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View to Kill / the 80's

identigraphidentigraph
edited September 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 1,052
When watching A View To a Kill recently I couldn't help wondering if the 80's fashions and make up choices just added to Roger Moore looking old, obvioulsy he was getting on but wasn't in dreadful shape for his age.

In recent times we have seen older action hero's on screen, such as Harrison Ford in the last Indy film and he looked fine and his age was referenced a lot, do you think that if "To a Kill" had been made in this era with Roger Moore, would the fashions of the day have been more forgiving and also do you think if the age thing had been referenced would this have improved the film?

Comments

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I think he looked older due to his hair. Had he worn his hair shorter, with maybe the hint of a fringe he would have looked younger. As an example in the scenes where he wore a pit helmut he looked younger than in earlier scenes where his rather feathery mop perched on top of his head.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Having the script play to an older Bond would have also helped. Even though Bond's age should not have been specified this may have aided Moore in his final film. Focus more of the suspense and thriller aspects rather than action.
  • SharkBaitSharkBait
    Posts: 2,107
    Without a bad face-lift, he would've looked better. I know he had a surgery to remove his famous mole. But I suspect he also had something done to his face. In two years he gained a whole different look. I'm no expert on facial surgery apart from the most obvious hack-jobs, but I've suspected Sir Rog had a face lift done to him. His face, if I remember correctly, haven't seen the movie in a while, seemed rather tightened and a bit emotionless.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Moore made it clear to all and sundry after the time of release tht he was too old for the role, sometimes it doesn't even feel like an official Bond movie.

    Incidentally about 20 minutes ago I was just looking through a place called 'Fandango.com' about this film in question when my computer crashed and I had to switch everything off and re-start, I was 'not pleased' to put not too fine a point on it.

    Avoid that place I say

    X(

    Yeah, but going back AVTAK was wrong for all the right reasons, but at the time anyway, Duran Duran did provide (by mid 1980s standards at least) a catchy tune that is also the most successful Bond theme ever (#1 In the US, #2 in UK), so at the least the movie has something going for it or can hold it's head up, even if everything else was a slap in the face.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    I think that by trying to conceal Moore's age, he ended up looking older than he actually was. That said, there are enough scenes in the film where Moore doesn't look a day older since OP. I may have many issues with AVTAK, but Moore's age isn't one of them. It's clear he's a youth no more, but he's not the senile, old fossil many anti-Moore prophets pretend he is.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I genuinely believe you saw More of Moore's stunt double/s during AVTAK than you did the actual actor :-))
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,184
    I genuinely believe you saw More of Moore's stunt double/s during AVTAK than you did the actual actor :-))
    A common misconception, this. Moore carried this film almost entirely by himself. Whatever the use of stunt doubles during action scenes, that can hardly divert the attention from Moore.

  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I really didn't mind Moore in the role at any point of his 12 year tenure, I think the thing is that we are all supposed to go along with what is seen on screen before us, namely it is James Bond, not necessarily the actor who is playing him.

    but there was some moments during that picture where it was blatantly obvious it was someone else standing in for him.

    The end finale towards, and on, the Golden Gate bridge always makes me cringe like a scalded cat.

    For everything that went on, Moore or otherwise, this is generally received as one of the weakest entries in the entire series.
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    It is true that the stuntman was more evident in this one, it just seems that the production around Moore did absolutlely everything to highlight his age in a bad way, wearing a leather jacket for most of the film instead of the trademark tailored suits and a much younger co star etc.

    This is a totally different point but it seems none of the actors have ever had a fitting send off, A View to a Kill should have been a celebration of the Moore era instead it's a bit of a damp squib, all the other actors have either left or were pushed ending with a final film that was poor.
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    The cast for OP complimented Moore and balanced things out re his age etc - having a co-star closer to his age as were the villains ,whereas AVTAK tried the opposite effect of bringing in younger villains and co-star which did make a difference for the worse.
  • actonsteveactonsteve
    Posts: 1,492
    Moores age never bothered me in AVTAK. I used to read Le Carre and Ludlum and most of MI6 was middleaged or older. I expected spies to be that old.

    To be honest not much bothers me about AVTAK. I am of the Moore generation who paid up their monies every two years and usually got a good film. It was family entertainment.

    I do find the pace abit sedate now and find myself zooming through the drive to Staceys house but I still enjoy Rogs' charming performance and JBs music.
  • 007manny007manny
    Posts: 100
    ive got to say that to me it wasnt the ages of the actors in the movie that made it to me one of the worst bond movies, to me it was just the plot was just not to exciting. i felt it was along w live and let die the only other bond movie that moore did
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    It is true that the stuntman was more evident in this one, it just seems that the production around Moore did absolutlely everything to highlight his age in a bad way, wearing a leather jacket for most of the film instead of the trademark tailored suits and a much younger co star etc.

    I don't think that it was intentional; I assume that there was concern about Moore's age so they tried things to make him look younger or at least have a more youthful energy. Unfortunately people hit an age where they can't get away with it and it only makes them look even older...

  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    yea you are probably right, these things were probably not intentional it's just the way it turned out, also I must state that I don't actually dislike the film like a lot of people do, I think it's not bad, it's just a shame this is the film Moore finished with as it tends to overshadow the other great films he made, I've always thought that he only made the film because Cubby was obviously after Dalton or Brosnan and neither were available so he offered Moore big money to make one more, any one agree?
  • 007manny007manny
    Posts: 100
    i think he did it cause of cubby and i beleive the money was right for his final appearence as bond cause if you remember his last movie was supposed to be moonraker
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    there was also the enormous carrot of beating Connery's 6 Bond films to become the longest serving Bond with 7.
  • The_ReaperThe_Reaper
    Posts: 1,092
    I like that he's older and doesn't really belong in an 80's action film. Moore is hanging on, doing the best he can with what he't got, still giving it his all. I respect that about him and his performance in the film. I like all the Moore films to some extent b/c of him. I wish he had done ten Bond films. Maybe twelve.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    there was also the enormous carrot of beating Connery's 6 Bond films to become the longest serving Bond with 7.
    Ditto that.

    Or maybe Connery returning in NSNA (giving Sean a total of 7 on paper) pushed Roger to make a 7th and equal his old friendly sparring partner. Which begs the question, if NSNA had never happened, would Roger have retired after OP?
  • 007manny007manny
    Posts: 100
    good question but as a person who felt roger was the best and most appreciative of his role i believe he would of come back
  • identigraphidentigraph
    Posts: 1,052
    I've always thought, that if the money men hadn't wanted him to do another they would have brought someone else in, so the films seems a bit like a stop gap before they could get the new actor they really wanted which was of course Dalton or Brosnan.

    I think Rog just about gets away with it in this film but another one would have definitley been too many, as was mentioned I think his presence in this film, slap bang in the middle of the 80's certainly takes it away from being a run of the mil 80's action movie. Also as someone said about Moore's hair aging him, he definitley looks younger in the deleted scene in the Paris Jail when his hair is down as opposed to slicked back!
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    edited September 2011 Posts: 5,634
    I've never seen the deleted bit with Moore in the Paris Jail :O

    I wasn't even aware of such a scene, filmed or otherwise, sorry.

    I just had a look on youtube and while the scene exsists I couldn't get a picture and only heard audio, but not a problem, I'll have a look at the next available opportunity.

    actually it might work if I paste the link to here, worth a try



    No, that don't work, can't get the YouTube feature/screen on here, sorry.



    :-(
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Moore made it clear to all and sundry after the time of release tht he was too old for the role, sometimes it doesn't even feel like an official Bond movie.

    Incidentally about 20 minutes ago I was just looking through a place called 'Fandango.com' about this film in question when my computer crashed and I had to switch everything off and re-start, I was 'not pleased' to put not too fine a point on it.

    Avoid that place I say

    X(

    Yeah, but going back AVTAK was wrong for all the right reasons, but at the time anyway, Duran Duran did provide (by mid 1980s standards at least) a catchy tune that is also the most successful Bond theme ever (#1 In the US, #2 in UK), so at the least the movie has something going for it or can hold it's head up, even if everything else was a slap in the face.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    A lot of people in hindsight say "roger Moore stuck around too long" but he actually wanted to quit after Moonraker. I saw him on Good Morning America after the release of FYEO and he remarked that he was getting "too old" for playing James Bond.
    How he managed to endear himself to audiences and for so long says a lot about Moore. His movies made a lot of money and he was a very popular JB at the time. Younger fans loved him just as we old "farts' loved Sean Connery.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    A lot of people in hindsight say "roger Moore stuck around too long" but he actually wanted to quit after Moonraker. I saw him on Good Morning America after the release of FYEO and he remarked that he was getting "too old" for playing James Bond.
    How he managed to endear himself to audiences and for so long says a lot about Moore. His movies made a lot of money and he was a very popular JB at the time. Younger fans loved him just as we old "farts' loved Sean Connery.
    The only highlights Moore should not have stayed only for the money then. Some more respect for the series may have been nice. At least now even he regrets having done A View To A Kill.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Moore has publicly stated that The Spy Who Loved Me was his favorite Bond to be involved in, and if you've watched it recently that's understandable, said it so many times he should of quit the role after Moonraker, even though FYEO was his best so says many neutrals, he was a bit more serious here, until the series degenerated into absurd humor for his last two outings

    The final quarter of AVTAK is cringeworthy at the best of times

    X_X
  • SJK91SJK91
    Posts: 1,310
    Moore's age prevents him from looking convincing in nearly every action scene and love scene in AVTAK. Not that the producers would have EVER done this in '85, but if the film had acknowledged Moore's age and portrayed Bond as an aging spy I feel AVATK would've been slightly better. But Moore is simply not convincing in the action or stunts; the two fist fights in the film are some of the series' worst. And even the little stuff, like Bond jumping onto the bottom of the raising bridge at Zorin's mansion, is unbelievable because I just don't see a man looking as old as Moore did doing stunts like that.

    His leading ladies don't do him any justice either. They should have gone with a slightly older Bond girl, like they did with Maud Adams in Octopussy. Instead, they got Tanya Roberts, who seriously looks like she could be Moore's granddaughter in certain scenes. Honestly, if they had gotten an actress with a little bit of age, it would've made Roger not look as old. Instead, their romance is VERY awkward and unintentionally funny just based on the absurdity of the obvious age difference. The filmmakers had to know that Moore's age was becoming an issue, but they simply ignored it. The audience did not.

    Moore's actual performance as Bond in this film is something different on the other hand, I like it very much. Even though he did seem a little tired in certain scenes, Moore gives a very good, mature performance. But when the action started up and the stunt doubles kicked in, we went back to unintentional comedy.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    add to that the end shower scene with Roberts and a 57 year old Moore and it all adds up to something rather unsavory

    'That is "not" the soap' !, I had to look away :O

    Not since Titanic have two people appeared on screen and looked so awkward together

    It was a sour end for Moore to finish his 12 year stint as 007

    It's been said before that nearly all of Moore's 'stunts' where undertaken by doubles, i.e the Eiffel Tower jump etc, I still have trouble to this day watching the Zorin air ship over San Francisco and Bond hanging onto the rope dodging obstacles before possibly the worst ending to any recent 007 movie in recent years, how an actor of Christopher Walkens caliber got involved in it only he knows
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    Even Moore has said stunt doubles were employed often (over a hundred stuntmen in total) and only the close-ups were surely him in his last two films. It just goes to prove your time as Bond is up when you reach your early 50's.
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