Pros and Cons: A View to a Kill

Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
edited September 2015 in The James Bond Films
A View to Kill, released in 1985. Moore's 7th and final Bond film. It received mixed to negative reviews. Moore himself said he disliked the film because he was too old for the part and he thought it was too violent.

Pros:
[list=*]
[*]Christopher Walken as Max Zorin (plus Dr. Mortner and Mayday).[/*]
[*]Engineered earthquake to flood Silicon Valley = good plan[/*]
[*]Epic finale with airplane, rope and golden gate bridge[/*]
[*]Moore's gentlemanly and fatherly demeanor gave me a warm feeling.[/*]
[*]The parody and camp (like snowboarding) is ridiculous and fun.[/*]
[*]Retains the spy elements of older films and epic action elements of later ones.[/*]
[*]Riotous fun. Bond hijacking a firetruck and escaping from the cops, and the mine scene.[/*]
[/list]

Cons:
[list=*]
[*]The story is a clone of Goldfinger.[/*]
[*]First half has slow pacing (50 minutes for a horse racing intro)[/*]
[*]Moore is old, almost a senior citizen.[/*]
[*]No chemistry with Tanya Roberts. That ending is cringe.[/*]
[/list]

Overall Thoughts:
This is such a hard movie to assess. It has a number of great classic moments sandwiched within an overall mediocre film. In many ways, it was a transition point leading the later films which would be darker and more violent.
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Comments

  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I agree with every Point except on Mayday -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    You forgot to mention the prettiest plus!

    Jenny Flex!! :x :x :x

    alisondoody003.jpg
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Jenny Flex, I'd bow down before her ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    edited December 2014
    Omega: Explain what you mean. Are you saying May Day was a bad character? In my view, she was quite abrasive and challenged my tastes a bit, but I welcomed a difference. The Bond series has enough Honey Ryders and Pussy Galores.

    Higgin/Thunderpussy: Yes, she is quite attractive!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I can never have enough Pu ......... ;)
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Jenny Flex, I'd bow down before her ! :))

    I'd let her :D
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent

    Higgin/Thunderpussy: Yes, she is quite attractive!

    Disclaimer: I am in denial to have ANY relations to Thunderpussy, infact I refuse to aknowledge him :D
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    edited December 2014
    Omega: Explain what you mean. Are you saying May Day was a bad character? In my view, she was quite abrasive and challenged my tastes a bit, but I welcomed a difference. The Bond series has enough Honey Ryders and Pussy Galores.

    Higgin/Thunderpussy: Yes, she is quite attractive!

    I thought that the Character of May Day was well done, and no one else except Grace Jones could of pulled it off. She had a Psychotic Edge to her -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    edited December 2014
    More like sisters in Thunderpussys case :D
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Then where do you disagree?
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    Higgins/Thunderpussy, what a hybrid that would be an incredibly
    Handsome Bond fan with horrible trainers ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    I'm saying that MayDay was not really underdeveloped as a Character.
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I also have discovered that I seem to be the only one on AJB
    Who finds Mayday attractive. :#
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    I personally don't find May Day attractive, but I think "bond girls" should be judged as people - not sex objects. Nobody's judging Roger Moore or Christopher Walken on their attractiveness.

    I don't think there was anything wrong with May Day. I just felt like she was one of the most innovative parts of the film and should've had a larger role considering how meh much of the rest of the movie was.
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    It makes me wonder who else was considered for the Role of MayDay :))
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I too am a modern man and try not to objectify, major babes ! :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Not much discussion here on the movie itself. Probably because the movie doesn't dig too deep. It's a simple kinda-funny escapist action flick with nothing too original or complex going on.

    So, discussion on Jenny Flex it is!
  • Sir Hillary BraySir Hillary Bray College of ArmsPosts: 2,174MI6 Agent
    Here's my quick take...

    Pros:
    [list=*]
    [*]Fantastic theme song.[/*]
    [*]Visually attractive -- the chateau and San Francisco are great locations.[/*]
    [*]Walken's performance as Zorin -- truly unhinged.[/*]
    [*]Interesting scheme to wreck Silicon Valley.[/*]
    [*]Nice relationship with Tibbett, and the taped mock abuse is truly funny.[/*]
    [/list]

    Cons:
    [list=*]
    [*]Moore is far too old.[/*]
    [*]The factory fight is the lamest in the whole series.[/*]
    [*]Tanya Roberts is a terrible actress.[/*]
    [*]Grace Jones is not much better.[/*]
    [*]Cheesy stunt sequences (snowboarding to "California Girls", driving half a car, goofy fire engine chase).[/*]
    [*]KGB shoe-horned into the plot, culminating in the ridiculous Pola Ivanova storyline.[/*]
    [*]Chuck Lee is a wet squib -- why not just use Felix?.[/*]
    [*]Creepy dirty-old-man vibe to the ending shower scene.[/*]
    [/list]

    Verdict:
    [list=*]
    [*]Only DAD keeps AVTAK from being bottom of the barrel.[/*]
    [/list]
    Hilly...you old devil!
  • AlphaOmegaSinAlphaOmegaSin EnglandPosts: 10,924MI6 Agent
    Felix was going to be in AVTAK originally -{
    1.On Her Majesties Secret Service 2.The Living Daylights 3.license To Kill 4.The Spy Who Loved Me 5.Goldfinger
  • HigginsHiggins GermanyPosts: 16,618MI6 Agent
    Here's my quick take...
    .....[*]Only DAD keeps AVTAK from being bottom of the barrel.[/*]

    In your "quick take" - you have forgotten the very bottom of the barrell: DAF ;)
    President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.

    Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Yeah, I liked the scheme to wreck Silicon Valley and create a monopoly on tech.

    Except that this is pretty much the same thing that Goldfinger did with gold.
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    Here's my quick take...
    .....[*]Only DAD keeps AVTAK from being bottom of the barrel.[/*]

    In your "quick take" - you have forgotten the very bottom of the barrell: DAF ;)

    You're both wrong. AVTAK is the very bottom of the barrell! :D
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Although AVTAK is my least favorite Bond movie, I do agree with your following Pros:
    Pros:
    [list=*]
    [*]Theme song by Duran Duran is full of vigor and life[/*]
    [*]Christopher Walken's performance of the villain Zorin.[/*]
    [*]Great final scene with airplane, rope and golden gate bridge[/*]
    [*]May Day was interesting, albeit a little bit underdeveloped.[/*]
    [/list]
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy Behind you !Posts: 63,792MI6 Agent
    I for one still enjoy it. -{ love the snowboarding, Chris Walken. It was on
    ITV 4 last week, sat down just to watch the pts, and ended up watching it all. :))
    "I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
  • Moore ThanMoore Than EnglandPosts: 3,173MI6 Agent
    Pros:

    Roger Moore
    Christopher Walken
    Patrick Macnee
    Grace Jones
    Title song
    Score
    Locations
    Eiffel Tower sequence
    Water pumping station sequence
    Mine sequence
    Golden Gate Bridge sequence


    Cons:

    "Beach Boys"
    French Taxi Driver
    Stunt Double/s too visible
    San Francisco "Keystone Cops"
    Tanya Roberts miscast
    Script not tailored to Bond's age

    Verdict: Overall, very enjoyable. Better than its reputation.
    Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
  • DevilMayCare007DevilMayCare007 Posts: 196MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    Here's my quick take...
    .....[*]Only DAD keeps AVTAK from being bottom of the barrel.[/*]

    In your "quick take" - you have forgotten the very bottom of the barrell: DAF ;)

    You're both wrong. AVTAK is the very bottom of the barrell! :D
    BL I'm with you on this one {[]
    Top 10 Bond Films
    1. Thunderball 2. FRWL 3. Casino Royale 4. TLD 5. OHMSS 6. SkyFall 7. GF 8. TSWLM 9. GE 10. FYEO
  • broadshoulderbroadshoulder Acton, London, UKPosts: 1,363MI6 Agent
    Omega: Explain what you mean. Are you saying May Day was a bad character? In my view, she was quite abrasive and challenged my tastes a bit, but I welcomed a difference. The Bond series has enough Honey Ryders and Pussy Galores.

    Higgin/Thunderpussy: Yes, she is quite attractive!

    I thought that the Character of May Day was well done, and no one else except Grace Jones could of pulled it off. She had a Psychotic Edge to her -{

    I agree. Only Grace Jones could make her work.
    1. For Your Eyes Only 2. The Living Daylights 3 From Russia with Love 4. Casino Royale 5. OHMSS 6. Skyfall
  • BlackleiterBlackleiter Washington, DCPosts: 5,615MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:

    In your "quick take" - you have forgotten the very bottom of the barrell: DAF ;)

    You're both wrong. AVTAK is the very bottom of the barrell! :D
    BL I'm with you on this one {[]

    When we're right, we're right! {[]
    "Felix Leiter, a brother from Langley."
  • Absolutely_CartAbsolutely_Cart NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
    Higgins wrote:
    Here's my quick take...
    .....[*]Only DAD keeps AVTAK from being bottom of the barrel.[/*]

    In your "quick take" - you have forgotten the very bottom of the barrell: DAF ;)

    You're both wrong. AVTAK is the very bottom of the barrell! :D

    I've only watched 8 Bond films so far: Dr No, Goldfinger, FRWL, AVTAK, TLD, CR, QOS, and Skyfall.

    Of all of them, AVTAK is certainly at the bottom of the barrel in my eyes. I heard Moonraker and Die Another Day are competitors for the worst, as well. I'll have to find out.

    But for all the faults of A View to a Kill, there were still qualities of it I liked. Will I watch it again? Probably in a couple years from now, but out of 23-25 films, rewatching it's not going to be a high priority.
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