The Living Daylights isn't bad, isn't bad at all. Tim Dalton is good in the role, a lot more hard boiled than George and Roger and up there with Sean in terms of intensity and ruthlessness. We have a story which isn't so far fetched, the drugs trade (as indeed we will also see in 'Licence to Kill' and 'Live and Let Die') and the Soviet Union's contemporary war in Afghanistan.
We have an interesting opening act in Gibraltar, the SAS were very much in vogue at the time after the Falklands and the storming of the Iranian embassy so of course they have to be in there. I rather like the fact that Bond doesn't get on with MI6's man in Vienna in the defection scene but they develop a rapport later only to be tragically cut short. The fight between Bond and the henchman dangling from the netting at the back of the plane is excellent especially with A-Ha's great theme music. We see the tough core of Dalton's Bond as he cuts his boot free to kill the bad guy whilst the man begs for his life (nothing compared to Licence to Kill of course where he not only torches a man alive but cold bloodedly feeds another to a shark). I like the realism of Bond's deal with the Mujahadeen who'll fight the Russians but happily help their ideological rivals sell them heroin then ambush the Russian convoy after their temporary allies have departed with the money and given them their cut.
Still needs some work though, very weak Bond girl, a hugely forgettable return for Felix Leiter and just lacks the drive of the truly classic Bonds.
We have an interesting opening act in Gibraltar, the SAS were very much in vogue at the time after the Falklands and the storming of the Iranian embassy so of course they have to be in there. I rather like the fact that Bond doesn't get on with MI6's man in Vienna in the defection scene but they develop a rapport later only to be tragically cut short. The fight between Bond and the henchman dangling from the netting at the back of the plane is excellent especially with A-Ha's great theme music. We see the tough core of Dalton's Bond as he cuts his boot free to kill the bad guy whilst the man begs for his life (nothing compared to Licence to Kill of course where he not only torches a man alive but cold bloodedly feeds another to a shark). I like the realism of Bond's deal with the Mujahadeen who'll fight the Russians but happily help their ideological rivals sell them heroin then ambush the Russian convoy after their temporary allies have departed with the money and given them their cut.
Still needs some work though, very weak Bond girl, a hugely forgettable return for Felix Leiter and just lacks the drive of the truly classic Bonds.