With Skyfall dropping in theaters in just a couple months, along with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, a close friend and fellow film nerd, Brandon Peters, has generously offered to do a comprehensive review of the entire 007 film franchise. Today is the fifteenth entry, with a full review of Timothy Dalton's criminally underrated debut, and my introduction to the James Bond series, The Living Daylights. I hope you enjoy what is a pretty massive feature leading up the November 9th release of Skyfall. I'll do my best to leave my two-cents out of it, give or take a few items I have up my sleeve (including a possible guest review from my wife as she sings the praises of her favorite 007 film, you won't believe what it is). But just because I'm stepping aside doesn't mean you should. Without further ado...
The Living Daylights
1987
Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, John Rhys Davies, Maryam d’Abo,
Joe Don Baker
Rated PG
Something we’re making
for the Americans. It’s called a ‘Ghetto
Blaster’!
~Q
STATS
Kills: 3 + unknown amount in a bridge explosion
Bond Girls: Kara
Milovy
Car: Aston Martin V8
Vantage (Series 2)
Locales:
Czechoslovakia, Austria, Vienna, Tangier, Afghanistan
Odd Villain Trait: We
get the Red Grant archetype in Necros, but this guy wears headphones which he
strangles people
Song: “The Living
Daylights” performed by A-ha (Yes, they did have another song)
Other Notable Song: “If There Was A Man” performed by
Chrissie Hyde (of The Pretenders)
James Bond reloads and fires on all cylinders for the debut
of Timothy Dalton as 007 in The Living
Daylights (TLD). John Glen gets a
chance to introduce a new 007 to the film going audience and does it with much
success. TLD finally is able to bring
back and emulate the sense of mystery, adventure and espionage found in From Russia With Love that the franchise
had tried and failed many times. Soveit General Georgi Koskov fakes his defection and
recapture to the British Government.
Koskov has in reality, teamed with arms dealer Brad Whitaker. Koskov is also purchasing opium from Afghanistan
renegades and hoping to profit and make money back to purchase arms as
well. Bond is led onto the case by the
would-be assassin of Koskov, Kara Milovy, a successful cello player.
