The Living Daylights, John Glen’s fourth film as a director in the James Bond series, is remembered primarily for the major transition in the acting lead with Timothy Dalton stepping into the role of Agent 007 after Roger Moore’s final Bond appearance in A View to a Kill in 1985.
Like previous Bond movies, the adventure of Agent 007 starts in the very first scene when he and fellow MI6 agents come under attack by an assassin during a training exercise. On his key assignment for this story, Bond is sent to help KGB General Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé) defect to the West and be an asset against the Soviet Union. Things don’t go very well after the assignment as the real Soviet plan against spies from the West unfolds and Bond is soon seen on the run with Kara Milovy (Maryam d’Abo) for their lives and in pursuit of dismantling the enemy’s bigger plans.
While the plot of The Living Daylights isn’t so innovative when put against the movie’s predecessors, the pace is rather wild and uneven with Bond trotting places from continent to continent, eventually ending up in Afghanistan to actively participate in the war against the Soviets. Structurally, the plot makes an unusual exception for a long romantic sequence with the Bond girl and 007 enjoying the art and entertainment venues in Vienna before merging back into the spy story.
For those used to enjoying Moore as Bond, Dalton’s performance is notably lacking in a few main qualities. Most notably, Moore’s trademark humor is missing. The fluidity of mood, tone, and expression that Moore displayed in his 007 roles are not visible in Dalton’s character. Instead, Dalton makes a Bond with a barely shifting mood, tone, and look. Also missing in Dalton’s role as Bond in this movie is his chemistry with women. Moore effortlessly slid into any woman’s pants; Dalton appears to be a Romantic who enjoys taking his girl out for traditional courtship sessions without violating the Victorian standards of morals for gentlemen. This is the most Romantic Bond you’ll see on the screen.
The Living Daylights is purely for Bond fans and makes a good pick for those watching their first Bond movie so as to see Dalton with eyes uninfluenced by all the shades that Connery and Moore brought to Fleming’s iconic character.
