The Living Daylights

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Timothy Dalton makes his first appearance as James Bond in this fast-paced, brilliant espionage thriller. Dalton's unique acting style coupled with a gripping plot, an excellent cast of characters, genuinely exciting plot twists, and surely the coolest car in the history of the Bond films sets this one apart from all the others. I've seen it again and again and it gets better every time. In this adventure, Bond must pit wits with a diabolical arms dealer named Brad Whittaker, rescue the charming Kara Milvoy (who he was originally tasked to assassinate), restore relations with KGB head General Pushkin, aid freedom fighters in Afganistan, and, of course, look good doing it. A truly great movie, and a must for any Bond fan.

With Roger Moore's 'retirement' as 007, in the less-than-wonderful A VIEW TO A KILL, Eon Productions began searching for a new James Bond for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. A promising candidate was Sam Neill, 39, popular star of TV's "Reilly: The Ace of Spies" (and future JURASSIC PARK dinosaur expert). But Albert Broccoli didn't like Neill's tests, and announced he wanted Welsh actor Timothy Dalton, whom he'd first approached for the role 16 years earlier. At that time, Dalton had turned down Bond, saying he was "too young". Now 41, both Dalton and Broccoli agreed he was the right age, and his tests were fabulous...but it was then discovered that the shooting schedule for THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS would conflict with Dalton's current project, BRENDA STARR, and he, reluctantly, had to pass on the project. Then an Irish actor, who had become a major television star in America, appeared on the scene. Pierce Brosnan, 34, his "Remington Steele" TV series about to be canceled by NBC, had impressed Broccoli on a visit to the Bond set 5 years earlier, and his tests were so good that he won the role. The script was adjusted, adding more humor (quips were one of Brosnan's strong points), and things were moving along nicely...until NBC, seeing the publicity value of a potential 'James Bond' in a series, renewed "Remington Steele", throwing the entire Bond production into turmoil. The network refused to release Brosnan, and he had to leave. Fortunately, the delay gave Timothy Dalton time to complete BRENDA STARR, and he began shooting THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS two days after STARR wrapped. Dalton, an avid fan of Fleming's novels, preferred a harder-edged yet vulnerable Bond, with little or no humor, but screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson had already tailored the script to Brosnan, and Dalton quickly revealed that one-liners were not his strongest asset. He gave, nonetheless, a strong, smoldering performance as 007. As his leading lady, Maryam d'Abo, 26, who'd been 'discovered' while doing 007 candidate screen tests, proved quite good as a blackmailed Czech cellist Bond 'couldn't kill'. The villains, while not 'top drawer' Bond, were effective; Jeroen Krabbé as a defecting Russian general, dancer-turned-actor Andreas Wisniewski as nearly superhuman assassin Necros, and Joe Don Baker, as a 'good ol' boy' megalomaniac U.S. general. With action around the world, and a complicated plot involving a weapons heist and sale, the story attempted to be more 'topical' by involving the Afghan/Soviet conflict (which, unfortunately, 'dated' it, as well). Bond is monogamous for the first time, and the more 'physical' portrayal of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY had returned, to the delight of Bond purists. But LETHAL WEAPON would also debut in 1987, and the 'over-the-top' solid action film would cut deeply into THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS profits. The 007 film was considered almost 'quaint' in comparison, and Dalton would unfairly take the 'heat' for the less profitable film. The world was changing around 007, and no one was quite sure what to do about it...

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Roger Moore bowed out of the Bond films after it was clear he was getting too old for the films from his last one "A View to a Kill". In many ways this was a good thing, as the Bond films had become too dependent on formulaic plotting and villains, as well as an overdose of fatuous humour. A change was definitely needed. This movie reintroduces a welcome level of grit and seriousness not seen since the early Connery movies. It's a pity that, technically proficient though this entry is, it is bogged down by poorly written villains, and an often garbled and confusing plot. Pre-credits sequence sees the MI6 double-o section on a training exercise in Gibraltar, where several agents are soon picked off by an assassin, who is tracked and eventually killed by James Bond (Timothy Dalton). Soon after, it appears that the killings are part of a covert agenda by Russian intelligence to eliminate British agents. Complications arise through the association of fake Russian defector General Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe) and an unscrupulous arms dealer Whitaker (Joe Don Baker). With the help of Koskov's cello-playing paramour Kara (Maryam d'Abo), Bond tracks the pair of them to Tangiers then Afghanistan... There are the usual exciting action scenes, including an spectacular chase through the Russian mountains, with Bond and Kara ski-ing down the slopes on an open cello case. There is a well-arranged slap-up fight with a brutal jail guard, and the finale is an exhilarating horsebound raid on an Afghanistan Russian airbase. John Barry keeps things moving well with an upbeat, riveting score. It's very good the way he plays on the tune of Pal Waaktaar's eponymous title song for effect during suspenseful moments. Superlative though this is, it cannot save the storyline and some generally weak writing. The villain's motivations and ultimate goal are never made completely clear, rendering the story's many twists and turns confusing. This is re-emphasised by some misjudged performances. Joe Don Baker gleefully hams it up as Whitaker, but is unable to inject any charisma into the part. Jeroen Krabbe, who has turned in better performances elsewhere, puts in a camp, mincing performance as Koskov. There are occasions when he's convincingly subtle, but they are too few and Krabbe's remaining theatricals only damage his performance. Andreas Wisniewski is no more than the standard Aryan, seemingly invincible henchman. Maryam d'Abo is a washout as Kara, generating little sympathy or sexual chemistry. Others fare slightly better. Robert Brown and Desmond Llewellyn are fine, respectively, as M and Q and Robert Wheatley gives a good performance as a stiff but likable agent. John Rhys-Davies also fares well as a helpful Russian diplomat. Most importantly, Timothy Dalton is very good as a much more grounded Bond, who takes his missions and relationships seriously. There is less of the compulsive womanizer or cold-blooded killer here, and Dalton's more down-to-earth interpretation is very refreshing. Sadly, Dalton was to have only one more outing as James Bond, in the humourless, cruelly realistic "Licence To Kill".

I like most of the Bond movie's and i can see positives in all the portrayals of our favourite spy. I enjoyed Moore's first 5 movies (Moonraker got silly, but it was still fun) After seeing Dalton's gritty and reckless take on the Bond character, i remember thinking that he should have replaced Moore before he made 'Octopussy' and 'A View to a Kill' Dalton's Bond is probably the closest to Fleming's original idea, and it's only the Connery level of charisma that is lacking. The living Daylights is a fine addition to the genre and it's an action packed thrill ride with a gritty edge. 7/10 Nice one Timothy

Timothy Dalton's debut as a more introspective James Bond is the only striking thing about this 14th 007 entry. It opens promisingly pre-credits but plumbs depths of banality thereafter. It's not even shoddy film-making, it's just bafflingly dull and uninteresting. Dalton, a surprise but inspired choice, hasn't quite got the presence of Connery or Moore, but he hints at an intensity that might have developed into something closer to Ian Fleming's original conception. But he gets little help from behind the camera. The plot, an unintriguing yawn about arms-smuggling, would have seemed out of date in a TV episode of 'The Saint' 20 years previously. Worse, both main villains are vague, buffoonish characters that exude no menace whatsoever. John Glenn's direction is characteristically nerveless. An ex-editor, he handles the thrills moderately efficiently but seems indifferent to the rest of the story. A tired, desultory music score by John Barry, once a mainstay of the series, further slows down the action. And it's a poor Bond pic that can't come up with even one set of any interest! In fact, why do men's toilets feature even once in a Bond film, never mind twice? Likewise, Alec Mills' photography can't find any real visual interest in Gibraltar, Tangier or Morocco. In the early Bonds, Ted Moore could establish the drama and exoticness of a location in just a couple of shots. Mills lends nothing in the way of mood apart from a parting shot of ice-covered mountains in the twilight, as Dalton and heroine D'Abo flee the KGB. If it wasn't for Dalton's debut you'd wonder why they bothered. These daylights are barely alive.