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This comment hits the nail on the head.
That opening sequence, which is basically the entire TLD short story, is one of the great (possibly the greatest) Fleming sequences committed to film and that enough elevates it above LTK. Dalton simply is Ian Flemings Bond in this scene. And thats without even mentioning the excellent PTS, the death of Saunders, the Pushkin interrogation and epic finale on the back of the plane.
I also feel Dalton turns it up to 11 a bit too much in LTK with his performance coming across as a bit theatrical and hammy in parts.
He does...he pushes it further and (I think) he comes off as a little over-dramatic in a couple of scenes.
"TAKE ME TO HIM!!" Ooooh scary!!
Dalton is quite dramatic as a performer. Even in the EoN documentary he sometimes looks like he's acting for an audience.
Here was a hero who MURDERED in COLD BLOOD...BAM!BAM!BAM!BAM!BAM!...THE DIRTIEST, TOUGHEST, MEANEST, NASTIEST, BRUTALIST HERO...WE'D EVER SEEN!"
I much prefer the Wogan interview in all honesty. At least he seems to be being himself.
I don’t think it was his job he resented, after all Bond is a very competent and confident agent, it is more likely the deskbound decision makers who may have, through the distance of time, forgotten the unwritten rules of the field agent.
Dalton’s 007 seemed very comfortable in any environment or company he kept, and his screen relationships held integrity whether being with close friends or subjected to the desires of his adversaries.
He was able to wear the responsibilities of Bond with an untroubled appearance, and displayed a sharp intellect when circumstances altered to his potential disadvantage, enabling him to orchestrate solutions with future options. (The shooting of the sniper rifle and not the sniper in TLD displayed his instant ability to be flexible when the pressure was bearing down and recognise his target was a set-up, so he acted with a compassionate consideration to a stranger clearly out of her depth).
Timothy Dalton’s role was above all things realistic, a tangible portrayal of Ian Fleming’s British spy during the Cold War era.
TLD illustrated the realism of the 1980’s and LTK displayed the diversity of his lifestyle as an international agent, he offered authentic performances in both films and is still IMO an essential part of the James Bond past, and not to overlook, present and future influence.
But it was LTK which was really tailored for Dalton's likes because TLD was written with the other fellow in mind (no, not Connery sadly that other other guy).
Same here.
They're just different. Like Peking Duck is different from Russian Caviar. But I love 'em both.
^:)^
I would have loved to see Dalton back in GE, but I do think things began to go quite badly wrong with Cubby first stepping back from GE and then of course sadly passing away. It's no secret that I am no fan of GE. Dalton's presence would have improved it, but I'm still not sure that even with the Daltonator that it would have been up to the standard of TLD and LTK. You can see how Dalton would have made some of the 'dramatic' scenes from the Brosnan era absolute classics, but overall those plots and films are pretty creaky. Would have loved to see how Dalton would have handled Morceau in TWINE. And Dalton with Monica Bellucci in TND would have been amazing.
It has taken Babs and MGW a long time to begin to rediscover some of the old Cubby era magic. Some might argue they still haven't quite got there...
Have to agree on all three counts here.
The 2 'missed' Cubby/Dalton films in the early 90's could have solidified the 'darker' tone for Bond and would have most likely improved the Brosnan era as well (if it would have still happened at all...)
GE surely played more to Dalton's strengths - it was not suited to Brosnan and it showed (TND on the other hand was, and is just more solid as a result).
I feel all three of the Babs/Craig films have, individually, many elements that perfected 'The Dalton Tone' which started in TLD - it's just a shame that none of these elements have so far been combined in ONE FILM to make a REALLY strong Babs/Craig Bondfilm.
Fingers crossed that SP(B24) has CR's narrative strength & script, QoS focus & urgency and SF classic appeal and cinematography...
My most recent watch of LTK really had moments that made me cringe, I would have just liked a straight up gritty take but shoehorning Q in, that sequence with gadget case was just terrible and him being an operative for Bond with a fake moustache and that ridiculous broom. It has it's moments, the PTS, Bond on Krest's boat and the assault on Sanchez's office, the climax is great for the most part but then it all gets undone with that ridiculous cheesy sign off, that being said I prefer to most of the Moore's a few of the Connery's and all of Brosnan's
TLD has a cracking PTS and for the most part it's great the whole first half, just too much Rog hang overs, not particularly great villains but on a whole a entertaining film plus Barry's great Bond swan song of a score.
So TLD for me.
Agree. None of the DC films have fully hit the nail on the head IMO. Each has its strengths but none of them does everything well at the same time. Not that many Bond films have, to be fair, but I still don't feel DC has been given the classic movie he deserves. Overall the Craig era is a huge step up from the previous decade, but I still want and expect a whole lot more.
I have (somewhere in my mind) some optimistically magic image of a perfectly executed combo of FRWL, OHMSS, TLD and CR that together forges the perfect, quintessential Bondfilm...
Hope Babs and co. have this same image somewhere, ready to be unleashed
:D
I think Mendes' reference points are more like LALD.
That's why it's such a shame that Dalton did not have a chance to continue. He was before his time.
I think by the mid 90's that 80's cheese effect had been gone long enough from movies that they could have tackled the serious issues that they wanted to tackle with Bond's character in a more productive fashion, with Dalton. Unfortunately, they chose to go the route of dumbed down North American style action during this period with Brosnan, and were eventually shown up by Austin Powers/Bourne/XXX etc.., thereby necessitating the fundamental rethink.
The 90's were such a missed opportunity imo..
Totally agree. Really feel we missed out on a potential golden era. The timing was totally right for something much more in the Dalton mould, but we went back to sub-Roger stuff and lame uninspired action.
EON has not been great at anticipating or leading the pack for quite some time.