111 replies to this topic

[Gav]

LTK is the one that does it for me. LTD is too... I dunno, unbalanced? It was written MOR, apparently, and thus Dalton doesnt get to be his own Bond. However, LTK was written for him and it shows. Its definitely the better picture.

I love GoldenEye too, some of that grittiness was there as that, again, was written for Dalton. I think its Brosnan's best, and if Dalton had done it, it would have been even better.

But LTK rocks:
http://us.imdb.com/t...sercomments-222

I wrote that

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

Its strange what works for some. I would say LTK is the more unbalanced of the two Dalton films IMO.

I read a very tongue in cheek net page about lost James Bond DVD commentaries a while back. Allegedly PB did a commentary for TLD recording how he was nearly cast in '87. Legend has it he weeps at the beginning, wishing how the film had been his!

[Gav]

Do you know where this alleged page might be? Ive not heard that before.

[byline]

Another reason I enjoy "The Living Daylights" more than "Licence to Kill" (and this is true for "For Your Eyes Only" and "Casino Royale," as well) is that I admit to be a sucker for romance. In my opinion, those three are the most genuinely romantic of the Bond films. ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service" tries to be, but for me -- and obviously this is highly subjective -- it doesn't really feel like one, somehow.)

[sthgilyadgnivileht]

Do you know where this alleged page might be? Ive not heard that before.

Yep here it is, makes me laugh a lot!
http://commanderbond.net/article/2391

[dee-bee-five]

I agree again. I wish sheep (read: the masses) would give Dalton more credit instead of just going "bah bah, Craig is the best Bond ever ever bah bah". Dalton did it first!!! Have you ever seen Craig set a villain alight, drag a bad guy into a mincer or throw another to the sharks?

There was much to enjoy in the Dalton films and I'm a fan, of his stage work as well as his screen work. But the problem with his Bond films, I believe, for many is that he seemed so po-faced about it all. And even though he's a bloody good actor, he can't deliver a Bondian one-liner to save his life. As I've written elsewhere, to my mind, Dalton always played Bond with a vague suspicion at the back of his mind that he was making a tit of himself and that all his old muckers back at the RSC were sniggering behind his back and it made him a wee bit earnest. I think that's possibly one of the reasons why the general audience didn't take to him, which is a pity because his two Bonds are favourites of mine (LTK edging out TLD, for my money.

And I really don't think one can label as "sheep" those of us who rate Daniel Craig a better Bond. I'm afraid I believe Daniel Craig is a better actor than Timothy Dalton (on-screen at least; Dalton is a formidable stage actor). Timothy Dalton looks a lot like Ian Fleming's Bond. But acting is a lot more than looks and Craig inhabits the character like no-one before him. I've been reading and re-reading the Fleming books for the best part of 40 years and, for my money Daniel Craig is James Bond. But that doesn't mean to say I don't think Dalton made a fine job of it.

[Dalton_Craig]

After reading this thread, I just knew I had to come here and praise the man at the alter of Bond!

Timothy Dalton IS, WAS and ALWAYS WILL BE, James Bond. Ot's just that plain simple. To me, the man just reeks (and I mean that in a GOOD way!) of Ian Fleming's "wonderful machine". Whenever I read the novels, I can just imagine Timothy Dalton walking off of the page exactly as Ian Fleming described (the only thing missing is the scar).

To illustrate my point, I've always felt that if you reached the point in Casino Royale where Bond dons his tuxedo for the first time (Chapter 8, Pink Lights and Champagne), and then if you imagined picking him up and landing him inside a television screen, you would get that opening scene in The Living Daylights, at the opera house in Bratislava, where Bond enters in his tuxedo.

The Ice Chase scene - You just KNOW it's gonna be good when the music kicks in.

That just made me go back and watch the scene again! And yes, it IS that good!

I feel one of the greatest opportunities, gone begging, was the chance for a Dalton GoldenEye (a summary of my reasons can be found here). But alas, circumstances conspired against him, as others around this board have already chronicled. And to those who doubt that a 48-year old Dalton could have pulled off that movie in 1994/95, I need only refer you to his physical appearance in Lie Down with Lions and Scarlett, two productions from around that time period, and he hardly looked to have aged from LTK.

I'll finish my contribution by borrowing the words of Richard Donner, when describing how he came about Christopher Reeve for Superman:

"Cubby and EON didn't discover Timothy Dalton. God sent him to them."

Edited by Dalton_Craig, 29 November 2009 - 04:48 PM.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

And to those who doubt that a 48-year old Dalton could have pulled off that movie in 1994/95, I need only refer you to his physical appearance in Lie Down with Lions and Scarlett, two productions from around that time period, and he hardly looked to have aged from LTK.

I stand by what I said in another thread that Dalton could have been Bond WELL into his fifties with much more believeability than either Connery or Moore. He still looks great at the age of 60+.

[Dalton_Craig]

Absolutely. Seeing him in Hot Fuzz, particularly as he is laying into Simon Pegg with his fists in the finale, gave me the brief illusion that I was watching a new Dalton Bond film.

[Mr. Somerset]

Of all the Bond actors, I always felt Timothy aged the best in terms of his longevity in the role. I agree that he could have played Bond well into his fifties. He hadn't aged really all that much during the six year hiatus, and would have looked great in GoldenEye.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Absolutely. Seeing him in Hot Fuzz, particularly as he is laying into Simon Pegg with his fists in the finale, gave me the brief illusion that I was watching a new Dalton Bond film.

Yeah, you're right about that (Jimbo doesn't have such an awesomely evil mustache, though!). Watch out for a small nod to Licence to Kill, where Dalton crawls away from the wreckage of his stolen police car in a manner suspiciously similiar to the way he drags himself along the ground away from the wrecked truck in LTK. Sadly, Hot Fuzz doesn't feature a crazy-looking Robert Davi with a machete.

Of all the Bond actors, I always felt Timothy aged the best in terms of his longevity in the role. I agree that he could have played Bond well into his fifties. He hadn't aged really all that much during the six year hiatus, and would have looked great in GoldenEye.

Dalton also looks visibly more well-trained in LTK than in TLD.

[Jeao007]

After reading some of these posts, I now have the sudden urge to watch the Dalton Bond films right now.

Edited by JEAO007, 23 November 2009 - 08:22 PM.

[Gav]

LTK is the one, man!

[Dalton_Craig]

Yeah, you're right about that (Jimbo doesn't have such an awesomely evil mustache, though!). Watch out for a small nod to Licence to Kill, where Dalton crawls away from the wreckage of his stolen police car in a manner suspiciously similiar to the way he drags himself along the ground away from the wrecked truck in LTK. Sadly, Hot Fuzz doesn't feature a crazy-looking Robert Davi with a machete.

Dalton does seem to like playing characters with moustaches, doesn't he? Oliver Seccombe in Centennial, Archibald Christie in Agatha, Marquis de Guaita in The Flame is Love, Prince Barin in Flash Gordon, Boy Capel in Chanel Solitaire, Neville Sinclair in The Rocketeer, Rhett Butler in Scarlett, Boris Pochenko in Beautician and the Beast and now Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz.

Edited by Dalton_Craig, 24 November 2009 - 12:52 PM.

[Gav]

5. GoldenEye (Dalton's spirit haunts Brosnan. Enjoy it... while it lasts.)
Timothy Dalton doesn't need me to defend him... but I'm happy to pitch in all the same.

I just wanted to say I LOVE those two points. Dalton's spirit does indeed haunt GoldenEye, and its one of my favourites for that reason. If Dalton had made that movie... *sigh* I can dream. But you summed it up perfectly there. Youre my new best friend!

[The Ghost Who Walks]

After reading some of these posts, I now have the sudden urge to watch the Dalton Bond films right now.

Yeah, me too. Shame I have watched them both this year. Yet another reason to look forward to 2009. (I don't tend to watch movies I like more than once a year, to prevent getting tired of them)

Dalton does seem to like playing characters with moustaches, doesn't he? Oliver Seccombe in Centennial, Archibald Christie in Agatha, Marquis de Guaita in The Flame is Love, Prince Barin in Flash Gordon, Boy Capel in Chanel Solitaire, Neville Sinclair in The Rocketeer, Rhett Butler in Scarlett, Boris Pochenko in Beautician and the Beast and now Simon Skinner in Hot Fuzz.

I love the fact that in his (only???) two villain roles, Hot Fuzz and Rocketeer, they did give him a mustache to twirl.

Man, I hope Dalton somehow reads all this fan praise he's gotten in these threads. Truly puts me in a T-Dalt mood. Maybe I'll give "Scarlett" a try, I found a copy of it in the local library. Is it any good? I need to see Gone With the Wind first too, I guess, which looks like a collosal bore, to be honest.

[O.H.M.S.S.]

Gone with the Wind is a true classic, it's a movie you have to see really. Scarlett is a somewhat mediocre and very long TV-movie. Still Timothy Dalton is very good in it. If he's on screen it's fantastic (obviously) but when the movie focuses on the girl it's pretty boring. (PS, you'll see Charles Gray as well, he has a short role at the end of the movie)

[Stephen Spotswood]

This might be slightly off-topic, but I think another thing that hurt Goldeneye, besides Brosnan, was that Sean Bean who played the bad guy was in the running at the time for Bond. I don't know where this sudden liking for blond men came from. When I watched GE, I didn't know Bean was up for it, but liked his performance much better than Brosnan's. I could only imagine what scenes between Bean and Dalton would've been like.

Of course, after awhile the dialogue got trite and silly, while Bean was all admiration for Bond and saying things like that's stunt's impossible.

[The Ghost Who Walks]

Gone with the Wind is a true classic, it's a movie you have to see really. Scarlett is a somewhat mediocre and very long TV-movie. Still Timothy Dalton is very good in it. If he's on screen it's fantastic (obviously) but when the movie focuses on the girl it's pretty boring. (PS, you'll see Charles Gray as well, he has a short role at the end of the movie)

I'll be sure to check them both out then when I have the time. Dalton's usually the best thing about the films he's in (even embarrasing crap like "Beautician and the Beast"), so I'm sure I'll find some enjoyment in Scarlett even if it's a tad dull.

Stephen, I never really saw Bean as Bond-material myself. I'm sure he could have done a good job with it, but there's little to him that screams 007 (and yes, Daniel Craig screamed Bond to me the minute I saw him at the press conference announcing him as taking over the part). I think Pierce was ultimately the better choice of the two to succeed Dalton, but we will never know what could have been.

Edited by The Ghost Who Walks, 28 November 2009 - 11:06 PM.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Gone with the Wind is a true classic, it's a movie you have to see really.

It's also horribly racist and trite; I can't stand Scarlett O'Hara in it.

[coco1997]

It's also horribly racist

Who cares?

[col_007]

my mates done a facebook group about Timothy Dalton

http://www.facebook....h...1727&ref=ts