A View to a Kill (1985) Review

Title: A View to a Kill
Year: 1985
Director: John Glen
Country: UK
Language: English

I was hesitant to give A View to A Kill (1985) a chance because, so far, the 1980's Bond movies (Octopussy & For Your Eyes Only) have been too subdued & too steeped in conservative politics for my liking. I was immediately won over as I heard Duran Duran's iconic 80's synth-pop blaring through my speakers. Dance into the Fire. That Fatal Kiss is all We Need. Bring it on. 

The recovery of a microchip from the body of a fellow British secret agent leads James Bond (Roger Moore) to mad industrialist Max Zorin (Chrisopher Walken) , who is scheming to cause massive destruction.

A View To a Kill  is James Bond at peak 80's. In the West, this was the era of Cyndi Lauper, New Coke and The Goonies. There was still a conservative presence, as Ronald Reagan was re-elected, but it had cooled down significantly since the start of the decade. The Cold War had also cooled due to instability within the USSR. Computers were becoming more important to pop culture; Apple had released their first Macintosh in 1984. Therefore it was appropriate for the film to be a pop-punk MTV-era spy picture where the villain is obsessed with microchips. 

This Bond outing, the final one starring Roger Moore, is fun and campy. It features a hot Bond girl (Tanya Roberts) and a memorable femme fatale in May Day (Grace Jones). Christopher Walken does a good job at portraying an industrialist psychopath. The set pieces are memorable, but the action scenes are lacking a feeling of excitement and urgency. 

A View to a Kill is rated quite low by fans of the Franchise, who seem to like a more serious Bond, but I quite enjoy it! Goofy escapist Bond, fighting crazy rich baddies, is definitely my cup of tea.