"A View to a Kill" is a prime example of the song being better than the movie it's based on. It's by Duran Duran, and really gets you hyped up in the opening credits. Unfortunately, when the movie starts, the energy quickly dissipates.
James Bond is sent to investigate Zorin Industries, which is designing microchips to withstand nuclear blasts. By destroying Silicon Valley, they plan on gaining a monopoly on the computer chip market, allowing them to do business with Soviets.
The plot feels like it consists of fragments from other plots - notably, "Goldfinger" with computer chips instead of gold, as well as virtually every action movie from the 80's. But the bigger issue is that Roger Moore was 57 at the time of filming, which has
two effects - creating an uncomfortable age-gap dynamic with Tanya Roberts, and making the action and dialogue feel slow. At one point, he bakes a quiche, which is kind of a strike against his masculine image! Christopher Walken is a solid villain, causing chaos with a nonchalant attitude, but I can't help but feel disappointed that David Bowie didn't take the role like the filmmakers wanted.
Despite these issues, "A View to a Kill" is a competent action movie, taking the audience from Siberia to Paris to San Francisco. At times, it works as camp entertainment, with the Beach Boys' "California Girls" abruptly coming on during an action scene. But it's easy to see why this was Moore's last Bond movie.
Available on VHS, Betamax, CED, LaserDisc, DVD, and Blu-Ray
Grade: C