A View to a Kill *** (1985, Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Patrick Bauchau, David Yip, Fiona Fullerton, Dolph Lundgren) – Classic Movie Review 828

In his seventh Bond movie, A View to a Kill directed by John Glen in 1985, Roger Moore enjoys his last outing as James Bond with this low-voltage tale in which 007 is pitted against blond super-baddie Max Zorin (Christopher Walken). He is out to corner the microchip market by planning to set off an earthquake in San Andreas, which will destroy all of California’s Silicon Valley.

Zorin Industries has created a computer chip that is capable of withstanding a nuclear electromagnetic pulse that would otherwise destroy a normal chip.

This isn’t really one of the best Bond movies but it boasts some pluses that include two extremely creepy and unusual villains (Walken and Grace Jones as his judo-kicking partner-in-crime May Day), the dazzling stunts and a fun, though rather wobbly, climax on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

A View to a Kill is the 16th Bond film, and after this Moore gave up his licence to kill and Timothy Dalton took over as 007 for just two films starting with The Living Daylights. It’s the end of an era. The beloved old backup team is still assembled here: Desmond Llewelyn is back as Q, Robert Brown is M, Geoffrey Keen is the Minister of Defence and it is Lois Maxwell’s last appearance as Miss Moneypenny.

It was written by the old writing team of Richard Maibaum and Michael G Wilson The catchy title song, sung by Duran Duran (composed by them and John Barry), reached number one in the US and two in the UK. The main title is created by Maurice Binder. The movie was made at Pinewood Studios and on location in England, France, Switzerland, Iceland and the US.

Also in the cast is Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett, Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton, Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine, David Yip as Chuck Lee, Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova, Dolph Lundgren as Venz, Manning Redwood as Bob Conley, Alison Doody as Jenny Flex, Willoughby Gray as Dr Carl Mortner, Walter Gotell as General Gogol, Jean Rougerie as Aubergine and Daniel Benzali as Howe, Bogdan Kominowski as Klotkoff, Papillon Soo as Pan Ho and Mary Stavin as Kimberley Jones.

RIP Tanya Roberts, who died on 3 January 2021, aged 65. She was both a Bond Girl and the last of the original Charlie’s Angels, and appeared in The Beastmaster (1982) and in the title role in Sheena (1984).

Patrick Macnee, for ever Steed in TV’s The Avengers, died on June 25 2015, aged 93.

Sir Roger George Moore KBE (14 October 1927 – 23 May 2017) played James Bond in seven films between 1973 and 1985, and Simon Templar in the TV series The Saint between 1962 and 1969. ‘Connery was the killer, I was the lover.’ Nobody does it better.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Classic Movie Review 828

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