A View to a Kill – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

A View to a Kill

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie1985

35%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Roger Moore's final Bond outing is widely panned as the franchise's low point—creaky, dated, and honestly kind of boring.

6.3/10

36%

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A View to a Kill

movie

PG, 1985

35%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

Roger Moore's final Bond outing is widely panned as the franchise's low point—creaky, dated, and honestly kind of boring.

6.3

36%

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6.3/10

36%

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Screenwise Verdict

Let's be real: this is widely considered the worst Roger Moore Bond film, and possibly one of the weakest in the entire franchise. The critics hated it (36%), audiences were lukewarm (40%), and even the Bond subreddit calls it out as a low point.

Roger Moore was 57 during filming, and it shows—the romantic scenes feel uncomfortable, the action lacks energy, and the whole thing just feels tired. The plot about microchips and Silicon Valley destruction had potential, but the execution is plodding and uninspired.

If you have a teen who's working through the Bond catalog or is genuinely curious about 80s action cinema, fine. But there are so many better options for spy thrills, and even better Bond films if that's the vibe you're after. The Duran Duran theme song legitimately slaps, though—maybe just play that and skip the movie.

Age Fit

Common Sense Media suggests 14+, which tracks for the sexual content and violence. But honestly, even teenagers might find this one a slog—it's really only for Bond completists or kids specifically interested in 80s cinema history.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Classic Bond formula means four different romantic partners, implied sex, social drinking throughout, and a tone that treats women as conquests. The violence is moderate with minimal blood, but the emotional landscape is pure 80s machismo—not exactly modeling healthy relationships or emotional intelligence.

Imaginative

The premise of a microchip-stealing industrialist planning mass destruction has some spy-thriller creativity, and Bond films typically deliver elaborate set pieces. However, this is widely considered the weakest Roger Moore entry—the execution feels tired and formulaic rather than inventive. The Letterboxd 2.9/5 and 36% RT critic score suggest even genre fans find it uninspired.

Safe

Moderate violence with guns, shooting, chasing, fighting, and some killing, though bloodletting is minimal per Common Sense Media. Multiple romantic encounters with implied sex and kissing. Social drinking is frequent. For a PG-13-ish action film, it's predictable Bond content—no shocking gore or extreme content, but definitely not something you'd want a 7-year-old stumbling into.

Enriching

Minimal cognitive or ethical growth here. It's escapist spy action without meaningful character development or themes. The villain is cartoonishly evil, the hero is invincible, and there's little to discuss beyond surface-level thrills. Entertainment value is also questionable—the 40% audience score and widespread criticism as the worst Moore Bond suggests even the entertainment factor falls flat.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Classic 80s spy action with elaborate stunts and exotic locations (if your kid is really into retro Bond)
Christopher Walken as the villain Max Zorin brings some unhinged energy to an otherwise tired script
The Duran Duran theme song is legitimately great and holds up better than the movie itself
Could spark interest in Cold War history and early tech paranoia around microchips

⚠

What to Watch For

Multiple romantic partners and implied sex scenes—Bond beds four different women, which feels particularly gross given Moore was pushing 60
Moderate action violence with guns, explosions, and deaths (minimal blood but people do die)
Frequent social drinking and one comedic drunk scene
The pacing is slow and the film is genuinely boring by modern standards—even die-hard Bond fans call this the worst Moore entry
Dated gender dynamics and treatment of women as disposable conquests

Conversation Starters

"Why do you think people were so worried about computer chips and technology in the 1980s?"
"How do you think spy movies have changed since the 80s? What feels different about how Bond treats women?"
"If you were a secret agent, what kind of gadgets would actually be useful versus what's just for show?"

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