · 9 December 2002]

This is a good Bond film, but sadly is the last with Roger as 007. Despite this, A View to a Kill has one of if not the best Bond bad guys ever. Chris Walken is in fine form as the evil Zorin - a psychopathic mega-lo-maniac with his eyes set on computer domination of the world by destroying silicone valley. I found his devilish laughter, especially just before he dies, one of the best moments in the film. Also his horse related exchanges with 007 are swiftly and enjoyable executed. Obviously Moore does it again with a fine portrayal as JB. The scene with the Iceberg, the fight at Miss Suttons house, the fire truck, the race course are particularly enjoyable. Grace Jones is VERY scary as May Day and certainly one of the most unusual Bond girls. Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton is fine and does what all Bond girls are supposed to do - say "oh James" at the end of the film. With Lois Maxwell and Roger Moore leaving the series its a good swan song for them both. (Also, the title Duran Duran sequence is probably the best of the lot with its colourful 80's imagery and the punchy track from a great band!)

Walken saves an otherwise forgettable Bond tale

[Reef-Shark · 6/10 · 30 April 2009]

I can say I am a Bond fan, seeing as I own twenty of the twenty-two movies currently on DVD (as of writing this review). So far the only film I haven't enjoyed in the series has been Roger Moore's Moonraker, just because of the over the top silliness and the obvious sell-out to appeal to moviegoers who had just seen Star Wars.

Upon seeing 'A View to a Kill' I instantly was prepared for the worst, and let me tell you this certainly is a bad Bond film. Moore is showing his obvious age, making the relations with his leading ladies undeniably awkward, to say the least. The plot is as simple as they come, and none of the actors are really given any chance with the dialogue they have been given. Moore has very few witty comments in this movie, and most of the other characters are cardboard cut outs.

One thing however manages to make this film better than Moonraker. This is the under-appreciated role of Max Zorin, played by the always wonderful Christopher Walken. I can say without a doubt in my mind that Walken is the single saving grace in this film, exhibiting everything any good Bond villain needs.

Exotic locations: Check! Unique henchmen/henchwoman: Check! Surrounded by beautiful girls: Check Cold and ruthless attitude: Double check! Heartless and chilling disregard for henchmen life: CHECK Walken, with a horrid script (every character in this movie is poorly written) is able to create one of the best Bond villains I've ever seen! The way he talks, the way he acts, everything he does showcases his undeniable talent. So for a movie like 'A View to a Kill' Walken's performance is like shifting through sewage and finding a large diamond ring.

It is because of Walken that I recommend this movie and give it a relatively good rating. Everything else about this film is really forgettable. You'd think a super-strong female henchwoman would make for a memorable moment in the franchise, but this is so poorly handled that she winds up as one of the most forgettable characters in the series, as opposed to one of the best.

Roger Moore, unfortunately, ends his career on Bond in perhaps his own worst performance, which is undeniably sad. It seems that all Bond actors seem to end their careers on the lowest of their films (Connery with 'Diamonds are Forever', Brosnan with 'Die Another Day', and though Dalton was a great Bond, I have to say 'License to Kill' was a weak film) but with those films it has always been more the scripts fault, as opposed to the actor's talent (all three tried their best with the material). Moore is just plain stiff in his last entry! The man seems to have totally lost interest in playing the character by this point.

I consider 1979's 'Moonraker' Moore's worst, but like 'Diamonds are Forever', and 'Die Another Day', Moonraker was more the fault of the script writers; not the Bond actor. In 'A View to a Kill' Moore really shows that he is no longer capable of playing the part, and that is the saddest part of the film (especially seeing Moore seducing girls much younger than himself, with his developing turkey neck becoming quite obvious). Walken makes the movie an enjoyable, B-grade action movie, but as for Bond, this is where it becomes an undeniable fact that Moore has overstayed his welcome as Agent 007.

Moore deserved a better ending, and the fact is that he just shouldn't have come back for this film. Octopussy may have actually been a decent departure, but Moore decided to try one last time and it really is the straw that breaks the Moore Bond's back. Enough was enough, and Moore failed to recognize when he should have cried "when!" I give this film a decent rating for the performance of Christopher Walken, but everything else is very low, and forgettable. Go and see it for Walken, but it is sad to see Moore's finally desperate breaths as he tries to keep the character going one last time.

the first bond I saw

[henrymadman · 10/10 · 29 September 2007]

View To A Kill, released in 1985, is the 14th film in the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as the fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond.

Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the third Bond film after The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy to have an entirely original screenplay. In A View to a Kill, Bond is pitted against Max Zorin, who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.

shame its classed as one of the worst.

7/10

There wasn't anything wrong with this one...

[diamond_martini · 8/10 · 15 December 2006]

Despite Roger Moore being a little over the hill for his last Bond film, I still loved it.

The basic premise of this movie is, yes, I admit it, similar to Goldfinger. Christopher Walken who happened to be a product of Nazi experimentation plans to destroy silicone valley and have a monopoly on the computer chip market. This was a great story line, especially in the 1980's when computers were becoming cool.

Tonya Roberts, In my humble opinion was probably the most beautiful Bond girl there was. Her sexy throaty whisper was intoxicating. May Day (Walken's strange and muscular girlfriend) added so much too the story, especially what she did at the end.

Despite what people say about this being one of the worst 007 movies, it had a solid story. An amazing performance by Christopher Walken and a very sexy Tanya Roberts. This movie should at least be somewhere in the middle of your James Bond list. So please give this one a chance, it's one of my favorites. Oh, and we can't forget the theme song, which has to be the best James Bond theme ever, and you can't deny that.

Quite possibly my favourite bond film

[anthony-hickton · 9/10 · 2 January 2007]

After reading several not very flattering opinions of this film, I thought it right to add my own opinion to this film. I'd like to discuss a couple of points mentioned in previous comments.

1) Roger's age - I know Roger was in his late 50's when this movie was made but I don't think it really affects the flow of the film. I actually think this is one of Roger's better films.

2). One of the worst bond films of all time - Lot's of comments refer to this movie as being Roger's worst and possibly one of the worst Bond movies of all time. For me the movie has all the essential bond elements a sexy bond girl, a great theme song, terrific bad guy (Christopher Walken) and Roger on top form. The humour is there throughout the film and it just feels like a bond film. Compare this to 'for your eyes only' which never felt like a bond film to me. I feel it is certainly worthy of a much higher rating than 6.0.

Roger Moore's final go as Bond a nice send off

[Aaron1375 · 8/10 · 14 December 2014]

For a lot of people, Roger Moore is usually dismissed from the 'who was the best Bond' argument. For me, he was my favorite, possibly still is. Part of the reasons for this is a pure nostalgia factor in that he was the Bond when I was growing up. His films were the ones that were on television and when there was a new film he was Bond. Another reason he may be my favorite is the movies themselves. His Bond films were an eclectic collection of movies that were usually fast paced and fun. Most of his films featured multiple exotic locations , lots of cool action sequences and an awesome villain. Roger Moore's Bond got to duel with Christopher Lee and in this one Christopher Walken two of the best actors to portray Bond villains. Sure, Octopussy was almost the Austin Power's of its day in that it was almost a parody, but this one reigned in the campiness a bit and while not his best work, still ended his tenure as Bond in nice fashion. Not perfect, mind you, as Timothy Dalton's 'The Living Daylights' would be better, this one is still is a good Bond film that probably did represent the 80's more so than did any other Bond film from its opening featuring a Duran Duran song and lots of neon to the inclusion of Grace Jones as villainous sidekick Mayday.

The story has Bond recovering a microchip from a Russian facility that mirrors one at a plant run by Max Zorin. Meaning that somehow the Russians have gotten a hold of one of these chips. James sets out to investigate Zorin at his horse staples as Zorin seems to also have an unnatural edge in the racing of horses as well. It is not too long before Zorin tries to off Bond and show himself as the bad guy and soon Bond must go to San Francisco where he must try to figure out what Zorin's plans are as Zorin seems to be plotting something large. Bond will be assisted by a lady that Zorin has been trying to pay off and intimidate and together they will find themselves in a cave that is laden with Zorin's men as they plan to do something insane to turn the world of computers and microchips decidedly in Zorin's favor.

Roger Moore was quite old by this time and it was time for him to relinquish the role of 007. That being said, he still did a great job as the one thing you can say about him is that unlike Sean Connery near the end of his run as Bond, Moore still seemed to have fun doing it. In fact, I would say had Moore started as Bond instead of Connery, he would likely have kept the role up to View To a Kill. Here his age is apparent, as he is older than Connery, so one knows that you're mainly getting stunt doubles, but they made it work. Christopher Walken is the main villain of the piece and he is crazy good. Probably one of the more psychotic Bond villains he relishes killing those who work for him and laughs as he faces death. Grace Jones is also in this film and like most of the villains henchmen, she is a formidable opponent. Patrick Mcnee also does a good job as the agent initially investigating Zorin's horses. Now for the main problem with the film, Tanya Roberts. She has the looks, but she just does not seem like a Bond girl to me. She is perhaps, my least favorite Bond girl besides Denise Richards in The World is Not Enough.

So, I think this film was a nice farewell for Roger Moore as Bond. I actually thought Octopussy was good too, but this one was just a better send off as it had less comedic elements than did that film. Like I stated above, that one was nearly a parody in areas. Roger Moore's age does show, but he still carries the film well as he faces off a very nice opponent in Zorin played by Walken. I did not enjoy this one as much when I was younger, but it has grown on me, it is just nice to see so many very well down practical special effects rather than mainly CGI ones that accompany nearly every film released these days. It is also interesting that this is the film that sort of brought snowboarding into the open and made it quite big, so Roger Moore's final Bond film did start something rather big and that is rather cool. So is this film…not even Moore's best Bond movie, but a nice cool entry into the series and a nice farewell to probably the actor who enjoyed being Bond the most.

An Underrated Bond Film

[sterlinrivera-2000 · 9/10 · 24 January 2020]

A View to a Kill is what I consider to be an underrated Bond film. It didn't get the respect it deserved when it came out. It was an awesome film and was a great last Moore Bond film.

The movie is about James Bond (Roger Moore) obtains a microchip from the body of a dead Russian colleague, and finds out it is for sinister plans. Max Zorin (Christopher Walken) is behind things as he and his bodyguard, May Day (Grace Jones) have a scheme to cause mass destruction. Bond must do everything in his power to stop the both of them, and gets help from Stacey Stutton (Tanya Roberts).

This was such a great film. It had some really good action and had a pretty simple story. For one last time, Roger Moore was awesome as Bond, Christopher Walken was a phenomenal villan, and I'm glad they picked a very good actor like him for the role, and Grace Jones was nice as his sidekick, and Tanya Roberts made a solid Bond girl. Many think she's one of the worst, but she had good chemistry with Bond.

The fight towards the end is probably the best part and made the film worth it in the end. I don't want to spoil it, but the action and how things went in the finale made the film more satisfying.

Overall, A View to a Kill is an underrated Bond Film that is very good all the way through.

One of the Most Enjoyable Bond Movies

[uroshnor54 · 10/10 · 30 July 2014]

I didn't really pay much attention to the James Bond series until I saw the last half hour of A View to a Kill on TV when a channel (I forget which) was playing all the Bond movies all day long for a few days (because Skyfall was going to be released soon). It was because of that last half hour that I decided to watch all of AVtaK and more movies in the series. I haven't seen all of them yet but I have seen Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Never Say Never Again (yes, I know it's not an Eon movie), Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Casino Royale (2006), and Skyfall. So that's 16 movies plus one non-Eon movie. It's strange, I didn't realize until now that I've seen all of Roger Moore's Bond movies.

Anyway, I might lose all of my nonexistent credibility but A View to a Kill is my second favorite of the Bond series (The Spy Who Loved Me is first). And not just because it's nostalgic. I think it's got good action scenes and locations. Christopher Walken is great. Max Zorin is definitely one of the best villains in the series. Grace Jones is pretty good too as Mayday. And Roger Moore really isn't that bad. Yeah, he was 57 at the time of filming but I thought he gave a good last performance as Bond. And I must say I really liked Tanya Roberts.I'm surprised a lot of people think she's one of the worst Bond girls.

The plot is pretty good. It's kind of complex without getting convoluted like some other James Bond movies (like Skyfall). It's been said that A View to a Kill has a few similarities to Goldfinger but I didn't (and don't) really mind since I saw it first.

Oh yeah, and Duran Duran's title song for AVtaK is my favorite of the series (GoldenEye and Live and Let Die would be a close second and third, respectively) and John Barry's score is also great.

The "New Coke" of James Bond films

[baseat · 10/10 · 24 November 2000]

Despite the lousy treatment that this movie has received on this site, I think that this is easily one of the best of the Roger Moore 007 films and ranks among my all-time favorite Bond films. It's entertaining, the story is fresh and creative, and the characters are well-cast. Firstly, Roger Moore, who was 57 at the time, was NOT too old to play 007 in this film. Can we really define "too old" when actors that are in their 50's such as Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Sylvester Stallone regularly star in action films today. If Indiana Jones 4 and Terminator 3 both came out tomorrow, most of us would rush to buy tickets, thinking little about the fact that Ford and Schwarzenegger might be "a little old". I think that Christopher Walken played an excellent villain. His character, Max Zorin has it all: creepiness, unpredictability, and an appetite for death and conquest. Some people are shocked about the segment in the mine scene when Zorin takes out a bunch of his workers with an Uzi. To those people I say, "Hello! Max Zorin was psychotic! This scene was an excellent demonstration of his sick mind. Had you been paying attention to the movie you'd know that!" The bottom line is that the cast is great and the story makes perfect sense(more than I can say for The Living Daylights, which is somehow rated higher on this site). In light of this, I don't see how anyone could hold it with such contempt. In a way, A View to a Kill is like the New Coke which was introduced around the same time. It's formula, while deviating from the original, offered a far superior taste. Despite the excellent taste, it was still shunned by the public and fans of the original Coca-Cola, much like this movie is shunned by James Bond fans.

Roger Moore's last outing as Bond

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 21 June 2012]

This instalment in the Bond franchise opens with 007 in Siberia retrieving a silicon chip from the frozen body of 003; of course he then has to escape across the ice on skis, a snowmobile, a makeshift snowboard and finally a boat disguised to look like a small iceberg! We soon learn that the chip recovered from Siberia matched those made by a government contractor recently taken over by Zorin Industries. Bond is given to job of investigating Zorin; a task that takes him to France where Zorin is holding a horse sale. Bond learns that Zorin is stockpiling silicon chips but at this point he has no idea why. The only real lead he finds there is a cheque written to a Stacey Sutton, Californian woman for five million dollars. It is at this point that the viewer learns his plans... he is intending to destroy Silicon Valley to give him and his associates a monopoly in silicon chip supply. Bond heads to California where he learns that Zorin is pumping sea water into a series of oil wells. He is initially told that this is routine to test the pipes but when he finds Stacey she tells him that Zorin has been trying to force her to sell her family's oil well and that pumping water into the wells is dangerous as they are on a fault. It turns out he plans to flood both the Heywood and San Andreas Faults while simultaneously blowing up the location that prevents both of them having earthquakes at the same time... Bond and Stacey only have a limited time to prevent to flooding of Silicon Valley and the drowning of hundreds of thousands of people.

As with the other Roger Moore era Bond Films this one contains many elements that are fairly silly; whether that makes them more entertaining or just annoying will depend on the viewer... a case in point is the use of the song 'California Girls' as Bond 'surfs' on a makeshift snowboard in the opening scenes; personally I thought that was rather fun but I know others disagree. Christopher Walken who played the psychotic Zorin made an entertaining if somewhat OTT villain and Grace Jones was good as his Amazonian assistant May Day; although better when doing action scenes than when talking! Roger Moore once again put in a fun performance as Bond although by now he was getting a little old for the role. It wouldn't be a Bond film without exciting stunts in impressive locations; these included having Bond chase May Day in a stolen taxi as she parachuted from the Eiffel Tower; Bond fleeing from the police in a huge stolen fire engine and finally a fight on the top of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. It could be argued that the plot has been taken straight from 'Goldfinger'; right down to killing the 'investor' who decides not to proceed when he learns just what the villain is planning, while this is a fair argument I don't think it spoilt the film, even if it is not in the same league as the earlier film. Overall this was a decent final Bond film for Roger Moore although it is far from his best; still it is a fun way to pass a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon!

My favourite Roger Moore bond film

[Snake7088 · 8/10 · 3 January 2008]

For those of you that don't like this film, that's fine. From my prospective, A View to a Kill is my favourite Moore bond film and quite possibly my favourite bond film that isn't Brosnan and upwards.

Why I like this film:

1)It has a good theme song and tune.

2)The cast is good e.g. Christopher Walken

3)The stunts are good. Particuly the car scene in Paris.

4)The plot is unique.

5)Tanya Roberts

If you haven't seen this film, may I recommend it...if you want.

Great movie, one of my all time favorites...

[imdb-99252 · 8/10 · 7 October 2019]

Great cast, great movie, great musical score... No disappointments, and an absolute must see, if you're a bond fan...