Although the fire engine chase in A View To A Kill (1985) is over-the-top and a bit eye-roll inducing, I did enjoy when the sleepy bridge operator attempts to stop James Bond (Roger Moore) and Stacy Sutton (Tanya Roberts) in their tracks.
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Disclaimer before A View to a Kill (1985)
The above disclaimer appears just before the start of A View to a Kill (1985).
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“Hell, I don’t even ride ’em.”
– Manning Redwood as Zorin henchman and oil tycoon Bob Conley in A View to a Kill (1985)
I’d buy a used car from Bob Conley.
Craig’s 007 is down on his luck after the kind of weird chase scene from No Time To Die (2021). He’s picked up by…007…(Nomi) in yet another car that should be getting more screen time in the movie, similar to Paloma. Wow, great revving of that ridiculous Aston Martin engine on the tarmac, I guess. Couldn’t have had a chase where Bond is the passenger and another 00 agent flexes their skill? Missed opportunity…and I distinctly remember these words enter my head about certain characters and parts of NTTD where screen times or parts of the movie were too short or not emphasized enough. I’d definitely say it’s one of my biggest gripes about the movie aside from (of course) the atrocious ending.
Anyways, back in this scene, Nomi does her best Mayday (O_o) impression ([]-[]) with some weird-ass (probably expensive) uncomfortable-looking sunglasses. Their conversation is interesting though: aside from his stern yet poignant “Where have you been?,” it was a little odd to hear Bond mention Swann’s (and his!) daughter and not speak up that she’s actually his child. Is he not proud of Mathilde? Is he embarrassed? Or does he just want to focus on the mission? Same goes for in the plane. M doesn’t mention that “Dr. Swann and her daughter” is actually Bond’s daughter as well, aside from telling Bond he “hopes they’re there.” If he doesn’t know, why wouldn’t Bond mention it? And if Bond has told no one, how would MI6 know to “give” the Aston Martin DB5 (which is a whole other ball of blah) at the end of the movie? It’s another scene in NTTD where a mention of Mathilde throws off the movie and detracts from its overall plot and flow. Stupid kid.
Luckily in this scene, however, Bond mentions the elephant in the room that exists whenever these two are together – namely, who is actually 007 now that Bond is back?
At the end of the car dialogue, Bond seems okay with passing the torch (“Thank you, 007.”), but getting in the plane, I think Q is about to welcome Nomi on as 007 but hesitates as Bond has passes by. Maybe Nomi can sense Bond wants 007 back or just feels it’s the right thing to do? During the movie, I enjoyed the back-and-forth and debate between them and M, but overall at the end, this small plot point wasn’t really as appealing or worthwhile. Instead, I’d have preferred Bond’s code name put on-hold (or retired?) and awarded to him on his return. Nomi would have been a better 002 or 0010 (yes, why not double-oh ten? The numbers have to go past 9, right? Could’ve put that question to bed…)
James Bond (played by Roger Moore, or at least in this scene his stunt double) looks to be approaching the angle of repose during A View to a Kill‘s opening ski chase sequence.
Bond (Roger Moore) and Tibbett (Patrick Macnee) have a great rapport in A View To A Kill (1985), and it peaks in this scene. Just after arriving in their room at Zorin’s compound and setting up their recorded dialogue as cover for eavesdropping ears, the two make their way to the balcony where they focus on their mission of investigating Zorin more deeply. They playfully comment on the hilarious, charade relationship they’ve exhibited since they arrived, but then get down to business.
Bond trusts Tibbett’s play-by-play of the parties welcoming and arriving on the helicopter, and when an absolutely stunning Stacy Sutton (Tanya Roberts) arrives, focus quickly turns to her. Side note: the jazzy/mysterious 80’s music of this scene is great, and it’s some of my favorite from the movie. This is also by far the best look for Sutton in the movie, and she seems a bit star-struck herself when she meets Zorin (Christopher Walken) on the launchpad.
Bond cracks a joke to Tibbett that Sutton needs “closer inspection” after they silently acknowledge her good looks, and a more serious Tibbett can’t believe Bond would suggest such a thing: “We’re on a mission!” – to which Bond quips that any interaction between the two would be his own “sacrifice” for the mission – a win-win for Bond and her majesty’s secret service, no? I think their characters’ dynamic (although short-lived) is some of the best Moore’s Bond has with any other during his tenure as 007.
There are two times when Bond popped up in villains’ databases:
A View To A Kill (1985)
Die Another Day (2002)
