Film is one memorable setpiece after another: parachuting into Gibraltar, only to be ambushed by a sniper. Bond leaving the performance to try to assist a defector and stop an apparent KGB sniper. A kick ass fight between Green-4 and Necros (superbly played by Andreas Wisniewski, who has a most memorable, and rather funny, death scene) ; probably the sweetest Bond girl ever, Kara Milovy (played by Maryam d'Abo)
My favourite aspect of this is that Timothy Dalton's Bond was a chameleon, who could pull off a number of different guises. Here, Dalton's Bond begins in paratrooper gear, and Dalton looks believable in it. Next, we see Dalton's Bond in a tuxedo at a concert hall during a recital, and Dalton looks believable in a tux. After walking to the apartment across the street from the concert hall, he closes up his jacket to conceal his white shirt, adds a pair of black gloves, and he's now in sniper gear. Dalton not only pulls off all of those appearances, but he also makes the transition from one to the next look believable. Dalton has Bond dressed casually, in a turtleneck and black leather jacket, and he looks believable in that. Toward the end of the film, Bond is in a jellaba and a turban in Afghanistan, and Dalton looks believable in that also, where a lot of others might just look silly. I cannot think of any other actor could have pulled off that many changes in one film and have it look believable. Dalton's Bond could walk into a room and blend in, whereas someone like Connery (who, if anything, was too charismatic) stand out, and will be noticed and remembered.
He understood that Ian Fleming's literary character was not suave and debonair, nor was he witty and humorous. The character created by Fleming was not "larger than life", he could blend in to his surroundings. He was an antihero, not a suave superspy like some of Connery's films, and most of Moore films presented him.
Beautifully photography in Gibraltar, (the former) Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Morocco; it also has a great theme song, which is worked into the film's primary score perfectly.
Only a bit too much humour on the part of the villains (they should have been tough as nails when behind closed doors) and a slightly long run time work against this one. But it is still one of my favourite Bond films, my favourite actor is in lead, as well as being the first Bond I ever saw.
My favourite aspect of this is that Timothy Dalton's Bond was a chameleon, who could pull off a number of different guises. Here, Dalton's Bond begins in paratrooper gear, and Dalton looks believable in it. Next, we see Dalton's Bond in a tuxedo at a concert hall during a recital, and Dalton looks believable in a tux. After walking to the apartment across the street from the concert hall, he closes up his jacket to conceal his white shirt, adds a pair of black gloves, and he's now in sniper gear. Dalton not only pulls off all of those appearances, but he also makes the transition from one to the next look believable. Dalton has Bond dressed casually, in a turtleneck and black leather jacket, and he looks believable in that. Toward the end of the film, Bond is in a jellaba and a turban in Afghanistan, and Dalton looks believable in that also, where a lot of others might just look silly. I cannot think of any other actor could have pulled off that many changes in one film and have it look believable. Dalton's Bond could walk into a room and blend in, whereas someone like Connery (who, if anything, was too charismatic) stand out, and will be noticed and remembered.
He understood that Ian Fleming's literary character was not suave and debonair, nor was he witty and humorous. The character created by Fleming was not "larger than life", he could blend in to his surroundings. He was an antihero, not a suave superspy like some of Connery's films, and most of Moore films presented him.
Beautifully photography in Gibraltar, (the former) Czechoslovakia, Austria, and Morocco; it also has a great theme song, which is worked into the film's primary score perfectly.
Only a bit too much humour on the part of the villains (they should have been tough as nails when behind closed doors) and a slightly long run time work against this one. But it is still one of my favourite Bond films, my favourite actor is in lead, as well as being the first Bond I ever saw.