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09/12/2011

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Zeke Springer

Steve, your assessment of T. Dalton as Bond is spot on!

Although I don't like "License to Kill" as much as you do, I thought "Living Daylights" was amazing. This is perhaps the most underrated of Bond films. The film is realistic in its tone, gadgets are used to a minimum, the villains are not crazed megalomaniacs and we finally see other MI-5 agents not as cannon fodder but as capable compatriots. Probably the most striking difference between this film and others, Bond only beds one woman. Scandalous!

I agree, Dalton's more no nonsense portrayal is definitely a precursor to Daniel Craig. I, for one, did appreciate it back in 1987. Also this spoke to Bond's more serious depiction in the books. Roger Moore's Bond was a bit too campy for me even back in the day and ultimately doesn't hold up over time in my opinion. I think Moore's first two films ("Live and Let Die" and "The Man With The Golden Gun") are good examples where the right mix of grit and humor are properly executed.

You are the first person I've read who defends "License.." though and that's fine. I think if I give it a re-watching I might think differently. This happened with "...Golden Gun". My problem is that I've been pre-conditioned to see Bond battle a world-threatening baddie so when seeing him take on and have trouble with a "simple" druglord I couldn't accept it. Oh well, what can you do?

Sean Connery is my guy through and through. He just handled the role perfectly. George Lazenby was a fine Bond. I liked him and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", another of the more underrated Bond films. That film is a good friend's favorite. You don't meet too many of them. Lazenby was the actor physically closest to Ian Fleming's description of Bond. Sadly, George took bad advice from manager and agent types who told him that the Bond films were on their last legs back in 1969 (!) Talk about "pitiful lack of vision".

One Bond film I like as time goes on; the last one, "Quantum of Solace". When I first saw it I was like, "They're fighting over water rights? Who cares". Now that movie is prophetic.

Great piece!

Stvivona

Thanks Zeke! I think you should give LTK a second look. As I said, it's precisely the fact that it throws all the conventions out the window with the bathwater that I enjoy it so much, especially the expanded role of Q!

I am also a fan of OHMSS. Lazenby had potential - it's obvious in the film. A few more outings and I think he would've owned the role, but I think TD owned it right from the start!

QoS really turned me off (and right after such a great entry in Casino). I should watch it again just to see Craig in the role again. I hope all this legal sniping doesn't derail his tenure the way it did Dalton's!

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