View to a Kill [DVD] [1985]

Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, the Film is largely interesting for Christopher Walken's quirky performance as a sort-of supervillain who wants to take out California's Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken's (in the best Bond tradition, she has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later) and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, A View to a Kill is a very slight effort. --Tom Keogh

A View to a Kill, Roger Moore's last outing as James Bond, is evidence enough that it was time to pass the torch to another actor. Beset by crummy action (an out-of-control fire engine?) and featuring a fading Moore still trying to prop up his mannered idea of style, A View to a Kill is largely interesting for Christopher Walken's quirky performance as a sort-of super-villain who wants to take out California's Silicon Valley. Grace Jones has a spookily interesting presence as a lethal associate of Walken's (and who, in the best Bond tradition, has sex with 007 before trying to kill him later), and Patrick Macnee (Steed!) has a warm if brief bit. Even directed by John Glen, who brought some crackle to the Moore years in the Bond franchise, this is a very slight effort. --Tom Keogh, Amazon.com

On the DVD: For Roger Moore's final Bond outing the production crew faced the usual quota of difficulties and disasters, the "making-of" documentary reveals: from base jumpers off the Eiffel tower whose antics threatened to jeopardise fragile relations with the Parisian authorities, to Ridley Scott thoughtlessly burning down the 007 at Pinewood right before production was due to start. Patrick MacNee, who has a supporting role in the movie, hands over narrative duties on this one to Rosemary Ford. The commentary is one of those less-than-satisfying montages of comments from various members of cast and crew. Also included is Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill" video (sounding hopelessly dated now), the usual trailers and a brief deleted scene of comic relief inside a Parisian police station. The second documentary concerns the music of Bond--always a crucial ingredient--although it manages the neat diplomatic trick of interviewing both Monty Norman and John Barry without giving the least hint of any controversy about the famous James Bond theme. --Mark Walker

DVD Special Features

Special Features
Audio Commentary featuring Director John Glen
^SInside Octopussy^T Documentary
^SDesigning Bond^WPeter Lamont^T Documentary
Animated Storyboard Sequences
Original Theatrical Trailers
^SAll Time High^T Music Video
Collectable ^SMaking of^T Booklet
2.45:1 widescreen 16:9 version
Dolby Surround
Subtitles: English, Norwegian, Hungarian, Portuguese, Finnish, Swedish, Polish, Danish, Greek, English for the Hard of Hearing

In his farewell to the Bond series, Roger Moore is pitted against two of the deadliest villains: super-intelligent Max Zorin, the product of a Nazi genetic experiment played by Christopher Walken and his psychotic partner-in-crime Max-Day, played with delicious malice by Grace Jones. A View To A Kill begins on location in Artic Russia, with a chase to beat all chases involving snowmobiles, helicopters and skis. Bond is saved by Secret Service agent Kimberley Jones (Mary Stavins) who appears in an 'iceberg' Submersible to rescue him.Next location is Paris where May Day makes a spectacular parachute dive from the Eiffle Tower, but the final scenes are played out at the top of the Golden Gate bridge overlooking San Francisco Bay - a perfect View To A Kill.