The Living Daylights [Blu-ray]

Replaces lost dvd.

With THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS Eon productions returned to the style that made the James Bond films a success in the first place. Bond classics like FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY are the template that director John Glen and writers Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson (who also co-produced the film) used in creating a style to fit new Bond Timothy Dalton. Dalton's performance comes straight out of Ian Fleming's 007 novels, as he re-read all of Fleming's books before filming TLD. At times Dalton's performance echoes those of Sean Connery, but with a harder edge befitting a character who has been through as much, and come as close to death as many times as Bond has. Dalton's Bond is professional, but cynical, while maintaing a suave persona and a subtle sense of humor. The supporting cast is excellent as well, with Jeroen Krabbe and Joe Don Baker as particular standouts. The story echoes the decline of the cold war, and leads Bond into a new era where the Soviets are no longer the main threat for Bond to foil (like OCTOPUSSY, TLD features a rogue Russian General acting without the knowledge of his government). The action sequences are outstanding, and the locations are exotic (as usual), befitting a great Bond film. The DVD includes the best picture and sound that this film has ever seen, easily surpassing the VHS and LaserDisc versions. The special features include 2 documentaries, a "lost" scene, trailers and TV commercials, and more, making this DVD package a "must buy" even if you have already seen the movie several times. Timothy Dalton brought credibility back to Bond as an action hero, but, sadly, he was to appear in only one more Bond film, the outstanding LICENCE TO KILL.

Thoroughly enjoyed the movie!!

One of many very similar James Bond films, it is disappointing that Timothy Dalton only did two films as James Bond. This film, like so many others in the series, bounces around to various places in the world, Gibraltar, Czechoslovakia, Tangiers, Afghanistan, and else, often with tenuous connections. I still don't understand the point of the Gibraltar scenes, except it introduces a character trying to assassinate 00 agents. This leads Bond to various places and a chance to have chase scenes in the snowy mountains of Czechoslovakia and later chases in the Afghan desert. One of the better Bond films, it has a love interest in the character of Maryam d'Abo as a cello player, and someone who is intellectual and can contribute to the plot. Too often these types of films had had women who were useless damsels in distress. Later Bond films had women who were agents just as efficient as Bond as himself. High light of the film is the chase aboard the airplane with a bomb aboard and Bond has to fight an assassin, and the scene where d'Abo's character drives a jeep onto that same airplane. Other good scenes are those with John Rhys Davies as General Pushkin. He and Bond seem to have a past together and the scenes in the hotel where they arrange the faking of his death were delightful. The chemistry between the two was grand and Davies should have a larger role. Also, the American arms dealer played by Joe Don Baker was another opportunity for the British to make fun of Americans as psychotic gun nuts. However the title of the film is meaningless. I did not get why it is called The Living Daylights. Also the irony of the British helping out the mujahideen in Afghanistan is funny now, but in 1987 these terrorists were useful in throwing out the Soviets, which was more important at the time. So the scenes of Bond helping these people in the film was hysterical in a cynical way. On the whole one of the better Bond films, but still tends to run too long and try to take too much of Bond as world traveler.

This is the last best Bond film ever made...Licence to Kill was not bad either. I hated the Craig and Brosnan films...Though I believe Craig definitely has the physicality to take on 3 guys single handedly, there is no way you can make me believe that Brosnan ever could. That he beefed up a little bit for 2002's Die Another Day was needed fighting anyone in the post 9/11 era (where evil people are just bigger, use MMA fighting skills and more juiced up then old school).Timothy Dalton is ruthless as the new Bond and he molds perfectly like a new shoe at the right time when The Living Daylights debuted. Though Moore makes a fine 007 and actually did more of his own stunts than even Connery, he was getting much too old for the part. He was 57 when A View To A Kill came out in theaters.I probably would of been more of a fan of '90's Bond Films if Dalton did at least 3 more. But no doubt, the classic Bond Era from 1962-1989 trumps the 1995-2019 one.

Timothy Dalton is still my favorite Bond, and I like having this one in my collection. The timing and acting in this movie were great, and I still enjoy it.

"The Living Daylights" I give ten stars!

Too much Matt Helm and not enough James Bond. The great bond movies star a serious secret agent who has an elegant demeanor and wry sense of humor engaging in smart, exciting action. The serious agent should dominate the story. The humor and stunts should season a good story, not become the stand-out elements within a muddled plot. Dalton was misused here.

Sehr schöne Kriminal- bzw. Verfilmung aus dem kalten Krieg, sehr gute Musik, authentische Geschichte, spannende Szenen, insgesamt überdurchschnittlich

Ras

Es un DVD con el tercer mejor Bond. Nada más.

Clearly the best Bond film of all time! Dalton was ahead of his time and its a great shame that The Living Daylights is often overlooked.- Bond actually thinks, and the audience is left to figure out the complexities of motives and ideas. I can't think of another Bond film where the intelligence of the audience is respected. For example - when Bond first meets Kara, and Kara explains that Koscov had her help cover his defection as a pretend assassin. In that moment, Bond realises two things - that Koscov had wanted her to die at Bond's sharp shooting, and also that Kara has no idea that he has far less affection for her than she does for him. None of this is explained - but if you've been paying attention, and are thinking, then you can realise these two things at the same time as Bond does - and Dalton acts it brilliantly. I also love how Bond thinks at the country house meeting, being suspicious of Koscovs motives, and at later points in the film where he's trying to suss out what's going on.- This is a rare Bond film where its actually Bond who is figuring out the mystery and motives rather than being told to investigate someone or some plot. Some criticise the story for not having high enough stakes, but for me its a relief to trade a "take over the world" plot for a thinking man's mystery spy thriller.- The relationship with the girl is complex. Its very ambiguous in places whether Bond actually likes her, or is just pretending to to get the answers he needs and to keep her close for information. Her irritation is purposeful - she genuinely winds him up - and watching this tension play against him also finding her attractive is fun. Even after they kiss for the first time (the fairground scene - where his intentions are still ambiguous) he still shows contempt and impatience.- The music - brilliant score, my favourite for any Bond film. The three themes (the a-Ha and two Pretenders songs) weaving into the soundtrack score is great. Its so much better than the already horribly dated, cold Eric Serra score that followed later in Goldeneye. John Barry did a fantastic job, and cameos at the end as the conductor.- Necros - awesome villain, and contributes to one of the best action scenes in a Bond film with his one-man take down of the country house to rescue Koscov. Any other scene like this in an earlier Bond was laden with fake wooden planks, sugar glass, hammy henchman acting - but here it plays gritty and real. He burns a mans face before whacking him out cold with a frying pan - years before the brutality of Bourne films or Craig's Bond. Interestingly, the actor (who also played the "they have rules for policemen" terrorist in Die Hard, and the guy on the bench holding the match in Mission Impossible), is now a yoga instructor.- Genuine spy stuff: Other Bond films seem to rely on naff action or CGI/gimmicky stuff to please the audience. Here we get rare scenes that play like a good spy thriller. The defection - the moody late night hotel scene with the night-vision and sniper rifle. The conversations in the car driving to the defection point. Getting Kara out of her apartment in view of the guys watching. The scene in Pushkins apartment, and then his staged assassination. The fairground scene, getting information from Saunders, and Bond's subsequent anger at his death. If it weren't for the Moore-esque one-liners and shoe-horned action scenes (the car stuff), the film would play like a genuine spy thriller and would have probably been much better received and remembered.- The best action scene for any Bond film! The moment the opium bags fall out of the plane, I feel a genuine lurch of panic every time I see it. Such an awesome set-piece.The bluray is of course excellent, with loads of extras, commentaries, trailers etc. The making of film is actually a good one, with decent anecdotes and stories of filming it - not just talking heads gushing about it in a PR way like you normally get these days."Whoever she was, it must have scared the living daylights out of her".

Another top notch blu-ray transfer with the usual package of extras. Timothy Dalton debuts as Bond in this first of two films he would do as the British secret agent.Dalton excels as Bond. He captures both Bond's dangerous and debonair side. He does a nice job with the Bond quips. He can certainly fight. One quibble. He tries maybe a little too hard to find Bond's human side. I prefer the more unflappable performances by the likes of Connery and Moore, the two long-serving Bonds that preceded him. There is lots of action and adventure around the plot involving phony KGB defections, arms and drug dealing. The action moves from locales such as Giblratar, Vienna, Tangiers and Afghanistan. Norwegian pop-stars Aha, handles the title song. This would be John Barry's final stint as Bond composer. He scored 11 of the first 15 films, including all of the '60s classics, but for the first Bond film Doctor No, although for that film he did collaborate with Monty Norman on the famous James Bond theme, before taking over composing duties outright for the next 6 movies.This 1987 entry, 15th in the series is top notch entertainment and is generally ranked high by hardcore Bond fans. Fans of the Ian Fleming books, will notice the nod to Fleming's title short-story as well, in the film's early going, in which Bond is assigned to take-out a KGB sniper, who threatens the defection of General Koskov. The scenario is a re-worked version of Fleming's original early '60's story.