As you (should) know, Bond 22, Quantum of Solace, is coming out this November 14th. In honor of this momentous occasion, I have decided to spend a little time each week digging into my James Bond DVD collection and talking about the best and worst of the series up until now. I also like to compare the movies to the source material, when it exists. I find all of this very entertaining, but if you don’t, the scroll button is still right over there. >>>>>

You know, I am sick and tired of having to defend A View to a Kill. Here’s the reality of it: it’s an enjoyable film, not quite as weird as the rest of the Moore canon, and May Day is a good character. I had the same “WTF?” reaction as anyone might when I first saw her, but by the end of the film, I kind of liked her. She scared me, but I liked her.

All you really need to know about A View to a Kill is contained in Christopher Walken’s description of how he played his character. According to an interview, Max Zorin’s motiviation was all about his hair. In every scene, he was wondering if anyone noticed his hair or thought it looked weird. And that pretty much sets the tone of the entire film.

Another high point is Tanya Roberts, perhaps best known for her role as Midge Pinciotti on That ’70s Show. She plays vaguely the same character in this movie, only younger. She’s not given anything interesting to do, since another three-dimensional character might distract too much from the weirdness that is May Day.

May Day is played by Grace Jones, who is every bit as strange as her character. She’s about seven feet tall, bears a permanent scowl, and doesn’t talk much. Basically she’s the Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2, although with slightly shadier morals.

A View to a Kill is kinda cute, kinda fun, and inoffensive. You can’t ask much more of a Bond movie than that (until we get to Casino Royale, anyway). Christopher Walken is wasted, but he’s still hilarious to watch in almost any role. Overall, I can’t bring myself to dislike A View to a Kill. Maybe I should, but it just doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth. And let’s be honest, with these movies, the bar is pretty low.

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