Fan Reviews - The Living Daylights
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"The Living Daylights" by timdalton007
With the announcement that Roger Moore was leaving the series,
many fans of the long running Bond film franchise were left to
wonder what was next for the series. With over twelve years of
comedic 007 adventures, opinions among many fans were for a return
to the more serious films of the early Connery era. The hopes
of fans were realized with this film that began a new era in the
world of 007.
The change begins with the actor playing James Bond: Timothy
Dalton. Dalton is perhaps the closest actor in terms of vision
to Ian Fleming's idea of Bond. He certainly looks the part, with
his scalp of wild black hair and his piercing blue eyes, and one
can actually visualize him as a secret agent with his agile and
strong form. Not only that, he also has the acting chops. Dalton's
Shakespearean and stage training come into use perfectly here.
Just look at where Bond is at the fair, having lost Saunders's
murderer amongst the crowd and found the balloon with Smyert Spionam
scrawled over them. The eyes say everything. Dalton relies more
and more on his acting ability and not jokes and gadgets to pull
the character trough the film. Despite this being his first film
as Bond, we get the feeling that he's been playing the part for
years with his mastering of the character. Gone are the bad jokes
of Moore and in is the seriousness and the occasional intelligent
humor. This is how Bond should be: serious, intelligent, and with
intelligent jokes. Dalton is also great in the action sequences
and his belief that he should do as many of his stunts as possible
makes it hard to determine when its him and when its a stuntman.
He can throw a good punch and, unlike Moore, look like he knows
what he's doing.
The change continues on with the Bond girl Kara Milovy. After
the average Bond girls of Holly Goodhead, Octopussy, and the worst
Bond girl of the series in AVTAK this girl is a 180-degree turn
around. Maryam d'Abo may not have had a lot of acting experience
before this but she is a good actress. Her character goes far
beyond being just eye candy. She's realistic. She's an average
woman who is drawn into this world on intrigue, action, and danger.
Kara is an innocent brought into it all by a man she cares for
deeply and whom she owes everything to. Bond isn't just a dominating
figure who must seduce her as in FRWL, he's the man who has brought
her into the world where she is free to show off her talent for
all the world to see. She is also very beautiful and while she
isn't the smartest Bond girl of them all, she does prove to be
resourceful and unlike many of the Bond girls doesn't manage to
just hang onto Bonds shoulder and scream for help. That and her
gradual relationship with Bond provides one of the series few
true love stories.
If the film has a fault in it, it would have to be the villains.
While both Jeroen Krabbe and Joe Don Baker are great actors, this
isn't there shinning moment. Both of the characters of General
Georgi Koskov and Brad Whitaker are too un-villain like to be
bad guys. Any menace that Koskov might have had is ruined by the
fact that he is constantly kissing everyone on the cheek. Brad
Whitaker is also too weird to be a villain. He is in many respects
the ultimate military historian and in another the craziest. At
least unlike Koskov, he does have a great final showdown with
Bond during the fantastic gun battle at the films end.
The supporting cast is also excellent. Andreas Wisniewski is
great as Necros. He is menacing and despite being an obvious take
on Red Grant from FRWL, he manages to be original. John Rhys-Davies
and Art Malik are fantastic as the allies of the film. Both actors
are initially suspicious to us, but when they are revealed as
allies they are the ones we want on Bond's side. Too bad we didn't
see more of them. And let's not forget Thomas Wheatley as Saunders.
He is the ultimate bureaucratic agent. But he can get the job
done and he's so good that when he becomes the film's sacrificial
lamb we feel for his loss. As for Caroline Bliss and John Terry
it is hard to find good things to say. Both were replacements
for well-known and beloved characters in the series and it wasn't
going to be easy. Here they failed. Neither has enough screen
time to establish them in the parts and when they are on screen
they are lousy at best. We do have good performances from M, Q,
and, for the last time, Gray and they help to add a sense of continuity
to the film.
The film's storyline and action is top notch. After years of
outrageous plots and action sequences, there is a heavy sense
of realism. The plot is one of the series best. True it is very
complicated and at time shard to follow, but so where some of
Fleming's plots. But the complicated plot is a down side to what
is other wise a great Bond film.
The action sequences are among the best in the series. The film’s
teaser featuring the training exercise and later chase on Gibraltar
is the best since TSWLM and the best until GoldenEye. The Aston
Martin car chase is not only the best car chase since FYEO but
also the triumphant return of the classic Aston Martin. While
the car has gadgets, they are at least believable and the chase
features the classic scene of the police car being split in half
and Bond and Kara escaping over the border in the cello case.
Other great action scenes include the roof top chase in Morocco,
the battle at the Afghan airbase, and the gun battle between Bond
and Whitaker. But the films best action sequence is the cargo
net fight at the film’s end. The excellent editing together
of the aerial footage and footage shot in the studio puts together
the best fight sequence since the beach fight in OHMSS. Despite
the ton of action, the film’s plot never suffers and makes
this perhaps the best-paced Bond film.
There is also the matter of John Barry’s score. Barry’s
last Bond score to date is also his best since DAF. It is largely
action based making excellent use of the main title theme song,
the song “Where Has Everybody Gone?” and the James
Bond Theme and taking a heavy synthesizer feel. That the score
a feel of being both modern and yet a classic feeling. But perhaps
the films best music is the romantic music used in the scenes
between Bond and Kara. Based on the song “If There Was a
Man” it is one of Barry’s best romantic pieces. There
is also the suspenseful music used in the desert sequences that,
while featuring the synthesizer feel of the action scenes, still
feels in place and reminds the listener of Barry’s classic
suspense music.
The films songs are a mixed bag. The main title theme, a musical
collaboration between Barry and the rock group aHa, is a good
main title song. It is heavily rock though and the lack of an
orchestral feel hurts the song considerable and it pales in comparison
to the main title song from AVTAK. The films other two songs,
“Where Has Everybody Gone?” and “If There Was
A Man”, while being great to listen to, feel out of place
in a Bond movie.
Despite weak villains, a couple of questionable supporting players,
a rather complicated plot, and a mixed song bag, this film delivers.
With Timothy Dalton’s grand performance as Bond, Maryam
d'Abo as Kara, a good supporting cast, great action scenes, and
a great score, The Living Daylights delivers a classic Bond adventure
that ranks just outside the top five classic films.
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by Luds
Following Roger Moore’s final outing as Bond (A View To
A Kill) in 1985, producer Albert R. Broccoli faced the task of
finding a new James Bond. Roger Moore had been filling Sean Connery’s
shoes as James Bond from 1973 to 1985 and was simply too old for
it. Broccoli’s choice was Irishman Pierce Brosnan who soon
became unavailable as NBC heard about EON’s interest in
Brosnan and decided to renew their TV series Remington Steele.
As it turns out, this would become one of the greatest things
that ever happened to the Bond franchise: Broccoli signed Welshman
Timothy Dalton, a candidate who had auditioned for the role in
1968 for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (before turning
it down as he didn’t feel ready for it) and in 1982 for
Octopussy (as Roger Moore was holding out for a more lucrative
deal). Timothy Dalton became the fourth actor to portray James
Bond on the big screen, and was a Fleming fan.
Dalton wanted to bring more realism and grit to the character,
trying to portray Fleming’s real adaptation of James Bond:
a character who was vulnerable, clearly not perfect, but a fantastic
agent whose only preoccupation was to do his job. This portrayal
of Bond was arguably delivered on screen during the Sean Connery
films, but drastically disappeared during the Roger Moore era
to make place for more humour, an ingredient that ironically helped
Moore get accepted as Bond as fans wouldn’t have accepted
anyone “trying to portray Bond like Connery”.
Going back to a Fleming short story, The Living Daylights (TLD),
originally published in The Sunday Times Magazine in 1962 only
provided enough material for a 20-minute sequence. Long time Bond
scriptwriter Richard Maibaum once again joined forces with Cubby
Broccoli’s nephew Michael G. Wilson. James Bond is introduced
in a very intriguing and unfamiliar way as he takes part of a
secret agent exercise mission that goes wrong: Bond finds a fellow
member of the 00 section (004), murdered, holding a note “Smiert
Spionem” (Death To Spies). Bond is sent to help Russian
official Georgi Koskov (Jereon Krabbe) who wanted to defect ever
since learning about his superior General Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies)’s
plan to kill enemy agents.
Bond investigates the sniper sent to kill Koskov during his defection,
and later discovers that the “sniper” is none other
than Koskov’s girlfriend Kara Milovy (Maryam D'Abo). While
Koskov is kidnapped by KGB agent Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) Bond
and the audience are thrown into a swerve, as Koskov’s defection
and kidnapping are all arranged, Koskov is only trying to get
his superior Pushkin murdered by 007, as Pushkin is getting closer
to discovering that Koskov has been using KGB funds to purchase
weapons from arms dealer Brad Whitaker (Joe Don Baker).
Bond, not knowing which one of the Russians is lying, is forced
to make a choice. Who will he trust? In a brilliant scene, Bond
fakes the assassination of Pushkin in front of Necros who returns
to his boss with the information that Bond killed Pushkin! However,
Kara who Bond had been using to get information didn’t understand
the situation and contacted her boyfriend Koskov. The later convinces
her to poison Bond. Escaping from a prison, Bond and Kara seek
help from Afghan resistance leader Kamran Shah (Art Malik), leader
of the Mujahadin. Bond, Kara and the Mujahadin attack Koskov’s
plane, and Bond later terminates Brad Whitaker.
With The Living Daylights, it is clear that EON and director
John Glen put a lot of focus in delivering a good script, a good
plot, and a good storyline to the public instead of trying to
deliver a movie based on action and gadgets. Nevertheless, some
fantastic gadgets came out of the movie and will be remembered
for a long time by Bond movie lovers, such as the beautiful Aston
Martin Volante, and Bond’s exploding, stunning gas key chain.
Bond fans also love the action in TLD. Some innovative and memorable
scenes such as Bond and Kara’s escape riding the cello case,
and Bond’s fight with Necros on the Russian cargo plane
are fan favourites.
There is very little not to like in this movie. Fans are treated
with the best of the best: a terrific performance by Timothy Dalton,
who is back at being a rugged no-nonsense agent, a classic Bond
girl in Kara Milovy, a good Bond ally in Kamran Shaw, a capable
henchman in Necros, and a decent pair of villains in Pushkin and
Whitaker. As if this wasn’t enough, John Barry delivered
arguably his very best score. Some may argue that On Her Majesty’s
Secret Service may be the best, but TLD’s score is almost
as astounding if not surpassing it as best score for a Bond movie.
A-Ha’s theme song for TLD is also a knockout! The Norwegian
band successfully delivered a great pop rock theme song that brings
the Bond sound well into the mid-80’s. The Q scene is also
solid, as expected in every Bond movie. Some fans didn’t
appreciate Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny as her portrayal was more
humoristic and enamoured with Bond than the great Lois Maxwell.
Although being a fact that her character has changed a little
bit, Maxwell was simply too old for the part and any actress would
receive some negative reviews. There really isn’t anything
wrong with Bliss’ performance.
What’s left? Are there any negative points to this masterpiece?
Well nothing is perfect, and in such a fantastic movie, the low
points are very minor. One must look very hard to find anything
other than brilliant! But here they are: Whitaker and Koskov didn’t
seem evil enough. Not that all villain must be madmen, but it
was sometimes almost difficult to believe that Koskov could order
someone to be killed! Although clearly not an acting issue as
Krabbe’s performance was fine, the script lacked a bit of
darkness to his character. And to be extremely picky, the actors
chosen for the roles of Linda (Kell Tyler) in the opening sequence
and 002 (Glyn Baker) were poor choices. A more attractive actress
could have portrayed Linda! And Glyn Baker’s reaction after
being discovered by the enemy was just lame.
The Living Daylights is simply a Bond classic with the likes
of Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and From Russia With
Love (1963). Although the earlier movies receive more praises,
TLD will be remembered as a classic just as the earlier movies
as times goes by.
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by Overkill
The first Bond film with a new Bond is always going to be a tricky
affair. On one side the producers want to keep the fans happy,
maintain momentum from the previous owner of the tux, but also
it gives them an opportunity to breathe fresh life into the franchise.
The Living Daylights manages to do both, effortlessly, and still
manages to be, not just a top-drawer Bond movie, but a cracking
action thriller in its own right.
And thriller, I think, is the key word here. The introduction
of Timothy Dalton to the role brought about a long overdue overhaul
of the character and an attempt to return to Bond’s cold
war spy roots. Partly this was at the behest of Dalton himself,
but also an attempt to bring the series back down to earth (again!)
following the OTT fantasy of Octopussy and A View to a Kill.
The plot also pays homage both to Fleming’s characters,
but is also vividly contemporary (to the point, unfortunately,
may many of the political motivations in the plot would be obsolete
only a few years later.)
Following the assassination of an MI6 agent during a training
exercise in Gibraltar, and the defection of a top KGB agent, Koskov,
the service are led to believe that General Pushkin, the new head
of the KGB, has re-launched the long dormant ‘Smiert Spionem’
(SMERSH - Death to Spies) operation. Bond’s name is
on the list, apparently. In response, Bond is ordered to assassinate
Pushkin, but before he does Koskov is kidnapped and, seemingly,
taken back behind the curtain. At the same time, Bond has been
tracking down a sniper, ordered to kill Koskov at his defection,
and is surprised to find that she is Koskov’s girlfriend.
It would take me all day to regale you with the rest of plot,
as it is quite possibly the most complicated in the whole series.
During the course of his mission, Bond uncovers double agents,
betrayal, a megalomaniacal arms dealer (Whitaker), joins forces
with the Mujahadin (who would a few years later morph into the
dreaded Taliban) and faces one of the best henchmen of the whole
series, the Grant-like Necros.
This emphasis on story over spectacle works enormously well,
even if, at times, the plot seems to chase its own tail for a
while. That’s not to say action is shoved aside. On the
contrary it’s there in abundance: a gripping pre-credits
sequence sees Bond tossed into action within seconds of appearing
on-screen, hanging for dear life from the roof of a Land Rover
as it careers around the narrow, Cliffside roads of Gibraltar.
Later, a rather superfluous car chase includes a snazzy Aston
Martin (“I’ve had a few optional extras installed”
easily being the funniest line in the movie). And Bond and his
Afghan friends destroy a Russian air base. Phew.
Dalton is, quite simply, superb. He is Bond, or at least Bond
to any Fleming fans. Cold, ruthless, but heartfelt when necessary.
Early in proceedings, he has several run ins with Saunders, an
Austrian-based MI6 agent. Their icy relationship finally thaws
before tragedy strikes. Dalton’s “Thanks” as
Saunders leaves is a marvellous revelation that this Bond still
has something resembling a heart. Speaking of which, for the first
time since OHMSS, we get the impression that Bond actually cares
for his leading lady. Admittedly Maryam D’Abo is gorgeous.
And while her character does have a tendency to scream ‘James!’
a bit too often, this can be explained by the fact that she is
only a cello player: she’s not a spy, she’s not a
‘female Bond’. She’s just a cello player, who’s
boyfriend happens to be a duplicitous Russian spy. The cad. And
who better to play a two-timing cad than Jerome Krabbe. Now, sadly
typecast as a Hollywood villain, Krabbe had a wonderful filmography
in European movies when cast in TLD. He gives a wonderful performance,
disguising his nefarious schemes behind a façade of OTT
friendship and joviality. Even at the film’s end when he’s
been captured, he still tries to charm his way out of trouble.
Less successful, though not through any fault of his own, is
Joe Don Baker as Whitaker. Unfortunately, the part is woefully
underwritten, leaving his face off with Bond a real anti climax
following the stunning fight on the cargo plane with Necros…
Oh, did I forget to mention that?
In a movie of great moments, the highlight is surely the cargo
plane fight. Where Bond’s battle with Red Grant in FRWL
was claustrophobic, violent, intense and with genuine menace,
the fight here replaces all that with stunning camera work, amazing
stunts, tension of an almost Hitchcockian level and puts it all
together so well, that even that notoriously shoddy back projection
work can’t spoil it.
I won’t explain the whole deal, but think about this: you’re
hanging off a cargo net out the back of a plane; another man is
trying to knock you off; the netting is slowing slipping from
its tie; and there’s a bomb ticking away on the plane…
oh and the pilot is about to crash into a mountain…
It’s all quite simply, marvellous. Entertaining enough
for the casual viewer, intense an gritty for the Fleming hardcore.
As the poster said “The New James Bond… Living on
the Edge!” The Bond most thought they would never see again
was back to his thrilling best.
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by DoubleDee
After 13 years with Roger Moore as James Bond, EON had to find
a new actor for the licence to kill for The Living Daylights.
Had it not been for the TV series Remington Steele, it probably
would have been Pierce Brosnan, but unfortunately he was forced
to fulfil his contract. Instead of him, the 41-year-old Welsh
actor Timothy Dalton was given the part.
The Story:
In Bratislava Bond successfully helps Koskov (portrayed by Dutch
actor Jeroen Krabbé) - a Russian agent - to defect. Koskov
tips of the MI6, that snipers may have been assigned to prevent
a possible defection. While Bond's mission includes the assassination
of possible snipers, he spares the life of that agent, that later
turns out to be Koskov's girlfriend Kara Milovy, played by Maryam
d'Abo. This scene is actually based on the short story "The
Living Daylights" written by Fleming. Back in England, Koskov
hints the Secret Service to the KGB general Pushkin, who apparently
has reinitiated the "Smiert Spionam"-program to eliminate
enemy spies: A note with the same slogan was left close to an
assassinated 004 in the previous pre-title sequence. Shortly after
giving those leads, Koskov is being kidnapped again under the
nose of the MI6. After these events, Bond is ordered to kill General
Pushkin. Of course, he finds out, that there is more behind the
Koskov accusations.
The Actors:
Dalton is fabulous as Bond. The whole franchise experienced a
rejuvenation with a younger actor: Starting with the teaser sequence
in which three Double-O agents, including Bond, are on a mission
to test SAS security on Gibraltar, he chases the murderer of one
of his colleagues. For the first time in years, Bonds face is
actually visible in running scenes. Being a trained Shakespearian
actor, Dalton also pulls off a very believable spy that can be
both cruel and witty. Maryam d'Abo as the leading lady comes off
vulnerable, but strong enough where it counts. The chemistry between
her and Dalton is visible. For the first time in the history of
the Bond movies, there are actually two main villains: Whitaker
and Koskov. While Whitaker's (Joe Don Baker) is a little underwritten,
Krabbé's portrayal of Koskov is believable.
The Music:
The Living Daylights marks John Barry's last work as a Bond composer.
For the first time, he also backs a couple of scores with a drum
computer beat that gives some action scenes a new touch. While
the title song, performed by a-ha, is not undisputed, I think
it was one of the best in the series. It has a great orchestration
and makes uses of various instruments that give the song a rich
sound.
All in all, the movie didn't have many drawbacks and neither
made a lot of compromises: The Living Daylights had a thrilling
story, good actors (first and foremost Tim Dalton in his first
appearance as Bond), great stunts and an incredibly good score.
For me it was the first Bond movie with a new actor I saw in the
cinema. I wish, Dalton had played in AVTAK and had been given
the chance to fill the gap between LTK and GE with 2-3 more movies.
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by NicNac
The most comprehensive overhaul of the Bond franchise since TSWLM
rescued the flagging series in the mid 70s, occurred when Eon
took a deep breath and finally replaced Roger Moore, and began
to rough Bond up a little.
The days of a globe-hopping old man easing his way through preposterous
plotlines were now over, and Bond needed to get at least half
a grip on reality. Roger had done his job, rescued the series,
but at nearly 60, he was over the hill, and yes, far away.
John Glen was back as director, John Barry returned for his last
score (aided by flavour of the month pop group a-ha), and a script
by Richard Maibaum and Michael Wilson was fashioned and expanded
from Ian Fleming's short story The Living Daylights.
Timothy Dalton whose film acting career, so promising in his
young days, had faltered dramatically, took a career saving decision
to step in when first choice Pierce Brosnan was practically black
mailed into returning to his TV show Remington Steele.
The plot involves Bond helping a defecting Russian General and
killing a 'sniper' sent to assassinate him. It meanders from there,
with a few twists and turns, but it never loses its way.
The Living Daylights opens in Gibraltar with a superbly choreographed
teaser, as good as anything we had seen before (with the honourable
exception of Goldfinger).
From there, the action is taut and exciting. The pulsating music
drives it along, and in the 'kidnapping' of Koskov from the safe
house, we have a small cinematic gem of a scene.
Bond's relationship with Kara is touching, and nicely played
by the two leads. Their growing attraction is pleasing, and the
romantic locations used enhance this.
Other characters include the villains Brad Whittaker (a pre-'Jack
Wade', Joe Don Baker), and General Koskov (an hilarious turn by
Joreon Krabbe).
Art Malik as the leader of the freedom fighters is appealing and
probably deserved greater screen time.
Robert Brown and Desmond Llewellyn return as M and Q, but Lois
Maxwell gracefully bows out as Moneypenny to be replaced by Caroline
Bliss, who fails spectacularly to get any grip at all on the role.
Half a point off.
Maryam d'Abo as Kara (set up by Koskov) shows the characters
vulnerability in a brilliantly understated and sweet performance,
and shows other actresses (yes you Tanya Roberts!) how to be vulnerable
without being empty headed.
As for Dalton, he goes for a no-nonsense, muttering, stiff limbed
Bond. A Bond who clearly despises his job, but knows that someone
has to do it, and no body does it better than Bond. It's a slightly
awkward premise, but suited to this actor. Unfortunately, the
one-liners remain and Dalton’s slightly ham-fisted efforts
at delivering them loses this film another half a point. It matters
little however, as TLD crashes along at a fair old rate. It's
funny, romantic, exciting and totally involving.
It was arguably the best Bond since OHMSS, and certainly no Bond
film has come close to it since. And just check out the stunt
work at the end as Bond and Red Grant clone Necros hang from the
plane. Watch carefully Lee Tamahori!
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by Agent JM7
By the 1980's some members of the public thought to an extent
that the James Bond franchise was getting tired and not suitable
for the era. With Roger Moore’s eventual retirement following
A View To A Kill, the producers go forth and find the 4th actor
to play James Bond. Actors Sam Neill and Pierce Brosnan were considered
amongst others. After a lengthy search and contractual issues,
Timothy Dalton was the new James Bond.
Subsequently, the producers cast Maryam d'Abo as Kara Milovy
and Jeroen Krabbe as Koskov, who plays a dastardly yet refined
villain. These cast members set the tone for the film in which
producers set to re-ignite the darker and Fleming type Bond.
The locations give a glamorous edge to the film, Gibraltar, Vienna
and other locations for the Afghan desert fit into the characters
persona brilliantly; never ceasing to grasp attention from the
viewers at the scale that the filmmakers produce. Although maybe
not as classically 'exotic' or 'tropical' as some previous films,
the locations play a vital role in achieving the 'realistic' approach.
However, there are the less perfect aspects. Caroline Bliss'
Moneypenny is not quite so popular after the long reigning Lois
Maxwell. And the script in places lacks a strong sense of drama.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that it was John Barry's final
scoring of a Bond film. He succeeds in providing a classic yet
mixed score to blend in with modern settings, and suits the film
very well. Barry has since been strongly missed by Bond fans,
and his work remains very popular and often praised for composing
the 'Original' Bond scores.
The Living Daylights binds together the classic ingredients of
a Bond film: Espionage, Romance, Action, and, of course, a diabolical
threat to the world! The film was a huge success, and sets Timothy
Dalton as a beloved Bond, and the film a classic, harking back
to the early Connery Bonds, and a contrast to the 'comedic' films
of the later Roger Moore period.
Rating
"The Living Daylights" by Tubes
After Roger Moore left the role of Bond due to age, the search
was on for who would follow him. After much searching and even
a little controversy, Timothy Dalton was selected. That has to
rank with hiring Connery as one of the best decisions EON has
ever made.
Bluntly put, Dalton's detailed performance turns this already
good movie into an excellent one. He really gives Bond a human
aspect that was lacking since OHMSS. His performance here ranks
as one of the best by any Bond.
The supporting cast isn't too shabby either. Maryam d'Abo delivers
a decent performance, although her part isn't much more than her
playing the cello, smiling, and saying James a lot. It should
be noted that Dalton and her have excellent chemistry onscreen
and make Bond and Kara's relationship very believable.
The two villains, Koskov and Whittaker, aren’t all that
evil per say. They don't have memorable moments like Goldfinger
and Blofeld, but they do just fine regardless. Krabbe plays Koskov
with believable sliminess and it comes as no surprise that he
double-crosses Kara later on. Jon Don Baker, however, does much
better in his role of Jack Wade in GoldenEye than here. One real
bright spot as far as villains go is Necros. He's real menacing
and the first henchman since Red Grant to do so without a gimmick
of some sort.
The film really does well with allies. Pushkin is excellent,
as is Shah. Both actors play there roles with genuine friendliness
with a bit of hidden malice underneath, which makes their characters
much more detailed that it could have been.
What is surprising is that, despite the fact that the film plays
out more as a cold war thriller, it still has enough action to
thrill moviegoers today. The set pieces are excellent and do not
get in the way with the story, as they do with other blockbusters.
The film goes on at a rapid pace, keeping you thrilled as the
story unfolds.
The Living Daylights is John Barry's last Bond score. This is
also one of his best film scores. He enhances the car chase scene
to such a degree that without the music, it wouldn't really be
the same. Yet, when the music would get in the way Barry steps
back and lets the background sounds take the forefront. This is
typical of him and something that would be missed in the David
Arnold must-score-entire-picture years.
Rating
