Review of The Living Daylights (1987) by Kieran F — 17 Mar 2013

I really enjoyed this one and will honestly admit that it is one of my all time FAVORITE bonds. It was...a SEMI reboot but it really brought back what bond was: a hardened agent on a mission. I thought Dalton was great. I always felt bad that he had only gotten the chance to do only two bonds and both of them where sorta different stories. Granted he played bond in a similar fashion for both but in this one(although still hard edged) it was a little bit "Lightened" mood compared to License to kill and thusly he never got a chance to really show you what he could do as bond.

I also enjoyed the story in this bond. It's A LITTLE complex but at the same time it's a simple Bond too which usually are the best bonds. Here's the Story: Bond is hired to help a Russian KGB defector General Georgi Koskov who has info on a special type of policy called "Smert Spionam" After helping Koskov defect and he tells them about "Smert Spionam" the movie takes a twist. A KGB henchman named "Necros"(more on him latter) was able to break into the building and RE CAPTURE Koskov from the British and take him back to the USSR. Now seeing as before Koskov told them that their real enemy at the time was General Leonid Pushkin who so-possibly "Hated their new policy of Detaunt" Bond is instead sent to go after him and not Koskov,Something bond finds very odd,and Find out what "Smert Spionam" is all about.

There's a little more to the story but that's the basic idea of it,if I say more I'd basically tell you the film, but it's still simple the film keeps,for the most part, true to that original idea and when it get's going further it doesn't really get confusing or anything either,which I thought really helped,and instead basically is like a..well..modernized From Russia With Love in some ways. meaning that it's a simple story there's not a HELL of a lot of special effects and it's basically just a straight forward spy thriller which, as people will admit, usually make for some of the best bonds.

As I said Dalton was AMAZING. It's been reported that during the filming he continuously would reference the books which to me was proof that he REALLY wanted to play bond as close to the character in the book as possible. It was fun to watch him too cause unlike Moore(and I THINK Connery) he preformed all his own stunts. I Don't know why but it strangely makes it more believable that bond is doing stuff(Sure it's still a stunt but I guess seeing Daltons ACTUAL face and knowing it's him and not Vic Armstrong,the famous Bond Stunt Double,Seems to make it more believable.) On another little foot note I'd like to say too that I always thought Dalton could wear almost ANYTHING in the films and make it look good..from a tux down to just regular clothes he ALWAYS made them look good and it was rare..like not since Connery had I really ever seen an actor of bond be able to do that. Moore tried different clothes but when ever he did it seemed...a necessity and like it was CHOSEN clothes not like..casual clothes you'd see him wear in real life and Lazenby was OKAY in his Kilt but even that didn't really suit him(It probably would've looked better on Connery) I'd also like to point out the other actors and actress too. They also did a good job.

I thought that seeing Joe Don Baker as an arms dealer was quite fun and interesting for one. It was nice seeing him in a bond as a heavy. The FIRST time I saw him in a bond,surprisingly, was in Goldeneye as a light and I also thought he was great. But as a villain he seemed more..I don't know..interesting. Another interesting Character was Necros,the typical Bond Henchman:Blonde Hair,Big,Blue eyes etc., He was fun to see cause not only was it nice that he had a few speaking lines but next to Red Grant he was also one of the few who had the most screen time. Usually those..Henchmen only last for a little while or are only seen every so often and have little to NO speaking roles,with Red Grant as an exception and Stamper from Tomorrow Never Dies, So it was nice that the team decided to extend his presence. The only character I REALLY didn't like Yurgi. I thought he was..well..kinda of..girly for lack of a better word. He always seemed so..touchy feel and stuff it was hard to take him as a villain. Like the actor was good but I would really wonder if the character wasn't made to sort of help give some..mild comedy Relief or something. I don't know he didn't really ruin the film for me but he did seem weird in this..bond world I guess.

As I said "Necros" Was the typical bond henchman but he was cool. I always liked his villain he wasn't some big hulking dumb villain or anything like that he was more like a villain that if they hadn't had Yurgi he could EASILY have been the main villain. To me he reminds me A LOT of Red Grant from "From Russia With Love", He's smart,Strong,Deadly etc. But at the same time could probably almost be bonds equal. I often wonder if they had been given the chance if they had made Necros's first meeting with bond similar to FRWL's one,which it kind of was cause he's able to sneak in and all, I guess the only thing that made him disappointing was you didn't really see a FRWL's style fight with him,Like the Cargo plane comes close but..not really, I would've REALLY like to have seen a real kick ass fight between the two but..oh well.

I have already spoken about Dalton as bond but I would like to bring up his leading lady (Also an interesting Bond moment this was the FIRST James Bond Movie where Bond had ONE leading lady) Kara,Maryam d'Abo, Now I thought she was a good looking lady and she didn't do a bad job at acting as bond's Girl.But..I always thought it was like..weird or maybe sexist that they made her seem completely oblivious to the fact that Koskov was actually a villain and not a patron of the arts, Now with this aside she did do a good job as a leading lady for bond she had the..usual bond type woman of her,she was hot,cared for bond etc., But it was weird to see her act all..weakish I guess through out the film then near the end become like this tough woman..IDk it just felt weird like I understand the idea of Character development in films but I think they kinda went a little to much in the wrong way with her,it was like one Extreme to the next instead of a happy middle ground like most of the bond girls to a tough presence, But Did this ruin the film for me? no to be honest I thought that Dalton and d'Abo had great Chemistry together and that's probably why I can easily over look the strange turn of her near the end. Like seeing as this was suppose to be the first bond film where bond actually only HAS one leading lady throughout the film was quite good. I honestly thought that through out the film that Dalton and d'Abo's Characters really cared for each other.The love song at the end(and that is played through out their time together),If There Was A Man, Really helped sell that Idea.

And IMO I often think that THAT Song should've been the main theme song..IDK why but..it just felt more appropriate with this interpretation of Bond. See unlike Moore and Connery,to some extent, Daltons bond was suppose to be tough and strong BUT when you heard that love song it was a nice way of showing that sure this bond is suppose to be all that but he's still sensitive and can be a loving man too. But I also understand why they didn't use it as the main theme. Not that it was a bad song or anything but the band that wrote it,The Pretenders, Where not as popular as A-Ha and after the success of the song from a View to a kill by Duran Duran it was a natural idea for the producers to follow up with that by choosing another popular band at the time. Now do I think the song by Ah-Ha is bad? No not at all. In actuality I think it along with the love song and "Live and Let Die" are some of my all time favorite bond songs. I JUST think that the pretenders song should've gotten more recognition then just the odd musical version and a closing credits sung version.

I think my ONLY low for this film would be....MAYBE the way it ended...It..never really ended right in my opinion. It just...Ended and it felt un-finished. Sure you knew that bond was going to be doing what he always does,bedding his woman,But...It didn't seem like it was finished. Sure most of the bonds are one shot's but this one I always felt they could've continued the story a little more in some way or at least had an epilogue.

But I've always(And especially in recent years) have gone back and watched Dalton's two bond films and enjoyed them and think they are DEF. the best. I would also like to add that I REALLY REALLY enjoyed the ending/love song I don't know why but I thought it was quite catchy and also,to me, was better then the theme song.All in all though I really enjoyed this film and also thought it was good addition to the series.