The Living Daylights (1987)

Director: John Glen

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo

Run Time: 130 mins

Certificate: PG

 

Plot Outline: After a Russian general defects to the West he informs MI5 of a another general that is suspected of ordering a series of assassinations of British and American agents to take place. Bond is then assigned to kill this general before the programme can be implemented. But as he investigates further, Bond discovers a more sinister plot involving freelance arms dealers and double crosses.

The Review: OK so the first thing you'll scratch your head at when watching the film is the overly complicated plot. Even the film doesn't really have much a clue. It's loosely connected and vague for the most. As a result, the film has very little cohesion and seems to be various set pieces connected together. The plot twists and turns and characters are siding with Bond one moment before turning on him the next. Debuts are always vital and the Bond franchise hasn't had a particularly good track record with debuts so it's no surprise that Timothy Dalton's debut is one of the weaker instalments of the series. The film opens with a bang as there is an amazing car chase down the side of the Rock of Gibraltar. Unfortunately the film has a real hard time in trying to emulate it and slowly fades away with a series of weaker set pieces and rehashed ideas. In my opinion, Bond is only as good as the villain he is up against and it's no hidden fact that the better Bond films have pitted the agent against some classic villains such as Blofeld and Goldfinger. Here we have two really awful villains. Jeroen Krabbe's Koskov is a complete wuss and Joe Don Baker's Whittaker is a complete joke. The best villain here is Koskov's henchman who has a thrilling fight scene with Bond in a cargo plane with the doors open. But now let's look at Dalton. I've always felt sorry for him because he really did give his all to the character but he's been criticised for the two films he did. It's not his fault because he plays Bond almost to perfection. He has the right mix of being suave and intelligent, but at the same time hinting at a darker side below the surface and one which you wouldn't want to unleashed. There's no question that Dalton is the best actor to have ever played Bond, but whether he makes the best agent is another matter.

Final Verdict: The Living Daylights suffers from a lot of problems which are all too evident when watching but it's still pretty enjoyable. Dalton is worth watching and there are some good set pieces, it's just a pity they weren't connected very well.

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