|
An investigation of a horse-racing scam puts James Bond on
the trail of a power-hungry industrialist who wants to monopolise
the world's microchip market. With the aid of beautiful geologist
Stacey Sutton, 007 discovers that Max Zorin plans to destroy
California's Silicon Valley, killing millions in the process...
This
was the final Bond adventure to feature Roger Moore as the
world's most famous secret agent - and, quite frankly, it
was not before time. Though this is an enjoyable film, you
can't help feeling a bit sorry for Moore as he gasps and fumbles
his way through the film, managing to look perhaps even older
than his 57 years. It is remarkable and ironic that the older
Sir Roger gets, the more he looks like Bob Holness, who himself
played Bond, many moons ago, on the radio! Moore hams it up
throughout, delivering such instantly forgettable lines as,
"Call me James. It's five days to Alaska," which will have
even the keenest Bond fan wincing with embarrassment. He fails
to convince as either an action man or a ladies' man.
Having
said that, 007 does become something of a new man in this
movie. In a precursor to the all-too-brief reign of Timothy
Dalton, Bond cooks a meal for his love interest, Stacey Sutton
(Tanya Roberts), and does not attempt to have his wicked way
with her at the first available opportunity. Instead he considerately
tucks the snoozing woman into bed.
The
rest of the supporting cast add a great deal of value to the
film. Christopher Walken and Grace Jones are each as mad as
a box of frogs in their roles as the evil Max Zorin and his
henchwoman May Day, and are huge fun to watch. Patrick (The
Avengers) Macnee, who played Watson to Roger Moore's Holmes
in the movie Sherlock Holmes in New York, provides
amiable assistance as Sir Godfrey Tibbett.
As
usual, director John Glen supplies some splendid action sequences,
which involve snowboarding, a chase with a fire truck, carnage
within some impressive mine sets and a gritty fight atop the
Golden Gate Bridge.
Though
the movie is supposedly based upon the Ian Fleming short story
"From a View to a Kill", scriptwriters Richard Maibaum and
Michael G Wilson only make use of the title (and not even
all of it) and the French setting. It's a pity that they didn't
ditch the title as well, then we would have been spared May
Day and Zorin's rather stilted declaration, "Wow, what a view..."
"...To a kill!" The rest of the plot is original, though the
Ascot horse-racing scenes are markedly similar to a section
of John Gardner's 1981 Bond novel Licence Renewed.
The
previous DVD release of this film already boasted an impressive
array of special features, including an audio commentary,
two documentaries, a deleted scene and the amusing pop video
to Duran Duran's title song. Macnee, the usual narrator of
the "making of" documentaries, is replaced here by Rosemary
Lord - perhaps the makers were concerned about his objectivity!
The Ultimate Edition adds an extra commentary by Sir
Roger Moore, a set report from the BBC's Film '85 series,
test footage of the butterfly act, three additional deleted
scenes and three multi-angle views.
A
View to a Kill was the first Bond movie that I ever saw
on a cinema screen. As such, it holds a special place in my
affections. This is an entertaining yarn, and a great one
for any actor to bow out in. It's just a pity that Moore looks
so haggard.
  
Richard
McGinlay
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below
to purchase this item.
|
|
|
£11.89
(Amazon.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£11.99
(Blahdvd.com) |
| |
|
|
|
£11.95
(Foxy.co.uk) |
| |
|
|
|
£12.99
(Thehut.com) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|
