MovieChat Forums > A View to a Kill (1985) Discussion > If you could modify AVTAK, what would yo...

If you could modify AVTAK, what would you do ?

posted 10 years ago by thylacine80
24 replies | jump to latest

I truly adore this film, but I got to agree that some details spoiled the whole thing.
If I could change the movie, here what I'd do :

- Make the stunt doubles less obvious.
- Make Stacey a little more brave and less screaming for help.
- Hire Dalton for his first Bond movie here
- Take off that stupid Beach Boys song in the opening
- Hire a new Moneypenny and bring back the sexual tension between the two
- Forget about Q's stupid gadget at the end

....And there we got the perfect Bond.

What would you do ?

[–] SuperDevilDoctor 10 years ago

I'd say that you have it all wrapped up...

Agree with all your points.

Send her to the snakes!

[–] maiderekk 10 years ago

I concur. Definitely would have tightened up the screws on the movie as a whole.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] Harrys_Boy 10 years ago

Like you I enjoy the film and think it's vastly underrated.

I think Roger was too old but I still wouldn't replace him with Dalton because I think Roger did a great job, one of his best.

I understand where your coming from with your other points but I don't think anything was bad enough to warrant any changes.

The one aspect of the film that I was uncomfortable with was the violence. This has to be the most bloodthirstiest Bond film ever and I suppose you can say its a reflection of the cruel selfish 80's. I can see why Roger didn't like it as its very dark. But still as it's a great film I wouldn't even change that!

Perhaps I'd add a few more dialogue scenes with Walken and his henchmen but thats about it.

Classic exciting Bond film and hopefully people will give it another chance.

[–] 10 years ago

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[–] AdmiralTugBenson 10 years ago

I'd have shifted the focus of the film slightly, to concentrate on the disparity between Bond and Zorin (and his organisation) in terms of age, physicality, and morality. How does an ageing, past it, but essentially honourable man deal with someone so diametrically different to him? What price honour and decency in the age of Thatcher and Reagan? Is Bond, to put it bluntly, relevant any more?

Since I love this film I wouldn't change a thing, but I agree with a lot of what you say here. I can't help but notice the opportunities they missed out on when they apparently decided to ignore Roger's age rather than acknowledge it. I think people would have a lot less problem with how old Roger was if they hadn't just tried to pretend like it was just another Bond outing. But since Never Say Never Again was just 2 years earlier, they may not have felt it was smart to make another "I'm Getting Too Old For This Sh!t" Bond movie. But if they had shifted focus slightly, as you said, and at least explored that disparity a little, it would have been cool. Because that likely would have meant more Walken/Moore scenes, all of which are great.

See you guys at the 10 year prison reunion - Ben Richards

[–] Ronsin1976 10 years ago

I enjoyed the movie as well.

I agree with AdmiralTugBenson, it would have been better if they played off of Roger's old age, sort like they did with Craig on SkyFall.

It did not help they had Patrick MacNee as Roger's accomplice in the first half of the movie. The guy was 5 years Roger's senior.

[–] BondFan90 10 years ago

I'd take out Bond and Mayday's sex scene. It's uncomfortable to watch.

James?
I think it may be time to go home
take me round the world one more time
Why not!

[–] FilmKoala 9 years ago

If we're keeping Roger Moore, I would have recast Stacey Sutton with someone older. Moore's age was a total non-factor in Octopussy because the title character in that film was an age-appropriate romantic interest for him. Ms. Sutton was just way too young for him.

I'd also remove the sex scene between Bond and May Day. It was just weird and out of place, I didn't like it one bit.

Other than that I don't really have many complaints. The obvious stunt doubles needed to be fixed, of course. But I enjoyed what we got for the most part.

[–] TheLordofTheHarvest 9 years ago

I'll do two sets of changes for keeping Moore/Getting Dalton:

Moore:

-Get a better Bond girl. Love Tanya Roberts dearly but she was a terrible actress and was nothing but T&A for people to come and see for sex appeal. Also make Stacy less of an idiot and make it harder for Zorin to kidnap her.

-Take McNee out. I loved his character but he was much older than Moore was and just stuck out like a sore thumb in the action scenes. Give him a serious british actor who is younger or someone American.

-Take out the Bond/Mayday Scene. Even if they do head that route have Zorin chuckle about it and shut the door. No need to see that.

-Take out the lame hot tub scene with that spy that led nowhere besides a awkward cameo from Gogol. If they were to keep it bring an old Bond girl back for purpose, maybe Bach from Spy Who Loved Me. Yes that's a stretch but a nice homage..

-Fix the stunt doubles to at least where they are less noticeable.

Besides that I wouldn't change much from Moore's version. I loved the random California Girls bit and I loved the ending good send off for Moore.

Dalton:

-Same with Roberts and Stacy. She can be young here as Dalton was much younger than Moore. Just make sure she can act first.

-Get a new Moneypenny. One this much younger, much sexier than Maxwell in her youngr days, and one that could match up with Dalton (which Bliss could never do.)

-Eliminate the silly scenes (California Girls, May Day sex scene.)

-Have Dalton and Walken work together on ideas for scenes. Both were great dramatic actors and given time they could have gotten things right for each other. That's one thing Dalton and Robert Davi did so well on LTK which made it better.

-Make the ending fight more equal. Moore looked so clumsy at the end and Walken took most of the attention.

-Keep all of Zorin's moments and possible add more.

TBH I would have loved to seen Dalton vs Walken that would have been one for the ages. As is I love it with Moore as it's a great escapist Bond film. Serious film? Hell no, but was it meant to be? Hell no again. It's a fun watch but be prepared for some odd moments.

[–] R_Kane (15828) 2 years ago

There’s no such thing as a woman who’s “too young.”

[–] 9 years ago

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[–] buddyboy28 9 years ago

Stuff to change would be binning off Grace Jones...what a gopping specimen of a woman she was! And to think Bond ended up banging her!!!

Love Roger Moore's expression as he's kissing her. As if to say "The things I do for England" 

See if you bastards can do 90

[–] Irishdrummer007 9 years ago

First thing I would do is Have Timothy Dalton in the film as his first outing as Bond. I liked Roger in this film, But He was just too old. the pre Credit scene in Siberia would had been a Good start for Dalton!!

[–] LeonardPine 9 years ago

Cut out the Beach Boys song that ruins the entire sequence

cut out the 'keystone cops' Fire truck chase

And get rid of Q's stupid dog robot

Was it a millionaire who said "Imagine no possessions"?

[–] victorsuk 9 years ago

First thing that's comes to mind is get rid of BeachBoys music.
That's all. I like this film.