A View to a Kill

A View to a Kill is a 1985 spy film and the fourteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and is the seventh and final appearance of Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's 1960 short story "From a View to a Kill", the film has an entirely original screenplay. In A View to a Kill, Bond is pitted against Max Zorin (played by Christopher Walken), who plans to destroy California's Silicon Valley.

The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who also wrote the screenplay with Richard Maibaum. It was the third James Bond film to be directed by John Glen, and the last to feature Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny.

Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, who frequently took umbrage with the effects of Moore's advanced age on his performance, it was a commercial success, with the Duran Duran theme song "A View to a Kill" performing well in the charts, becoming the only Bond theme song to reach #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earning a Golden Globe nomination for Best Song.

Storyline[]

Plot[]

After recovering a microchip from the body of a deceased colleague in Russia, British secret agent James Bond (Roger Moore) discovers that the technology has the potential for sinister applications. Investigating further, Bond is led to Max Zorin (Christopher Walken), the head of Zorin Industries. Soon Agent 007 faces off against the villainous Zorin and his tough Amazonian bodyguard, May Day (Grace Jones), who are scheming to cause massive destruction that will eliminate the competition.

Genres[]

Action
Spy
Adventure
Action/Adventure
Thriller
Mystery
Crime Fiction
Action Thriller

Motion Picture Rating[]

M (Australia)
12 (Brazil)
PG (Canada) (British Columbia)
14A (Canada) (Canadian Home Video Rating)
PA (Canada) (Manitoba)
A (Canada) (Nova Scotia)
PG (Canada) (Ontario)
G (Canada) (Quebec)
12 (Czechia) (original rating)
12 (Denmark) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
K-16 (Finland)
K-15/13 (Finland)
K-16/13 (Finland)
Tous Public (France)
12 (Germany) (re-release, uncut)
II (Hong Kong)
10 (Iceland) (original rating)
12 (Iceland) (video rating)
T (Italy)
G (Japan) (2015)
18PL (Malaysia) (original rating)
P13 (Malaysia) (re-rating)
A (Mexico)
12 (Netherlands) (TV rating)
AL (Netherlands) (2001, DVD rating)
M (New Zealand)
PG (Nigeria)
15 (Norway) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
12 (Norway) (recommended rating)
16 (Norway) (1985, cinema rating)
PG (Philippines) (self-applied)
16 (Poland) (self-applied)
M/12 (Portugal)
12+ (Russia)
PG12 (Saudi Arabia)
PG (Singapore)
10 (South Africa)
15 (South Korea)
A (Spain) (ICAA)
15 (Sweden)
PG (UK)
12 (UK) (2012, Blu-ray rating)
PG (USA)
12 (West Germany) (theatrical and VHS version, cut)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

John Glen

Writing Credits[]

Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
Michael G. Wilson (screenplay)

Cast[]

Roger Moore - James Bond
Christopher Walken - Max Zorin
Tanya Roberts - Stacey Sutton
Grace Jones - May Day
Patrick Macnee - Tibbett
Patrick Bauchau - Scarpine
David Yip - Chuck Lee
Fiona Fullerton - Pola Ivanova
Manning Redwood - Bob Conley
Alison Doody - Jenny Flex
Willoughby Gray - Dr. Carl Mortner
Desmond Llewelyn - Q
Robert Brown - M
Lois Maxwell - Miss Moneypenny
Walter Gotell - General Gogol
Geoffrey Keen - Minister of Defence
Jean Rougerie - Aubergine
Daniel Benzali - Howe
Bogdan Kominowski - Klotkoff
Papillon Soo - Pan Ho (as Papillon Soo Soo)
Mary Stavin - Kimberley Jones
Dominique Risbourg - Butterfly Act Compere
Carole Ashby - Whistling Girl
Anthony Chinn - Taiwanese Tycoon (as Anthony Chin)
Lucien Jérôme - Paris Taxi Driver (as Lucien Jerome)
Joe Flood - U.S. Police Captain
Gérard Buhr - Auctioneer (as Gérard Bühr)
Dolph Lundgren - Venz
Tony Sibbald - Mine Foreman
Bill Ackridge - O'Rourke
Ron Tarr - Guard I
Taylor McAuley - Guard II
Peter Ensor - Tycoon
Seva Novgorodtsev - Helicopter Pilot
Sian Adey-Jones - The Girls
Caroline Hallett - The Girls
Nike Clark - The Girls
Paula Thomas - The Girls
Gloria Douse - The Girls
Lou-Anne Ronchi - The Girls
Elke Ritschel - The Girls
Mayako Torigai - The Girls

Other Cast (in alphabetical order)[]

Maud Adams - Woman in Fisherman's Wharf Crowd (uncredited)
Cynthia Brian - Cable Car Beauty (uncredited)
Russell Brook - Diner (uncredited)
Celine Cawley - The Girls (uncredited)
Helen Clitherow - The Girls (uncredited)
Tim Condren - Thug at Stacey's House (uncredited)
Kenneth Coombs - Gendarme (uncredited)
Clive Curtis - Salesman at Eiffel Tower (uncredited)
Deborah Hanna - The Girls (uncredited)
Mike Havord - Tycoon (uncredited)
Walter Henry - Man at Race Meeting (uncredited)
Kit Hillier - Head Waiter (uncredited)
Lew Hooper - Flute Player (uncredited)
Frank Jakeman - Wedding Usher (uncredited)
Terri Johns - The Girls (uncredited)
Haydon-Pearce Josanne - The Girls (uncredited)
Jeff Langton - Detective (uncredited)
George Leech - Miner Gunned Down by Zorin (uncredited)
Karen Loughlin - The Girls (uncredited)
Derek Lyons - Main Stike Mine Crew (uncredited)
Robert Ian Mackenzie - Bridegroom (uncredited)
Roland Malet - Zorin's Auctioneer (uncredited)
Norman Mark - Zorin Guard (uncredited)
Kim Ashfield Norton - The Girls (uncredited)
Deland Nuse - Businessman in Civic Center (uncredited)
Doug Robinson - Thug at Stacey's House (uncredited)
Terry Sach - Mining Guard Searching Truck for Bond (uncredited)
Suzanne Saunders - KGO 7 Reporter (uncredited)
Tina Simmons - Racehorse Owner (uncredited)
Jane Spencer - The Girls (uncredited)
Sharon Stratton - Medic 2 (uncredited)
Jules Walter - Man at Race Meeting / Tycoon (uncredited)
Michael G. Wilson - Man Heard Over Loudspeaker at San Francisco City Hall (voice) (uncredited)
Richard Winter-Stanbridge - Misc. Crew (uncredited)
Steven Zax - Man in Fisherman's Wharf Crowd (uncredited)

Producers[]

Albert R. Broccoli (produced by)
Michael G. Wilson (produced by)
Tom Pevsner (associate producer) (as Thomas Pevsner)

Details[]

Countries[]

UK
USA

Language[]

English
Italian

Release Dates[]

May 24, 1985 (USA)
June 13, 1985 (UK)
June 20, 1985 (Hong Kong)
June 21, 1985 (Ireland)
June 26, 1985 (Iceland)
June 27, 1985 (Brazil)
June 29, 1985 (Taiwan)
July 4, 1985 (Spain)
July 4, 1985 (Netherlands)
July 5, 1985 (Canada)
July 6, 1985 (Japan)
July 11, 1985 (Italy)
July 12, 1985 (Sweden)
July 20, 1985 (Philippines) (Davao)
July 31, 1985 (Colombia)
August 9, 1985 (Denmark)
August 9, 1985 (Finland)
August 9, 1985 (West Germany)
August 16, 1985 (Norway)
September 11, 1985 (France)
September 12, 1985 (Greece)
September 12, 1985 (Uruguay)
September 27, 1985 (Portugal)
October 3, 1985 (Peru)
October 18, 1985 (Yugoslavia) (Belgrade)
November 21, 1985 (Australia)
November 29, 1985 (South Africa)
December 5, 1985 (Hungary)
December 6, 1985 (Sri Lanka)
December 13, 1985 (Turkey)
December 19, 1985 (Mexico)
December 20, 1985 (Philippines) (Davao)
December 22, 1985 (South Korea)
January 24, 1986 (New Zealand)
March 14, 1986 (India)
November 5, 1987 (USA) (TV premiere)
January 1, 2012 (Poland) (DVD premiere)
September 15, 2015 (Singapore) (DVD premiere)
November 6, 2017 (Greece) (Thessaloniki International Film Festival)

Also Known As[]

A View to a Kill (original title)
En La Mira De Los Asesinos (Argentina)
A View to a Kill (Australia)
A View to a Kill (UK)
A View to a Kill (USA)

Production[]

Along with the other stories in Ian Fleming's 1960 anthology For Your Eyes Only, the original short story "From a View to a Kill" was originally envisioned as an episode of an abandoned 1958 CBS James Bond television series. A View to a Kill was produced by Albert R. Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Wilson also co-authored the screenplay along with Richard Maibaum. Broccoli initially wanted to rehire George MacDonald Fraser from Octopussy to co-write the screenplay but he was unavailable. Originally Maibaum's script included Zorin manipulating Halley's Comet into crashing into Silicon Valley, but Wilson insisted on a more realistic plot. At the end of Octopussy, the "James Bond Will Return" sequence listed the next film as "From a View to a Kill", the name of the original short story, but later the title was changed. When a company with a name similar to Zorin (the Zoran Corporation) was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that Zorin was not related to any real-life company. This is the first Bond film to have a disclaimer (The Living Daylights had a disclaimer about the use of the Red Cross).

Casting[]

Roger Moore had originally signed a three-film contract with Eon Productions, which covered his first three appearances up to The Spy Who Loved Me. Subsequent to this, the actor negotiated contracts on a film-by-film basis. Uncertainty surrounding his involvement in Octopussy in 1983 led to other actors being considered to take over but was convinced to come back as he was competing against Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again. Eon convinced Moore to do A View to a Kill but he announced in December 1985 that he would retire from the role after seven films.

Early publicity for the film in 1984 included an announcement that David Bowie would play Zorin. He initially accepted the role, but later decided against it, saying "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs." The role was then offered to Sting, who turned it down, and finally to Christopher Walken.

Priscilla Presley was originally going to be cast as Stacey Sutton, but she had to be replaced by Tanya Roberts because of her contract with Dallas. The original script had Barbara Bach reprising her role as Major Anya Amasova from 1977's The Spy Who Loved Me. However, Bach declined the role, and so an entirely new character, Pola Ivanova, was created, played by Fiona Fullerton.

Patrick Macnee, as Bond's ally Tibbett, became the fourth former star of The Avengers television series to appear in a Bond film, following Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg and Joanna Lumley. David Yip's character Chuck Lee was originally scripted as Felix Leiter, but he was rewritten into a new Asian-American character in order to capitalize on the setting of San Francisco.

Dolph Lundgren has a brief appearance as one of General Gogol's KGB agents. Lundgren, who was dating Grace Jones at the time, was visiting her on set when one day an extra was missing, so the director John Glen then asked him if he wanted to attempt the role. Lundgren appears during the confrontation between Gogol and Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol.

Filming[]

Principal photography began with the horse racing scenes at Ascot Racecourse on 1 August 1984. The film was shot at Pinewood Studios in London, Iceland, Switzerland, France and the United States with the budget initially being $35 million. Several French landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, its Jules Verne restaurant and the Château de Chantilly were filmed. The rest of the major filming was done at Fisherman's Wharf, Dunsmuir House, San Francisco City Hall and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Lefty O'Doul Bridge was featured in the fire engine chase scene.

Production of the film began on 23 June 1984 in Iceland, where the second unit filmed the pre-title sequence. On 27 June 1984, several leftover canisters of petrol used during filming of Ridley Scott's Legend caused Pinewood Studios' 007 Stage to burn to the ground. The stage was rebuilt, and reopened in January 1985 (renamed as Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage) for filming of A View to a Kill. Work had continued on other stages at Pinewood when Roger Moore rejoined the main unit there on 1 August 1984. The crew then departed for shooting the horse-racing scenes at Royal Ascot Racecourse. The scene in which Bond and Sutton enter the mineshaft was then filmed in a waterlogged quarry near Staines-upon-Thames and the Amberley Chalk Pits Museum in West Sussex.

On 6 October 1984, the fourth unit, headed by special effects supervisor John Richardson, began its work on the climactic fight sequence. At first, only a few plates constructed to resemble the Golden Gate Bridge were used. Later that night, shooting of the burning San Francisco City Hall commenced. The first actual scenes atop the bridge were filmed on 7 October 1984.

In Paris it was planned that two stunt parachutists, B.J. Worth and Don Caldvedt, would undertake two jumps from a (clearly visible) platform that extended from a top edge of the Eiffel Tower. However, sufficient footage was obtained from Worth's jump, so Caldvedt was told he would not be performing his own descent. Caldvedt, unhappy at not being able to perform the jump, parachuted off the tower without authorisation from the City of Paris. He was subsequently sacked by the production team for jeopardising the continuation of filming in the city.

Airship Industries managed a major marketing coup with the inclusion of its Skyship 500 series blimp in the film. At the time Airship Industries was producing a fleet of blimps which were recognisable over many capitals of the world offering tours, or advertising sponsorship deals. As all Bond films have included the most current technology, this included the lighter than air interest. The blimp seen in the climax was then on a promotional tour of Los Angeles after its participation in the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics. At that time, it had "Welcome" painted across the side of the gasbag, but was replaced by "Zorin Industries" for the film. During the summer of 1984, the blimp was used to advertise Fujifilm. In real life, inflating the airship would take up to 24 hours, but during the film it was shown to take two minutes. Despite filming going over schedule by two weeks, the production was completed $5 million under budget at $30 million according to John Glen. Filming completed on 16 January 1985.

Release and reception[]

This was the first Bond film with a premiere outside the UK, opening on 22 May 1985 at San Francisco's Palace of Fine Arts. The British premiere was held on 12 June 1985 at the Odeon Leicester Square cinema in London. It achieved a box office gross of US$152.4 million worldwide with $50.3 million from the United States and Canada. On its opening weekend in the US and Canada it grossed $13.3 million from 1,583 theaters over the four-day Memorial Day weekend, the biggest opening for a Bond film ever at the time, but not enough to beat Rambo: First Blood Part II which was number one for the weekend with a gross of $25.2 million from 2,074 theaters. Although its box office reception was excellent, the film's critical response was mostly mixed. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 38% based on reviews from 61 critics, which is the lowest rating for the Eon-produced Bond films on the website. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40% based on reviews from 20 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".

One of the most common criticisms was that Roger Moore was 57 at the time of filming – and had visibly aged in the two years that had passed since Octopussy. The Washington Post's critic said "Moore isn't just long in the tooth—he's got tusks, and what looks like an eye job has given him the pie-eyed blankness of a zombie. He's not believable anymore in the action sequences, even less so in the romantic scenes—it's like watching women fall all over Gabby Hayes." Sean Connery declared that "Bond should be played by an actor 35, 33 years old. I'm too old. Roger's too old, too!" In a December 2007 interview, Roger Moore remarked, "I was only about four hundred years too old for the part."

Moore also said that, at the time, A View to a Kill was his least favourite Bond film, and mentioned that he was mortified to find out that he was older than his female co-star's mother. He was quoted as saying "I was horrified on the last Bond I did. Whole slews of sequences where Christopher Walken was machine-gunning hundreds of people. I said 'That wasn't Bond, those weren't Bond films.' It stopped being what they were all about. You didn't dwell on the blood and the brains spewing all over the place".

Pauline Kael of The New Yorker said "The James Bond series has had its bummers, but nothing before in the class of A View to a Kill. You go to a Bond picture expecting some style or, at least, some flash, some lift; you don't expect the dumb police-car crashes you get here. You do see some ingenious daredevil feats, but they're crowded together and, the way they're set up, they don't give you the irresponsible, giddy tingle you're hoping for." Kael also singled out the dispirited direction and the hopeless script. "Director John Glen stages the slaughter scenes so apathetically that the picture itself seems dissociated. (I don't think I've ever seen another movie in which race horses were mistreated and the director failed to work up any indignation. If Glen has any emotions about what he puts on the screen, he keeps them to himself.)"

Lawrence O'Toole of Maclean's believed it was one of the series' best entries. "Of all the modern formulas in the movie industry, the James Bond series is among the most pleasurable and durable. Lavish with their budgets, the producers also bring a great deal of craft, wit and a sense of fun to the films. Agent 007 is like an old friend who an audience meets for drinks every two years or so; he regales them with tall tales, winking all the time. The 14th and newest Bond epic, A View to a Kill, is an especially satisfying encounter. Opening with a breathtaking ski chase in Siberia, A View to a Kill is the fastest Bond picture yet. Its pace has the precision of a Swiss watch and the momentum of a greyhound on the track. There is a spectacular chase up and down the Eiffel Tower and through Paris streets, which Bond finishes in a severed car on just two wheels. But none of the action prepares the viewer for the heart-stopping climax with Zorin's dirigible tangled in the cables on top of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge." And although O'Toole believed that Moore was showing his age in the role, "there are plenty of tunes left in his violin. James Bond is still a virtuoso, with a licence to thrill."

Brian J. Arthurs of The Beach Reporter said it was the worst film of the Bond series. Chris Peachment of the Time Out Film Guide said "Grace Jones is badly wasted." Norman Wilner of MSN chose it as the worst Bond film, while IGN picked it as the fourth worst, and Entertainment Weekly as the fifth-worst.

Danny Peary had mixed feelings about A View to a Kill but was generally complimentary: "Despite what reviewers automatically reported, [Moore] looks trimmer and more energetic than in some of the previous efforts ... I wish Bond had a few more of his famous gadgets on hand, but his action scenes are exciting and some of the stunt work is spectacular. Walken's the first Bond villain who is not so much an evil person as a crazed neurotic. I find him more memorable than some of the more recent Bond foes ... Unfortunately, the filmmakers – who ruined villain Jaws by making him a nice guy in Moonraker – make the mistake of switching May Day at the end from Bond's nemesis to his accomplice, depriving us of a slam-bang fight to the finish between the two (I suppose gentleman Bond isn't allowed to kill women, even a monster like May Day) ... [The film] lacks the flamboyance of earlier Bond films, and has a terrible slapstick chase sequence in San Francisco, but overall it's fast-paced, fairly enjoyable, and a worthy entry in the series."

Also among the more positive reviews was Movie Freaks 365's Kyle Bell: "Good ol' Roger gave it his best. ... Whether you can get past the absurdity of the storyline, you can't really deny that it has stunning stunt work and lots of action. It's an entertaining movie that could have been better." Walken was also praised by online critic Christopher Null for portraying a "classic Bond villain". Bond historian John Brosnan believed A View to a Kill was Moore's best Bond entry. He said Moore looked in better shape than the previous Bond film, Octopussy. Brosnan, an airship enthusiast, especially admired the dirigible finale.

Neil Gaiman reviewed A View to a Kill for Imagine magazine, and stated that "When Grace Jones went to bed with Moore, I was sure the producers had hit upon a way to kill the old fellow off with dignity, but when Bond was seen wandering around fresh as a daisy the next morning I realised how escapist this all is. Unless he just rolled over and went to sleep, of course, which is what I was strongly tempted to do."

Roberts was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as Worst Actress, but she lost the trophy to Linda Blair, who appeared in Night Patrol, Savage Island and Savage Streets.

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

Eon Productions

Distributors[]

MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1985) (USA) (theatrical) (as MGM/UA Entertainment Co.)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Australia) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Finland) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (France) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (UK) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Italy) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Japan) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Norway) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1985) (Sweden) (theatrical)
CBS/Fox (1985) (USA) (VHS)
CBS/Fox (1985) (USA) (video) (CED VideoDisc)
Warner Home Video (1985) (Netherlands) (VHS)
United Artists Corporation (1986) (India) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1986) (West Germany) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1986) (Spain) (theatrical)
United International Pictures (UIP) (1986) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
Warner Home Video (1986) (Australia) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (1986) (UK) (VHS)
Warner Home Vidéo (1987) (France) (VHS) (dubbed version)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1990) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
MGM/UA Home Video (1990) (USA) (VHS)
MGM/UA Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (1992) (USA) (VHS)
Warner Home Vidéo (1992) (France) (VHS) (dubbed version)
MGM/UA Home Video (1993) (Netherlands) (VHS) (through Warner Home Video)
Warner Home Video (1993) (Netherlands) (VHS) (through)
Warner Home Vidéo (1993) (France) (video) (Laserdisc) (dubbed version)
Warner Home Vidéo (1995) (France) (VHS) (dubbed version)
MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
Warner Home Video (Canada) (VHS) (Circa 1990s) (dubbed)
Warner Home Video (1996) (USA) (VHS) (for MGM)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2000) (Australia) (DVD) (Special Edition)
MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (France) (DVD)
MGM Home Entertainment (2001) (UK) (DVD)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Special Edition)
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2020) (France) (Blu-ray)
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2020) (France) (DVD) (restaured master)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2006) (World-wide) (DVD)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD) (Ultimate Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (Two-Disc Ultimate Edition)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (23-disc Bond 50 edition)
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2012) (Netherlands) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2016) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (2020) (USA) (Blu-ray) (DVD) (reprint for MGM)
MGM Home Entertainment (Australia) (VHS)
MGM/UA Home Video (UK) (VHS) (Circa 1990s)

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

131 mins

Color[]

Color

Sound Mix[]

Dolby Stereo
Dolby Surround 7.1

Aspect Ratio[]

2.39:1
4:3 (Pan & scan prints, along with the opening and closing credits in proper scope aspect ratio with black bars)

Trivia[]

A View To A Kill is widely regarded as one of the poorest entries in the Bond series, the criticism centering on the now aged Roger Moore (56 when shooting, 57 at completion); in fact many tabloid newspapers joked that Bond's next gadget from "Q" should be a Zimmer Frame (walker). The plotline was also criticised for being almost identical to that of Goldfinger; similar elements include:
- In Goldfinger, the villain's scheme is to irradiate the entire US gold reserve, making it worthless, causing financial meltdown in the West plus Auric Goldfinger's personal gold stocks will increase in value tenfold; correspondingly in A View To A Kill, Max Zorin intends to destroy Silicon Valley by triggering a massive earthquake, thus leaving his company with a monopoly on the microchip market.
- As in Goldfinger, one of the business partners in the scam gets cold feet and would rather take the money and run. While Mr. Solo was assassinated by Oddjob and his body disposed of in a car crusher, in A View To A Kill, the dissenter in the ranks is dropped from Zorin's airship and into San Francisco Bay.
- Both Zorin and Goldfinger are being bankrolled by the Communists: in the former case, Zorin is an ex-KGB agent, while the atom bomb intended to destroy Fort Knox is supplied by the Chinese. In Zorin's case, he no longer feels any need to do the bidding of the KGB.
Another comparison A View to a Kill has received is to the 1978 film Superman. Like Zorin, the Superman villain Lex Luthor aimed to destroy California using hijacked nuclear missiles, detonating them in the San Andreas Fault and causing massive earthquakes, which would cause a chain reaction causing the western part of California to fall into the ocean. Also like Zorin, Lex Luthor would stand a gain a monopoly, in this case real estate. Prior to the scam Luthor had purchased acres of desert land for pennies, whose value would multiply astronomically as Luthor's "New California". Both films were produced by Pinewood Studios, with the Eiffel Tower scene being on the same stage used in the 1980 sequel film Superman II where Superman saves Paris from a terrorist group who planted a bomb in the elevator of the Eiffel Tower.
This film is not only Roger Moore's swansong, but Lois Maxwell's as well.
Leftover canisters of gasoline used during filming of Ridley Scott's Legend caused Pinewood Studios' "007 Stage" to be burnt to the ground in 1984. Albert R. Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond films had the studio rebuilt in 4 months time so that filming could commence on A View to a Kill. The soundstage was renamed "Albert R. Broccoli's 007 Stage".
Christopher Walken was the first Academy Award-winning actor to portray a Bond villain. Javier Bardem was the second with his role in Skyfall. Benicio del Toro, who played lead henchman Dario in Licence to Kill, has also won an acting Oscar, although he did not win it until 2000, 11 years after his appearance in a Bond film. Halle Berry also won an Oscar prior to the filming of Die Another Day.
David Bowie was the producers' first choice to play Zorin. He turned it down saying, "I didn't want to spend five months watching my stunt double fall off cliffs." The role was then offered to Sting, who also turned it down.
When a company with a name similar to Zorin was discovered in the United States, a disclaimer was added to the start of the film affirming that the evil Zorin was not related to any real-life company. This is the only Bond film to have a disclaimer at the start of the film (Licence to Kill had a disclaimer in the end credits about the dangers of smoking).
Part of the film takes place on the Eiffel Tower. In an earlier Bond film, Moonraker, it was mentioned that the tower was purchased by the villain of that movie, Hugo Drax, but he was refused an export permit for the structure.
It has been suggested that the film's teaser sequence helped initiate interest in snowboarding.
The Rolls-Royce driven by Patrick Macnee in the film belonged to producer Albert R. Broccoli.
It was planned that two stuntmen, B.J. Worth and Don Caldvedt, would both parachute off the top of the Eiffel Tower so that two takes of the scene could be filmed. However, sufficient footage was obtained from Worth's jump, so Caldvedt was told he would not be performing his own jump. Caldvedt, unhappy at not being able to perform the jump, parachuted off the tower without authorisation from the City of Paris. He was sacked by the production team for jeopardising the continuation of filming in the city.
The parachute jump from the top of the Eiffel Tower was made from a platform which extended from the edge of the tower. The platform is clearly visible in the film.
Though Patrick Macnee plays only a small part in the film, he received his own "starring" credit, that is, his name is the only name to appear on screen at the time.
In the mine scene towards the end of the film, Grace Jones' screams when sparks fly around her are genuine. The sparks were created to mimic the effect of electrical cables in and near the water, but Jones was not told about them.
At the conclusion of the end credits it says the traditional "James Bond will return" but not the title of the next film as had been tradition since From Russia with Love, nor has the title of the next film been announced in the end credits of every Bond film since.
This film was Dolph Lundgren's film debut. At the time of filming, Grace Jones was dating Dolph Lundgren. He was visiting her on set one day when an extra was missing, so the director John Glen asked him if he wanted to get a shot at it. Lundgren appears as a KGB agent during the confrontation between General Gogol and Max Zorin at the racetrack, standing several steps below Gogol.
A View to a Kill is the first James Bond film to not directly use the title of a story by Ian Fleming, and currently the only one to use a modified version thereof.
This film was Lois Maxwell's final appearance as Miss Moneypenny. Apparently, after she was told that she would be retiring from the role, she thought she could become M as a promotion. Producer Albert R. Broccoli believed that audiences wouldn't accept James Bond being given orders by a woman. M became a woman when Judi Dench took on the role in GoldenEye (1995).
First theatrical movie of Alison Doody, who turned eighteen during filming, making her the youngest (credited) Bond girl ever.
This is the only James Bond movie to have the title from an Ian Fleming work be amended or changed in some way. The source title which is from the "For Your Eyes Only" collection of short stories was called "From a View to a Kill". This was also this movie's working title, as seen in the end credits of Octopussy (1983), but the word "From" was dropped before filming began in May 1984.
Third official Bond movie to not state the title of the next Bond movie during the ending credits. Neither Dr. No (1962) nor Thunderball (1965) stated the next movie at the end of their credits either.
Fourteenth James Bond movie in the EON Productions Bond film franchise. Seventh and final Bond movie to star Sir Roger Moore as James Bond.
The title song by Duran Duran was recorded in two sections. The group recorded their performance at Maison Rouge, and John Barry recorded his orchestral backing at CTS Wembley.
The title song for this movie, "Dance Into the Fire (A View To A Kill)", was the last song recorded by Duran Duran before the band briefly split up. According to the sleeve notes for the CD soundtrack, as a joke, Composer John Barry used the melody from this song in the score for the scene where James Bond and Stacy Sutton escape from the fire in San Francisco City Hall. Lead singer Simon Le Bon shares a surname with Sir Otto Le Bon, an ancestor of James Bond mentioned in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). At the end of the music video for this song, Simon Le Bon says: "Bon. Simon Le Bon" similar to famous Bond catchphrase of the film franchise. Coincidentally, the Danish title for the James Bond movie Thunderball (1965) was actually called "Agent 007 Into The Fire."
First James Bond movie where Michael G. Wilson, stepson of producer Albert R. Broccoli, is credited as a regular producer. He had previously been an executive producer on Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), and Octopussy (1983), and a special assistant to the producer on The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). His association with the James Bond franchise started with Goldfinger (1964), in which he was a third assistant director, and made an appearance, the cameo becoming a tradition regularly from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). He was also a screenwriter for the franchise on five occasions. This was also the first Bond movie that Broccoli shared a producer's credit with anyone besides original Bond co-producer Harry Saltzman.
David Yip and Alison Doody appeared in an entry in the Indiana Jones film franchise. Yip played Wu Han in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), while Doody starred as Elsa in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), which co-starred former James Bond, Sir Sean Connery, as Professor Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.'s father, Professor Henry Jones, Sr.
The sound effects used in the burning elevator shaft are the same ones used during the destruction of the space station in Moonraker (1979).
The title song entered the U.S. and U.K. charts on May 18, 1985.
This was the first James Bond film in which the end credits do not reveal the title of the next film. Instead the end credits simply state; "JAMES BOND WILL RETURN" without revealing the next film's title. The next film would ultimately be The Living Daylights (1987).

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Con Air (1997)
Die Another Day (2002) - Bond is suspended over a cliff on the wire and hook, much like the Russian guard in the Siberian chase. The hatch from the back of the car is used much like the ski from the snowmobile. Graves watches over the destruction that he wreaks, from the front windows of his aircraft in the same way that Zorin watched Silicon Valley from his aircraft before it flooded. The electronic snooper is in Q's lab. Bond's cover is blown by his picture being taken and run through a facial recognition program.
The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror XXIII (2012) (TV Episode) - poster seen
Skyfall (2012) - At Skyfall Lodge, Bond arms himself with a double-barrelled shotgun that happens to be a family heirloom. Like Stacey Sutton's mansion, the lodge is empty due to Kincade selling off its furnishings to pay debts.
Spectre (2015) - Finale climax denouement on a major bridge; James Bond wears a white tuxedo; James Bond drives car down building steps; Arch-villain's butler resembles Scarpine
No Time to Die (2021) - A portrait of the former M played by Robert Brown hangs in the MI6 office. Nomi (Lashana Lynch)'s rectangular sunglasses are a nod to former Bond girl Grace Jones from 'A View to a Kill' (1985) who wore a similar pair of sunnies in one of her music videos. Bond strings a wire between two objects to unseat a rider.

Spoofs[]

The Blues Brothers (1980) - Police car chase up to bridge when car leaps over and police are foiled