41 Years Ago Today: The Most Hated James Bond Movie Was Released

It was on this day, 41 years ago, that fans of the James Bond film series sat through the worst installment of the iconic franchise.

Excluding Casino Royale (1967), a non-Eon production which spoofed the 007 franchise, each Bond movie before A View to a Kill received mixed to positive reviews. Ultimately, it would be the 14th Bond film that would first generate overwhelmingly negative reviews.

In a decision that baffled many at the time, Roger Moore was cast in A View to a Kill, even though he was 57. For what it's worth, Daniel Craig was the only other Bond actor to portray 007 in his 50s; he was 51 when No Time to Die began production in April 2019.

Christopher Walken was cast as the primary villain, Max Zorin, an arrogant and powerful industrialist who attempts to destroy Silicon Valley. Tanya Roberts starred as Stacey Sutton, the film's Bond girl. Grace Jones played May Day, one of the most popular secondary villains in the movie series.

A View to a Kill was released in the United States on May 24, 1985. 41 years later, the film certainly doesn't hold up compared to some of Moore's other Bond movies, namely Live and Let Die (1973), and The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).

'A View to a Kill' Ranks Among the Worst Bond Movies

Moore himself refused to give a glowing review of A View to a Kill. In a 2008 interview, he was quoted as saying, "I was only about 400 years too old for the part."

In November, Jesse Hassenger of GQ ranked all 27 James Bond movies from worst to first, including the aforementioned Casino Royale (1967) spoof. That film claimed the No. 27 spot, followed by A View to a Kill.

Through its "Tomatometer" system, Rotten Tomatoes also ranks Casino Royale as the worst film, with A View to a Kill (a rating of 36 percent) taking the No. 26 spot. Depending on who you ask, of course, some might not consider the 1967 film a real Bond movie.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on May 24, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published May 24, 2026 at 4:00 AM.