Plot: What’s it about?
General Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe), a high ranking Soviet Union official has just defected from his ranks, but he wasn’t alone in the process. He was aided by a British secret agent and though the escape wasn’t easy, they managed to pull it off in the end. But soon enough, the general is surrounded by mystery and that means more trouble to be sure. But the British agent involved was no mere normal spy by any means, he was Agent 007 himself, James Bond (Timothy Dalton). This means he won’t let the injustice ride and as such, he begins his quest to discover what this entire scheme amounts to. He runs into Kara (Maryam D’abo), a beautiful musician and the two of them trek the trail of this mission, perhaps even making some music of their own during their down time. Bond soon begins to peel back the layers of this situation and finds a complex and high reaching plot, which involves weapons, freedom, and world domination. So this will prove to be another dangerous mission, but with his various weapons and skills perhaps Bond can solve this issue and restore peace on the globe once again.
When Timothy Dalton was chosen to take on the reins of this series, he promised a darker Bond and one that was more true to Ian Fleming’s vision of the character. I think that is a fantastic idea and a darker Bond is something I would love to see, but Dalton drops the ball in both of his efforts in the series. He isn’t bad by any means, but he fails to capture the enigma of the character like Connery and Moore before him. The Bond character here lacks the suave manner of Connery’s turn and also doesn’t show the humor Moore brought to the part. I don’t think this is the worst of the Bond films by any means, but it is in the lower tier of my picks. The film sports some terrific action sequences and has a nice flow, but the storyline and lack of a powerful villain keep this one down in the end. The storyline is mediocre at best even when compared to other Bonds, which just doesn’t cut it for me. I know the stories only serve to allow stunt sequences in the series by this time, but I really dislike this installment’s plot movements. So the storyline is somewhat weak and the villain lacks punch, I still think this is a solid adventure movie and warrants a look, especially from Bond fans. It isn’t among my favorites, but my collection wouldn’t be complete with The Living Daylights.
As I mentioned above, this film features Timothy Dalton as Agent 007 and though he has some good intentions, he falls short of the role’s standards. He does bring a new edge to the character that I like, but it is not enough to give the role his own trademark by any means. I wish he could have had another shot or two in the series, because if he could have refined and defined his take on the part more, I think he would have been terrific. But in the end, he doesn’t do too bad given the pressure involved and at least he made a couple of them before he left. You can also see Dalton in such films as Made Men, The Rocketeer, Brenda Starr, The Beautician and The Beast, and his other Bond film, Licence To Kill. The supporting cast also includes Caroline Bliss (Licence To Kill), Desmond Llewelyn (Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only), Robert Brown (The Masque Of The Red Death, Slow Burn), Maryam D’abo (Tropical Heat, Out of Africa), John Rhys-Davis (The Great White Hype, Raiders Of The Lost Ark), and Joe Don Baker (Leonard Part 6, Tomorrow Never Dies). At the helm of The Living Daylights was John Glen, whose other work in this series includes For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, Licence To Kill, and A View To A Kill.
Video: How does it look?
The Living Daylights is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a fantastic transfer that delivers on all counts, aside from some slight grain at times. The grain isn’t an extreme factor, but in a few instances it can become a little distracting. Still, this one looks excellent and is one of the better Bond transfers in the end. The contrast seems razor sharp, with high detail level and excellent shadow depth. Colors seem a little faded here and there, but usually appear natural and display no distortion or other errors. I found minimal compression flaws also, which results in a superior transfer for this popular film.
Audio: How does it sound?
This disc includes a Dolby Digital 5.1 track, which provides a solid and active audio experience. The surrounds come to life in the more action driven sequences, but some good subtle use is also evident at times. This gives the film a more deep, realistic atmosphere and that’s always a plus in a movie like this. Once again, John Barry has supplied a wonderful musical score and it sounds awesome here, using the surrounds to immersive ends. I also found no problems with the dialogue and softer effects, both of which come through in fine form. This disc also includes a Spanish stereo surround track, English captions, and Spanish & French subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
As with the other discs in The James Bond Collection, this one comes complete with a nice selection of bonus materials. First up is Inside The Living Daylights, which is a thirty-six minute featurette that gives us an inside look at this movie. It focuses more on the action sequences than I’d like, but still makes for a nice watch nonetheless. I do wish it was more in depth in the end, but I am glad it was placed here. Ian Fleming: 007’s Creator is next and if you can’t tell, this forty-five minute piece deals with Ian Fleming who…created James Bond. This is very interesting overall, with interviews and other footage that shed some light on the man behind Bond. From his younger days all the way through, we get the inside scoop on the man himself. You’ll also find the film’s theatrical trailer, U.K. teaser trailer, and North American teaser trailer and I am pleased all have been included here. I love trailers and was happy to see these, but I wonder why no television ads were packed on. Also found is a music video for the film’s theme song and a brief behind the scenes look at how that video was made. The final supplement is an audio commentary track, which includes director John Glen and various members of the cast & crew. This much like the other non screen specific Bond tracks and while there is a lot of information here, the track can become rather dull and tedious at times.
