Binge-watching Bond part 15: 'The Living Daylights'

Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton is arguably one of the most polarizing James Bonds.

On the one hand there are many fans who think his brooding take on 007 is the definitive one, while others find him stiff and sexless.

I probably fall somewhere in the middle. I think he was hampered by only appearing in two Bond films, it would have been interesting to see him develop his take over several films like Connery and Moore did.

Alas, with a very small sample, I do think he made a striking Bond, particularly in his first outing: The Living Daylights.

He gives a dynamite performance here -- this is probably the most emoting a 007 has done since George Lazenby -- with few one liners and winks at the camera. He makes probably the most dramatic shift in tones between Bonds ever, taking over for the charming, but less serious Roger Moore.

Dalton feels like more of a real spy and the movie feels like more of a traditional espionage thriller in the vein of From Russia With Love, but it definitely has its glaring flaws -- the plot gets a little muddled in its last act; the Bond girl is unexceptional (and, at times, rather irritatingly inept); there are two many villains and climaxes.

Still, the film feels like a refreshing return to what made the character of Bond so initially fascinating -- he has a bit of a mean streak.

Dalton plays the darkness inherent in Bond very well, although his more tender moments feel, to me, slightly more out of place. Although, if nothing else, his take on the character is undeniably sincere and committed.

However, he is the best thing about The Living Daylights, a very fast paced and satisfying action movie with a sensational opening and several other knockout sequences along the way. Like Dalton's other Bond outing License to Kill, it has its ardent fanbase, but outside of 007 diehards it's probably not well known and ripe for rediscovery.

I think it's fair to say that Dalton's interpretation of the character was ahead of its time. Daniel Craig would perfect the moody version of 007 nearly 10 years later. But this was his shining moment. He gave the series a jolt and imbued the character with some soul and sort of a tortured quality that holds up really well.

My rankings so far:

1) From Russia With Love
2) The Spy Who Loved Me
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) Live and Let Die
6) Dr. No
7) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) You Only Live Twice
11) Diamonds Are Forever
12) Thunderball
13) Moonraker
14) The Man with the Golden Gun
15) A View to a Kill

Liz's take: This one felt like a modern, very sharp break from the previous Bond films. You have very little of the camp factor that runs throughout almost all of the Roger Moore 007 movies. In this one I can't think of any moments that are consciously silly. I really liked Timothy Dalton, he's the first Bond that comes across as a really effective spy -- in the sense that he seems willing to do the dirty work that the job calls for. Also, while Moore's Bond was always eager to have sex, Dalton's version seems like he's looking to make love.

The Afghani storyline is weird given current circumstances, but this movie did do the best job of portraying a different culture without making it cartoonish. This Bond girl is one of the most frustrating to me because she's the most inconsistent. You have moments where she seems very accomplished and assertive and others where she is a bumbling idiot.

I did like the plot of this movie but felt that it suffered from not having one central villain to focus on. Bond is such a cool character that you want to see him have a stand off with a compelling bad guy -- and neither of the two villains are interesting enough to stand toe-to-toe with 007 in a satisfying climax. Still, it's exciting to see Bond move into a more contemporary milieu, although I must say I hated the name of the movie.

Liz's rankings:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Goldfinger
4) Dr. No
5) Live and Let Die
6) The Man with the Golden Gun
7) The Spy Who Loved Me
8) The Living Daylights
9) Octopussy
10) Moonraker
11) A View to a Kill
12) You Only Live Twice
13) From Russia With Love
14) Diamonds Are Forever
15) Thunderball