A View to a Kill (1985)
One of the lesser James Bond films but still entertaining. Yes we know Roger Moore was by this stage too old for the part -although i argue that you wouldn't have noticed so much had his hair been darker - and despite the fact he was older than co-star and love interest Tanya Roberts mother, they still have chemistry together.
The plot is slight in comparison to many of the Moore films and does feel like a later Connery film echoing Diamonds are Forever and especially Goldfinger with which it has many similarities.
There are several very well crafted set pieces including the fire engine chase across San Francisco and the airship finale atop the Golden Gate Bridge, whilst Christopher Walken makes for a fun if not especially well written main villain. Grace Jones is memorable as the sadistic MayDay but one can't help feel she was a bit wasted in the roll.
There's some lovely cinematography composed by director John Barry, sweeping vistas over Paris, San Francisco and Silicon Valley giving the whole thing a genuine feel of scale without the need to go into space.
Another plus is the title song. One of the series best ever from Duran Duran.
Another thing i did notice. This is perhaps the only film with three iconic sleuths in it. Moore's Saint (and Persuader), David Yip's Chinese Detective and John Steed himself, Patrick Macnee.
So A View to a Kill may not be top tier Bond but it's by no means the worst and on the whole hugely enjoyable.
|