**YOU ARE NOW ENTERING SPOILERTOWN**
Plot: Destroy Silicon Valley by triggering an earthquake and flooding it all, leaving Zorin with a microchip monopoly.
Foiled by: Mostly by May Day, ironically, after she realizes she’s been double crossed. She helps James get the bomb out of the mine as it goes off.
Intriguing Setting(s): San Francisco | Paris | Siberia
Bond: Roger Moore, in his swan song as 007 at age 57!
Villain(s):
- Max Zorin – Christopher Walken as a test-tube psychopath
- First Oscar-winning actor to play a Bond villain
- Part was first offered and turned down by both David Bowie and Sting
- May Day – Grace Jones!
- Jenny Flex
- Pan Ho
Bond Girl(s):
- Stacey Sutton
- May Day (and apparently she and Roger Moore hated each other)
- Pola Ivanova – enjoys some détente on screen that inspired the hot tub scene in Austin Powers with Alotta Fagina.
- Kimberly Jones – brief pre-titles appearance helping James with some intelligence work in Siberia and keeps him warm on the five day float to Alaska.
HL’s Hot Take: The poor man’s Goldfinger, it takes absolutely forever to get where it’s going and when it finally does, the destination is even worse than the journey.
Head Librarian Rank: 21/24
Critical Rank: 24/24
TRIVIA SECTION!
Odds & Ends:
- Golden Gate Bridge fight!
- Strikingly similar to the plot of the original Superman
- Lois Maxwell’s last turn as Moneypenny
6 Degrees Cameos: Grace Jones, who plays May Day, was also in Conan the Destroyer with Schwarzenegger. And feel free to go nuts with Christopher Walken. That guy is 6 Degrees gold.
Gadgets: Checkbook photocopier; camera ring; anti-tinted glass shades
Cars: 1984 Renault 11 TXE
Awards: Golden Globe nod for Best Song, played by Duran Duran!
Release Order: 14/25 (1985)