Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Movie review - Bond#15 - "The Living Daylights" (1987) ****1/2

Once again, the Bond series manages to reinvent itself at the right time... after Roger Moore and A View to a Kill seemed so old and tired, things bounce back to form magnificently with this highly enjoyable entry. I recognise this isn't a universally accepted point of view - the movie was not a big hit at the box office, it's not that well known compared to other entries - but I feel it's aged well, and returned things to a more even keel, one of the things that has enabled the series to last so long.

Timothy Dalton wasn't exactly Mr Action Man - the back projection is a bit too obvious when he's hanging off planes and cars - but his youth is a tonic after Roger Moore, and he has dark good looks, and a believably ruthless streak. He's also surprisingly - and touchingly - romantic. Bond doesn't sleep around in this one; he flirts with some girls but only really has eyes for Marym d'Abo, who is one of the most likeable Bond heroines, Kara. Kara is a top cellist completely out of her element in the adventure, and d'Abo brings a winning naivety to the part; she's so much better than Tanya Roberts. John Barry's romantic theme and some pleasing shots of Vienna add to the romance.

It's an excellent script, which skilfully incorporates the Fleming short story that gives the film it's title, and is well thought out and witty. There are some flaws - the one liners aren't super strong, I wasn't wild about Kara's incompetence causing the plane bottom to open up at the end, the finale in Afghanistan went on too long, an over use of the exploding key ring device - but these are easily outweighed by the strengths.

The support cast is of high quality: Jeroen Krabbe is an engaging rougish Russian general, Joe Don Baker is always good value as a military nut gun dealer, Art Malik is fun as an Afghan leader, John Rhys Davis is superb value as another Russian (it's a shame they didn't bring him back for other movies in the series), as is Andreas Wisniewski as a truly frightening, smart henchman (the best of the Red Grant rip offs; takes part in a really tough kitchen fight sequence with a British agent who isn't Bond - this is given a surprisingly long running time).

Of the regulars Desmond Llewellyn and Walter Gotell (his last appearances) are in good form, Robert Brown isn't memorable, or is the latest bloke to play Felix Leiter, and Caroline Bliss a disappointingly poor new Moneypenny. Sexy Aussie Virginia Hey pops up too as Rhy Davis' mistress.

Locations are varied and exotic: Gibraltar (I love it when Bond defends the crappy modern day British Empire, it's so cute) Tangiers, Vienna, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan. Decent stunts and action - nothing particularly awesome, just solid, smart Bond movie making. Poor theme song (by A Ha, who prove yet again they are no Duran Duran) but a lovely romantic tune from John Barry, doing his last music score for the series.

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