The Battle for 'A View to a Kill' | A Fan Debate 

The finale on the bridge is still one of my favourite climaxes!! Love that music!!!

Mark Gatiss once said that if you imagine it's a film about an elderly man who thinks he's a secret agent, it's absolutely charming.

Christopher Walken elevates this film immensely. The scene where he reacts to finding out who James Bond is while Bond is sitting in the room thinking he's undercover is priceless and is among one of the top Bond scenes in the franchise and for any Bond villain. It's really rather amazing for a franchise as old as Bond that has pretty much been a family endeavor, how often EON Productions sabotage themselves in the decisions they make like they don't really understand James Bond at all sometimes, and it really became apparent once they ran out of Flemming material.

My mother and I saw this in Alaska when I was ten and she saw Christopher Walken's name in the credits and said "Oh, what's Ronnie doing in this?" (they went to high school together) and she had a grand time watching his turn. We later took my grandfather to it who lived in SF and she said, "Now try not to fall in love with Grace Jones, pop!" She might now have a traumatic brain injury. Prayers for my momma's full recovery.

My first bond film and got me into the bond series and would watch it every Friday with snacks after school. Never get bored of it.

I always though when Bond takes the umbrella to "help" Tibbett, it was meant as sort of an inside joke, since Pattrick MacNee always used one on the Avengers. I don't know, it sounded like that to me ahah

This is definitely one of my more guilty pleasure Bond movies. I don't have to take it seriously, I don't have to think about it, I can just sit down and sort of switch my brain off and enjoy it for 2 hours. Honestly, that's all I need. I really have a soft spot for this one.

For a movie with a lot that's over the top, it does have one fairly subtle joke. When Bond is hanging from the Zorin blimp, Bond's manhood is menaced by the top of the Transamerica Building. Transamerica owned United Artists from 1967 to 1981 and sold it to MGM. That action has caused 40 years of misery for Bond fans.

I quite liked David saying that he and Calvin would have been best friends.

"A View to a Kill" was the first Bond film I saw in the theater and I'll always have a soft spot for it. Thanks for doing these!

Always a great pleasure fencing with Calvin, and I have to say he had some excellent points! Alas, I can't say that AVTAK has risen in my appreciation but I admire Calvin's commitment to the film!

Moore's age actually enhances this film for me. He's at the absolute pinnacle of suavity and charm. Even if A View to a Kill were merely a "Moore vehicle" and nothing more, it would work for me, as Hunter might say. The zeroed in '80's vibe only helps endear it to me all the more...and that score is so lush and memorable! First Bond film I saw in the theater!

I love David's take on AVTAK coming across like a TV movie 20 years later. Makes the movie all the more enjoyable to me lol

Something else about the look of San Francisco. It reminds me a lot of how San Francisco looks in Star trek IV The Voyage home. To the point where when Bond is in SF, i almost expect to see Kirk, Spock and the ol’ gand just walking around.

5:35 - 5:50 David's movements and voice pattern while he's talking about Operation Grand Slam is pure Christopher Walken, intentional or not, made me laugh

I love these debates! I've started listening to them as podcasts on my commute to and from work.

I have a soft spot for this one. The music and the song by Duran Duran and also the final fight on the golden gate bridge make up for all the badness.

Rogers American accent, “on yer rear end!”, still gets me 😂 Always have fond memories of AVTAK when I was growing up.

God, even in this VHS quality footage you can clearly see the cuts between Roger and his stuntman

The horse drug was actually used during the race with Walken that makes Bond's horse go wild.

I love 'A view to a kill',its actually one of my favourite bond movies,yes Roger is a little over the hill,and some of the scenes with him and much younger women are a bit cringe,especially the bath scene,but still I think it's an overall great bond movie.

The old Tape Recording To Foil The Bug Trick was used by Kananga in LIVE AND LET DIE.

This is very serendipitous as I’m going to record my AVTAK commentary this evening. I really appreciate level headed and open discussions on the lesser regarded films-and AVTAK is horrendously underrated and written off with most not taking the more refined feeling narrative into account as a perfect way to give Roger a send off, unifying the properties of FYEO and OP and setting the stage for TLD with a significantly darker tone. We get the gentlemanly knight on an adventure where the dangers feel more real because the tone is darker and the plot is much more lived in. I suddenly realized after many years the film has more than its share of almost some of Gardner’s early tenure with the older Bond in the 80’s but also this is the one film where Bond is most St. George slaying the dragon.

The microchip at the beginning leads to Zorin. The horse steroid stuff strengthens the suspicion that Zorin was genetically engineered. There is a place for both.

I don't mind this film at all. It isn't in my top ten but I would watch it over Die Another Day, any day.

This is easily my favorite series going on any bond channel. I know you will run out of movies but hopefully we can squeeze out a couple more of these at least.

When I was a child back in early 80s my dad had this movie on a vhs cassette at home. I think I've seen it at least 100 times, easily. I used to pop it in the recorder at least once every weekend - that or star wars return of the Jedi. I loved this movie so much that for a long time my dream car was a Renautl 21!! Today I know it is not amongst the best Bond movies, but it still holds a very special place in my life.

Literally one of the most underrated Bond films imo

we know why david likes the film lifeforce,matilda may spends the whole time wearing zero clothes.

I think A View to a Kill probably has the best usage of this theme song throughout the movie. I don't know if it's the opening theme but there is this great song that just comes back over and over again that I love

Roger Moore's Bond was so charming, elegant, mature, with right height(1.85cm.)! Daniel Craig is nothing like that... And modern Bond movies are all total crap! AVTAK was the last golden era Bond film for me and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!

I completely agree that if they had embraced Moore’s age I think this would have been even better. I think that is why Octopussy worked better because the love interests were closer to his age.

This has The Saint and John Steed in the same movie, how could I ever call it bad?!

I've always enjoyed AVTAK. It is underrated in my view. It is a grounded and decent spy action film. The only thing wrong with it is that Moore looks too old in the role. Maybe they should have gotten an older woman as a love interest. But if you look past that then I don't find it anywhere worse or better than a lot of the others.

I thought that the race horse serum was intended as a reflection on Zorin himself, a foreshadowing rather than a key plot element. He's a genetically modified creature built to win...and potentially self destruct. I think it's a weak buildup to his view of life, and I'm not defending this movie (Calvin, you're brave to don the "defender" role here), but I don't think it has any value down the road.

Couple of points, I was really surprised you went the whole debate and neither of you brought up Zorin's death. When, as he loses his grip and knows he is about to die, simply laughs, is a moment that is both funny as an example of surrealist comady but also adds surprising character depth to this underwritten character. Zorin is a genius and megalomaniac and I believe the reason he laughs is not that 'he's just cray' but rather that he is so deluded in his superiority complex that the idea of him being beaten and dying is such an incomprehensible idea to him, so at odds with his warped view of reality it just seems ridicules to him so all he can do is laugh at the absurdity of it. Second point, in your issue of the film not playing to Moore's age, that I agree with you is a serious missed opptunity and showed a clear lack o vision on the writers part, along with their unwillingness to take a creative risk, wanting to instead force out the same Bond. You 'may' have brought up this example yourself in a previous video where you mentioned it or I might have imagined it, but rising the second Star Trek movie, The Wrath of Khan, as an example of how to do this affectingly would have been a good idea to point people towards in order to see an outstanding example of this being done well with Kirk. Even if you did mention this before though, it was such a great reference, it would have been a good idea to raise it again in this debate given the views I expect it will get. That aside, entertaining as always Calvin...I just wish you did not tease us with the James Bond Jr name drop as your reviews for the show were among my fav vids of yours, watching you having to endure the terrible cringe was really entertaining! PLEASE consider reviewing all the other episodes of the show at some point, if you confirm you will I'll even join your patreon, lol.

The main action theme is basically On Her Majesty's Secret Service rejigged. We only hear the Bond theme once in this film and that's in the Paris scenes.

The least I can comment about this film is that Roger (or the 3 frames he's in) is still noticably having fun, and that's one of the most important things for me seeing a Bond film. Is the actor having fun? Yes he's old and I'd be better if Octopussy was his last or if they adapted the script to his age, but at least he's still enjoying the part. DAF can feel like a real drag sometimes because of Connery's tone, while Moore's still having a blast. :)

I always have a soft spot for this film. One of the first Bonds I've seen and the one I've seen the most. Love the settings with Paris and San Francisco and Grace Jones and Christopher Walken are brilliant. Also with the storyline it's one of the easiest Bond's to follow. And the final airship scenes are amazing.

Interesting that Tom Cruise is now the same age that Roger was when AVTAK was released.

The plot was no more confusing than any other Bond movie. It was clear throughout who the good & bad guys were & that there was a big explosion planned. That's all Bond fans expect.

Personally, I like Roger Moore in this movie. I feel that along with For Your Eyes Only, this is one of his best performances due to the hard-edge added to these movies. I feel that the scenes where he's struggling like the fire truck chase and the Golden Gate Bridge confrontation really made me feel like Bond wouldn't make it. I also am one of the few people who actually loved Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton.

I think the only thing that holds this film together at all is the score. John Barry really nailed this one.

So happy to see these come up. Thanks to both of you for making this content and expanding the Bond world like a fold out book for us. You've given me the confidence to embrace my inner 'nerd' without any qualms about zooming in as far as I like on the detail, and its transformed lockdown. Might stick this one on tonight.

Very much a guilty pleasure. Every time I watch this I have the dumbest smile on my face. So much to love in this one.

AVTAK is a difficult one. I loved it as a kid and have great memories watching it on VHS (taped off of tv) after school, so it has a lot of nostalgia value. But Moore’s age *really* bothers me now, especially, as you say, when surrounded by other cool young actors and with the amount of physical activity Bond does in the film. The music, however, is still unforgettable and remains very high in my rankings.

Classic Moore-Bond. Action, villians, fun. Thus a favorite that doesn't get old.

The best things to come out of this film (in my opinion) are: 1) Christopher Walken’s performance (always a delight) 2) That theme song. I don’t have any real opinions on Duran Duran, really, but that song is awesome. Pure ‘80s. This is most definitely the most ‘80s these films ever got.

Brilliant comparison that never occurred to me before: to the 20-year-later TV movie. I also thought at the time that just a few minor changes and honesty playing to Moore's age could have made this so much better. But also agree that Barry's score is fantastic.

With respect to the San Francisco locale as someone who has lived in the area for over 25 years, the filmmakers really blew it. SF is one of the most picturesque and iconic cities in the world and has been well represented on film. So many iconic movies have used the location well (Vertifgo, Zodiac, Bullet, The Maltese Falcon, Dirty Harry, What's Up Doc, The Rock, The Birds, etc). I was stunned to find out the filmmakers had carte blanche to use any and all of the city because the mayor was a huge Bond fan. They did shoot inside City Hall and were able to simulate the exterior being on fire. Why film a car chase in San Francisco and never use any of things that make the streets iconic (like say HILLS or Lombard Street)? They use SF so little and so ineffectively it's shocking. Even something like Antman and the Wasp made better use of the city in their car chase even though the vast majority of it was filmed in Georgia and they just has a few key shots done in the real SF.

I like to mention that I prefer the SFPD Captain to Sheriff J.W. “Kill me now” Pepper and the Las Vegas policeman from Diamonds Are Forever.

Great video and fun exchanges, really watchable. Much more than the actual film you're both discussing!

These are my favorite videos on either of your channels. I've been watching you since 2012 and just started watching David about 6 months ago, but these videos are superb to a before unseen quality.

I like this film saw it 3 times in the cinema once 2 days running

45:50 - As far as I know Barry loved working with Duran Duran as they were big fans of his. It was working with A-ha on The Living Daylight that he had issues.

Really enjoyed that guys. 😁 Loving the different points of view. I'll seek out some more on your channels. Keep them coming please 😊

That opening, with Nightfire: Missile Silo/Equinox playing in the background, made the movie look so much more amazing haha. Great debate, keep them coming!

Another fantastic debate! I love this series! You should do one for every film!

So much has been said about Roger Moore's eyes. Yes, they are different. But I believe his mother died just before filming. He was in a lot of emotional pain, no? The eyes are the doorway to the heart. I think it says a lot about the man that he still played the role and carried the movie as a leading man should in spite of his mourning.

I think Zorin and Mayday are two of the best villains in the Bond series. Always enjoy this film.

this movie also should be remembered for putting John Steed together with Simon Templar in the same world...as if they're retiring together in this crazy Bond world...lol

A View To A Kill is my guilty pleasure from the Bond franchise. ....yeah, Roger Moore is too old, Tanya Roberts is more annoying than hot...but, I love how Christopher Walken chews up the scenes he’s in & excellent chemistry with Grace Jones. “Right on scccchedule”-😉👍🏻

The cheaper 'TV' look of the film, the California locations and the mid-'80s aesthetics combine to make parts of it feel like Murder She Wrote. Maybe Stacey Sutton lives just up the road from Cabot Cove?

It reminds me of people warming up to the Star Wars prequels after something worse came along. I don't think Spectre will have the same treatment. Like ask yourself: Which do you think people will warm up to more? Star Wars after hating Anakin's dislike of sand because it wasn't a cool thing to say? Or Spectre after hating Blofeld because he became a supervillain and leader of a super criminal organization to be the "author to all of Bond's pain" because his daddy gave Bond more attention?

Grey Goose watched themselves described as "the tofu of Vodka" and a bold new advertising campaign was born.

Thanks Calvin and David! I enjoyed this!....... I see Calvin, that you have some of Reuben's prints on the wall behind you!

To answer Calvin's question: The Eifel Tower Sequence is in there as it's a holdover from the Moonraker film. With them filming a lot of that in France, the intent was to fit an Eifel Tower action scene in. EON as so often never let a good idea go to waste, and just found another place for it later (e.g. the pre-credits of Tomorrow Never Dies originally were to have been in The Living Daylights).

Great video man

I might not be a big fan of this one but alongside Barry's score, Walken as Zorin is great, and as a bonus he became a catalyst in Everything or Nothing. Still love that connection.

I think the first Bond film I watched fully was GoldenEye, and it is still my favorite, but the first Bond movie I saw part of was this one on a screen in a doctor’s office, and it was right around the blimp scene near the end and I loved it and wanted to know more about it, and didn’t even know it was a Bond movie at the time. But that always stuck with me for some reason

The next debate should be over "Diamonds Are Forever".

Great convo fellas! I think David totally nailed it when he described it feeling like a TV Movie reunion special.

As I understand it, Roger had a facelift before filming AVTAK. In fact, I think he looks pretty good in the film - actually younger than Daniel Craig does now - although some of the still photography makes him appear a little startled 😄 Anyway, bless him!

Love it when David is in this mood haha. Starting now with a whiskey. Delightful.

Always love these debates, regardless of what side I come down on!

Always loved how old look all the people of the Mi6 lol

I think the only thing which holds this film back is its pacing. Fantastic theme song, great plot, and memorable villain. I don't even mind seeing an older Bond - i bought it as Moore delivered the performance with sincerity and presence.

Oh I liked this more after watching it recently. But Calvin, it's nothing to FYEO! Still great debate! Thanks.

The formula stayed the same as in previous Moore Bonds. It's what the public liked. However it is a below par entry. They couldn't make an origin film or a gritty LTK esq film. Only thing they could do is change Bond to reflect his age. Which they didn't really do. Apart from Bond tucking Tanya Roberts in.

It should have been Dalton's first film. Zorin's psychotic and violent behavior seems more suitable for a Dalton Bond. The villains are great. The plot is fine for me. The film really needed a more fit Bond. I've tried to like AVTAK more. It's still a lower tier film for me. Great show! Hope you can do more of these.

I remember at that time around the middle eighties that we had the show Equalizer (man that was good). They should have made Bond more like McCall here. Edward Woodward was very convincing even in the action scenes there. It just gets silly when you see an older man doing silly action movements. I think it was a mistake from the start. Either you replace Roger, or do the action scenes smarter and more mature. That would have made this film look better in many scenes.

Once The Beach Boys start playing you’re either with this movie or against it lol

Literally my first bond film and love the villain combination

I feel that Zaritsky watched Oliver Harper’s retrospective right before this debate

A view to a kill had the best villains possible. Christopher walken and grace Jones 🤯 she’s terrifying

My favorite Moore Bond film, On my TOP 5 in General.

This is a great video Calvin 👍

This thought had occurred to me as well and it might have been an idea perhaps ahead of its time, but I agree that they should have embraced Roger Moore’s age instead of trying to cover it up. It would have worked well for this type of story with Zorin being a more youthful villain and about technology and the computer boom of the 80s: Zorin represents the future and Bond represents the past and it could have had this interesting new school vs. old school element.

The most underrated Bond flick. AVTAK is not a bad movie at all! Thanks to Roger, Tanya, Grace and Christopher.

I just rewatched this, I'm 22 years old and was a Bond fan since I was a kid. I absolutely enjoyed almost everything about it, Moores age didn't even bother me. The weakest part might be Stacey Sutton lmao, Walken is fantastic as well as Grace Jones

I love view to a kill. When zorin starts up the zeplin.. fantastic stuff. Love the soundtrack so much.

I have only seen this one twice but it kinda feels like DAF. Bond goes to a big european city -Amsterdam or Paris and then goes to a big american city - Las Vegas or San Francisco. "Microchips Are Forever" as an alternative title would have worked quite well too.

The soundtrack is one of the main selling points of this movie. I really like how they used the title score in different variations in AVtaK and TLD. Also, the villains are phenomenal. That's already enough to be one of the best Moore Bond movies for me. I know, THAT's controversial. But I really like this movie, as well as Octopussy and The Living Daylights. 3 very strong movies in a row. Don't really understand the issues with the plot. Yes, it's not new and yes, it's a bit messy. But Octopussy is much worse plot-wise and TLD isn't that straightforward as well. AVtaK is relatively simple imho.

Brilliant video as always!! And as always - i picked up a lot of brand new information that I NEVER noticed before! That is always the BEST thing about these “ battles” between the two of you- I always discover brand new elements of films that I’ve literally seen DOZENS of times - That is UNBELIEVABLE that you guys can do that to all of us seasoned fans with each new video- and it really is a stunning achievement! A View To A Kill is my least favorite Moore film - but it is still a fun movie to watch. The main issue -sadly - is really just his age. He is really only in this film occasionally and the apparently dozens of doubles they use are just ridiculously obvious and turn the film into a comedy in many moments! He is also so clearly too old for the women in this that it’s sort of uncomfortable to watch sometimes. It’s strange though - because these days an actor like Liam Neeson has made an entire career as an older action star - and NO ONE questions it - even it for a second. Even Tom Cruise does crazy action very credibly in the recent Mission films - and he is as old as Roger was! Just goes to show how much time changes things!

I love this film, AVTAK(1985)! The end of a great era! Last chance to see Roger Moore and Lois Maxwell! A very important milestone, like the next film TLD(1987)! Actually, I love both of these movies equally! Although these films are very different. ***** I think 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987 is THE BEST TIME IN THE FRANCHISE!!!

A View to a Kill I'm rewatching now and it's still nostalgic for me as I watched it in the theater w my family and rented the beta max and Vcr tapes over and over again! Wow that says my age.

About that scene where May Day almost-but-not-quite recognizes Bond... I got the impression in the Eiffel Tower scene that she never got a good look at his face, because in the restaurant Bond was sitting with his back to her, and by the time Bond started chasing her up the stairs she was already a good ways up and when she got the chance to see him it was both in motion and from afar. After that point she definitely didn't have any chance to take a look at him. It didn't seem so much like a case of May Day forgetting his face as a case of May Day having some but not all of the information she would have needed to immediately pick him out. So that moment didn't bother me so much. 'Cause it seems to me there is a good explanation -- either this, or, she confused Roger Moore with one of his stunt doubles!

One of the weakest films that could have ended up in my worst five Bond films, but Christopher Walken and Barry’s score is phenomenal. Duran Duran’s son is IMO the best Bond song of the 80s and the instrumental flute rendition of the title song is brilliant. I really like how that instrument rendition is so calm and serine, whilst the song is so energetic. In fact in hindsight the romantic theme almost has an autumnal feeling to it. IMO it almost signifies the ending of Moore’s tenure in the role.

cool, these are my favorite videos!

Christopher Walken was the second choice for Zorin. The first choice was David Bowie. The script's description of Zorin even specifies that Zorin has two different eye colors, a la Bowie.