This really kicks ass, although Dalton wasn't funny enough and the girl was a snore. The adventure aspect carries it past any flaws. Dalton wasn't exactly my idea of Bond, and I hope it's not the same with Craig, who appears to be going in the same direction.

A-

The script is very good. I love the background score in this movie. Dalton was good.

A-

I actually loved Dalton much more than Moore and Lazenby. I was always kind of pissed he never made a third. He gave Bond a great look after Moore's 12 years of getting campier and campier with the exception of For your eyes only.

Not bad, but not particularly good. I don't mind Dalton as Bond, but he never stood out. A refreshing departure from Moore, but not up to Connery level.

B-

[font=century gothic]The Bond series follows a certain pattern.

You Only Live Twice (1967) - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979) - For Your Eyes Only (1981)
A View to a Kill (1985) - The Living Daylights (1987)

To a lesser extent

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - The World is Not Enough (1999)

And now

Die Another Day (2002) - Casino Royale (2006)


Whenever there is an over the top Bond film a serious Bond follows it (Except for Octopussy - A View to a Kill). After the last two Moore films, this was a much needed and welcomed change thanks to Dalton. Although he doesn't have much of a sense of humor in the role, he's very good here.

At it's core, it's a spy thriller (The first in the series since FRWL) but it manages to blend in the action scenes very nicely. The score by John Barry is also very good, but the score is kind of dated. It's a shame this was his last film in the series. All and all it's a very good film.

A[/font]

haha...I don't believe Dalton was ever on General Hospital. The biggest thing he was remembered for when he got the part was the Flash Gordon movie in which he played Prince Baron.

The Man With The Golden Gun is far less over the top than The Spy Who Loves Me. One had a laser (Man) the other had a sub eating tanker funded by a guy who lived under the sea.

I also don't think any of the Brosnan films were really over the top except for Die Another Day.

Actually, he was briefly on the show GENERAL HOSPITAL which is where he got his start was on Soap's..

Whats your point, Christopher Reeve got his start on Soap's as well. Dalton was the most underrated Bond of them all. He was very good in the living Daylights and even better in License to kill, ashame though they could get a little better writing team.

[font=century gothic]Yep, you're absolutely right. I just rewatched The Man with the Golden Gun. Although I still think it's somewhat over the top, it's not as close to being like The Spy Who Loved Me. Over the top worked for TSWLM. Not so much with the other films I mentioned.

As for The Living Daylights, I just rewatched it. After watching this and License to Kill again, it makes me wish that he had got to do at least a third film in 1991. Damn lawsuits........[/font]

And with The Living Daylights its back to the basics. Gone are most of the quips from the Moore films and in it's place is a more serious Bond film that's focused in reality. The Bond girls are few and far between and the one that is here is completely different. She's cute, vulnerable, but she's hardly a fantasy. The villain is also far from being over the top and realistic, but he lacks a charismatic charm that's needed for a good Bond villain.

Aside from that this is a top notch Bond film. It's the most entertaining film in the series since The Spy Who Loved Me. The action scenes are very well done and imaginative. The car chase is great and it's followed by a very imaginative chase involving a cello case.

The Living Daylights also features the best Bond performance since The Spy Who Loved Me. Timothy Dalton is very good here. I can see why some people might not have liked him following Moore because he lacks a certain charm to him, but he's got everything else down pat. It also helps that he was young and was convincing as an spy. James Bond was no longer your grandfather's James Bond. He is Fleming's Bond, and he commands the screen like Connery did in his earlier Bond's.

This is one of the better ones.

**** (A-)

1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - ***** (A+)
2. Goldfinger (1964) - ***** (A+)
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - ***** (A+)
4. From Russia with Love (1963) - ****½ (A)
5. The Living Daylights (1987) - **** (A-)
6. Live and Let Die (1973) - ***½ (B+)
7. You Only Live Twice (1967) - *** (B)
8. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - *** (B)
9. Thunderball (1965) - *** (B)
10. Dr. No (1962) - *** (B)
11. A View to a Kill (1985) - **½ (B-)
12. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - **½ (C+)
13. Diamonds are Forever (1971) - **½ (C+)
14. Octopussy (1983) - ** (C)
15. Moonraker (1979) - ** (C)

This is my favorite Bond film.

I wonder why people dislike Dalton...

This was the best Bond of the 80s

Good but not great. Dalton did play Bond very well, though.

B