The Living Daylights

Bond. James Bond. Who else? Yes, and back with vengeance. I like Dalton in the role; he is much closer to what Fleming had in mind than anyone since Connery. To borrow another critic's phrase, he makes Bond “dangerous and vulnerable again.” Quite. With a better script, this could really have soared. I of course base this on my extensive reading of the Bond canon, including the Authorized Biography. Actually, the picture itself I found to be pretty good--for the first two thirds, after which it descended into a numbing repetition of pyrotechnics and improbable plot resolution. The first two thirds are tight and sharply directed and paced, and while they do reprise some old Bond standbys, they do so with a fresh injection of wit and style. Another weak spot: the female lead, who, while attractive enough, is played as a whimpering simp, in no way the kind of woman who would attract Bond as much as she seems to in this picture. Standout: the blond guy who plays the killer henchman—very menacing—and the kitchen fight scene is the best in a Bond film in a long time (it’s just too bad Bond isn't in it—Bond’s showdown with the same killer is disappointing, despite what looks like some incredible stunt work.) This should have been better, and maybe with a better script would have been, but when Dalton sets his jaw, and his voice whipcracks across the screen, you know Bond is, in fact, back.