A View To A Kill
Unfairly lambasted by many as being the worst of the series, the truth is that Roger Moore in his seventh and what he knew to be his last outing as James Bond appears to be an effort to go all out by the filmmakers to send Moore out in style. This immediately begins with the casting of the lead villain: Instead of some obscure European actor projecting some heavy-handed theatrics, we get Oscar winner and all-time Movie Cool Legend Christopher Walken as Max Zorin, an insane industrialist (and former KGB agent) who was the result of Nazi genetic experiments that resulted in him being highly intelligent but also dangerously psychotic. His master plan is to detonate a massive earthquake around San Francisco that would not only destroy the city but also Silicon Valley as well so that he can corner the market on the worldâs microchip market. Walken is truly a malevolent delight in the part, as he talks shit to Bond in his trademark style and is so ruthless that he brutally murders his own henchmen when they become expendable to see his plan through (laughing and smiling the whole time). Certainly the type of adversary the series as a whole could have used more of. In addition, we get one of the very few Bond girls that this viewer would actually consider Marriage Material in Tanya Robertsâ Stacy Sutton, a heiress who has crossed the line with Zorin but yet is so gentle and sweet-natured she uses a shotgun filled with harmless rock salt when fending off bad guys (much to Bondâs chagrin). Itâs truly a shame that Roberts descended into b-movie hell after this because with her long blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, catlike features, and gorgeous body, she certainly rivals any of the âhotâ actresses seen today. Then thereâs Grace Jones as Mayday, Walkenâs accomplice and lover and also one of the most fierce, yet exotic henchmen in history, plus for cult movie fans thereâs Joe Flood (best known as the horsehead bookends-obsessed shop teacher in Student Bodies) as a bumbling San Francisco police captain. Yes, Mooreâs advanced age (57) and penchant for humor are evident (particularly with the use of The Beach Boys during a snowboard chase scene), and I could have done without Patrick Macnee as a bumbling nobleman who teams up with 007 on the mission (though thankfully he makes an early exit), but certain themes like the use of performance-enhancing steroids (here shown being given to Walkenâs racehorses) and the ever-increasing reliance of humans on computers are still potent today. But what it comes down to is the action and adrenaline, pumped in by a rocking theme song by Duran Duran, and scenes that get the viewerâs heart pounding right down to the final confrontation, Moore vs. an axe-wielding Walken atop the Golden Gate Bridge. Overall, DEFINITELY the most underrated of the franchise and an assurance that Moore was going out at the top of his game before the start of the Dalton-Brosnan eraâŚ
9/10