A View To A Kill

The next James Bond movie in my repertoire, A View To A Kill is probably the one I remember the most. This movie was released in 1985, when I was 13 years old. This is when I really started to appreciated James Bond movies. Heck, it may have been the first James Bond movie I ever saw.

This Roger Moore-based Bond flick also stars Christopher Walken, who, believe it or not is going to be 65 years old this year, as the crazy (if you can believe that) Max Zoran, Tanya Roberts (of Charlie's Angels fill-in and recently on That 70's Show), and Grace Jones (Conan the Destroyer). This is also probably the first movie that I saw a black woman kiss a white guy - not that there's anything wrong with that.

This bond film is short on corny Bond-isms, but high on nice looking ladies scenes. The action is solid throughout the film, though I did think that Bond's multiple escapes from certain death a little over the top.

Christopher Walken is classic cocky, confident, and arrogant, which makes for a perfect villain. He's the result of a German genetic experiment who has used his genetic genius to his advantage. Bond is out to bring him to justice.

Like all Bond films, the bad guy loses and the good guy wins and the movie ends with Bond in the sack with the pretty lady - which is not a bad thing. I give this movie 3 stars. I still like the classic Sean Connery Bond films more, not Moore. However, I do have good memories of watching this film with my good friend Brian. As you probably can tell, sentimental value helps to increase the rating of my movies.

Moonraker

Produced in 1979, Moonraker is easily the worst James Bond movie ever made, though adjusted for inflation, it produced more revenue than the subsequent Bond movies up until Daniel Craig's Casino Royale.

This Roger Moore-based Bond movie has him tracking down Hugo Drax, the evil scientist, leader of Drax Industries, who has designed and developed several space shuttles. The one delivered to the United States is mysteriously hijacked and Bond must find it. Drax's idea is to take a super race of humans to outer space, destroy the Earth, then repopulate the Earth with his new super race.

Along the way, Bond meets metal-mouthed Jaws (Richard Kiel) and Dr. Holly Goodhead, which we assumes she does.

In his quest to stop Drax, he must hi-jack his own space shuttle into outer space to stop them from blowing up the Earth.

Of course, Bond succeeds, but only with the quick thinking of NASA which sends up their own shuttles with armed space soldiers who fight a galactic laser battle with the Drax soldiers. The whole movie loses all credibility at this point.

On succeeding, he begins his flight back to the Earth, but not before shacking up with the beautiful Dr. Goodhead. Much to his surprise, Q has decided to remote into the vehicle and simulcast to Buckingham Palace and the White House congratulate him, only to catch him in the midst of re-entry.

I give this movie 2 stars. Of the Bond movies, I liked this one the least. It just bordered ridiculous, rather then inspiring. The best part of this movie was the silhouettes of the naked women at the beginning.