HOME |  CULT MOVIES | COMPETITIONS | ADVERTISE |  CONTACT US |  ABOUT US
 
 
 
Newest Reviews
American Fiction
Poor Things
Thunderclap
Zeiram
Legend of the Bat
Party Line
Night Fright
Pacha, Le
Kimi
Assemble Insert
Venus Tear Diamond, The
Promare
Beauty's Evil Roses, The
Free Guy
Huck and Tom's Mississippi Adventure
Rejuvenator, The
Who Fears the Devil?
Guignolo, Le
Batman, The
Land of Many Perfumes
Cat vs. Rat
Tom & Jerry: The Movie
Naked Violence
Joyeuses Pacques
Strangeness, The
How I Became a Superhero
Golden Nun
Incident at Phantom Hill
Winterhawk
Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Maigret Sets a Trap
B.N.A.
Hell's Wind Staff, The
Topo Gigio and the Missile War
Battant, Le
Penguin Highway
Cazadore de Demonios
Snatchers
Imperial Swordsman
Foxtrap
   
 
Newest Articles
3 From Arrow Player: Sweet Sugar, Girls Nite Out and Manhattan Baby
Little Cat Feat: Stephen King's Cat's Eye on 4K UHD
La Violence: Dobermann at 25
Serious Comedy: The Wrong Arm of the Law on Blu-ray
DC Showcase: Constantine - The House of Mystery and More on Blu-ray
Monster Fun: Three Monster Tales of Sci-Fi Terror on Blu-ray
State of the 70s: Play for Today Volume 3 on Blu-ray
The Movie Damned: Cursed Films II on Shudder
The Dead of Night: In Cold Blood on Blu-ray
Suave and Sophisticated: The Persuaders! Take 50 on Blu-ray
Your Rules are Really Beginning to Annoy Me: Escape from L.A. on 4K UHD
A Woman's Viewfinder: The Camera is Ours on DVD
Chaplin's Silent Pursuit: Modern Times on Blu-ray
The Ecstasy of Cosmic Boredom: Dark Star on Arrow
A Frosty Reception: South and The Great White Silence on Blu-ray
You'll Never Guess Which is Sammo: Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon on Blu-ray
Two Christopher Miles Shorts: The Six-Sided Triangle/Rhythm 'n' Greens on Blu-ray
Not So Permissive: The Lovers! on Blu-ray
Uncomfortable Truths: Three Shorts by Andrea Arnold on MUBI
The Call of Nostalgia: Ghostbusters Afterlife on Blu-ray
Moon Night - Space 1999: Super Space Theater on Blu-ray
Super Sammo: Warriors Two and The Prodigal Son on Blu-ray
Sex vs Violence: In the Realm of the Senses on Blu-ray
What's So Funny About Brit Horror? Vampira and Bloodbath at the House of Death on Arrow
Keeping the Beatles Alive: Get Back
   
 
  Living Daylights, The Spies Like Us
Year: 1987
Director: John Glen
Stars: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo, Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, John Rhys-Davies, Art Malik, Desmond Llewelyn, Robert Brown, Andreas Wisniewski, Walter Gotell, Caroline Bliss
Genre: Action, Thriller, AdventureBuy from Amazon
Rating:  6 (from 4 votes)
Review: Russian General Georgi Koskov who, with Bond's help, has successfully defected to the west informs MI6 of a spy assassination plot set in motion by rogue KGB Boss Pushkin. But what's really going on and what role does American arms dealer Brad Whittaker play in this sinister scheme? Teaming up with Koskov's girlfriend Bond attempts to find out…in his own inimitable fashion.

This, the debut outing for Timothy Dalton's Bond saw a tougher edge reintroduced to the series, an attempt to return 007 to his roots after the light-hearted fun of the Roger Moore years. The iconic character was also coming under criticism from some quarters in the alarmist days of Political Correctness that sought to end the womanising ways of Fleming's creation. In addition the 80s saw the release of a glut of American action movies that threatened to topple the Bond films from their throne. Could Commander James Bond thwart such a pair of adversaries?

Thankfully, with Bond veteran John Glen in the director's chair for the fourth time, everything is present and correct as the movie kicks off with an entertaining action scene that introduces Dalton's 007. Followed by an opening credits sequence complete with scantily glad women gyrating appealingly to A-Ha. Plot wise things have changed, gone are the predilections for world domination by evil masterminds replaced by a narrative that follows the spy thriller tradition found in the original novels.

With defecting agents, espionage, arms dealing and double crosses The Living Daylights is probably the most complexly plotted of all the Bond films. In fact it's one of the few movies in the franchise that has an air of authenticity and reality to it with Bond acting more like an MI6 spy, the plot kicking off with him on a mission to help a Russian defection armed with a sniper rifle. All very cold war. Thankfully this grittier tone is balanced with thrilling set pieces that could only exist in a Bond movie - a car chase through the snowy tundra with 007 assisted by his gadget laden Aston Martin being one of the highlights. It's our hero's love life that's the major casualty as Bond girl Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo) isn't on the receiving end of 007's charms until the mission is completed. When checking into a hotel he even requests a "second bedroom" for his female companion. Not exactly keeping the British end up are we Mr Bond! Oh well, he does get to clock up a few air miles as true to tradition the plot takes in a number of exotic locations from rooftop chases in Morocco to a punch up with a henchman hanging out the back of a plane over the battlefields of Afghanistan.

Despite Dalton occasionally appearing uncomfortable with having to deliver witty one-liners and there being a dull nemesis for our hero The Living Daylights is an enjoyable entry in the series that is complemented by some strong supporting performances - Jeroen Krabbé relishing his turn as Koskov and the ever reliable John Rhys-Davies on hand to flesh out the role of Pushkin. It successfully combines the familiar stunts and gadgets with a more serious plot that mirrors Dalton's interpretation of the best action hero of all time. Sadly its successor, Licence To Kill, was little more than a pale imitation of its cinematic contemporaries and the Bond franchise disappeared from cinemas for 6 years, Goldeneye marking its triumphant return.
Reviewer: Jason Cook

 

This review has been viewed 6587 time(s).

As a member you could Rate this film

 
Review Comments (1)


Untitled 1

Login
  Username:
 
  Password:
 
   
 
Forgotten your details? Enter email address in Username box and click Reminder. Your details will be emailed to you.
   

Latest Poll
Which star probably has psychic powers?
Laurence Fishburne
Nicolas Cage
Anya Taylor-Joy
Patrick Stewart
Sissy Spacek
Michelle Yeoh
Aubrey Plaza
Tom Cruise
Beatrice Dalle
Michael Ironside
   
 
   

Recent Visitors
Enoch Sneed
Darren Jones
Mark Le Surf-hall
  Louise Hackett
Andrew Pragasam
Mary Sibley
Graeme Clark
  Desbris M
   

 

Last Updated: