The Living Daylights

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Oliver J Critics Consensus: Timothy Dalton’s debut as James Bond reinvigorates the franchise with a sharper edge and renewed seriousness, even if it occasionally struggles to balance grit with the series’ traditional glamour. The Living Daylights is a confident, stylish start for a more human 007. Review: After more than a decade of Roger Moore’s tongue-in-cheek adventures, The Living Daylights signals a clear change in direction. Timothy Dalton steps into the tuxedo with steely conviction, grounding the character in Ian Fleming’s literary roots — colder, more calculated, and refreshingly real. The film’s Cold War intrigue, complete with double agents, defectors, and a cellist caught in the crossfire, gives Bond a story rooted in espionage rather than excess. Director John Glen stages some thrilling sequences — a daring Gibraltar opening, a heart-stopping airplane fight, and a snowbound chase — all infused with a sense of authenticity missing from recent installments. Though it occasionally wavers between Dalton’s gravitas and the series’ lighter legacy, The Living Daylights succeeds as a thoughtful transition — bridging classic Bond spectacle with a new, more grounded intensity. It’s a strong, if not flawless, reintroduction to a hero rediscovering his edge. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/28/25 Full Review Jacob B Let's make one thing clear: The Living Daylights is only darker than previous James Bond films in comparison. And most of it is because of Timothy Dalton's performance, which he based on how Ian Fleming wrote Bond in the original novels. This is by no means the angst-fest Dalton's reputation as the proto-Daniel Craig says it is. In fact, The Living Daylights still has its share of comedic moments, some of which strike me as the filmmakers' old habits dying hard. I mean, the visual of 007 riding a rollercoaster whilst still wearing a tuxedo feels more, no pun intended, suited for Roger Moore. With Dalton, the whole sequence looks like something that would be more fitting for The Naked Gun. That being said, The Living Daylights is still really good. Dalton lives up to his modern reputation as being ahead of his time performance-wise, the theme song is one of the best amongst 007 soundtracks, the action sequences are fun and the story is intriguing without coming off as convoluted, even by spy film standards. Not to mention the film can be quite funny without devolving into absurdity like the Roger Moore era, save for that aforementioned scene at the carnival, which could be mistaken for a parody when taken out of context. Hell, I struggle to understand what sense it makes in context. Bond showing a girl a good time while he waits for his contact to arrive, perhaps? I guess they had to show James doing something flirty with a lady but, since this film was released at the height of the AIDS epidemic, they had to downplay his womanising habits because the filmmakers could've gotten in trouble for encouraging promiscuity. As for the villains? Necros is a fun henchman who gets a few good fight scenes and Joe Don Baker certainly seems to be enjoying himself as the Big Bad, even if he is defeated rather anticlimactically. Overall, a really good spy film that does have a few moments that feel out of place in the name of gently transitioning away from the silliness of the Roger Moore era but, at the end of the day, proves to be both suspenseful and a ton of fun. And hey, while the James Bond franchise has had issues with its actors either having underwhelming final installments or leaving too soon, this one ends on a different kind of high note, even if it wasn't intentional: as 007's last PG-rated adventure before the franchise started to explicitly target teenagers and young adults. Sounds like I have something to look forward to in Licence to Kill Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/11/25 Full Review Brandon S Better of the 2 Dalton flicks It's easily in my Top 10 Bond movies. Not sure why it doesn't get the attention it deserves. I like the grittier Bond and the Craig ones seem to fall in line with this installment above all others. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/07/25 Full Review thiago s Filme mais ou menos para fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 0.5/5 Stars •  Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/25 Full Review Daniel C. M Dalton's first entry as Bond remains one of the most underrated in the franchise. Featuring a more serious and ruthless Bond, the film, however, still never lets down on it's humor and action; the gadgets here specially are wonderful. It is also worth mentioning this film has probably some of the best acting of the Bond series, specially with it's Bond girl Kara, genuinely being in top 10 (probably even top 5) Bond girls in the series, and probably the one with biggest chemistry. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/04/25 Full Review James P Welcome back 007! After Grandad Roger's limp, painful exit we get one of the strongest films in the series. Dalton's debut is a brilliant, globe-trotting yarn with a wonderful leading lady. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/13/25 Full Review Read all reviews

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