A View to a Kill
By Jeffrey Anderson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Tired 007 effort has ridiculous plot, iffy behavior.

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A View to a Kill
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What's the Story?
In Siberia, special agent 007, James Bond (Roger Moore), discovers a microchip on the body of the late agent 003, leading him to wealthy industrialist Max Zorin (Christopher Walken). Bond first observes Zorin cheating in a horse race, and there meets Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts), whose company Zorin is trying to take over. After traveling to San Francisco, Bond and Sutton discover Zorin's secret plans to destroy Silicon Valley, thereby cornering the world's microchip market. But before Bond can stop him, he must contend with Zorin's deadly protector, May Day (Grace Jones).
Is It Any Good?
Roger Moore was nearing sixty when he made this, his seventh and final James Bond film, and the entire movie just seems tired. Worse, it unwisely allows for a strain of ridiculous humor, beginning with the use of a Beach Boys song while Bond snowboards down a hill. Unfortunately, even when it's not trying to be funny it tends to be rather ridiculous (in one scene, Bond even makes quiche for his Bond girl), and sometimes dumb.
On the plus side, Christopher Walken and Grace Jones make two of the more colorful characters in Bond's rogues gallery. A battle over the Golden Gate Bridge is a highlight, as is Duran Duran's title song. Moore also has a few funny scenes with Patrick Macnee, who is perhaps best known for his role on the legendary spy TV series "The Avengers." If you look fast, you can spot Dolph Lundgren as a henchman, but even Lundgren has made better movies than this.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's violence. How intense is it? How many characters have to die so that Bond can save the world? Are there any consequences?
Bond is definitely a good guy, but his methods and behavior are questionable. What is appealing about him? Is he a role model? Does he seem "cool"? Is he someone to emulate? Why or why not?
How are the women in this movie treated? Why are they attracted to Bond? Would any of them be interesting in a movie of their own?
How much alcohol does Bond drink in this movie? Does he make drinking look cool? In real life, would it get in the way of doing spy work?
Movie Details
- In theaters: May 24, 1985
- On DVD or streaming: October 17, 2000
- Cast: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts
- Director: John Glen
- Studio: MGM/UA
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 130 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- Last updated: April 27, 2023
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