The first of Dalton's double-bill as 007 is a merely above-average affair. The one thing that really stops TLD from being a better film is the fact that it's just too tame. This was the last Bond film to be given a PG rating as it was clear that they couldn't appeal to the family audience any longer. With a new Bond should have come a new approach. Yes, it does feel more modern and realistic but since the script was originally designed for Moore they missed a chance at taking advantage of Bond's dark side. Thankfully, they did exactly that in Licence to Kill.
Ian Fleming's story had Bond on a sniping mission, detailing every characteristic and moment of his assignment. Upon spotting the person he's been ordered to kill he discovers it's a beautiful woman and chooses to wound her instead of killing her. Wishing M to fire him for disobeying orders he comments that he must have 'scared the living daylights out of her'. The story ended on this note. The film expands this premise and has Bond escort a defecting Soviet agent from Russia only to disbelieve his story of a Russian General going berserk. Upon investigating further he discovers a plot involving the Mujhadeen and an American Arms dealer. Despite these complications and developments, there's just not enough killing! Without meaning to sound bloodthirsty, I just think that Bond should have laid waste to more bad guys. The script doesn't really give him a chance to. And, as a result, the film seems watered-down and too broad.
Director John Glen stages and frames the action very well, as always but it's John Barry's score (his last involvement with the series) that gives it that extra punch. The Bond theme, so incredibly worn-out and done-to-death, is given a new spin, a faster tempo and more modern feel. Despite being about nine when I first saw it, this is the first thing I realized. They ruined a lot of potential by not taking this renewing further and not giving us a tougher film.
Of Dalton's reign as 007, Licence to Kill is definitely the superior film, but don't rule-out Living Daylights. Average it may be, but still far from being anywhere near bad.
Ian Fleming's story had Bond on a sniping mission, detailing every characteristic and moment of his assignment. Upon spotting the person he's been ordered to kill he discovers it's a beautiful woman and chooses to wound her instead of killing her. Wishing M to fire him for disobeying orders he comments that he must have 'scared the living daylights out of her'. The story ended on this note. The film expands this premise and has Bond escort a defecting Soviet agent from Russia only to disbelieve his story of a Russian General going berserk. Upon investigating further he discovers a plot involving the Mujhadeen and an American Arms dealer. Despite these complications and developments, there's just not enough killing! Without meaning to sound bloodthirsty, I just think that Bond should have laid waste to more bad guys. The script doesn't really give him a chance to. And, as a result, the film seems watered-down and too broad.
Director John Glen stages and frames the action very well, as always but it's John Barry's score (his last involvement with the series) that gives it that extra punch. The Bond theme, so incredibly worn-out and done-to-death, is given a new spin, a faster tempo and more modern feel. Despite being about nine when I first saw it, this is the first thing I realized. They ruined a lot of potential by not taking this renewing further and not giving us a tougher film.
Of Dalton's reign as 007, Licence to Kill is definitely the superior film, but don't rule-out Living Daylights. Average it may be, but still far from being anywhere near bad.