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Finally wrapped up the Moore era tonight. I've never been a big fan of Moore's last three outings as Bond but this last Bondathon of Moore's era has finally changed that a bit. AVTAK is really enjoyable, even though Moore was too old to be playing Bond. I enjoyed the musical score in it too. I feel Moore should've ended his run as Bond in OP and AVTAK should've been Dalton's first, with the film taking on Dalton's darker tone of course. Either way, it's time for me to move AVTAK up in my Bond ranking the next time I make one.
Moore era:
The Spy Who Loved Me
The Man With The Golden Gun
Moonraker
Live And Let Die
A View To A Kill
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
However, the film has some obvious flaws, especially the whole health spa scenes. Everything seems so illogical there: The health spa location near a military base, Spectre agents who are obviously showing their membership to everyone by rings and tatoos, Bond being accidentaly at the same place where Spectre is planning their operation (completely unrealistic), Lippe's superfluous attempt to kill Bond and Bond's irrelevant revenge on Lippe; the completely unrealistic motivation of Spectre to kill Lippe (why??).
I think the film had heaviliy improved if they would have rewritten the script in the first act of the film.
I've been on a bit of a hiatus from my Bondathon, been about 11 days since I watched Goldfinger – 4 Bond movies within a week does that to a chap. I was worried that I was Bonded out. But never fear!
Now, to some flaws of A View To A Kill. Similar to Diamonds Are Forever the film suffers from a disturbing malaise, such as poor dubbing, poor extras and casting choices, obvious stunt doubles etc etc. (For instance when Gogol is picking up Pola, is not the actor Gotell, but a double, then changes to Gotell when he and Fiona are in front a green screen.)
Apart from this, and a slight pedestrian feel to the picture, there is a lot to enjoy to A View To A Kill, namely Barry's score, the performances from Walken, Fullerton and Macnee, the whole climax and having an intuitive Bond doing a nice bit of espionage, keeping in tone with the previous Glen efforts. And enjoy it I did, apart from the usual "comedic" elements, of course.
I always find A View To A Kill to be a schizophrenic film; youthful, dynamic pairing of Zorin and Mayday vs. the aged forces of MI6; inventive action scenes (steeplechase, City Hall) vs. seventies spectacle (Paris chase, Fire truck escape); forward thinking plot vs. 70’s overt humour; well written characters, unfortunately portrayed by weak actors; Moore’s easy going charm vs. cut- throat 80’s business ethos. It’s like the producers wanted to give Roger Moore a spectacular send off, but the film can’t make up its mind whether go with seventies excess vs. eighties characters/conservative style.
It’s an unfitting way to say goodbye to Sir Rog; I always get a lump in my throat when the end titles come up, it really is the end of an era. Roger Moore provided a steady hand, when the films were at their most inconsistent. And as a consequence, I can't hate this film.
Worst Bit – San Francisco Fire Truck chase, complete with the return of the comedy Sheriff!
Best Best – Moore and Walken's chemistry
Royale's Ranking
From Russia With Love – 10/10
Casino Royale – 9.5
Dr. No – 9.5
Goldfinger - 9
Live and Let Die – 7.5
A View To A Kill - 7
Moonraker - 7
Diamonds Are Forever - 7
Die Another Day - 7
1. CR
2. LALD
3. MR
4. DAD
5. DAF
6. FRWL
7. DN
8. GF
9. AVTAK
10. FYEO
11. QoS
12. GE
13. LTK
14. SP
15. OP
16. TLD
17. TSWLM
18. TND
19. TB
20. OHMSS
21. YOLT
22. TMWTGG
23. TWINE
24. SF
perfectly reviewed and you mentioned all the positives and negatives. I agree that there are a few 70s jokes too many but at the same time this is much more the case in Octopussy (far less crticised compared to AVTAK). Even FYEO has such comedic elements which may be a bit annoying today.
I still like AVTAK so very much without knowing why. Probably because of all the childhood memories. I still find that the film has some uniqueness. Even though the plot is heavily borrowed from Goldfinger, there are quiet many elements which are kind of unique. The use of famous landmarks, the horse race, the blimp just to mention a few. And finally I just adore the score and Walken's performance.
I also belong to the minority who prefers Moore's later Bond films to his older ones. FYEO, Octopussy and AVTAK contain more suspensfull and dark sequneces and except for some silly jokes never really move into the lighthearted 70s Bond territoy. But I understand if people say that the combination of silly jokes and more serious plots just does not work.
There are a sprinkling of decent moments in the film (it starts of so well with the PTS...), but they are coated in techno music, speed ramping and crass puns.... oh, and RoboGraves....
Random Bond Viewing 2016 (in order of viewing):
January:
1. You Only Live Twice
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. Tomorrow Never Dies
4. The Living Daylights
February:
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6. From Russia With Love
7. Spectre
8. Octopussy
9. Diamonds Are Forever
March:
10. Quantum Of Solace
11. Goldfinger
12. Moonraker
13. Goldenye
14. The Spy Who Loved Me
15. Die Another Day
Watching this outing felt like a breath of fresh air after watching all of Moore's films back to back. It felt like it was time to get back to a more serious Bond. TLD is such a great movie and Dalton is a big contributing factor to that. As I was watching it I felt a frustration come over me because I knew he only had one more Bond film after this one. The man was amazing as Bond and he deserved to have at least four outings as Bond.
That's exactly how I felt when I started to wtach Dalton and finished with the Moore era in my very fisrt Bondathon. I like lighthearted Bond but Moore was way too much for me so watching Dalton was a huge improvement and a breath of fresh air.
I prefer over serious than over comical
Outside of the Spy who loved me, Moonraker and for your eyes only. i got easily tired of his films
Its Craig's best definitely at least for his Bond acting style. Its a film which truly fits him like a globe with the right humor, action and suspense.
Like i said he was great in Casino Royale but Skyfall was more tailored for him
Finished up the all too short era of Dalton Bond films. I absolutely love TLD but am extremely underwhelmed by License To Kill. There are probably three moments that I feel like I'm watching a Bond film, the rest of the time it feels like a generic 80's action flick. It's a decent film over all but as a Bond film it's pretty disappointing.
Dalton era:
The Living Daylights
License To Kill
First off, OHMSS. Probably the best Barry soundtrack, with a theme song for the ages. Savalas and Rigg are great, and Lazenby gives the most unique performance as Bond. In the action scenes, however, he is second to none. Pure badassery. The ski chase is a highlight in the entire franchise. I always thought the movie had a budget of 1 billion dollars, as I can't believe a film from almost 50 years ago still looks so lush today.
Next: GF. The best PTS, a spectacular villain, an electric theme song. Connery is the epitome of cool in this outing. He may not move like a panther like in the Young films, but he sure is suave, classy and masculine. The Q scene in this installment is one of my top 3 Q briefing scenes.
That doesn't make it automatically the best Bond movie, but it helps a lot.
Didn't realise you like it. I thought I am the only one :) Don't know why it gets so much hate.
When Bond throws the bag of cash at the man who betrayed Felix, causing him to fall into the shark tank, when Bond is on the boat with Pam after the bar fight, and the casino scene.
I've always thought that it's more down-to-earth than his other Bonds, and I appreciated the slightly more realistic tone in the middle of the film, but I've never considered it serious - I think "tame" fits it better. It's definitely a Moore film, just without the unsuppressed gusto in his 70's flicks nor the liveliness of say, Connery's better Bonds. To this day, it comes in last out of Moore's flicks for me, but it still manages to find itself in the top 20.
But as SF is not allowed I'd go for:
LICENCE TO KILL / THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
@DaltonCraig007
I think I will watch them as well back to back this week when I continue my Bondathon :)