The Living Daylights (1987)
Average Rating: 6.3/10
Reviews Counted: 36
Fresh: 27 | Rotten: 9
In The Living Daylights, newcomer Timothy Dalton plays James Bond with more debonair seriousness than preceding installments, and the result, is energetic, exciting, and occasionally weighty.
Average Rating: 6.2/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 6 | Rotten: 3
In The Living Daylights, newcomer Timothy Dalton plays James Bond with more debonair seriousness than preceding installments, and the result, is energetic, exciting, and occasionally weighty.
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Average Rating: 3.1/5
User Ratings: 52,421
My Rating
Movie Info
The Living Daylights represents the first appearance by Timothy Dalton as "Bond...James Bond." Based loosely on an obscure Ian Fleming short story, the film finds Bond assigned to aid in the defection of KGB agent Jeroen Krabbe. 007 must prevent an unknown sniper from killing Krabbe before he can reach the West. The mysterious assailant turns out to be the luscious Maryam d'Abo, who, as it turns out, is not all that she seems. The plot wends its way through a scheme to trade several million
Jun 29, 1987 Wide
Oct 17, 2000
MGM Home Entertainment
Watch It Now
Cast
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Timothy Dalton
James Bond -
Maryam d'Abo
Kara Malovy -
Jeroen Krabbé
Gen. Georgi Koskov -
Joe Don Baker
Brad Whitaker -
John Rhys-Davies
Gen. Leonid Pushkin -
Art Malik
Kamran Shah -
Andreas Wisniewski
Necros -
Thomas Wheatley
Saunders -
-
-
Geoffrey Keen
Minister of Defense -
Walter Gotell
Gen. Anatol Gogol -
Caroline Bliss
Miss Moneypenny -
John Terry
Felix Leiter -
John Bowe
Colonel Feyador -
Julie T. Wallace
Rosika Miklos -
Kell Tyler
Linda -
Catherine Rabett
Liz -
Dulice Liecier
Ava -
Nadim Sawalha
Chief of Security Tangi... -
Alan Talbot
Koskov's KGB Minder -
Carl Rigg
Imposter -
Tony Cyrus
Chief of Snow Leopard B... -
Atik Mohamed
Achmed -
Leslie French
Lavatory Attendant -
Virginia Hey
Rubavitch -
Peter Porteous
Gasworks Supervisor -
Ken Sharrock
Jailer -
Frederick Warder
004 -
Bill Weston
Butler Blayden -
Maite Sanchez
Girl -
Antony Carrick
Male Secretary Blayden -
Richard Cubison
Trade Centre Toastmaste... -
Derek Hoxby
Sergeant Stagg -
Sumar Khan
Kamran's Man
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The Living Daylights Trailer & Photos
All Critics (36) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (28) | Rotten (11) | DVD (17)
Expect the expected.
Timothy Dalton, the fourth Bond, registers beautifully on all key counts of charm, machismo, sensitivity and technique.
This Bond is as fast on his feet as with his wits; an ironic scowl creases his face; he's battle ready yet war-weary.
Confused plot and digressive globe trotting notwithstanding, the best Bond in years.
Top CriticMr. Dalton, the latest successor to the role of James Bond, is well equipped for his new responsibilities. He has enough presence, the right debonair looks and the kind of energy that the Bond series has lately been lacking.
Dalton, with his athletic sort of Brit-yuppie work ethic and romantic streak, comes out all right.
"Finally, a James Bond movie that Ian Fleming can be proud of. Dalton is a lean, mean and bold Bond. Full of great action and featuring a romantic sub-plot that elevates this above most other 007 adventures."
Dalton is a dapper, dashing and dangerous Bond. And although "Casino Royale's" sophisticated blend of thrills and personal turmoil slightly eludes "Daylights," it's a sign that the producers then had the right instincts if not the full initiative.
Dalton gets a chance to demonstrate a fascinating, if slightly too actorly take on [James Bond].
It was somehow more entertaining than how it sounds.
...ultimately comes off as one of the most ineffective and flat-out dull entries within the ongoing series.
After the fizzle of the later Roger Moore Bonds, The Living Daylights brings in a new 007 in Timothy Dalton, who manages the Connery trick of seeming suave and tough at the same time.
With its weak plotting and distinterested performances, this is a misfire on nearly every level.
Dalton is an engaging Bond, d'Abo is coolly alluring, and Krabbe is the epitome of the double-dealing spy master.
A very weak entry
The casting of Timothy Dalton as James Bond in this 15th entry into the adventures of 007 is widely considered a classic mistake: Dalton isn't suave like Sean Connery or even Roger Moore.
I'm one of the few people who really liked Timothy Dalton as James Bond.
Typical Bond action but it's one of the spy's worst.
Timothy Dalton looked painfully shy
Audience Reviews for The Living Daylights
Super Reviewer
Dalton gets dumped on, but I rather like his brief era, but maybe that's because I'm a fan of a more realistic and dark approach. That's also why I dig Daniel Craig. I will concede that each Bond has their good and bad points though. And Dalton is fine here. He was criticized for being humorless. Well, he's not entirely, but he is really dry with his quips.
Okay, the plot. Well, it's immense: Bond is signed on to aid in the defection of a Soviet, only to find himself stuck in the middle of a complex plot that also involves tons of Cold War intrigue, lies, deception, arms smuggling, the opium trade, and the Soviet war in Afghanistan (later revisited in Rambo III). Yeah, it's a lot, but it's all handled surprisingly well, and during its 131 minute run-time the film moves along at a pretty brisk pace. For the most part that is. It does start to drag some and get real drawn out during the final act, but it does conclude quite satisfactorily.
Like I said, Dalton is good, but you can tell it's his first film, as he is a bit stiff at times. Again though, I like him. Maryam d'Abo isn't the worst Bond girl, but she struck me as really wooden and rather blah. She's nice looking though. The film fares better with the supporting cast, with top honors going to Joe Don Baker, Jeroen Krabbe, and John Phys-Davies.
The stunts and action are staged and executed fairly well, the direction is fairly assured, and overall, this is a really enjoyable, sadly underrated romp. Give it a go.
Super Reviewer
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- Kara Malovy: Knowing you only two days and all I can think of is how we would be together.
- James Bond: Don't think. Just let it happen.
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- James Bond: Just taking the Aston Martin out for a spin, Q.
- Q: Be careful, 007. It just had a new coat of paint!
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