agreed.
A James Bond Fan Reviews the Franchise
- Thread starter Admiral Shran
- Start date
I don't know. I thought Christopher Walken made a good Bond villain, although Tanya Roberts is my candidate for most annoying Bond Girl ever!
She was a regular on That 70s Show. In the episode where she and her husband had a second wedding, they got all ex-Bond girls for bride's maids. The guest starts were Maud Adams, Barbara Carrara, and the chick who played Magda in Octopussy. I thought it was a pretty cool moment.
A View to a Kill (*½)
Widely regarded as another of the franchise's favorite whipping boys, A View to a Kill finishes out Roger Moore's tenure as 007 much the same way that Diamonds are Forever ended Sean Connery's, with a whimper instead of a bang.
So how quickly does it take for this movie to go downhill? Well, it's not good when during the pre-credits sequence, Bond snowboards through Siberia to a backdrop of Beach Boys music.
After that there is a lot not to like - the humor feels forced and contrived, we have a Sheriff J.W. Pepper wannabe in the San Francisco police officer (though without J.W.'s charm, if that's possible), Moore and Maxwell are clearly showing their age (Moore himself once commented that he was about 400 years too old for the part, and that about sums it up), and Mayday (seriously, who the hell thought Grace Jones would make a good Bond Girl? ).
This guy again.
Seriously man, shut up! You're making a fool out of yourself.
Moore continues to play the funny aspects of the character like he did in Octopussy. He does play the kind and gentle aspect quite well, such as in the City Hall scene when he comforts Stacy after Zorin kills her ex-boss. However, once again there is no brutal or cold-blooded Bond in his performance. And the funny aspect comes across as forced and stiff, much like in The Man with the Golden Gun.
But the most damaging thing about the movie is that it's just so forgettable. The action is dull and uninteresting. The pacing plods along. There's no real sense of fun or energy. There's no really standout sequences or locations. This is the type of movie you watch and then completely forget about in a few days.
There are a few good things though. 1.) Christopher Walken. If a movie has Walken in it acting maniac, I'm all for it. And the cowbellman himself delivers a wonderfully zany performance. 2.) It has another good title song. 3.) Tanya Roberts. Some people don't like her character, or her acting, but I kind of like her. Maybe that's because she's drop-dead gorgeous, but I'm willing to give the character, and actress, some slack. She's certainly not the best Bond Girl (not by a long shot), but she's certainly not the worst either (*cough* Pussy Galore *cough*).
So, Roger Moore really needed to hand over the reins to another actor instead of appearing in this rather lackluster outing. There's only one truly high note for him I can see - he managed to bed four different women. That's something Bond hasn't accomplished since From Russia With Love.
That's Amore: 36
Bond slept with an unnamed woman in Siberia, Mayday, Pola Ivanova, and Stacy Sutton.
Body Count: 217 (+5)
Redshirt Sidekicks: 6
Widely regarded as another of the franchise's favorite whipping boys, A View to a Kill finishes out Roger Moore's tenure as 007 much the same way that Diamonds are Forever ended Sean Connery's, with a whimper instead of a bang.
So how quickly does it take for this movie to go downhill? Well, it's not good when during the pre-credits sequence, Bond snowboards through Siberia to a backdrop of Beach Boys music.
After that there is a lot not to like - the humor feels forced and contrived, we have a Sheriff J.W. Pepper wannabe in the San Francisco police officer (though without J.W.'s charm, if that's possible), Moore and Maxwell are clearly showing their age (Moore himself once commented that he was about 400 years too old for the part, and that about sums it up), and Mayday (seriously, who the hell thought Grace Jones would make a good Bond Girl? ).This guy again.
Seriously man, shut up! You're making a fool out of yourself.Moore continues to play the funny aspects of the character like he did in Octopussy. He does play the kind and gentle aspect quite well, such as in the City Hall scene when he comforts Stacy after Zorin kills her ex-boss. However, once again there is no brutal or cold-blooded Bond in his performance. And the funny aspect comes across as forced and stiff, much like in The Man with the Golden Gun.
But the most damaging thing about the movie is that it's just so forgettable. The action is dull and uninteresting. The pacing plods along. There's no real sense of fun or energy. There's no really standout sequences or locations. This is the type of movie you watch and then completely forget about in a few days.
There are a few good things though. 1.) Christopher Walken. If a movie has Walken in it acting maniac, I'm all for it. And the cowbellman himself delivers a wonderfully zany performance. 2.) It has another good title song. 3.) Tanya Roberts. Some people don't like her character, or her acting, but I kind of like her. Maybe that's because she's drop-dead gorgeous, but I'm willing to give the character, and actress, some slack. She's certainly not the best Bond Girl (not by a long shot), but she's certainly not the worst either (*cough* Pussy Galore *cough*).
So, Roger Moore really needed to hand over the reins to another actor instead of appearing in this rather lackluster outing. There's only one truly high note for him I can see - he managed to bed four different women. That's something Bond hasn't accomplished since From Russia With Love.
That's Amore: 36
Bond slept with an unnamed woman in Siberia, Mayday, Pola Ivanova, and Stacy Sutton.
Body Count: 217 (+5)
Redshirt Sidekicks: 6
Oh yes, AVTAK is really very pretty much...bad.
And now the humor with the firetruck chase is descending into slapstick, rather than clever or witty. Urgh.
The theme song is quite good, it's at least five or six films since we've had a title song a bit up-tempo.
And the Golden Gate blimp battle wasn't too bad.
But still, likely my least favorite of all Bonds.
Oh yes... and seeing that these reviews are progressing chronologically, can I assume Never Say Never Again is being skipped?
And now the humor with the firetruck chase is descending into slapstick, rather than clever or witty. Urgh.
The theme song is quite good, it's at least five or six films since we've had a title song a bit up-tempo.
And the Golden Gate blimp battle wasn't too bad.
But still, likely my least favorite of all Bonds.
Oh yes... and seeing that these reviews are progressing chronologically, can I assume Never Say Never Again is being skipped?
There are parts of CASINO ROYALE I like (no surprise since it had umpteen directors). The whole "Mata Bond" sequence in Berlin is kicky fun. "Mata" being the illegitimate daughter of James Bond and Mata Hari . . . .
"What an enormous bed!"
"Well, the German army was very large in those days."
AVTAK is bad, but it does have its moments, the pre title sequence only loses it once the Beach Boys start up, and the Paris car chase isn't bad...and I love the axe battle finale on the golden gate bridge. And of course there's the most succesful Bond track ever!
It's just amazing how many things they get wrong. Tanya Roberts is just awful, Patrcik McNee is brilliant (he always is) but if the idea was to make Rog look younger it backfires, if anything it emphasises age...as does having a very youthful villain, and I'm going to disagree with people here. However cool Walken is, I don't think he makes a good Bond villain, and Zorin would have been much better older, here he has too much mad Walken not enough scary Walken.
One of my favourite Bond films next...be kind to Tim will ya!
It's just amazing how many things they get wrong. Tanya Roberts is just awful, Patrcik McNee is brilliant (he always is) but if the idea was to make Rog look younger it backfires, if anything it emphasises age...as does having a very youthful villain, and I'm going to disagree with people here. However cool Walken is, I don't think he makes a good Bond villain, and Zorin would have been much better older, here he has too much mad Walken not enough scary Walken.
One of my favourite Bond films next...be kind to Tim will ya!
i never really cared for Walken as a Bond villain either. i usually love him in whatever role he is playing, but Zorin is just so over the top that its a bit absurd at times. and i'm sorry, but i think Tanya Roberts is the worst Bond Girl. also have to agree with Shran, what were they thinking with Grace Jones?
I don't think bedding Grace Jones should count.
You know...reading how the Moore films dissolve into "over the top" and goofy over and over...it's almost as if the writers went the way of Star Wars III.
No focus on making the story better, just add more "spectacular"--to the point of forcing it like mad, so it transforms into "outlandish".
Apparently, when they re-cast Bond with Dalton, they said they wanted to "return Bond to his roots". At the risk of repeating Shran's mistakes...let's hope they made good on that, and put substance over "stuff" in The Living Daylights and Liscence To Kill.
(I'd say the trouble started when they flat-out jettisoned any pretense of following the original Flemming plots, and decided to make it "bigger" and "funner"--although You Only Live Twice wasn't too bad, to be fair...)
No focus on making the story better, just add more "spectacular"--to the point of forcing it like mad, so it transforms into "outlandish".
Apparently, when they re-cast Bond with Dalton, they said they wanted to "return Bond to his roots". At the risk of repeating Shran's mistakes...let's hope they made good on that, and put substance over "stuff" in The Living Daylights and Liscence To Kill.
(I'd say the trouble started when they flat-out jettisoned any pretense of following the original Flemming plots, and decided to make it "bigger" and "funner"--although You Only Live Twice wasn't too bad, to be fair...)
One of my colleagues at work was a Bond girl in Octopussy. She's only in the background in a couple of scenes I think (non speaking role)..
Yes, I will be skipping Never Say Never Again, for a few reasons. 1.) I've never seen it, 2.) I don't own a copy, 3.) It isn't an EON Bond film.
Maybe I'll return to NSNA after I review Quantum of Solace, since it does appear to be in at least a somewhat different continuity - if I can get my hands on a copy.
I wish it didn't. But the fact remains, he did sleep with her.
Its a shame, I think Walken would have made a great villain if they'd just waited a few years.
As for Grace Jones, I can see why they hired her. She was moderately famous at the time (I believe) and she has a definite look. She's no worse an actor than Richard Kiel so if they'd just kept her as a henchman it wouldn't have been a problem...of course Bond sleeping with her does at least show the lengths the guy will go to to get the job done
