A View to a Kill (1985)

A View to a Kill (1985)

1985 PG 131 Minutes

Adventure | Action | Thriller

A newly developed microchip designed by Zorin Industries for the British Government that can survive the electromagnetic radiation caused by a nuclear explosion has landed in the hands of the KGB....

Overall Rating

7 / 10
Verdict: Good

User Review

  • A View To A Kill dances into a fire that's just been extinguished. Apologies, I had to get Duran Duran's classic theme song in the title sentence somehow! Needless to say this entry is one of the weakest, yet it's garnered a small following claiming it to be a guilty pleasure. I'll be the first to say, I belong in that group. There's something about how campy and nonsensical the plot is that just makes for silly entertainment. Bond has been assigned a mission where we must investigate a microchip manufacturer run by Max Zorin, a psychopath wanting to flood Silicon Valley. Don't ask me why, something to do with the KGB and microchips and...yeah...admittedly the story is weaker than a cup of watery tea. It's not the most engaging narrative either, action sequences are infrequent and the noticeable stunt doubles do take you out of the film. But come on, when a spy film contains the line "the bubbles tickle my...Tchaikovsky!!" you just have to roll over and give into the sheer stupidity that is onscreen. Roger Moore was past his sell by date so it was only right that this was his last entry. He couldn't do any of the easier stunts, like hand-to-hand combat, let alone the driving scenes. His womanising talents are still supreme though...not sure if that's a good thing. Christopher Walken laughs like a maniac and Grace Jones is the manliest beast as she portrays May Day, a villainous sidekick that would give Jaws a run for his money. No special gadgety from Q Branch except a robot dog that acts as a gag in the final minute. A blimp that flies around which leads to an underwhelming yet badass showdown atop of the Golden Gate Bridge. Horses injected with steroids, base jumping from the Eiffel Tower, a mine in Sili...wait a blimp!? What use is a blimp!? The most impractical use of transportation ever! You know what? I don't even care, this film is a good time. The soundtrack is great, Glen's direction is perfectly solid and the story is well paced. Weak? Sure. The worst? Probably. Entertaining? You betcha. "What a view..." "...to a kill!", that line cracks me up every time.