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A View to a Kill
1985, Action, 2h 11m
What to know
Critics consensus.
Absurd even by Bond standards, A View to a Kill is weighted down by campy jokes and a noticeable lack of energy. Read critic reviews
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A view to a kill photos.
- Genre: Action
- Original Language: English
- Director: John Glen
- Producer: Albert R. Broccoli , Michael G. Wilson
- Writer: Ian Fleming , Richard Maibaum , Michael G. Wilson
- Release Date (Theaters): May 24, 1985 wide
- Release Date (Streaming): Sep 4, 2007
- Runtime: 2h 11m
- Distributor: United Artists
- Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby Stereo
- Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)
- View the collection: James Bond 007
Cast & Crew
News & interviews for a view to a kill, critic reviews for a view to a kill, audience reviews for a view to a kill.
- Feb 08, 2016 Some entertainment just doesn't stand the test of time, including the 1985 James Bond film "A View to a Kill." Problems galore with this film. Here are just a few. Roger Moore is just too old to be playing Bond at this point. The fight scenes are laughably bad. Plus he is supposed to be a sex symbol. It's not that he is such a bad guy but it's just so terribly obvious that he is not the kind of man that women would be throwing themselves at like this film portrays. Another problem is the misogyny and sexism itself. It's not that post-industrial society stopped being misogynistic or sexist, it's just that it could never be as blatant as all this is. There is a gal named Jenny Flex in the film. Bond says, "Of course you are." Get it?! Her name is Jenny Flex, like the word "genuflect," which means to bow down in front of someone. Like a woman would to be subservient to a man. Or to suggest sexual activity on one's names. Oh ho ho. What a knee-slapper. If this film represents anything, it's that we're not nearly as bad as a society toward women as we once were. Hopefully. Super Reviewer
- Nov 19, 2015 Well past his sell-by date, Roger Moore shamelessly headlines an overly camp adventure where the only action comes courtesy of a killer theme song. Trading adventure in for bad jokes, this rote outing marks an embarrassing entry for the series. Thanks to A View to a Kill, Sean Connery didn't suffer the indignity of being the only Bond to go out on a low note. In his 7th outing as Bond, Moore's superspy has become Perry Como with a License to Kill. Low energy as he goes through the all-too-familiar paces of redundancy, his now-lackluster 007 fails to throw off sparks even with a villainous two-fer played by Christopher Walken and Grace Jones. In this PG-rated spy adventure, an investigation of a horse-racing scam leads 007 (Moore) to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley. When a slow-moving blimp is the literal 'vehicle' that sets your supposedly explosive climax in motion, you know it's time to hang up your Walther PPK. Indeed, the final San Francisco Bay Bridge action set piece offers the most excitement of the entire flick ...which is to say, none at all. At this troubling juncture, Jones' character name, Mayday, seems symptomatic of the franchise in general. Bottom line: That Fatal Kiss Super Reviewer
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A View to a Kill
- The recovery of a microchip off the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley.
- James Bond has one more mission. Bond returns from his travels in the U.S.S.R. with a computer chip. This chip is capable of withstanding a nuclear electromagnetic pulse that would otherwise destroy a normal chip. The chip was created by Zorin Industries, and Bond heads off to investigate its owner, Max Zorin. Zorin may only seem like an innocent man, but is really planning to set off an earthquake in San Andreas, which will wipe out all of Silicon Valley. As well as Zorin, Bond must also tackle May Day an equally menacing companion of Zorin, while dragging Stacy Sutton along for the ride. — simon
- Having recovered an innovative microchip from the dead body of agent 003 in Siberia, MI6 fears that the world is at the Russians' mercy. As a result, James Bond takes on the leading French industrialist Max Zorin and his dangerous Amazonian lover May Day to shed light on the pressing matter. And as Bond investigates Zorin's nefarious horse-breeding operation, a sinister secret plan to destroy the heartland of electronic production in the United States with irreversible global consequences gradually unfolds. Can James Bond stop the psychopathic high-tech magnate before he gains a monopoly in the booming silicon chip market? — Nick Riganas
- A silicon chip is captured from the Soviets and found to be identical to a prototype British design capable of withstanding the intense electromagnetic radiation of a nuclear blast. The British suspect industrialist Max Zorin of leaking details of the design to the Russians. When James Bond is sent to investigate he finds that Zorin is stockpiling silicon chips and mysteriously drilling near the San Andreas fault. — Dave Jenkins <[email protected]>
- James Bond returns from the U.S.S.R. with a new computer chip; one that is invulnerable to the magnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion. The chip is being manufactured by Zorin Industries, headed up by a sociopathic businessman named Max Zorin who is planning to corner the world microchip market by using explosives to cause an earthquake in the San Andreas fault that will wipe out Silicon Valley, and the millions who live and work there. Bond must face not only Zorin, but the equally twisted May Day and Scarpine, another one of Zorin's henchmen. Assisted by San Francisco city employee Stacy, Bond goes after the computer magnate in a series of frightening confrontations, including fire in the San Francisco City Hall, a wild chase through the city with Stacy at the wheel of a Fire Department ladder truck, and finally in a hand-to-hand fight atop San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. — Derek O'Cain
- James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to Siberia to locate the body of 003 and to recover a microchip. Upon doing so, he is ambushed by Soviet troops but flees in a submarine built to resemble an iceberg. After Bond returns to England a week later, Q (Desmond Llewelyn) has the microchip analyzed and informs M (Robert Brown), Bond and the Minister of Defense that its design is an exact match of a microchip made by Zorin Industries. The retrieved microchip is also designed to withstand the damage caused to other chips by the electromagnetic pulse of a nuclear explosion. Bond and his superiors visit the Ascot Racecourse to observe the company's founder and CEO, Max Zorin (Christopher Walken). While at the track, Zorin's horse Pegasus miraculously pulls ahead to win the race. Later, Pegasus throws a fit and it takes some effort to get him under control -- the person who regains Pegasus' control is a mysterious woman named May Day (Grace Jones). Sir Godfrey Tibbett (Patrick Macnee), an MI6 agent who works as a horse trainer, believes Zorin's horse was given drugs, although when screened by officials prior to the race, it did not show any drugs in its bloodstream. Through Tibbett, Bond meets a French private detective named Achille Aubergine (Jean Rougerie) at the restaurant on the Eiffel Tower to discuss how the horse may have won. Aubergine informs Bond that Zorin is holding an annual horse sale later in the month. Moments later, Aubergine is assassinated by May Day (Grace Jones). Bond chases her to an upper level of the tower but she parachutes off before he can catch her. Bond rides the top of an elevator to the bottom, steals a Renault taxi and chases her through the city but is unable to apprehend her. A boat driven by Zorin later picks her up on the Seine and Bond is arrested. Bond and Tibbett travel to Chantilly, France where Bond poses as James St. John Smythe (pronounced "sin-jin-smythe"), a rich dilettante who recently inherited horses, with Tibbett posing as his valet. During a reception party, they meet Zorin's head of security, Scarpine (Patrick Bauchau), and Dr Mortner (Willoughby Gray), a horse vet who specializes in selective breeding to produce Zorin's prize animals. Bond also meets an American named Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts). Bond thinks the woman "bares closer inspection," but Tibbett reminds him of their primary mission. He sees her enter Zorin's office where they have a quick meeting. When Bond tries to talk briefly with her, she's whisked away by Mayday at Zorin's orders. He later sneaks into Zorin's office and finds a check written to Sutton for a large sum of money. Later, Tibbett follows Dr Mortner who leads Pegasus into Zorin's stables. When Tibbett sneaks up behind, he sees that Mortner & the horse have disappeared. Tibbet is found by Bond, who has discovered a secret lab below the stables. There they discover Mortner's secret work: Zorin plants microchips in his horses, programmed to release a steroid when prompted by a hidden radio transmitter snuck into the tip of the jockey's whip (or a cane, as Bond remembers from Ascot). Bond and Tibbet also discover a packing room for a large stash of the same microchips that Bond obtained in the Arctic. The two are attacked by a pair of Zorin's thugs. Bond defeats them both and retreats to May Day's room. He asks May Day to join him in bed and she does so with Zorin's amused permission -- despite hers and Zorin's romantic relationship. Their intrusion is discovered and Zorin asks Bond to report to his study, where he'll aid St. John Smythe in selecting a stud horse for the stables he supposedly inherited. During their meeting, Zorin uses a hidden camera and database to find a match for pictures he takes of Bond; Zorin discovers Bond's real identity. He invites Bond to race with him steeplechase-style. In an effort to get rid of Bond, Zorin provides Bond with an ill-tempered horse. The course is laid with booby-trapped obstacles and Zorin's goons who attack Bond. When Bond overtakes Zorin, Zorin activates a device that causes the horse to go wild. Bond escapes the track and sees his limousine, boarding it. However, Tibbett has been killed by May Day, who is driving the car. She and Zorin attempt to drown Bond in a nearby pond but the plan fails. Later, General Gogol (Walter Gotell) from the Soviet Union visits Zorin's estate with several other KGB agents. Zorin, it is revealed, has been in the employ of the KGB and is admonished by Gogol for his public image and attention-garnering business ventures and for eliminating Bond without authorization. The short-tempered Zorin replies by saying he no longer sees the need to continue doing business with the KGB. When Gogol's assistant chides Zorin for being a "physiological freak" Mayday grabs the man and throws him. Gogol gravely warns Zorin "no one leaves the KGB," but grudgingly leaves when Zorin's men pull guns on him. Later, in an airship over San Francisco, Zorin unveils to a group of investors his new criminal scheme to destroy Silicon Valley in an operation he dubs "Main Strike", which if implemented will gain them a monopoly in the microchip market. For involvement in the plan, Zorin demands $100 million from each participant in addition to a contract promising half of their net income through marketing deals. One man refuses and is dropped out of the airship by May Day, landing in San Francisco Bay. Meeting in San Francisco with his CIA contact, Bond learns that Zorin is a psychopath, the product of Nazi medical experimentation during World War II by Mortner, who is revealed to be a former Nazi doctor named Dr. Hans Glaub. Glaub had supposedly experimented on pregnant women in concentration camps in an effort to create highly intelligent superhumans. Bond assumes the identity of a reporter for the London Financial Times to continue his investigation. Bond learns from a local crab fisherman that a prolific crab patch has vanished near one of Zorin's oil pumping stations. Bond also learns from the mayor that Zorin has been testing his oil lines for leaks with seawater, an explanation for the disappearing crab stock. 007 spies on an oil rig owned by Zorin. He catches KGB agent Pola Ivanova trying to blow up the rig, while recording Zorin announcing his plans -- Ivanova's accomplice is tossed into the feeder pipe where he's shredded by a powerful directional propeller. Back in San Francisco, Bond and Ivanova enjoy a romantic tryst in a Chinese hot tub house. Ivanova tries to leave with her cassette recording of Zorin, however Bond has switched the tape and finds out Zorin's plan will take place in a few days. Bond meets Stacey again, and he learns that her grandfather's oil company had been taken over by Zorin. The two team up to steal documents about his plan from the San Francisco City Hall. Zorin arrives, holding them hostage, and then forces the San Francisco mayor to call the police. He kills the mayor with Bond's sidearm and sets the building on fire in order to frame Bond for the murder. Bond and Sutton escape from the fire but when the police try to arrest Bond, they escape in a fire engine. A chase ensues, during which several SFPD cruisers are wrecked. Bond and Sutton then manage to shake the police off completely when the police captain leading the chase orders a bridge operator to open the Third Street Drawbridge. Bond and Sutton's fire truck makes it across just as the bridge gates close to stop traffic and the bridge begins to rise. The police cars are unable to stop in time and pile up at the bottom of the bridge. The senior officer is berating his underlings for wrecking their cruisers in the chase when his own car is crushed by the bridge's counterweight. The next day, Bond and Sutton infiltrate Zorin's mine near Silicon Valley, discovering his plot to detonate explosives beneath the lakes along the Hayward Fault and the San Andreas Fault causing them to simultaneously flood, submerging Silicon Valley. The resulting disaster will make Zorin the sole manufacturer of microchips in the world. A bomb is also on site in the mine to detonate a large powder key, destroying a "geological lock" that is in place to prevent the two faults from moving at the same time. Once destroyed, it would supposedly cause a double earthquake. Zorin and Scarpine flood the mines, nearly killing Bond and May Day and mercilessly kill some of the mine workers as they attempt to flee. Stacey manages to escape. Because she was betrayed, May Day helps Bond remove the larger bomb that would destroy the lock. They put the bomb on a handcar and push it out of the mine along a railroad line. May Day stays on the car to hold the faulty brake lever, sacrificing her own life as the bomb explodes outside, away from the lock. Sutton is quickly captured by a devastated Zorin, who is escaping via airship with Scarpine and Mortner. Bond grabs hold of the front mooring rope as the airship ascends. Zorin tries to kill Bond by flying him into the Golden Gate Bridge, but Bond manages to moor the airship to the bridge framework, stopping it from moving. Stacey attacks Zorin and in the ensuing fracas, Mortner and Scarpine are temporarily knocked out. Stacey flees onto the bridge and joins with Bond, but Zorin comes after them with an axe and engages in a fierce battle with Bond. Bond gains the upper hand and sends Zorin plummeting off the bridge to his death. An enraged Mortner attempts to kill Bond with a bundle of dynamite, but Bond cuts the mooring rope, causing Mortner to drop the dynamite into the cabin. Seconds later, the dynamite explodes and destroys the airship, killing Mortner and Scarpine. In the aftermath, Bond is ironically awarded the Order of Lenin by General Gogol. Q, inside a special van in California, uses his fake-dog surveillance camera (the "Snooper") to locate 007. He safely finds him making love to Stacey in her shower.
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Home > Films > V > A View To A Kill
Thursday March 9th 2023
A View To A Kill | 1985
- Locations |
- San Francisco , California ;
- Paris , France ;
- Berkshire ;
- West Sussex ;
- Switzerland ;
- Roger Moore,
- Christopher Walken,
- Grace Jones,
- Tanya Roberts,
- Desmond Llewelyn,
- Lois Maxwell,
- Alison Doody,
- Patrick Macnee,
- Robert Brown,
- Geoffrey Keen
The fourteenth in the mainstream Bond series, and Roger Moore ’s last appearance as 007, uses much the same plot as the 1978 film of Superman , with electronics wiz Zorin ( Christopher Walken ) attempting to trigger the San Andreas Fault into action and flood California ’s Silicon Valley... or something.
The pre-credits ‘Siberia’ teaser is actually Glacier Lake , on the southeast tip of the huge Vatnajökull Glacier and the tiny hamlet of Höfn on the southeast coast of Iceland . You can visit the glacier on a trip from the Hotel Höfn, 781 Hornefjöur, though be warned, the Vatnajökull volcano erupted under the ice-sheet in 1996. The chase continues at a larger glacier, the Vadretta di Scerscen Inferiore on the Swiss/Italian border.
In the UK, M’s London HQ is now the Old War Office Building in Whitehall, Westminster (as it is in both Octopussy and Licence To Kill ), and Bond first checks out Zorin at Royal Ascot Racecourse , on the A330 five miles south of Windsor , Berkshire . Incidentally, both of these locations turn up again (in different guises) in the 23rd Bond movie, Skyfall .
In Paris , Bond meets up with the unlikely French ‘tec M. Aubergine, who’s killed by a butterfly in the Restaurant Jules Verne , the pricey eaterie on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower .
After Zorin’s henchwoman, May Day ( Grace Jones ), makes a spectacular leap from the Tower , there’s a car chase culminating in Bond’s leap into the Seine pleasure boat from the Pont Alexandre III (a wonderfully over-the-top confection also used in the 1956 Anastasia , with Ingrid Bergman , John Huston ’s 1952 Toulouse Lautrec biopic Moulin Rouge and John Frankenheimer ’s Ronin ).
Zorin’s estate is the 18th century (he says it’s 16th century, but that’s a Bond villain for you) Chateau Chantilly , twenty miles north of Paris on the N16 in the Picardy region. The dazzling chateau, open to the public, is set among gardens and lakes to the west of the town of Chantilly . It’s a 30-minute walk from Chantilly-Gouvieux station, reached from the Gare du Nord. The chateau also appears in Valmont , Milos Forman ’s version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses .
The racecourse here is the spectacular Piste d’Avilly , Chantilly Racecourse . Bond pits himself against Zorin in a steeplechase in the Forest of Chantilly , while Sir Godfrey ( Patrick Macnee , the original John Steed from sixties TV classic The Avengers ) gets garotted in a carwash in the city of Chantilly itself.
Bond follows Zorin to San Francisco , where he meets CIA agent Chuck Lee ( David Yip ) at bright but touristy Fisherman’s Wharf on the bay.
The State Office Building, where Zorin’s corrupt official, Howe, has his Divisions of Oil and Mines office is San Francisco City Hall , Van Ness Avenue at McAllister Street. This 1915 domed building, modelled on St Peter’s in Rome, is no stranger to movies – Dirty Harry seems to spend an inordinate amount of time being insubordinate to city officials here, and you may recognise its grand staircase from the ending of Raiders Of The Lost Ark .
The moviemakers were allowed extraordinary licence, including fitting out the balconies with gas jets to simulate Zorin’s burning down of the building.
The fire-truck chase hares off down Market Street to the Lefty O’Doul Drawbridge on Third Street at China Basin (just past the Burger Island where Clint Eastwood utters the immortal line “Go ahead – make my day.” in Sudden Impact . If you were wondering, Lefty O’Doul was an old-time ball-player.
The home of oil heiress Stacey Sutton ( Tanya Roberts ) is Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate , 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland , over the bay from San Francisco .
Dunsmuir also featured in a couple of 70s horror pics: it was the Gothic mansion in the 1976 Burnt Offerings (with Bette Davis and Oliver Reed ) and the mausoleum in 1979's Phantasm . It also featured in the San Francisco -set Mike Myers comedy So I Married An Axe Murderer .
Zorin’s ‘Main Strike’, the abandoned silver mine in ‘Silicon Valley’ isn’t in California at all, or even in the US.
You can see the entrance to the mine at the 36-acre, open-air Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre – a 36 acre open-air museum dedicated to the industrial heritage of the south-east of England. It presents a wide range of exhibits, ranging from transport-based collections, such as the Southdown bus collection and the village garage, to industry-based collections, such as the Print Workshop & Wheelwrights. The museum is also home to a number of resident craftspeople, who work to traditional methods. Find it opposite Amberley Station in west West Sussex .
Visit The Film Locations
Visit: California
Visit: Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate , 2960 Peralta Oaks Court, Oakland, CA 94605 ( tel: 510.615.5555 )
California | San Francisco
Visit: San Francisco
Flights: San Francisco International Airport , San Francisco, CA 94128 ( tel: 650.821.8211 )
Travel around: BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit)
Visit: San Francisco City Hall
France | Paris
Visit: France
Visit: Paris
Flights: Charles De Gaulle International Airport , 95700 Roissy-en-France, France ( tel: 33.1.70.36.39.50 )
Travel around: Paris Metro
Visit: the Eiffel Tower , Champ de Mars, 5 Avenue Anatole France, 75007 Paris
Dine at: the Restaurant Jules Verne , Eiffel Tower, Avenue Gustave Eiffel, 75000 Paris ( tel: +33.1.45.55.61.44 )
Visit: Chateau Chantilly , 60500 Chantilly
UK | Berkshire
Visit: Berkshire
Visit: Berkshire, Southeast England
Visit: Royal Ascot Racecourse , High Street, Ascot SL5 7JX ( tel: 0844.346.3000 )
UK | West Sussex
Visit: West Sussex
Visit: the Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre , Houghton Bridge, Station Rd, Amberley, Arundel BN18 9LT ( tel: 01798.831370 ) ( rail: Amberley, from London Victoria )
UK | London
Flights: Heathrow Airport ; Gatwick Airport
Visit: London
Travelling : Transport For London
Visit: Iceland
Flights: Keflavík International Airport , Southern Peninsula, 235, Iceland ( tel: +354.425.6000 )
Visit: Hofn
Visit: Vatnajökull National Park , Klapparstígur 25-27 ( tel: 354.575.8400 )
Switzerland
Visit: Switzerland
Visit: Grindelwald
A View To A Kill -->
Posted March 7, 2021 by AI
A microchip James Bond recovers from the body of 003 in Siberia is a copy of one that is impervious to the magnetic pulse of a nuclear blast. It is made by a company recently acquired by Anglo-French combine Zorin Industries, so Bond is assigned to investigate Max Zorin. In Paris, Bond meets detective Aubergine to find out about Zorin, but Aubergine is killed by Zorin’s bodyguard May Day. Bond poses as a horse trainer to infiltrate Zorin’s equestrian estate, but his cover is blown and Zorin tries to drown him. 007 survives and tracks Zorin to San Francisco, where Zorin is planning Project Main Strike: the destruction of Silicon Valley by detonating explosions in mines beneath lakes and flooding the Hayward and San Andreas faults. With help from geologist Stacey Sutton, Bond sabotages Zorin’s scheme. Finding an unexpected ally in May Day, whom Zorin has betrayed, Bond prevents the main explosion from detonating. As Zorin escapes in his airship, he kidnaps Stacey. The final confrontation between Bond and Zorin is atop the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where Zorin falls to his death.
Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Patrick Bauchau, David Yip, Fiona Fullerton, Manning Redwood, Alison Doody, Willoughby Gray, Desmond Llewelyn, Robert Brown, Lois Maxwell, Walter Gotell, Geoffrey Keen, Jean Rougerie, Daniel Benzali, Bogdan Kominowski, Papillon Soo, Mary Stavin, Dolph Lundgren, Bill Ackridge
Albert R. Broccoli Michael G. Wilson
Release Date
13 June 1985 (UK) 24 May 1985 (USA)
World Premiere
22 May 1985, Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco, USA
Iceland; Paris and Chateau Chantilly, France; London and Pinewood Studios, England
“A View To A Kill” – performed by Duran Duran, written by Duran Duran and John Barry
Tibbett’s silver 1962 Roll-Royce Silver Cloud II; Renault 11 taxi; Zorin’s airships; Iceberg submarine; Stacy’s Jeep Cherokee (XJ); Pola Ivanova’s silver Chevrolet Corvette C4
Gadgets/Weapons/Technology
- Walther PPK 7.65mm
- Camera ring
- Shaver bug detector
- Polarising sunglasses
- Cheque book copier
- Remote triggered implant
- ‘Snooper’ surveillance robot
- Avalanche-rescue receiver
- Computer mirror camera
- Limpet mines
- Micro-comparator
- Sharper Image credit card
- Thermos bomb
For A View To A Kill, 1985 Bond (Roger Moore) dons a ski suit for a 4th time on location in Lake Jökulsárlón, Iceland and Piz Palü on the Vedretta di Scerscen Inferiore glacier, Swiss Alps doubling for Siberia
Bond escapes his pursuers by jumping into an ice floe getaway vehicle with a Union Jack hatch. His co-pilot, agent Kimberley Jones, was played by Mary Stavin, Miss World 1977, who had also been in Octopussy
Although snowboarding had been seen in a short French film in 1983 – it made its debut in a major feature film in A View To A Kill
Tom Sims, snowboard pioneer and World Snowboard Champion (1982) along with Steve Link doubled for Roger Moore for the snowboarding sequences
Stunt skier John Eaves mainly doubled for Roger Moore in the skiing and snowmobiling sequences
The film was Moore’s seventh and final appearance as 007
The production was set back after the 007 stage was burnt down during filming of Ridley Scott’s Legend , meaning the stage had to be re-built
The film was Lois Maxwell’s final appearance as Miss Moneypenny
A lot of the dialogue between Roger Moore and Patrick Macnee was improvised
Patrick Macnee drove Cubby Broccoli’s real Rolls Royce in the film
During filming in San Francisco, Maud Adams visited the set to see Moore, and appeared as an extra
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A View to a Kill (film)
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A View to a Kill , released in 1985, is the fourteenth entry in the James Bond series of films made by EON Productions , and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as British Secret Service Agent, Commander James Bond . It is also the final Bond film to have Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny , which had began with Dr. No . It was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson . Wilson also co-authored the screenplay along with veteran screenwriter Richard Maibaum .
The title itself is adapted from Ian Fleming 's short story " From A View to a Kill ", contained in the For Your Eyes Only collection of short stories released in 1960 ; however the title is where the similarity between short story and the film end, making this the second completely original Bond film after The Spy Who Loved Me . At the end of Octopussy during the famed "James Bond Will Return" sequence, it listed the next film as "From A View to a Kill", the name of the original short story; however, the title was later changed a few months before filming for unknown reasons. The original title "From A View to a Kill" was taken from a version of the words to a traditional hunting song " D'ye ken John Peel? ": "From a find to a check, from a check to a view,/From a view to a kill in the morning".
- 1.1 Opening
- 1.2 Max Zorin and his miracle horse
- 1.3 San Francisco
- 1.4 Foiling Main Strike
- 2 Cast & Characters
- 4 Soundtrack
- 5 Vehicles & gadgets
- 6.1 Film locations
- 6.2 Shooting locations
- 9 Video games
- 10 External links
Plot summary
James Bond is sent to Siberia , where he finds 003 buried by an avalanche and recovers a microchip from the corpse. With the help of field agent Kimberley Jones , he escapes the ambushing Soviet troops. Back in England , Q informs M , Bond and the Minister of Defence that the retrieved microchip's design is an exact match of an advanced microchip resistant to electro-magnetic pulse damage manufactured by Zorin Industries , indicating the company is leaking top secret technology to the Soviets.
Max Zorin and his miracle horse
Along with Miss Moneypenny , the group then venture to the Ascot Racecourse to observe the company's owner, frenchman Max Zorin . Zorin's horse miraculously wins the race; Sir Godfrey Tibbett , a horse trainer, believes the horse was using drugs, but the screening prior to the race came back negative. Through Tibbett, Bond meets with Achille Aubergine , a local detective already investigating the accusations. During dinner at the Eiffel Tower, Aubergine is killed by Zorin's lover and henchwoman May Day , but not before Bond learns about Zorin's annual horse sale in a few weeks. The futile chase after May Day leaves Bond with 6 million in damages and a citizen's arrest on him, infuriating the minister.
Bond and Tibbett later travel to Zorin's stud in Chantilly, France where Bond poses as St. John Smythe, a horse dealer. They locate and break into Zorin's secret labs where they discover that Zorin is using implanted microchips to release the drug remotely, triggered by a switch in his cane. Even though Bond sleeps with May Day to cover up their nightly investigations, he and Tibbett are soon discovered and the latter is killed by May Day. Bond survives a deadly horse race and an attempt to drown him inside his car in a lake.
San Francisco
In his blimp , Zorin unveils his plan to destroy Silicon Valley in an operation he dubbs " Main Strike " in order to gain complete control of the microchip market. In San Francisco, Bond learns from Chuck Lee , a CIA operative, that Zorin is a psychopath as a result of failed steroid experiments by Nazi-turned-Soviet scientist Dr. Carl Mortner . General Gogol tries to reason with Zorin, who behaves outside protocol for KGB agents; but Zorin declares himself renegade from KGB. Bond later runs into rival spy and former lover Pola Ivanova , who tries to sabotage Zorin on Gogol's orders.
During his investigations about Zorin's ventures, Bond meets again with Stacey Sutton , a state geologist and heiress of Zorin's competitor in oil business. Back in Chantilly, Zorin tried to buy out hesitating Stacey, who is now threatend by Zorin's thugs. Bond and Stacey unveil Zorin's "Main Strike": He plans to detonate explosives beneath the lakes along the Hayward Fault and the San Andreas Fault causing them to flood. A bigger bomb in an abandoned mine will destroy a "geological lock" that prevents the two faults from moving at the same time. The timed detonations would cause a massive double earthquake, thus destroying Silicon Valley, the world's leading microchip manufacturing area.
Foiling Main Strike
Bond and Stacey reach the mine, but Zorin soon begins to flood it with the first set of explosives. May Day, feeling betrayed after being left behind to die in the mine, changes sides and aids Bond in removing the bigger bomb that would destroy the lock. Doing so eventually costs her her life.
In the finale, Bond manages to grab a rope attached to Zorin's airship as he leaves the mine. During the flight Bond gets the rope tangled in the Golden Gate Bridge. Zorin and Bond then fight upon the bridge resulting in Zorin falling to his death into the San Francisco Bay.
Bond is awarded with the Order of Lenin by Gogol, who amusingly claims the Soviet economy needs Silicon Valley. Bond is missing in action, but Q's espionage robot finds him and Stacey together in her shower.
Cast & Characters
- Directed by: John Glen
- Produced by: Albert R. Broccoli , Michael G. Wilson
- Screenplay by: Michael G. Wilson , Richard Maibaum
- Composed by: John Barry
- Production design by: Peter Lamont
See: A View to a Kill (soundtrack)
Vehicles & gadgets
Main articles: List of James Bond vehicles and List of James Bond gadgets
- Iceberg - Bond escapes from a mission in Siberia by getting into a boat built to look like an Iceberg.
- Camera Ring - Bond wears a ring given to him by Q-Branch that acts a camera.
- Electric Razor - Bond uses an Electric Razor that detects bugs in his room at Zorin's Mansion.
- Anti-Tinted Glass Sunglasses - Special pair of glasses which enable Bond to see through a tinted window.
- Cheque-Book Imprint/Photocopier - Fortuitously shaped copying device which exactly fits over Zorin's cheque book allowing Bond to make a copy of the last cheque written. (Louis Vuitton)
- Credit Card lockpick - Magnetically unlocks latches. Disguised as a Sharper Image card.
- 1984 Renault 11 TXE - Bond steals this from a Parisian taxi driver to chase May Day after she killed a French secret agent, the car ends up being decapitated, and then chopped in half after going through a typical James Bond chase sequence. Three Renault 11s were used in the film - the decapitated car is now a museum exhibit.
Film locations
- Siberia, Russia
- London, England
- Amberley, England
- Paris, France
- Ascot, Berkshire
- San Francisco, California
Shooting locations
- Pinewood Studios / Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage
- Switzerland
- Eiffel Tower , Paris
- Jules Verne Restaurant , Eiffel Tower
- Château de Chantilly
- Fisherman's Wharf
- San Francisco City Hall
- Lefty O'Doul Bridge
- Golden Gate Bridge
- Ascot Racecourse
- A View To A Kill is widely regarded as one of the poorest entries in the Bond series, the criticism mostly centering on the age of Roger Moore; who was 57 when the movie was completed. Moore himself has stated he considers A View To A Kill to be his least favorite Bond movie; stating he felt too old for the part, found some of the cast difficult to work with; mostly Grace Jones , and he objected to the increased violence in the movie; especially the scene where Zorin machine guns his employees in the flooding mines.
- In Goldfinger , the villain's scheme is to irradiate the entire US gold reserve, making it worthless, causing financial meltdown in the West plus Auric Goldfinger 's personal gold stocks will increase in value tenfold; correspondingly in A View To A Kill , Max Zorin intends to destroy Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake, thus leaving his company with a monopoly on the microchip market.
- As in Goldfinger , one of the business partners in the scam gets cold feet and would rather take the money and run. While Mr. Solo was assassinated by Oddjob and his body disposed of in a car crusher, in A View To A Kill , the dissenter in the ranks is dropped from Zorin's airship and into San Francisco Bay.
- Both Zorin and Goldfinger are being bankrolled by the Communists: in the former case, Zorin is an ex-KGB agent, while the atom bomb intended to destroy Fort Knox is supplied by the Chinese. In Zorin's case, he no longer feels any need to do the bidding of the KGB.
- Another comparison A View to a Kill has received is to the 1978 film Superman . Like Zorin, the Superman villain Lex Luthor aimed to destroy California using hijacked nuclear missiles, detonating them in the San Andreas Fault and causing massive earthquakes, which would cause a chain reaction causing the western part of California to fall into the ocean. Also like Zorin, Lex Luthor would stand a gain a monopoly, in this case real estate. Prior to the scam Luthor had purchased acres of desert land for pennies, whose value would multiply astronomically as Luthor's "New California". Both films were produced by Pinewood Studios, with the Eiffel Tower scene being on the same stage used in the 1980 sequel film Superman II where Superman saves Paris from a terrorist group who planted a bomb in the elevator of the Eiffel Tower.
- This film is not only Roger Moore's swansong, but Lois Maxwell 's as well.
- Leftover canisters of gasoline used during filming of Ridley Scott's Legend caused Pinewood Studios ' "007 Stage" to be burnt to the ground in 1984. Albert R. Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond films had the studio rebuilt in 4 months time so that filming could commence on A View to a Kill . The soundstage was renamed " Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage ".
- Christopher Walken was the first Academy Award-winning actor to portray a Bond villain . Javier Bardem was the second with his role in Skyfall . Benicio del Toro , who played lead henchman Dario in Licence to Kill , has also won an acting Oscar, although he did not win it until 2000, 11 years after his appearance in a Bond film. Halle Berry also won an Oscar prior to the filming of Die Another Day .
- The title song was performed by Duran Duran. According to the band, they received the part to sing the song after the lead guitarist drunkenly asked Albert R. Broccoli when will he get someone good to perform a Bond song.
- David Bowie was the producers' first choice to play Zorin. He turned it down saying, "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs." The role was then offered to Sting, who also turned it down.
- When a company with a name similar to Zorin was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that the evil Zorin was not related to any real-life company. This is the only Bond film to have a disclaimer at the start of the film ( Licence to Kill had a disclaimer in the end credits about the dangers of smoking).
- Part of the film takes place on the Eiffel Tower . In an earlier Bond film, Moonraker , it was mentioned that the tower was purchased by the villain of that movie, Hugo Drax , but he was refused an export permit for the structure.
- It has been suggested that the film's teaser sequence helped initiate interest in snowboarding.
- The Rolls-Royce driven by Patrick Macnee in the film belonged to producer Albert R. Broccoli .
- It was planned that two stuntmen, B.J. Worth and Don Caldvedt, would both parachute off the top of the Eiffel Tower so that two takes of the scene could be filmed. However, sufficient footage was obtained from Worth's jump, so Caldvedt was told he would not be performing his own jump. Caldvedt, unhappy at not being able to perform the jump, parachuted off the tower without authorisation from the City of Paris. He was sacked by the production team for jeopardising the continuation of filming in the city.
- The parachute jump from the top of the Eiffel Tower was made from a platform which extended from the edge of the tower. The platform is clearly visible in the film.
- Though Patrick Macnee plays only a small part in the film, he received his own "starring" credit, that is, his name is the only name to appear on screen at the time.
- In the mine scene towards the end of the film, Grace Jones ' screams when sparks fly around her are genuine. The sparks were created to mimic the effect of electrical cables in and near the water, but Jones was not told about them.
- At the conclusion of the end credits it says the traditional "James Bond will return" but not the title of the next film as had been tradition since From Russia with Love , nor has the title of the next film been announced in the end credits of every Bond film since.
- This film was Dolph Lundgren 's film debut. At the time of filming, Grace Jones was dating Dolph Lundgren. He was visiting her on set one day when an extra was missing, so the director John Glen asked him if he wanted to get a shot at it. Lundgren appears as a KGB agent during the confrontation between General Gogol and Max Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol.
- A View to a Kill is the first James Bond film to not directly use the title of a story by Ian Fleming , and currently the only one to use a modified version thereof.
Video games
*A View to a Kill was also made into a video game . It was published by Domark and produced by Softstone Ltd (Tony Knight, Daryl Bowers and Gary Burfield Wallis). It ws available on ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 .
*May Day is a playable character in the "deathmatch" part of the 1996 Nintendo 64 game Goldeneye.
* Nikolai Diavolo , a villain played by Willem Dafoe in the 2004 video game Everything or Nothing claimed Max Zorin was his mentor. In the game, one of Diavolo's objectives is to kill Bond in revenge for Zorin's death.
External links
- A View to a Kill (1985) at IMDb
- MGM's official A View to a Kill website
- James Bond news
- 1 Mr. White
- 2 Blofeld (Christoph Waltz)
- 3 Lyutsifer Safin
A View to a Kill
1985, 2h 11min - Action , Adventure , Thriller
Country: UK
"A View to a Kill" — action, adventure and thriller movie produced in UK and released in 1985. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.3 stars out of 10. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 2h 11min. "A View to a Kill" is currently available for rent and to buy on Apple TV and Google Play. Click on a playlink to watch it now!
Where to Watch A View to a Kill online
Rent: 3.99 USD | Buy: 14.99 USD
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A View to a Kill
1985, 2h 11min - Action , Adventure , Thriller
Country: UK
"A View to a Kill" — action, adventure and thriller movie produced in UK and released in 1985. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.3 stars out of 10. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 2h 11min. "A View to a Kill" is currently available to stream on Apple TV and Google Play. Click on a playlink to watch it now!
Where to Watch A View to a Kill online
Buy: 590 INR
Google Play
Join more than 3 million users.
using PlayPilot to find the best movies and shows on all streaming services!
Be the first to leave a review for this title
Cast & Crew
Similar titles.
1990, Movie - Action, Adventure, Crime
1990, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
1988, Movie - Action, Adventure, Crime
1981, Movie - Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
1989, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
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10 Movie Stars Who Ruined Their Own Movies
6. roger moore - a view to a kill.
A View to a Kill was Roger Moore's seventh and final outing as James Bond, and is perhaps cinema's all-time great example of an actor not knowing when to walk away from an iconic, star-making role.
Some critics already felt that Moore was too old in the previous film, Octopussy, and while shooting A View to a Kill, he turned 57 years of age.
Despite only two years passing between these films, Moore had aged noticeably since Octopussy, which made him considerably less persuasive as both an action hero and a romantic lead.
Action was never Moore's forte as 007, but here director John Glen was forced to awkwardly cut around Moore's stiff physicality to try and impress he could still go, while both of his screen lovers - Tanya Roberts and Grace Jones - were over 20 years his junior. Awkward.
Moore, ever a good sport, confessed in later years that he was "only about four hundred years too old" to play Bond at this point, yet seemingly unable to turn down a final $7.5 million payday, he starred in one Bond film too many and ensured his exit was a total laughing stock.
Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.
A View to a Kill
1985, 2h 11min - Action , Adventure , Thriller
Country: UK
"A View to a Kill" — action, adventure and thriller movie produced in UK and released in 1985. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.3 stars out of 10. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 2h 11min. "A View to a Kill" is currently available to stream on Apple TV and Google Play. Click on a playlink to watch it now!
Where to Watch A View to a Kill online
Buy: 590 INR
Google Play
Join more than 3 million users.
using PlayPilot to find the best movies and shows on all streaming services!
Be the first to leave a review for this title
Cast & Crew
Similar titles.
1990, Movie - Action, Adventure, Crime
1990, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
1988, Movie - Action, Adventure, Crime
1981, Movie - Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
1989, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
1981, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
1982, Movie - Action, Adventure, Thriller
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NO TIME TO DIE Countdown: A VIEW TO A KILL Revisited
Kompromat: a rushin’ thriller, fast x trailer, the latest podcast #116: films of steven soderbergh, magic mike’s last dance, horrific inquiry: my bloody valentine (2009), the last of us season 1 episodes 2-5: whoa, we’re halfway there, little dixie: little gas in grillo grit-pic, scream vi trailer, your place or mine: a generic comedy that promises more than it delivers, all quiet on the western front and narvik: germany and norway made very different films about war and trauma, stolen youth: inside the cult at sarah lawrence: a nightmarish documentary of pain, trauma and hope, sharper trailer, the everlasting beauty of chungking express.
In the No Time To Die Countdown, Jake Tropila takes a look back at every Bond film – official and unofficial – in anticipation of the release of the latest entry.
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Alas, the party had to end at some point. Not this column; we have plenty of entries to go before we reach that conclusion. The party I’m referring to, of course, is the tenure of Sir Roger Moore . Twelve years and seven later, Moore appeared in more (official) films than any other Bond Actor. Whether or not he was the best is a matter of taste; all that matters is he was the best at what he did.
And what he did was so much fun! A suave presence with ace comic timing, Moore was game to take the series to stratospheric heights of goofiness, yet it never felt any less credible in his hands. Drop Craig into Moonraker , and the enterprise falls apart quickly. Besides, who else could pull off that clown makeup with such panache? Not Timothy Dalton , that’s for sure. Every time I run through the series, I always find it tough to say goodbye to a Bond, and today is no exception.
This brings us to this week’s entry, A View to a Kill . For many, this is as bad as it gets. Overlong. Inexcusable. Incomprehensible. One film too many. Hell, even Moore quipped that he was “only four hundred years too old for the part.” The age certainly shows – you could host a drinking game for every instance you spot Moore’s stunt double, and everyone would be properly sauced by the end of the Paris sequence (best not to attempt such a thing). And sure, if one were to take the aggregate totals of all Bond reviews, A View to a Kill lands somewhere near the bottom.
So you’ll have to forgive me as I buck the trend of the general consensus and proudly proclaim that I think this movie is a total blast. Flawed? Sure. But the worst? With these villains? With *that* theme song? Absolutely not. We’re gonna cover it all, and hopefully, I’ll make a believer out of you yet. The year is 1985 – what a time to be alive. Let’s base jump off the Eiffel Tower and into the action.
Dance Into the Fire
Huh, that legal disclaimer is odd. Anyways. Moore’s ultimate cold open is an especially chilly one, finding the agent in snow-covered Siberia, exhuming the corpse of 003 to locate a special microchip. He’s almost immediately spotted by enemy soldiers, necessitating a quick escape, during which Bond inadvertently invents snowboarding while a Beach Boys cover band sings “California Girls.” Scoff all you want, I’m busy grinning ear to ear. Bond shoots a helicopter down with a flare before shacking up with a gorgeous blonde agent in a submarine disguised as an iceberg. Did I mention this movie is fun?
Okay, let’s lay all the cards on the table. Past and present, always and forever, I will officially declare this as if it were an objective fact: Duran Duran’s theme song is the greatest James Bond song ever composed. Yes, “Goldfinger” is a classic. Yes, “Live and Let Die” is a stellar bop. And yes, “Nobody Does It Better” is truly exquisite. But “A View to a Kill” really gets the blood flowing, in ways no other song in the franchise does. After a series of soft ballads that openly revere 007, Duran Duran kicks the doors in and goes extremely hard with this supernova of sonic goodness.
And how about these crazy lyrics! “First crystal tears / Fallen snowflakes on your body / First time in years / To drench your skin of lover’s rosy stain / A chance to find the phoenix for the flame / A chance to die / But can we dance into the fire / The fatal kiss is all we need!” I love it. Extra points go to the visuals in the credit sequence, which features a rich dichotomy of ice and fire, and some glorious shots of downhill skiers adorned in dayglo ribbons. Terrific.
Off to the races! Literally, the entire staff of MI6 heads over to the racetrack to scope out our Bond Villain. But first, we must bid farewell to another franchise stalwart. Making her fourteenth consecutive appearance as Miss Moneypenny (seriously, she’s reported for duty in every film since Dr. No ), Lois Maxwell will also be departing alongside Moore . Three Bonds, two M’s, and one cinematic legacy later, I’ll always miss her flirtatious moments with James, even if she only appeared in a solitary scene. She will be missed.
Perhaps a proper Villain can only be judged by the quality of his henchperson. Fortunately for Zorin, May Day scores big in the win column. All hail the might of Grace Jones , who’s built like she could heave a horse clean over her head. Statuesque, Amazonian, and downright ruthless, she and Zorin form such a formidable duo that I’m inclined to grant them the position of “Featured Photo” for this installment of the No Time To Die Countdown (all previous entries were variations of Bond). Well-deserved, I might add.
Speaking of, let’s talk Bond. As much as I adore Moore , he’s arguably the weakest part of A View to a Kill . He still manages his quips well, but the action just ain’t what it used to be. Consider the interlude in Paris. We get an assassination by butterfly, a base jump off the Eiffel Tower, and a reckless two-wheel drive car chase through the city streets. All potentially exciting, but the film frequently (and haphazardly) cuts around Moore in a poor attempt to disguise his many stuntmen. Director John Glen makes the most out of the scenario, but more often than not I’m actively playing “Spot Not-Roger.”
Throwing in the Towel
Bond goes undercover in Zorin’s compound under the guise of James St. John Smythe (pronounced Sinjin Smith) , accompanied by fellow agent-turned-manservant Sir Godfrey Tibbett (played by Avengers alum Patrick Macnee , in a witty bit of meta-casting). I enjoy Bond’s repartee with Tibbett, an age-appropriate ally, but I do question the great lengths they take to keep their cover, which involves recording what must be hours upon hours of bickering and bantering into a tape recorder in order to fool the bug in their room.
Bond and Tibbett infiltrate Zorin’s lab, where the horse steroids are discovered and a plot point seemingly develops, were it not immediately abandoned minutes later. No matter. To evade capture, Bond beds May Day, in what is quite possibly the most uncomfortable scene in the Moore films (second perhaps to Bibi Dahl in For Your Eyes Only , or kissing Magda in Octopussy ). Sadly, Tibbett doesn’t make it far. He’s murdered by May Day, and in a subsequent steeplechase-turned-assassination attempt, Bond is left for dead at the bottom of a pond (luckily, the tires of his Rolls-Royce provide sufficient air supply). Onward to San Francisco.
A View to a Kill is one of the few Bonds that is set primarily stateside. The target of Zorin’s operation is Silicon Valley: he aims to detonate a massive explosion under the San Andreas fault, which would then cause the Valley to be flooded and allow him to have a monopoly on microchips. Think Goldfinger , only nonsensical. Whatever, I’m having a good time. Walken sells the hell out of his speech, and May Day drops a poor bastard out of their blimp. Did I mention Zorin has a blimp? We also get the title of the movie spoken, as May Day and Zorin admire the Golden Gate Bridge: “What a view.” “To a kill!” Hey, I don’t know what it means either; all I know is I like it.
It’s telling that I’ve made it this far into this retrospective and I haven’t even mentioned our Bond Girl yet. Stacey Sutton is introduced early in the picture, shortly after Zorin’s first horse race. I always think of her as a constant presence in this movie, but to my surprise I found she actually disappears for an hour or so, returning to dominate the latter half of Bond’s adventure in San Francisco. Now, the part certainly has its naysayers, and while I cannot really provide a cogent defense, I will say that Tanya Roberts is not to blame. She answers the call of duty; trouble is, the role largely turns thankless. The best analog I can think of is Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever – starts strong, operates independently, has her own agency, but is ultimately reduced to a shrieking hostage in the final act. A shame, really.
(One major gripe I can’t let go: how the hell does Stacey not hear an enormous blimp approach her from behind? She’s literally scooped up off the ground into it. That’s unforgivable, really.)
Stacey is embroiled in a legal battle with Zorin for control of her family’s oil company. Zorin attempts to buy her out, but Stacey won’t back down so easily. Bond accompanies her to City Hall as James Stock, reporter of Financial Times , to get to the bottom of Zorin’s plan. Surprise! Zorin has already beaten them there, and not only does he murder their City Hall contact, he sets the whole damn building on fire. Bond and Stacey escape, but they are fingered for the murder of the dead City Hall official. Bond and Stacey escape again , this time with an absconded firetruck and a dozen police officers in tow. As far as chases go, this feels more Blues Brothers than For Your Eyes Only , right down to the obnoxious, Chicago-esque cop who chews out his subordinates.
Everything comes to a head in Zorin’s mine. As a sign of the changing times of cinema, flippant murder of nameless and faceless extras became very much in vogue, so Zorin has a ball gunning down his own men to cover his tracks. Unfortunately for him, he also leaves behind May Day, who turns good and sacrifices herself to foil his nefarious dreams. Zorin responds by kidnapping Stacey, but Bond manages to get his blimp tangled on the Golden Gate Bridge for the final showdown. I do like this, as a setpiece; Walken’s giggle before falling to his doom hits just right. And so, the day is saved, and Bond enjoys Stacey in the shower. The end.
Conclusion: A View to Kill
A View to a Kill is nowhere near as reviled as its reputation suggests. It might not be the proper send-off Roger Moore deserved, but the film has a great sense of fun, and its Villains are in a league of their own. Have I mentioned the Duran Duran track? All in all, I’m grateful Moore stuck around for as long as he did; Connery set the precedent, but Moore ensured the franchise could endure. Were it not for him, we wouldn’t have as many cinematic treasures to cherish. So, thank you Roger Moore . Thank you for your service.
What do you think? Is A View to a Kill better than its reputation suggests? Let us know in the comments below.
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A View to a Kill (1985)
About a view to a kill.
It’s Roger Moore’s final Bond film. 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. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin.
- Director: John Glen
- James Bond: Roger Moore
- Villain(s): Max Zorin (Christopher Walken)
- Bond Girl(s): Kimberley Jones (Mary Stävin) May Day (Grace Jones) Pola Ivanova (Fiona Fullerton) Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts)
- Theme Song: “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran
- Soundtrack Composer: John Barry
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A view to a kill.
1985 Directed by John Glen
Has James Bond finally met his match?
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. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin.
Roger Moore Grace Jones Christopher Walken Tanya Roberts Patrick Macnee Patrick Bauchau David Yip Fiona Fullerton Manning Redwood Alison Doody Willoughby Gray Desmond Llewelyn Robert Brown Lois Maxwell Walter Gotell Geoffrey Keen Jean Rougerie Daniel Benzali Bogdan Kominowski Papillon Soo Mary Stavin Dominique Risbourg Carole Ashby Anthony Chinn Joe Flood Gérard Buhr Dolph Lundgren Tony Sibbald Bill Ackridge Show All… Ron Tarr Taylor McAuley Seva Novgorodtsev Maud Adams Michael G. Wilson Paula Thomas
Albert R. Broccoli Tom Pevsner Michael G. Wilson
Ian Fleming Richard Maibaum Michael G. Wilson
Peter Davies
Cinematography
Production design.
Peter Lamont
Art Direction
John Fenner
Set Decoration
Crispian Sallis
Costume Design
Emma Porteous
Eon Productions United Artists Danjaq
Alternative Titles
James Bond 007 - 14 - A View to a Kill, James Bond 14: A View to a Kill, James Bond - A View to A Kill, Panorama para matar, James Bond 14 - Dangereusement Vôtre, Levande måltavla, 007: A View to a Kill, James Bond 14 - A View to a Kill, James Bond 007 Dangereusement Vôtre, A View To A Kill - 007, 007 15 - Na Mira dos Assassinos, Bond 14, Τζέιμς Μποντ, Πράκτωρ 007: Επιχείρηση Κινούμενος Στόχος, James Bond - I skudlinjen, 007 Bersaglio mobile, View To A Kill, A, 15 A View to a Kill, 007 - Na Mira dos Assassinos, Вид на убийство, Vyhlídka na smrt, 雷霆杀机, Dangereusement Vôtre, En la mira de los asesinos, 007 och dödens blick, 007 ja kuoleman katse, Джеймс Бонд 14: Вид на убийство, Zabójczy widok, 14탄 007 뷰 투 어 킬 (1985), Agente 007 - Bersaglio mobile, 007 - 14 - Panorama para matar, 007 James Bond: Ölüme Bir Bakış, 007 - A View To A Kill, 15 Panorama para matar, 007 - 15 - Panorama para matar, 007։ A View to a Kill, Вид на вбивство, James Bond 15 A View to a Kill, (1985) A View To A Kill, 007: En la Mira De Los Asesinos, James Bond - 1985 - Dangereusement vôtre, Im Angesicht des Todes, James Bond 14 - Im Angesicht des Todes, James Bond - 14 - Im Angesicht des Todes, 007: Halálvágta, James Bond: Halálvágta, James Bond XV: A View to a Kill
thriller action adventure
High speed and special ops Epic heroes spy, agent, intrigue, thriller or suspense action, villain, funny, humor or silly action, explosives, exciting, action-packed or villain car, action, cars, adrenaline or driving action, villain, superhero, hero or action-packed Show All…
131 mins More at IMDb TMDb Report this film
Popular reviews
Review by Matt Singer ★★★ 18
Real men don't eat quiche...
... they cook and serve it to beautiful young women after shooting a bunch of thugs who work for a deranged former KGB agent turned computer chip magnate who dabbles in horse breeding and also has interests in California oil fields.
(In other words, an underrated Bond movie. Every time I revisit it, I like it more.)
Review by Ian West ★★★★ 2
TBH I wish the sexy martial arts practicing scene with Grace Jones & Christopher Walken could have been three hours longer.
Review by Griffin Newman ★★★★★ 10
The best Bond yet.
Review by audreyv ★ 35
James is back on his anti-russian shit; I really don't care enough to follow the plot; I have enough on my hands trying to deal with the soundtrack and credits sequence here. Moneypenny is an absolute doll and I am SO happy for her that she gets to be DONE with bond after this. unlike some of us. Christopher Walken is a baby and probably also the bad guy since he seems to have bleached hair which is pretty damn sinister. this movie is 131 minutes long and do you wanna know something? Every single time I watch one of these movies I am STUNNED that ANOTHER one got made afterwards. How long are they going to keep this up?…
Review by Matt Gourley 5
I watched two of the greats today. This and Citizen Kane.
Review by Will Sloan ★★★ 1
Roger Moore's last Bond movie. This has a reputation for being one of the worst of the series, mainly because Moore was a little long in the tooth at this point. And it's true: he's 58 here, and looks older. In fact there's a scene early on where Bond, M, Q, and Moneypenny are all at the racetrack together dressed in their Sunday best, and it seems like the median age of employees at MI6 is about 87. That said, if you can get into the spirit of an elderly-looking Bond, I actually think this is one of the better Moores. You've got that great Duran Duran theme song, Walken and Grace Jones as villains, action set-pieces with lots of…
Review by matt lynch ★★★
Roger Moore was thawed from cryosleep a week prior to the June '84 start of principal photography.
Review by Slig001 ★★★½ 6
Why don't people like this one? A View to a Kill follows the Bond formula well and is a huge improvement on the previous two entries in the series. This time we see an aging Roger Moore face off against a microchip magnate with an aggressive plan to deal with his competitors. The film is pure camp throughout. The comical tone is set nicely in the opening scene - before unleashing one of the catchiest Bond themes ever, and then moving into the main plot, which features the killer Bond villain duo of Grace Jones and Christopher Walken - the latter of which is surely the most hysterically psychotic Bond villain ever. It's so nice to see an actor enjoying themselves…
Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★
Fuera de Serie: Bond, James Bond - The International Spy, The Icon & The Once Serial Women Beater
After a series of films that have ranged from entertaining to some of the worst in the series so far, Roger Moore bids farewell to the character that, for better or worse, defined him until the day he died. And in many ways this film defines Moore's Bond perfectly. The film offers just enough humor and camp, a villain who ultimately feels inconsequential, and moments of great action that make you forget how little real thrills there are in these films.
Starting with the positives, the ending contains not one but two action moments that are among the best in the franchise, from…
Review by 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗧 𝗥𝗢𝗪 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ★
If I was to provide a personal wishlist of actors who I'd love as a Bond villain, Christopher Walken would be pretty near the top. Throw in Grace Jones and Duran Duran on the soundtrack...
Surely this is nothing less than another Bond classic?
Well, unfortunately it's great potential, coming at the wrong time in the series. With a flagging Roger Moore in his last outing as our hero, rather than a great film at best, or even the flashy mid-80s cheese-fest at worst that it could have been, A View to a Kill is as flat as our leading man.
The plot is very by the books. It's like a roulette wheel of Bond tropes. Gather round all, spin…
Review by Calvin Dyson ★★★★ 3
MAAAAAAAAAAXXXX!!!!
Review by Deckk ★★ 1
100-word review: Microchip manufacturer Max Zorin plans to destroy Silicon Valley to gain a monopoly. 007 tries to stop him. Any minute of A View to a Kill when May Day doesn't Grace (Jones) the screen with her 'too good for this 80s B-movie bullshit' vibes is a boring, wasted one. For one of the most out-there James Bond plots, this features underwhelming amounts of Roger Moore nonsense, and overwhelming amounts of taking itself too serious for how lowly the series has devolved at this point. A fade-out ending to the seven-times-Bond career as Eon's titular hero.
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TV Listings
- Cast & Crew
A View to a Kill
- 40 Metascore
- 2 hr 10 mins
- Drama, Suspense, Action & Adventure
James Bond targets a software tycoon who intends to destroy Silicon Valley to eliminate his rivals.
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1:29 A View To A Kill
- 1986 - Golden Globe - Best Original Song - Motion Picture - nominated
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Roger Moore
Christopher Walken
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A View to a Kill is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming 's 1960 short story "From a View to a Kill", the film has an entirely original screenplay.
Action Adventure Thriller The recovery of a microchip off the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley. Director John Glen Writers Richard Maibaum (screenplay) Michael G. Wilson (screenplay) Ian Fleming (story "From A View to a Kill")
So in all, A View to a Kill is another missed opportunity to have a classic film with a classic villain. Once again, there's some entertainment to be had, particularly in the climax, but it doesn ...
A View to a Kill Jump to Edit Summaries The recovery of a microchip off the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley. James Bond has one more mission. Bond returns from his travels in the U.S.S.R. with a computer chip.
A View To A Kill location: Bond meets CIA agent Chuck Lee: Tarantino's, Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco Bond follows Zorin to San Francisco, where he meets CIA agent Chuck Lee ( David Yip) at bright but touristy Fisherman's Wharf on the bay.
A View to a Kill (1985) was Roger Moore's seventh and final screen appearance as James Bond, a role that he had inherited from Sean Connery. Following quickly on the heels of Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill took its title from a 1960 short story by James Bond creator Ian Fleming, but the screenplay was an original story written by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum, The plot has Bond ...
With help from geologist Stacey Sutton, Bond sabotages Zorin's scheme. Finding an unexpected ally in May Day, whom Zorin has betrayed, Bond prevents the main explosion from detonating. As Zorin escapes in his airship, he kidnaps Stacey. The final confrontation between Bond and Zorin is atop the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where Zorin ...
A View to a Kill, released in 1985, is the fourteenth entry in the James Bond series of films made by EON Productions, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore as British Secret Service Agent, Commander James Bond.It is also the final Bond film to have Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, which had began with Dr. No.It was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
"A View to a Kill" — action, adventure and thriller movie produced in UK and released in 1985. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.3 stars out of 10. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 2h 11min. "A View to a Kill" is currently available for rent and to buy on Apple TV and Google Play. Click on a playlink to watch it now!
The château and the Great Stables were featured in the 1985 James Bond film A View to a Kill, as the home of villainous Max Zorin (played by Christopher Walken) which was being infiltrated by Bond (played for the last time by Roger Moore) in his quest to find out more about Zorin, who had already aroused suspicions of MI6 with various business ...
A View to a Kill. 1985, 2h 11min - Action, Adventure, Thriller. The recovery of a microchip off the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist who plans to create a worldwide microchip monopoly by destroying California's Silicon Valley. Country: ...
10 Movie Stars Who Ruined Their Own Movies. 6. Roger Moore - A View To A Kill. MGM/UA. A View to a Kill was Roger Moore's seventh and final outing as James Bond, and is perhaps cinema's all-time ...
"A View to a Kill" — action, adventure and thriller movie produced in UK and released in 1985. It has a good rating on IMDb: 6.3 stars out of 10. It is a feature-length film with a runtime of 2h 11min. "A View to a Kill" is currently available to stream on Apple TV and Google Play. Click on a playlink to watch it now!
Release Date: June 13, 1985Agent 007 (Roger Moore) races against time to stop a power-mad industrialist (Christopher Walken) who plots to kill millions in or...
Released May 24th, 1985, 'A View to a Kill' stars Roger Moore, Grace Jones, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts The PG movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 11 min, and received a user score of 62 (out ...
A View To A Kill (1985) Starring: Roger Moore The seventh and final film to star Roger Moore sees James Bond pitted against Christopher Walken's Max Zorin, an industrialist who's attempting...
HD Film Tributes 1.84M subscribers Soundtrack from the 1985 James Bond/007 film "A View to a Kill," with Roger Moore, Tanya Roberts, Christopher Walken, Patrick Macnee, Grace Jones, Alison...
A View To A Kill (2,103) 6.3 2 h 11 min 1985 X-Ray UHD PG Roger Moore is the enigmatic 007 in this stunt-laden adventure that pits Bond against a twisted German industrialist (Christopher Walken) and his sexy partner-in-crime (Grace Jones). Directors John Glen Starring Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Grace Jones Genres Suspense, Adventure, Action
In the No Time To Die Countdown, Jake Tropila takes a look back at every Bond film - official and unofficial - in anticipation of the release of the latest entry. Alas, the party had to end at some point. Not this column; we have plenty of entries to go before we reach that conclusion. The party I'm referring to, of course, is the tenure ...
Where can you watch A View to a Kill online? A View to a Kill is currently available to stream with a subscription on fuboTV for $74.99 / month, after a 7-Day Free Trial. You can buy or rent A View to a Kill for as low as $3.99 to rent or $5.99 to buy on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, iTunes, Google Play, and Vudu.
Where to Watch or Stream A View to a Kill. 40% 37%. 1985 131 min PG Drama, Action/AdventureFeature Film. After recovering a microchip from the body of a deceased colleague in Russia, British secret agent James Bond (Roger Moore) discovers that the technology has the potential for sinister applications. Investigating further, Bond is led to Max ...
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. James Bond must find out how and why. His suspicions soon lead him to big industry leader Max Zorin. Remove Ads.
A View to a Kill. 40 Metascore. 1985. 2 hr 10 mins. Drama, Suspense, Action & Adventure. PG. Watchlist. James Bond targets a software tycoon who intends to destroy Silicon Valley to eliminate his ...