31 March 2013

James Bond: A View To A Kill

A View To A Kill is viewed poorly among 007 fans, who have criticised its overage actor, bad plot and worse Bond girl.

 

There is some good in this film. Moore’s performance is assured and he’s clearly having a good time, but it is clear that he is past his physical best. There are some funny lines throughout the movie and the action is generally well done – the mine set is great as well.

 

Less good, however, is Christopher Walken’s Zorin, who plays it rather like he was in a Tarantino movie, when he should either be going OTT (like Blofeld) or subtle – so he ends up doing it fairly flat and turns in an ultimately mediocre performance.

 

There are of course many problems in the film and chief among them is Tanya Roberts. She’s almost completely expressionless and has some awful line readings… plus her character fails to outrun a blimp. This said, Grace Jones merely manages to look weird – there have been far better henchmen. Lois Maxwell’s final turn as Moneypenny really isn’t her best either.

 

Finally, I can’t imagined the San Francisco Police Department was entirely pleased with their portrayal in this one.

 

Conclusion

 

The bad reputation is justified – AVTAK is a long, paint-by-numbers Bond with nothing to make it really stand out. Moore deserved much better than this for his final film.

 

4/10

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