After seven films and twelve years in the role, Roger Moore finally hung up the tuxedo. But his influence cast a long shadow, both on the production and on audience expectations. People expected Bond movies to be light and fun, and that’s exactly what EON Productions was making. So with Moore gone, continuing the series would have to shake things up.
I’ve tried not to focus on the production side of things in previous reviews for the series, but it can’t really be avoided with this one because so much of it explains why this film is the way it is. The simple fact is that there’s no way to talk about Timothy Dalton’s first Bond film without talking about Moore’s films. Their influence is felt in the writing, directing, and audience reception of The Living Daylights. The fact is that this movie was caught between two conflicting approaches to Bond. There’s obviously the lighthearted, quipy romp of the prior films, but there’s also a major attempt to make this Bond a harder-edged, no-nonsense killer. And in trying to be both, it comes off as uncertain.
So let’s talk about Dalton himself. Timothy Dalton is a trained Shakespearean actor, and a major fan of Ian Fleming’s original Bond novels. He particularly loved the darker, more dangerous side of Bond’s character. That was what he wanted to capture with his performance. And it’s precisely the opposite of what audiences had come to expect from Roger Moore. I don’t think anyone at the time was truly ready for what Dalton wanted to do with the role. It’s not helped that he was brought onto the film about a month before shooting started. This meant that the script was written for a generic Bond, rather than Dalton in particular. And Dalton was far from generic.
The end result was a film that feels at war with itself. You’ll see Bond at a carnival in his tuxedo in one scene, then exploding in anger over the assassination of a colleague in the next. It’s a bizarre juxtaposition.
What’s even more bizarre is that the film manages to work well enough. It’s not particularly great, but it is an enjoyable action movie. The best parts are definitely when Dalton is allowed to lean into his darker portrayal, but the movie still manages to make some of the lighter moments enjoyable. I can’t explain it, but the film manages to somehow cross the finish line intact. It’s a shaky crossing, and the steering is wobbly, but it just barely makes it. The Living Daylights may not be the series at its best, but it manages to be an enjoyable movie regardless.
Film Dawn of the Dalton Duo
After seven films and twelve years in the role, Roger Moore finally hung up the tuxedo. But his influence cast a long shadow, both on the production and on audience expectations. People expected Bond movies to be light and fun, and that’s exactly what EON Productions was making. So with Moore gone, continuing the series would have to shake things up.
I’ve tried not to focus on the production side of things in previous reviews for the series, but it can’t really be avoided with this one because so much of it explains why this film is the way it is. The simple fact is that there’s no way to talk about Timothy Dalton’s first Bond film without talking about Moore’s films. Their influence is felt in the writing, directing, and audience reception of The Living Daylights. The fact is that this movie was caught between two conflicting approaches to Bond. There’s obviously the lighthearted, quipy romp of the prior films, but there’s also a major attempt to make this Bond a harder-edged, no-nonsense killer. And in trying to be both, it comes off as uncertain.
So let’s talk about Dalton himself. Timothy Dalton is a trained Shakespearean actor, and a major fan of Ian Fleming’s original Bond novels. He particularly loved the darker, more dangerous side of Bond’s character. That was what he wanted to capture with his performance. And it’s precisely the opposite of what audiences had come to expect from Roger Moore. I don’t think anyone at the time was truly ready for what Dalton wanted to do with the role. It’s not helped that he was brought onto the film about a month before shooting started. This meant that the script was written for a generic Bond, rather than Dalton in particular. And Dalton was far from generic.
The end result was a film that feels at war with itself. You’ll see Bond at a carnival in his tuxedo in one scene, then exploding in anger over the assassination of a colleague in the next. It’s a bizarre juxtaposition.
What’s even more bizarre is that the film manages to work well enough. It’s not particularly great, but it is an enjoyable action movie. The best parts are definitely when Dalton is allowed to lean into his darker portrayal, but the movie still manages to make some of the lighter moments enjoyable. I can’t explain it, but the film manages to somehow cross the finish line intact. It’s a shaky crossing, and the steering is wobbly, but it just barely makes it. The Living Daylights may not be the series at its best, but it manages to be an enjoyable movie regardless.