CBn Reviews 'The Living Daylights'
Forum members review the fifteenth James Bond film
CBn Reviews 'The Living Daylights'
#1
Posted 21 February 2006 - 09:17 PM
#2
Posted 21 February 2006 - 10:27 PM
And thanks for including me, Qwerty!
#3
Posted 21 February 2006 - 11:13 PM
#4
Posted 21 February 2006 - 11:28 PM
But don't get me wrong: I'm not a LIVING DAYLIGHTS hater. If CASINO ROYALE turns out to be.... ooh, 70% as good, I'll be delighted. It's just that I don't find Dalton's debut quite the be-all-and-end-all. For some "proper Bond" fun, I'm more likely to sit down to MOONRAKER or even A VIEW TO A KILL. No, DAYLIGHTS remains one of those flicks I admire more than actually like. Now excuse me while I flee the Bond Police.
#5
Posted 22 February 2006 - 12:06 AM
#6
Posted 22 February 2006 - 04:18 AM
And thanks for including me, Qwerty!
Cheers. We had a nice selection of reviews for this one from the Countdown series.
#7
Posted 22 February 2006 - 05:17 AM
#8
Posted 22 February 2006 - 05:46 AM
I certainly understand what you mean. I've often felt that THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, while I've often cited it as the last "great" Bond film, isn't all that spectacular, and should have been a lot better than it was. There's quite a bit off, and you nailed some of it (the "silly" 80s humor, for instance).It's a 6 from me. I dunno, I guess I don't really like THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS as much as I feel I should.
It also lacks some really decent Bond villains, a great Bond girl (sorry, but Kara just isn't all that great), and a rousing finale. That finale with Whitaker has always been somewhat lame. John Glen's direction, as usual, is quite pedestrian, and it doesn't help the film at all. When films are darker and grittier, they need an edge, and Glen's direction just doesn't provide it.
But I'll be the first to admit THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS has some absolutely great moments. Bond as a sniper at Koskov's defection and Bond confronting Pushkin are two of the finer "dark" moments in the series.
On a side note, after MOONRAKER, I think the series took a downward spiral and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS was part of it. The series really felt as if it had lost the "spark" that gave it so much life previously. It hit its rock bottom in A VIEW TO A KILL (a movie I struggle to sit through), and with the freshness of a new Bond had some life with THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, only to follow it up with the relatively flat LICENCE TO KILL. Even not-so-good previous entries as DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and LIVE AND LET DIE had a more life and freshness to them.
GOLDENEYE, I feel, brought back some life to the series, but only had it crushed out of it with TOMORROW NEVER DIES and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH. DIE ANOTHER DAY, while lively, just didn't have the classy air that Bond needs. So I'm hoping for is a return to form with CASINO ROYALE.
#9
Posted 22 February 2006 - 10:00 AM
#10
Posted 22 February 2006 - 01:02 PM
#11
Posted 22 February 2006 - 02:00 PM
#12
Posted 22 February 2006 - 02:05 PM
The idea that DAYLIGHTS is a splendidly gritty and hard-edged thriller is one of those enduring myths of Bond fandom.
#13
Posted 22 February 2006 - 02:16 PM
#14
Posted 22 February 2006 - 02:20 PM
The idea that DAYLIGHTS is a splendidly gritty and hard-edged thriller is one of those enduring myths of Bond fandom.
True; that myth took hold simply because TLD seemed a little grittier than what came before (although Moore-Bond was rock hard in FYEO and parts of OP, and he was plain nasty in LALD and TMWTGG). Still, I'm glad with how things have turned out, and I like the film a lot as Dalton's debut, with the actor in fine romantic hero form. The film is certainly not as tough and dour as some make it out to be, in spite of things like the kitchen fight (which is quite hard-hitting) and the Pushkin hotel room scene. I think The Living Daylights just balances the 'thriller' and 'comedy' aspects of the Bond universe perfectly. It's in my top three.
#15
Posted 22 February 2006 - 02:22 PM
#16
Posted 22 February 2006 - 06:27 PM
Indeed - it's full of left-over Moore silliness (Bond pulling the antenna back on the rooftop, for instance).I think there's actually a lot of silliness in DAYLIGHTS, to the point where the film as it is could have worked perfectly well with Moore. And it would have been a much better final outing for Moore than A VIEW TO A KILL, while LICENCE TO KILL would have been quite suitable debut material for Dalton.
The idea that DAYLIGHTS is a splendidly gritty and hard-edged thriller is one of those enduring myths of Bond fandom.
#17
Posted 22 February 2006 - 06:52 PM
Sean Connery always said it like he expected you to drop dead at hearing his name, and Moore always seemed to be pausing for applause.
#18
Posted 22 February 2006 - 06:56 PM
Indeed.I liked Dalton's dismissive reading of the, "I'm Bond, James Bond" line. It showed early on that he's not your daddy's Bond. Dalton didn't have the line at all in "Licensed to Kill." In fact his reading of the line suggested he was annoyed by the bikni babe asking who he is while he's on the phone.
The absolute worst is Brosnan's, who waits like 3 seconds between "Bond" and "James Bond," as if the name should be recognizeable to whoever he's saying it to.Sean Connery always said it like he expected you to drop dead at hearing his name, and Moore always seemed to be pausing for applause.
#19
Posted 22 February 2006 - 08:16 PM
#20
Posted 22 February 2006 - 08:29 PM
#21
Posted 22 February 2006 - 09:09 PM
The absolute worst is Brosnan's, who waits like 3 seconds between "Bond" and "James Bond," as if the name should be recognizeable to whoever he's saying it to.
I have to agree with that. I wonder if the line was specifically tailored that way in the script[s].
#22
Posted 22 February 2006 - 09:31 PM
Having read a few of the scripts, I never saw it done in such a way to indicate that reading.I have to agree with that. I wonder if the line was specifically tailored that way in the script[s].
The absolute worst is Brosnan's, who waits like 3 seconds between "Bond" and "James Bond," as if the name should be recognizeable to whoever he's saying it to.
#23
Posted 23 February 2006 - 02:59 PM
#24
Posted 23 February 2006 - 08:32 PM
Having read a few of the scripts, I never saw it done in such a way to indicate that reading.
I have to agree with that. I wonder if the line was specifically tailored that way in the script[s].
The absolute worst is Brosnan's, who waits like 3 seconds between "Bond" and "James Bond," as if the name should be recognizeable to whoever he's saying it to.
Yeah, so it seems. I just checked the Tomorrow Never Dies script I have as well.
#25
Posted 28 February 2006 - 03:19 AM
Voted 10/10.
#26
Posted 28 February 2006 - 03:28 AM
#27
Posted 28 February 2006 - 03:40 AM
I agree with the 'fine balance' thing, it almost seems a perfect midway point between Moore's outings and the blackness of LTK. A warm-up act, if you will.
Edited by Flash1087, 28 February 2006 - 03:42 AM.
#28
Posted 28 February 2006 - 11:27 PM
#29
Posted 01 March 2006 - 04:11 AM
#30
Posted 01 March 2006 - 06:27 AM
Perfectly well? Nah. Throw the magic carpet scene in, and maybe that gorilla or whatever other camp was rumored to be slated for inclusion, set it in 1981, and maybe it could have worked for Moore. Still don't see it happening, what with the PTS, the sniping, the Tangier stuff, and the fight with Necros. Although the confronation with Whitaker as is is awfully reminiscent of the way Stromberg was offed...I think there's actually a lot of silliness in DAYLIGHTS, to the point where the film as it is could have worked perfectly well with Moore. And it would have been a much better final outing for Moore than A VIEW TO A KILL, while LICENCE TO KILL would have been quite suitable debut material for Dalton.
The idea that DAYLIGHTS is a splendidly gritty and hard-edged thriller is one of those enduring myths of Bond fandom.
Anyway, I would be the first to agree that TLD is not an entirely "gritty" affair. What it is is one of the most well-balanced Bond outings in existence. There's fantasy, realism, humor, action, romance, and violence. All in all, one hell of a fun romp, and although only slightly tailored for Dalton, he's a damn good enough actor that he pulled it off almost flawlessly. While I do agree with those who say LTK is more up his alley (in a nutshell, that's why it ranks as my favorite), it seemed to work better as a follow-up rather than an outright introduction. The alternative would have been too much, too soon. Thank God they did it the way they did, although a third or fourth Dalton entry would have been spectacular.
And noticing that I forgot to list my score last time, I gave this one a 10/10.
Edited by Publius, 01 March 2006 - 06:28 AM.