Review of The Living Daylights (1987) by Mark M — 11 Nov 2013
Timothy Dalton's take on 007 revitalized the James Bond series after the cheesy over-the-top Roger Moore series, setting the precedent for the gritty, realistic espionage stories of Daniel Craig's Bond.
Timothy Dalton unfairly got a bad rap with many, but readers of the original Ian Fleming novels knew that Dalton's Bond was more faithful to Fleming's character than even the beloved Connery's portrayal.
His portrayal of an intelligence operative/government assassin who was ruthless because he needed to be, but at the same time behind the poker face was weighted down by the awful things he had to do, was certainly far more realistic than Moore's spy who was pithy to the point of frivolity.
The story, too, was a breath of fresh air. Though it might seem dated now, that is because it was a generally realistic Cold War espionage tale, no laser-shooting satellites, no superhuman henchmen, and even the Q Branch gadgets were by and large fairly realistic.
It hearkened back to From Russia With Love, while at the same time anticipating the style of the Matt Damon Jason Bourne series by 15 years.
This review of The Living Daylights (1987) was written by Mark M on 11 Nov 2013.
The Living Daylights has generally received positive reviews.
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