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Comments
The opening title design is fairly boring, not the best and more a reminder that this is still the same Bond that Moore had been playing for the previous seven movies. For a whole new Bond and era I would have expected more.
The script is fine, nice, clear and simple enough. The humour kept to a minimum which suits Dalton to a tee. Again, it’s nice to see that some human interest was added and we see a more serious Bond which was right for the time. Plus, there’s the emotional side and the viewer can feel that Bond really has fallen for Kara, well written. Almost a throwback to OHMSS with a more emotional 007.
The movie looks great and is shot very well. The locations look inviting with the sandy scenes of Afghanistan looking the best. The movie doesn’t have the beauty of, say, Thunderball but, all the same, with the locations here, the movie is shot very well.
The score for this movie is not one of my favourite of John Barry’s’ I’m afraid, although it certainly sounds better than some others that have been before by other composers, or ones that are to follow. As for the theme tune, I am going to have to apologies to @Birdleson here, because I actually like the song. Now, I’m by no means a fan of A-Ha but, for the time this movie was made, they were certainly one of the biggest bands around so seemed to be a good fit for the track, as Duran Duran were for AVTAK. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not brilliant but I do like it somewhat. It certainly makes the opening titles better, for me anyway. I do also like how Barry adds it to his score during the movie. I think the reason I may like it, is because this was the first 007 movie I saw at the cinema, it was a big thing for me, and because that song was attached to it.
The editing is done very well and, at times, is pretty seamless. I think the best show of this is during the cargo net fight, where the scenes from the studio and the aerial shots with stuntmen are put together very well.
Dalton always looks good in his three piece suits, as all the Bond actors generally do. In his tux, while he looks ok, I don’t think he gives off the same aura as we would see from Connery, Moore and Lazenby. He just looks like A.N.Other is a tux. Not a fan of his bow tie either, it may be because of the 80’s but it looks massive. But the, I’ve never worn a tux and I’m not the most fashionable of males, so what do I know. As for the others in the cast, the costumes all look good, especially during the scenes in Afghanistan and, while not a massive fan of the character, Kara looks stunning all the way through.
Not the most spectacular of sets within this movie but, to be fair, they don’t need to be as they wouldn’t really add to the story. Whitakers villa and Shah’s pad probably being the only ones of note. But, they serve a purpose within the movie so all good.
Hope that’s all ok and, again, my apologies to @Birdleson re: the theme tune ;)
The titles are pedestrian and instantly forgettable, apart from the final clear shot of the blonde girl in an oversize glass. Strangely compelling.
The pacing of the film is good as we follow Bond slowly making sense of what is happening, and finding himself becoming emotionally involved with Kara at the same time. Their love story is also well paced and believable. Kara is a trusting, needy girl and it's believable that she should fall in love with Bond (I found it more convincing even than Vesper in Casino Royale
I do like the use of locations even if there is not enough of the camera lovingly embracing some of the scenery as we had in the 60s and late 70s.
In the aeroplane during the climax it was good to see the return of the ultra slow bomb count down. Nice reminders of the bomb at the end of Goldfinger and in For Your Eyes Only during the retrieving of the ATAC.
Amazing miniatures again. The collapsing bridge looked very convincing.
John Barry uses some of the rock fused score to drive the action along which works well for me. However he still can't resist the saucy saxophone when the camera pans to a couple of lovely ladies (Leiter's CIA girls). Right out of a Carry On film.
I thought Kara's dress at the opera was hideous and shapeless. Must remember this is the 80s!
Something I noticed for the first time - during the PTS the rope being clipped to M's belt in the aeroplane before the hatch opens. It makes perfect sense of course, but strange how you see a film so many times and then spot something clear and obvious for the first time.
Also, during the Blayden House sequence Koskov says of Pushkin
"Once we were like brothers"
And while I was still wrestling with this familiar phrase the film cuts to the kitchen and there's Max the parrot!!
Has Glen suddenly got a hankering for paying early homage to his own films? A line spoken by Columbo about Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only, followed by a reminder of the feathery character without whom the ATAC would never have been found?
Also in the safe house Bond informs Koskov of the excellent fois gras. THAT would never have happened if Roger had been Bond !!
Finally, a nod to the villains. Even in their desperation to pull off their incredible plan at the risk of making an enemy of so many terrorist organisations, never mind Mother Russia, they still must have had a bit of a giggle coming up with a false name for Bond.
All hail Jerzey Bondon!
For you I have great affection, but we have an old saying: duty has no sweethearts.
PTS:
Not sure how everyone else feels, but I'd say it's underrated and not talked about nearly as much as it should be. What was a thrilling training exercise for the 00's turns into something else entirely when an assassin strikes, and with our first shot at Bond, we're off. After doing a bit of quick detective work and shitting his pants from a surprise monkey, Bond hops into action, and the entire fight/car chase is well shot (with a beautiful landscape surrounding them, making it even more nice to watch) and a proper way to kick this movie off. It's a pretty straight forward sequence, but it's made even more suspenseful given the amount of explosives tucked away in the back of the vehicle that Bond eventually infiltrates. (Side note: I like the light headbutt Dalton throws at the driver as soon as he climbs into the jeep.)
With the vehicle crashing through the wall and Bond plummeting toward his death, he makes a quick and exciting getaway with his parachute, finally (to Bond's delight) landing on a yacht with a female for him to enjoy. His initial "Bond, James Bond" has always felt a bit rushed to me, but I've warmed to it over the past couple of years.
Title Song/Sequence:
The title sequence itself, to me, is pretty generic and forgettable. I tend to forget about a lot of the images present since it's so dull. Women laying on their side, women laying in some water, women standing in water. Feels odd and ill-fitting with the rest of the film. The woman who appears at the end staring into my soul before tuning out into the distance has always stood out to me, though, for some weird reason.
As for the song, I really enjoy it. It's catchy as hell, and anytime I watch this I'll end up finding myself whistling it at some point afterward without meaning to. I'm not sure if it would make my Top 10, but still, I like it.
Finale:
Someone mentioned earlier how some of the Bond films of late have started out with a fantastic PTS and ended on a rather dull note, and while this isn't a recent installment, I feel that it does manage to apply here. I've always liked the escape from the Russian airbase, but after that, it's dragged a good bit for me lately - the journey to Kamran's, everything that occurs there, the events leading up to Kara, Kamran, and Kamran's men getting to the airbase, etc. The action at the airbase is exciting one moment, then dull and/or awkward the next. Sometimes the pacing is fine, and other times the sequence seems to drag for me. I guess my entire mindset going into it depends on how I'll feel about the finale, too.
The action on the airplane, however, is great: the fight between Bond and Necros (although why Necros doesn't just grab the net after Bond cuts his shoelaces is always a headscratcher), the dropping of the bomb to take out the bridge, and the quickly-ejected escape with the jeep at the end. At least the entire finale itself ends on a positive note for me.
The separate stuff at Whitaker's is hit and miss. Bond's infiltration is nice, but the fight between Bond and Whitaker feels a little cheesy to me most of the time. Bond makes a witty disposal of Whitaker, though, thanks to Q, and has his ass spared moments later by Pushkin's late arrival (and gunning down of Sgt. Stagg.)
Over the last couple of years though, it did fall in my rankings and, at times, I found myself bored with it. Luckily, the last couple of viewings have been kind and I have enjoyed it very much, making it a Top 10 Bond for me. Thanks to this Bondathon viewing, I have looked even closer at the movie and appreciate more of what is, actually, very, very good about it; from the action scenes to the Dalton's performance etc.
I'm glad that there is someone out there who also likes the A-ha theme tune. As @Creasy47 mentioned above, it is very catchy and you do find yourself with it stuck in your head, or humming it etc. I really enjoy how John Barry incorporates it into the score also.
Kara - my thoughts on her weren't overly positive but, on reading comments within this thread and, on another viewing, maybe I've been a little harsh. She does have some good moments to be fair to her but, still, the trust that she has in these men (Koskov, Whitaker, even Bond) is a little much. Maybe that's all she knows but still. Oh, and the little drive she has after Bond still does absolutely nothing for me and, still, reminds me of something that should be in an Airplane movie. Just waiting for her to knock people, or anything else, down.
Why cut to a shot of the parrot?
What was the questionable champagne originally on the list to be picked up from Harrods? (Nice name check by the way).
Finally, every time I watch it I expect the toilet attendant to start whistling an old Bond theme tune. Thanks OHMSS.
Cheers.
It's one of my favourites, and my overall favourite to sing while I'm out on the bike (in the mistaken belief that nobody can hear you under a motorcycle helmet).
I have other favourites to sing in other circumstances, e.g. Thunderball for the shower :)
As for The Living Daylights it hasn't aged into a timeless classic as so many of the 60s films have, and doesn't have the 70s feel for self parody and camp excess.
It's stuck in a decade where John Glenn and Cubby were playing catch up. They tried to remain traditional by incorporating Fleming's short stories into their films, but at the same time were fully aware of the clean slate so many other franchises had.
Die Hard, Indiana Jones, Star Wars were all blazing trails, taking the action/adventure genre into different areas. And here was Bond starting to tread water. They trod well with a couple of the 80s films, but the cracks were definitely showing, and by 1989 some re-thinking needed to be done.
It's why the six year break from 1989 to 1995 was only a good thing. It was a time when Bond could re-invent itself (again), drag the character into a new decade and find it's footing in the cinematic world.
We still have one more experiment to try though.....
After a long tenure by Roger Moore and facing a bit of uncertainty regarding his return, Timothy Dalton steps in to take over the role, and unfortunately, this is one of those few instances where the intro Bond film for a new actor isn't my favorite of that actor's era. He has his moments where he seems very confident and cool (the entire sniper sequence, when he meets up with Pushkin and his room and uses his nude lady friend as a distraction, the "execution" of Pushkin, his initial escape from the airfield when he unloads at the soldiers and starts taking off in the plane), but then there are a lot of moments where he seems unsure of himself/how to act in a particular scene, which doesn't inspire the confidence a man like Bond should be showcasing.
We also get a few too many cheeky smiles and oddball comedy from him ("Are you calling me a horse's arse?") throughout that weren't necessary after those last few installments of Moore's (the worst offending moments are when he and Kara playfully fight at Kamran's palace, how giddy he seems when they're trying to extract Koskov and Rosika is doing some face-smashing into her breasts, etc.)
It's really hard for me to definitively say how I feel about Dalton in this, other than it's an overall so-so performance - it's not the worst, but it's nothing memorable, either, and not a take on the role that has me throwing in my blu-ray disc for that reason alone. He's impressing me one minute by doing something incredibly Bondian or delivering a line in a particular way that I love, and then the next, he seems too theatrical or uncharacteristically comedic, and it simply doesn't work for me. Thankfully, LTK - both as a film and in terms of Dalton's performance - is much better.
BOND GIRLS:
Aside from Linda in the PTS, Bond isn't necessarily the ladies man in this, dedicating most of his time to Kara, who, unfortunately, is a rather unimpressive and forgettable Bond girl in my eyes. It's understandable that she isn't kicking ass and taking names throughout - she is, after all, an innocent musician who unfortunately gets dragged into the midst of all of this - but it's the inconsistency in that that bugs me, primarily with the ending and how she goes from helpless Bond girl to mastering a horse as she steals Kamran's AK and takes off after an army that she...plans on going solo against if Kamran and his men doesn't follow? From here, she finds herself unharmed, in the middle of a massive battle as she takes off down a runway in hopes of catching up to Bond before he escapes. Again, it's out of character with how she acts throughout the rest of the movie, so I don't buy her being so helpless and lost one minute, and the next, she's leading the charge to save the day. Hell, she manages all this, and can't even keep the plane steady like Bond asks mere moments later. I suppose the only negativity regarding all this is that she's featured so prominently throughout, and maybe if I enjoyed the actress/character better, it wouldn't be so bad. Or, perhaps, having another Bond girl (a femme fatale or a bad-girl-turns-good character) present would've made it better, too.
I know it has been brought up here before, but perhaps the reason this film seems to take a turn from sex to romance, while subsequently featuring only one main Bond girl, is the AIDS scare, and they didn't want Bond to be seen as such a womanizer during a risky, sexual time? Not like that had stopped Bond before!
BOND ALLIES:
Saunders: I've always liked this character, which also helps with Bond's sort of revenge-driven motivation to stop those responsible, after Saunders is killed and given a 'Smiert Spionom' balloon. I always enjoy the fact that he attempts to take over and insert his superiority in the beginning, considering that the operation was his idea (down to the last detail), only for things to go slightly awry, allowing Bond to take over and change the escape route (delivering Saunders' line back to him before leaving, which is rich.)
Kamran Shah: Considering the fact that Bond saves him from the execution block and gives him a method of escape, it always bugs me how stubborn he is in his refusal to immediately help out Bond - I know he's focused on his drug deal and making money, but this is one of the bigger moments in the film that drags, in my opinion, and having Bond and Kamran immediately attempt to assault the airbase would've been much better and helped the film breathe a little more. I don't care for him not acting on Bond's part until a white woman steals his weapon and convinces him to throw out a goofy quip and THEN lead the charge. Bond couldn't convince him otherwise, but Kara somehow can? Doesn't work for me.
Felix Leiter: John Terry's take on the character is one of my least favorites (TB's Van Nutter wins that prize), but I've always had a soft spot for him because I'm a huge fan of 'Full Metal Jacket', so that, coupled with the fact that he isn't featured in this too prominently, saves him from being the worst. Leiter isn't very helpful or necessary in this until the very end of the movie, either, once Bond requires his assistance to break into Whitaker's compound.
M/MP/Q:
M: Not my favorite of Brown's, but his appearance is consistent enough in terms of how often I want the character to be featured throughout a given movie.
MP: Caroline Bliss makes her first appearance here, and unfortunately, I'm not a fan. She doesn't need to one-up Bond in every scene, but she is way too ditzy in this, and comes across as a bit dumb and goofy at times, the complete opposite of the wonderful Lois Maxwell's portrayal. In the EON universe, she's my least favorite actress to play the character.
Q: Helpful, funny, and in no mood for Bond's shit, Llewelyn shines once again as Major Boothroyd.
VILLAIN/HENCHMEN:
(I know there are several more present, but they don't really make an impact in my eyes - Sergeant Stagg, Colonel Feyador, etc. They're almost background characters in this with how little they're given to do.)
General Georgi Koskov: Conniving and egotistical, he'll gladly betray anyone/throw anyone under the bus, as long as it gets him closer to his end goal. He betrays both friend and foe throughout, siding with anyone that won't kill him, and unfortunately, his lack of trust and commitment is what gets him killed in the end. While he isn't a heavy-hitter like Necros, nor is he necessarily calling the shots like Whitaker does, he most certainly gets enough to work with throughout, and is rather slimy and cruel. I prefer him over Whitaker in terms of the main villain, though I'm not sure if people consider one or the other to be the definitive villain of the film, or both of them.
Brad Whitaker: A cowardly, narcissistic history buff with money to burn and weapons to sell, he's also just as eager to screw over anyone he can, as long as it gets him rich and/or powerful in the process. He's equally as slimy as Koskov, though he never comes across as a major threat or foe throughout, until the final fight, and that's due to the fact that his weaponry is highly advanced in comparison to Bond's pistol. Not-Jack-Wade gets what's coming to him in the form of his own creations being responsible for his demise.
Necros: Deadly and cunning, Necros just may be one of the few consistently "shining stars" of the movie, as he's always on-hand and responsible for the bigger moments in the movie - the attack on the Blayden House and rescue of Koskov, the death of Saunders, the fact that he would've killed Pushkin if Bond hadn't staged his execution, etc. He's very skilled throughout, gaining on the upper hand on just about anyone he comes into contact with, which makes it a bummer when he dies, considering that he doesn't realize he could just grab the netting to save his life instead of continuing to cling to Bond's boot. However, he's still a great henchman and one of my favorites.
STORY/ACTION:
After a routine training exercise turns deadly due to an assassin in the midst, James Bond finds himself hopping across the globe to uncover a secret plot to disinform British intelligence. I wanted to tidy up the main plot a bit better than that, but it goes so back-and-forth throughout - one minute, someone is a bad guy, and the next, they're not. Koskov is good, then he's bad, then he's good again, but he's actually not: he's still bad! It gets muddled and confusing after a while, with alliances constantly changing and the frequent questioning of who is or isn't a bad guy, but in the end, we figure out who is who, and it all starts to tie together rather nicely as the film progresses. Not the best plot, nor the most straight-forward or simplistic or even my favorite, but I suppose it could be much worse.
In terms of the action - like nearly every category in this film - it has it's astounding highs and it's upsetting, dull lows. The PTS, in particular, is one of my favorites, and the likes of this and GE have had me yearning for a return to a PTS (or hell, any scene throughout a film) that involves Bond donning this black military garb and engaging in an infiltration of some sort. The sniper scene/defection escape with Koskov is rather intense, albeit not "action-packed."
The attack at the Blayden House is one of my favorites, not only because it's still exciting while not featuring Bond, but because of the legendary, criminally underrated Green Four, who kicks ass and nearly gains the upper hand on Necros. Hell, this could even qualify as my favorite fight in the entire Dalton era, and it doesn't even feature the man himself. I like to think Green Four's wounds eventually healed and he's off kicking ass and bedding women elsewhere.
(Side note - doesn't pertain to the story/action category at all, just a thought I had as the scene in question plays: I've never understood the curious confusion of the janitor as Bond checks out the rifle in the bathroom stall.)
Next, we get the snowy escape from Bratislava. The use of gadgetry to initially stop the police is great - removing the tires from the pursuing vehicle, using the rockets to create a path in the road, escaping the shed before the rifle grenade hits it, etc. - but the whole chase itself inexplicably lacks excitement for me. The aforementioned gadgetry almost overstays its welcome toward the end, as Bond goes out of his way to take out the other pursuing vehicles, when he would have been much better off fleeing. I've always liked the jump to get over the border area (the usage of nitro is a little too 'Fast & Furious' for me, though), and after that, it ends on another odd note as Bond and Kara ride her cello case to escape the pursuing enemies. "A Stradivarius? I know we had to return for it, Kara, but just let me griiiiiind this shit real hard into the ice as we make our escape. Oops, got a bullet hole in it, too. Hope that doesn't diminish its value!"
I've always enjoyed the Tangier sequences - the screentime between Bond and Pushkin is fantastic, and Bond's gritty execution and escape over the rooftops is always exciting for me.
The jailhouse fight isn't too bad; on one hand, Bond's at a major disadvantage, given that he's handcuffed, but on the other hand, a lot of the intensity of the fight is removed for me, since Bond squares off against an old man and a fat jailer, who he should be making very quick work of.
Finally, we're left with the finale, which I touched on yesterday.
MI6Community Bondathon: (May change at any time.)
1.) DN
2.) OHMSS
3.) LALD
4.) TSWLM
5.) GF
6.) YOLT
7.) FYEO
8.) FRWL
9.) OP
10.) TB
11.) AVTAK
12.) DAF
13.) TLD
14.) TMWTGG
15.) MR
Up next, LTK, followed by a week of ass-kissing from yours truly as we reach GE.
That's correct. Virginia Hey also played the blue alien lady Zhaan in the Farscape TV series. For those that watched it.
@Creasy47 and I will stand fast against you, @NicNac. It will be good to post various analysis that experience the movie differently. Unless I find that I no longer enjoy the film, which would be absolutely tragic.
I'll be putting on TLD in just an hour, and will post my thoughts as quick as I can. I keep getting bloody distracted by this and that.
I'm looking forward to defending that one! To be fair, as hard as I may seem on TLD, it's gotten much better for me over the last year or two.
I know someone else mentioned it here, and it may have even been you, @NicNac, but I've also been attempting to avoid all other opinions until after I had posted mine, so I didn't start running off on different tangents I hadn't thought of. Didn't feel like unconsciously changing my mind and accidentally copying others, so I look forward to reading everyone else's analysis later this evening!
Technically, no comment is still a comment... ;)
In that case Brady....no comment...........................................and yet i speak volumes !! ;)
Yes that was me. It's easy to change your mind about something or feel you should agree with the masses if you read other comments. Best to stick to your own instincts.
However as @Birdleson says, reading comments before you post your thoughts can jog your memory about points you forgot.
Yet despite this, our Bondathon has caused me to reevaluate two major films. The first was Diamonds Are Forever, and now The Living Daylights has joined it. While the former improved immensely in my eyes, after watching the latter it has really slumped, and it kills me to admit it.
While the film has some truly great moments that could rank with the best of the series, including Saunders' death and the hotel scene between Bond and Pushkin, the movie is bogged down by so much extraneous annoyance that it didn't need, effectively tainting all the rest of what it's striving to be. I always contend that Tim's biggest enemy as a Bond actor was the legacy of Moore, and that is nowhere more apparent than here. The filmmakers took a wonderful actor who could really do magic with the material, and then made sure it was hard to get at it by making Dalton spout stupid one-liners and add in elements that represent the worst of the Moore era, including corny gags, shots of random pedestrians gawking at Bond as he does something loopy and more. These moments eventually add up as the movie goes on, and at the end of it there's so much of it that The Living Daylights results as a tonally confused movie battling to be a Fleming novel and more vintage Bond at the same time, with a Moore bent.
It was clear that the filmmakers couldn't let the Moore era go all the way, and even though Dalton only wanted to portray the Bond of the novels, like Brosnan after him they provided scripts that corrupted that vision. Dalton is at his best as Bond when he's allowed to be sardonic and a bit barbed. He's a man who's asked to do things that don't sit well with him, and he speaks up about them, orders be damned. His shining moment in the movie comes when Saunders threatens to tattle to M on him, and he gives that great speech that perfectly underscores his own personal code of operation. He has bite, he's firm in standing his ground, and he doesn't give a good goddamn how other people think he should do his job when he's the one out there risking it all, not them. This man is largely absent from the rest of the film, unfortunately, because of the aforementioned elements. Dalton deserved a script that really kept his Bond wired and unsettled, because that's where we see the fire in his eyes that he could do better than most. We deserve the man in the car with Saunders, the man sticking up a Ruskie in a Tangiers hotel. How often we get him varies, however.
I'll write up some more extensive thoughts this weekend, but I've got the sails knocked out of me on this one. I don't really want to give it a second rewatch either, because I don't think that'd help. I just hope that Licence to Kill remains as strong for me now as it exists in my memory.
Bondathon Ranking (2016-2017)
1.) From Russia With Love
2.) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3.) Thunderball
4.) Dr. No
5.) Diamonds Are Forever
6.) Goldfinger
7.) The Living Daylights
8.) You Only Live Twice
Brady, I know what you mean about the Moore legacy, but we can't blame that for any failings here. I find that people blame everything and everybody except Dalton himself. Yet any great actor should be able to play lighter stuff as well as the heavy stuff.
Nobody questioned Hackman or Nicholson's abilities to play comedy. They just adapted to it because they were great screen actors. And of course Connery needed no one to apologise on his behalf when he had a few one liners to deliver. He, like Hackman and Nicholson is one of the finest film actors of all time. And he continued to be a star because of that and because he had that charisma that lit the screen up.
So, when Tim has a bad line to deliver like 'Salt corrosion' couldn't he have thought it through and maybe delivered it as an apologetic question, for example, with a slight shrug of the shoulders? It would have sounded better.
He did do some stuff well, in the car with Saunders as you mentioned. But I don't buy it that Dalton is this great actor who suffers because of the material. As a film actor he's quite poor, otherwise we wouldn't ever have to point out those uncomfortable moments when he was so clearly 'acting'.
Having said all of that I would love to see him on the West End stage more than any other Bond actor, with the exception of Daniel Craig.
We can talk all day about what Bond actor handles this or that better, but you will find that the strongest scripts are those that play to the actor while also telling a good story. Not everyone can be like Sean and reach all these levels in a performance, because you need vital qualities. Tim works better as an earnest Bond, and shouldn't have been shoveled the endless attempts at levity that didn't fit the tone set by his Bond in the first thirty minutes of the film, basically from the training exercise to the end of the extraction mission. That was the Bond Dalton really shined as, and it was a failure of the team not to support that and also give him more Fleming to work from. He'd carry around the books like bibles, really trying to understand the character to create an honest imprint of him on screen, then he'd come to set and Glen would ask him to grin like an idiot when a girl offers him a drink that sets up one of his quips. I mean, seriously. It's just very clear to me that Dalton wasn't serviced properly, and was quite frankly in a whole other league to much of his creative company. It's embarrassing some of the bad writing he was expected to deliver, one-liner after one-liner.
I think it's unfair to just say we're Dalton apologists, because for those of us here, it's not true. He had massive strengths playing Fleming's creation, but was weakened because the scripts refused to let him play that. They couldn't let the Moore era just be its own thing, and so we get these great dramatic moments where Dalton really gets into it, often punctuated by an awkward and ill-written moment of quirkiness that didn't fit his portrayal. It's why I hate the one-liners outside the 60s, because everywhere else they are massive mood killers that just come off as poorly constructed and delivered, no matter what Bond says them; Roger's were groan-inducing, Tim's were laughably out of tone, Pierce's were written by five year olds and Dan's were very shaky. I don't think the only reason the lines didn't work was because of Dalton, as it's also about how badly these quips change the tone of the movie. You can't present this troubled, somewhat aloof and quite irreverent Bond and then suddenly make him something removed from that and put him in scenes where he's suddenly Mr. Knock Knock.
I love Daniel Craig in the role and think he's talented, by like Dalton his strengths are moments of intensity and introspection. When he's saddled with one-liners, it doesn't work. That doesn't mean Dan is a bad Bond or deserving of all the blame, it's just that he isn't good at humor outside of his dry wheelhouse, as was Dalton, and sometimes the scripts fail him too in that respect.
They screen-tested Dalton, they knew what he wanted to do in the role and could have fit the entire production to support him, but they didn't let him just get on with it. He's not a perfect Bond, as I think he lacked the coordination and athleticism to be a convincing man of action for one, but I truly believe that if he was able to consistently play the man we see talking to Koskov in the car or in the hotel with Pushkin, he'd only be looked at more favorably as an actor.
Bond actors need to have a team that can work to their strengths, otherwise what's the damn point? It's why Moore never got stuck doing high drama, because that's not his wheelhouse. It doesn't mean he sucked, that just wasn't his thing and he couldn't express it effectively. All Bonds are different, and Tim tried to be different at a time when an earnest portrayal made sense, but he had a leash around his neck at all times that only allowed him to travel so far.
It's part of why Dan is so lucky. He got stuck with a team who actually allowed him to have a say in what was happening, and the movies play to his strengths above all else. Dalton unfortunately wasn't that lucky, and following Moore was the worst time for him to take on the part, even though everything else was in place, because nobody had the cojones to truly do something daring and innovative. They'd throw Dalton a bone, let him recite a Fleming line for a second or two every once in a while, but the feeling I have is that Glen said to him, "Just do what Sean and Roger did." The blame rests more with EON on this one in my mind.
Back in Cubby's day he maybe saw no point in disrupting a winning formula. They compromised a little by having Bond less...rampant, with the ladies. But they clearly wanted to keep that said winning formula in place, down to the 'quips'.
I don't think that by totally overhauling the formula they would have found the answer. No way would they take the mountain to Mohamed, so Mohamed (Dalton) would need to fit the formula.
Yes, these days it is different. Craig is settled and has some clout. Barbara B sees the benefit of adapting to the actor's strengths, where maybe Cubby didn't. I don't know.
Also the bi-annual Bond film meant they had less time to develop the films. That's not to say the films are better now, simply that they probably have more time to pander to the actor.
LTK went a step further (without losing the awful one liners) but that was a step too far.
Any film where a woman is beaten while her lover's heart is being cut out, an exploding head, a shark chewing a man's leg off, a woman raped and murdered, and a man churned up by spinning blades, well, that's not my kind of Bond film. ;)
It's Bond's domain to represent the worst people can do to one another in the world. LTK wasn't the only film to go to a dark place, and the content of other films, like OHMSS and the tragedy that it is, dwarfs any of the pain it causes.
@Agent_99, that's exactly the moment I was thinking of when I mentioned someone being "chopped into pieces." I love how Barry's music punctuates it too, making it even worse as white mixes with red.
I knew as soon as I wrote it what was coming ;)
I guess the way the violence was presented (and all in one film) was a reason it got a higher certificate. By comparison Jaws' killing seemed comic book in presentation.
I think also Felix and his wife on their wedding day..maybe it didn't sit so well. I don't know.
Who knows, I may love it when I watch it at the weekend.
8->
Either way, this is The Living Daylights week! And I still like the film I must admit.
In a weird way despite not liking the film I'm glad it exists. I'm glad they all exist really because they make up this rich, varied tapestry.
A series that can produce OHMSS, Moonraker, Licence To Kill and The World Is Not Enough at 10 year intervals - 4 films so varied in style and content, yet all belonging to the same series of films. Pretty remarkable really
Bond meets a really gritty episode of 'Miami Vice.' You can't get much more straightforward than LTK, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much. Hardly any twists, nothing complex, just Bond going up against a nefarious drug kingpin and saving the day.
Seeing that it's Friday, looks like it's time to pop this one in, finally.
@NicNac, that's another good point, I think I'll read everyone's thoughts as we go along with this one to see if I, too, pick up on anything I would've otherwise missed out on mentioning.
So, having watched Licence To Kill, I have to say that I always enjoy it very much. It's a good movie, however, i've always thought of LTK as being similar to any, generic, action movie of the late 1980's. This, for me, is a slight downfall for the movie as it is scripted and filmed as such. Producers, obviously, want to keep up with the times and with what is popular at the time and action movies were, certainly, that. As for it's lack of success in America, while Dalton probably wasn't the biggest draw, they were used to big budget action movies starring the likes of Arnie, Stallone and Willis. I think this is where the movie has issues, becoming purely action rather than Bond. To be fair, I may well be wrong and I know people have said that Dalton is more Fleming than others. Me, I can't comment on that, not having read the books. But, is the movie more Fleming than others or is it just action?
Not sure if that makes sense on my part, but never mind.
So, my ranking - I did really enjoy it, but then, I was brought up on 80's action flicks so that may well be part of why I enjoy it so much. Man, my ranking could be very different now, I think I enjoyed this more than TLD as well, yet I really enjoyed that on last weeks watch. A tough one to rank for me this, but here goes -
New Ranking
OHMSS
TSWLM
GF
FRWL
OP
LTK
DN
TLD
LALD
AVTAK
FYEO
MR
TB
YOLT
TMWTGG
DAF
Previous Ranking
1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
3. Casino Royale
4. From Russia With Love
5. Skyfall
6. Goldfinger
7. Octopussy
8. Spectre
9. Dr No
10. The Living Daylights
11. Goldeneye
12. Live And Let Die
13. Licence To Kill
14. A View To A Kill
15. For Your Eyes Only
16. Moonraker
17. Thunderball
18. Quantum Of Solace
19. Diamonds Are Forever
20. Tomorrow Never Dies
21. You Only Live Twice
22. The Man With The Golden Gun
23. Die Another Day
24. The World Is Not Enough
Bond actor and performance - The look Bond gives Killifer when he fist bumps him on the shoulder. Straight away it's like he knows he's not up to much. When he finds Della, which is a shocking moment in itself, his cry of "Della" doesn't seem very batural I'm afraid but his facial expressions certainly do. Love how he does a lot of stunts himself, every credit for that. Not sure about the hair at the casino either, brushed back like that? Not a good look. I do like the scene meeting Sanchez at the casino. Dalton and Davi have a decent chemistry here and the line of "...more of a problem eliminator". I think that, because of the tone of the movie, Dalton's performance feels a lot different to TLD, tougher, darker maybe, with just the odd, light moment. Also, the slip of the tongue ("Things were about to turn nasty."), I like that.
Carey Lowell - again, a stunning woman, especially after her makeover in Isthmus City (love the short hair) is not the greatest actress seen in a Bond movie. The scene where Bond questions her at the hotel, thinking she working with Heller, is poorly acted on her part. Some of her lines come across very amateurish. I think that Dalton had better chemistry with D'abo myself. Also, the scene on the boat, after escaping from the Bar - how is she so quick to stick the lips on him, but when they reach Isthmus, Bond, initially, can't wait to get shut of her. Then, she goes and falls head over for him but I don't believe the romance as much as we had with Kara, although not a big fan of that character either. Also, I think the director should have thought about how Bouvier ordered Bonds drink at the casino through a bit more. A little suggestive...?
Lupe Lamora - a stunning woman but not given the best acting performance from Talisa Soto. She does have an odd moment (and this may be an odd one), specifically during the PTS when Sanchez catches her in bed with another man and starts to whip her. The look on her face makes you really believe that it is happening. Away from that, not much in the way of performance really, especially the "I love James..............so much" line. Oh dear.
Benicio Del Toro in a very early role as Sanchez's henchman is excellent here and, while not being a mountain of a man, he certainly feels a threat during the movie due a psychotic nature. He also has one of, in my opinion anyway, darkest lines in the whole of Bond when, to Felix, he says of Della, "We gave her a nice, honeymooooon". The way he says it is, and his facial expression, shows an extremely dark nature to the character.
Robert Davi as Sanchez is one of, if not the, highlight of the movie. His performance as Sanchez is great and he always feels a threat, not worried about getting stuck in to the action unlike some other villains before him. Ruthless to the end, he has no issue on getting rid of anyone who crosses him, or, in Truman Lodge's case, criticizes him in any way. Davi is a great actor and eats up any scene that he is in.
Desmond Llewellyn as Q is here and, while I have a lot of admiration for the actor, i don't think there is any need to have him in the field. Despite that, though, we do kind of get the lab scene (Q showing off the gadgets) in the hotel room. That should have been it though really, we didn't need to see Q out in the field so much. Sorry. However, I do like the reaction to Lupe's comment of loving James so much, and his subsequent explanation to Pam.
Heller - a traitor if ever there was one, not one to be trusted and played well enough by Don Stroud.
Truman Lodge - almost like Sanchez's admin person. Ok, but not really needed I din't think during the movie. Ok, so admin is a bit harsh but certainly the brains of the outfit, financial etc.
Anthony Zerbe is suitably creepy as Milton Krest and gets his comeuppance in a way that makes Mr Big's from LALD look like a party balloon as a kids party. The way he looks at Lupe at times is nothing short of perverse.
Sharkey - Oh I love this guy, Frank McRae is superb and was gutted at his demise when I first watched the movie; saying that I still feel the same today. He has a similar feel to Quarrel from DN, another character who I really enjoy seeing on screen.
Killifer - Everett Gill does a great job of the viewer disliking this guy from the start and, from the off, you know that he is a wrong 'un. His finishing off by Bond fits nicely with the darker tone of the movie.
Hawkins - gets on my nerves if I'm honest. Not very well acted by Grand L Bush, for me, but the scene where he directs Bond to M leads us to a great scene.
Robert Brown as M is superb in this one. The best of his movies as M and the scene between himself and Bond is a highlight of the movie. A brilliant exchange between the two actors. "We're not a country club 007" is superb. Also love how M, after revoking his licence and Bond does a runner, stops his men shooting at him. There's a great respect there between the two characters and, not matter what occurs between them, M will always support his man. On another note, his eyes must have been bad because those glasses her wore made his eyes look huge.
Nice to see a return for David Hedison here. I like his Felix Leiter and he is very good here. May be a little old for the action scenes during the pts but he does ok.
Wayne Newton, ha, I love this guy as Professor Joe Butcher. I do like how Sanchez sells his drugs through his channel.
Caroline Bliss is back as Moneypenny, however, only in a very small role here. No scene with Bond is a shame and she does all she can with her limited time on screen.
Probably missed someone here, never mind.
Gun barrel - As before I always like these and like the musical arrangement that accompanies this one. Dalton looks good, nice walk and slight drop.
The pts - Dalton seemed to do well out of these. Again, it's like a little movie in its own right, with some decent action, great stunts and it leads in to the main movie seamlessly, which it should as the post title sequence carries straight on after the wedding.
The locations for the movie, we have Florida which looks wonderful, nice and bright, with the majority of the movie being filmed in Mexico, including the fictitious Isthmus City. As with most of the Bond movies they are great looking locales.
While there are a few gadgets on show, only so many of them are used, these being the Dentonite toothpaste and the cigarette packet trigger. There's also the use of the signature gun but this is lost during the movie. Also, Q gets to use on =e of his gadgets as he's in the field, this being the broom radio which he uses and throws away. Not the most amazing gadgets used in a Bond movie but they have their uses nonetheless. I kind of prefer the ones not used, the x-ray camera especially. Oh, there's also the manta ray camouflage used as Bond gets aboard the Wavekrest.
Action - as I mentioned earlier, this movie is very indicative of the action movies we were getting during the late 80's and the action affirms that. The PTS, the scene at Krest's boat and the plan afterwards, the scene at Professor Joe's retreat etc etc. All decent action scenes but were they anything new from what we were seeing at the time? Not sure about some of the fighting, the scene at the Barrelhead Bar, in particular, is slightly slapstick but, again, something we saw plenty of during the late 80's. The tanker chase at the end is quite excellent and a worthy climax to the movie. The truck on one set of wheels is a great stunt to see.
The humour is kept to a minimum here, with only the odd line. It's a much darer Bond and a mile away from anything Moore did. My favourite line that is there, though, is said by Sanchez when asked about the money ruined when Krest is killed off. "Launder it!". Short and delivered very well.
The plot is credible and simple enough, what starts off as a personal vendetta turns in to something much bigger.
Sanchez's scheme is also something that could easily happe. Again, very simple, drug lord, whats to carry on with his business without interference. Gains control of missiles, threatening an attack if he's not left alone. Again, though, very similar to other action movies of the late 80's.
The movie is directed well enough but, again, it seems to be primarily an action movie as opposed to a Bond movie and the direction reiterates that.
The opening title design is an improvement on the one tat came before. Definitely more to it and very good to watch as the theme tune is going.
The script is fine, much darker than before, humour kept to a minimum.
The movie is shot very well and looks stunning at times. Some of the aerial shots in Florida look outstanding and on a par with anything we've seen before. Despite the darker tone of the movie itself, it is shot in a way that makes it look very bright. Not sure that sounds right but I hope you get what I mean.
The music is fine and the use of the James Bond theme at times is very welcome. As for the title track, I'm sorry, but I don't care for it very much. Yes, it's a big, big song but, i don't know what it is, I am just not a fan whatsoever.
The film is edited fine and scenes between stuntmen and actor are put together very well. I think it's help as Dalton does a lot of stunt work himself, making it easy.
The costumes - Dalton looks good in his tux, better then in TLD, for me. To be fair, Bond looks good most of the time during his movies. Also, well, it's the late 80's and the fashion is certainly on show, Robert Davi looking like an extra from Miami Vice at times. Can't really say more about him. Lowell also looks good, for the most part, but mainly when she has had her makeover.
With regards to the set design, do we have much here? I seem to remember the set design elimination game not having anything from Licence To Kill within it. How about Sanchez's production building, if so then that looks good but without the grandeur that we had in earlier movies.
Final things
Really like the little nod to Bonds marriage to Tracey when Della throws him her garter. Nice to see nod to his past.
Bond and Pam, obviously, did their business on the boat earlier in the movie, so why was Pam so intent on sleeping on her own in the hotel room? It feels like the boat has been forgotten about.
Lovely little nod to the past having Pedro Amrendariz Jr in this movie.
I hate that Felix talks about going fishing with James. Your wife, of a few hours, is not long dead you bloody idiot. One of the worst things I've seen in a Bond movie, especially as earlier on, we had a nice little tribute to Tracey that showed emotion from Bond himself.
That winking fish needs taking out of the bloody movie.
Bless Your Heart...
*My apologies because I seem to have gone on about 80's action movies etc during the course of this post. Just read it back and it does become annoying, sorry about that.