James Bond - Part 6.4: The Timothy Dalton Phase

[TRUMPER007]

The summer of 1987 was a fantastic one for the cinema - Timothy Dalton took over the 007 role with grace and panache and 'The Living Daylights' was and still is one of my favourite all time Bond films. 'Licence To Kill' was again, in my humble opinion, a superb film and 20 years ahead of its time. Even though the humour had been largely removed they were still Bond films. With Craig's two movies they are action films but not Bond films. The sparkle that makes 007 unique has gone - bring it back!

[mrdax1997]

Wow wait a minute, Bond and Necor s wore parachutes underneath their clothes on the cargoplane, that means that theyy really fought on the net.I did'n't know that.

[onfloater94]

If I have to say anything, it's that the opinion you hold on Dalton's one-liners does not concur with my own. I find them to be funny in the fact that they are so dryly humorous, and that his tosses them in with such sardonic nonchalance, as not to tear the dark persona he wanted to give the role. But besides that, thank you for a wonderful video.

[TheTributeMedia]

idk what you mean about him failing on quips.. u should have brought lillies made me lol

[vanillaorchid]

You're right about the clothes. I found Moore unwatchable, hated his Bond films, but the hing that sticks in my mind most is finding a Bond film on telly one afternoon and seeing Roger Moore in a bloody safari suit. I mean, James Bond in a safari suit WTF! Killed the whole thing dead for me.

[DaveM599]

I think the thing that ultimately worked against Dalton (and I'm a fan of his) is that the Bond series had long since stopped being remotely realistic and in trying to do a faithful version of Ian Flemings original character, Dalton ended up a bit out of pace with the overall style of the series. Brosnan combined the movie star/humour with the dramatic aspects better, because I think he realised that Bond was larger than life by that point and that was something that couldn't be avoided.

[Whitaker87]

Whitaker was so underused but had all the makings of a classic baddie.

Joe Don Baker has played some good baddies in the past like in Charley Varrick but I don't think any other actor could have done a better job as Whitaker.

Lost scenes for Whitaker may exist but that is a question for John Glen to answer.

[dhutchinson86]

The little scene at 0:55 with Pushkin has my favorite Bond one liner of all time. "Correct, you should have brought lillies."

[ViperLord21]

As someone who's not really a Dalton fan, I have to say I've immensely enjoyed all your videos that I've seen thus far. Very well done.

[kewlbreez]

Re. Dalton being "natural", in whatever clothes he's wearing, vs Moore, or Lazenby, you're spot on. Neither of those 2 could do it like him, and no one as good as Connery, except, as you say, Dalton. Your commentary thru these videos is excellent; I feel they should be made into a documentary, if not a full length movie for tv! Keep em coming...& thnx!

[susanbird1]

Dalton was perfect in the role of Bond with Connery coming of course 1st.

[Prod1Kh]

Why was Dalton the best Bond? Has Bond ever looked more ready to commit mass-murder than immediately after Saunders is killed?

[Officerasim]

I have to say Moore is my favorite, and it's funny that you give Dalton a pass on things you destroyed Moore over that was very unfair, I thought you were trying to do an unbiased look but obviously your not i was enjoying your videos but after destroying my favorite Bond and giving a pass for the same things to the one you obviously like, not to mention giving him like 4 videos for one of his movies I have no desire to watch the rest of your series, not that you care but i had to say it.

[SFNDMK]

IDK i like daltons humor. it shows that even though he cracks a few jokes he still serious at the same time which makes me appeal to him but thats my opinion.

[willmolinar]

Nice job but God your voice is so boring and monotone. Inject some personality into it next time. Bond rules.

[PurushaDesa]

In that opening Haphazard, I think you just demonstrated that Dalton could do humour. To me that line about being stuck in the middle of an Afghan airbase is pretty funny.

They just needed to tailor the lines to be more cynical rather than force him to do stupid puns that have no place in the more jaded interpretation of the character.

Again this is evidenced by Daniel Craig's darker Bond who can still do some comedy because the writing is much stronger.

[btz2005]

As a Bond Fan I have to say that the humor in the Moore films didnt bother me at all and I actually loved it! Its what made me love Roger Moore the best as bond.

On another note I like both humor and Seriousness, so when they made daltons movies more serious I welcomed it completely because I liked both.

[19torento]

Holy cow! I didn't know the original Pushkin went all the way back to From Russia With Love! That was twenty five years ago! O_O Also, agreed on the fight scene between Necros? and Timothy Dalton. That was a great fight scene. James Bond fights the most powerful villain in this movie, he's dangling behind a plane several thousand feet up, and all while a bomb is set to go off in just minutes. Along with the opening teaser of Moonraker, this is one of the two best aerial battles for Bond ever!

[Prod1Kh]

@19torento You mean Gogol and he didn't. Gotell was playing a member of SPECTRE in that movie.

[ZombieMan04]

About the Siskel and Ebert thing. They both loved Connery, and it was clear that Ebert liked Moore a little more than Siskel. Neither of them really said great things about Timothy Dalton, but I don't know what Siskel's final say was. Ebert didn't like him. Siskel said that he believed Brosnan would make a great Bond. However, Siskel did not like Brosnan's Bond. Ebert did. Siskel thumbed up TND, not because of Brosnan, but because of Pryce. Siskel died before Craig, but Ebert loves Craig's Bond.

[kurt30001]

Timothy Dalton played James Bond as he should be played ! HARD EDGED ! Bond was never funny !! He was a spy and assassin for MI6 !! It is his films until the present day is the Bond films I watch over and over again ! Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig made Jame Bond as he should be ! Lethel !!

[beefdog]

@kurt30001 Exactly. James was not a suave playboy. He was a serious, brooding spy who had a sensitive side as shown in the books.

[chidz]

Good stuff, very nice commentary you clearly know your bond. About the clothing, its not just you! :) Dalton is incredibly dapper compared to the others epecially Moore. When you first mentioned that, i immediatley thought of what Moore was wearing in a view to a kill, in the final scene. Oh that leather jacket! they tried to make him look young but he ended up looking like a geriatric renegade.

I think Daltons look was one of his greatest merits + no one does the zoom in stare like him!

[HaphazardStuff]

I can't remember Siskel liking any Bond film. I know he loved Connery and then I think he dismissed all of them without him. I think both him and Ebert agreed to liking Never Say Never.

At one point someone posted a Bond show S&E had done in the early 80's on YT. It was pretty interesting to watch, I think it got taken down though.

[Damecos]

In the making of video they say those stuntmen hanging onto the cargo net were not wearing parachutes. Apparently when they would fall off safety crew would go after them with a parachute.

The movie is not too dark/realistic, there is actually a fair bit of humor and over-the-top elements to it. I actually enjoyed Dalton's delivery of the lines during the ice chase although I can see how him making jokes of the situation is a bit out of place considering his seriousness during other parts.

[kevnev007]

@Damecos They did actually wear parachutes. The comment in the making of video was not true. Even stuntman have to abide by some safety rules.

[help4343]

@HaphazardStuff

Siskel liked Tomorrow Never Dies

[RobertCrostonFilm]

i totally see what you're saying about his clothes!

[HaphazardStuff]

Good, I'm glad it's not just me!

[Yahiko25]

@HaphazardStuff Did you know that besides Walter Gotell, "the Living Daylights" marks the final appearance of another recruiting character? Fredrick Gray, played by Geoffery Keen. Gray left M's office when he suppose to meet the PM, and then we did not see him since.

[TheUnderdwellers]

Timothy Dalton is also brilliant with props