TLD doesn't make my top five for just two reasons: Whittaker is a weak villain and Necros is a Grant rip-off (good, menacing villain, but still too similar to Grant). Apart from that, the movie is a pure joy.
I like it better than all of the Brosnan ones except Tomorrow Never Dies.
Never pegged you as a fan of my favourite Brosnan outing somehow... ?:)
It's the only one that feels like a real Bond movie to me. It's something to do with the combination of pacing, fashions, and music. They seemed to get all of that right. It's weak because of the villain. The odd thing is both films have actors capable of playing the villain well; the writing was just underwhelming.
He's a delightfully stupid POS IMO, and dies a well deserved stupid death.
Necros is not like Grant- he's a self-happy goon in search of a boot. )
And he got it. B-)
The odd thing is both films have actors capable of playing the villain well; the writing was just underwhelming.
That's sort of common in many Bond movies IMO. I guess we love them more for the enjoyable execution than the depth, eh?
Bond movies are like family -- even if they're not perfect, you love them anyway. But the writing should be the least problematic of all of the ingredients and too often seems the most instead.
Sure there are some great moments - particularly the cargo net fight. And Dalton is great. However, one of the very worst bond girls (Kara was so annoying) and weak, unmemorable villains. A mid-ranker for me.
I agree with most of this, except I do not rank Kara so lowly or find her so annoying. Kara, Koskov, Whitaker, Shah, Necros, Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, are by no means all poor, they are just not memorable. I do enjoy the dynamic between Bond and Saunders, beginning frostily and ending with mutual respect. I then believe Bond's anger when he pops the balloon after Saunders death. I also enjoy the similar dynamic between Bond and Pushkin.
Moore Not Less 4371 posts (2002 - 2007) Moore Than (2012 - 2016)
Well, it's on in the background and I'm just bored. A huge problem for me is the very slow score. They play the Bond theme so slowly in the action scenes that all tension is lost. It's more suitably paced for a slow ice skating video, not a high speed fight on top of a Land Rover. This fault is repeated in the music in pretty much all the action scenes. It's not something I really noticed in the previous gazillion views, but somehow tonight it stood out and is just annoying me. There was always something I couldn't put my finger on with this film, and now I know.
To be honest I braved the cgi fest that was The Hobbit:Battle of the Five Armies yesterday and what a mess that turned out to be.
If this is modern film making with annoying cgi then you can keep it. Perhaps you will enjoy TLD when you older.
TLD has a superb score. i'd say the best in the series.
1. For Your Eyes Only 2. The Living Daylights 3 From Russia with Love 4. Casino Royale 5. OHMSS 6. Skyfall
Well, it's on in the background and I'm just bored. A huge problem for me is the very slow score. They play the Bond theme so slowly in the action scenes that all tension is lost. It's more suitably paced for a slow ice skating video, not a high speed fight on top of a Land Rover. This fault is repeated in the music in pretty much all the action scenes. It's not something I really noticed in the previous gazillion views, but somehow tonight it stood out and is just annoying me. There was always something I couldn't put my finger on with this film, and now I know.
As for the music, I don't entirely agree with our stupid moronic fella here.
I can agree, that the tempo of the music is relatively slow, but you can say the same about OHMSS and Octopussy.
That's how Barry does it however he stretched the repeatings of the main theme a bit too far in TLD.
The music is good for me, the big and tearful flaw in the movie is somewhere else
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
TLD continues to move up my list almost everytime I watch it.
Timothy Dalton is a fantastic Bond, he IS Daniel Craig, Connery and Brosnan all in one.
We see Timothy Dalton manifesting all of Bond's multiple personalities as they become necessary -
Bond the focused and cold blooded assassin wielding the HUGE gun, Bond the cultured connoisseur when opting for a preferred beverage for Georgi and recognizing the personal name attributed to random cellos, Bond the vengeful yet controlled professional when preparing to execute mistaken enemies,
This sums up why I rank Dalton as Bond so highly - his portrayal of the more of the cold blooded assassin, the consummate professional killer, who hates his job and only kills if he has to. This is Fleming's Bond. His "stuff my orders" like was delivered perfectly, as Fleming's Bond would. There was an article in GQ magazine about why Dalton was the best:
That pretty much sums up my reasons for loving his portrayal too. Like Dalton, I'm very much a Fleming purist. I believe there's only one way to play Bond and that's by the book.
Sadly, I do agree with others that the main villain was somewhat weak. He wasn't portrayed as someone who could pose a threat to Bond, but merely an inconvenience to be disposed of. That was the main weakness of this film. It started off with a big enough bang, though - that sniper scene was almost straight from the book.
"Stuff my orders! I only kill professionals. That girl didn't know one end of the rifle from the other. Go ahead, tell M what you want. If he fires me I'll thank him for it ... with any luck, it'll cost me my double-0 number!"
The soundtrack, even though it has its moments and it's good (he's John Barry after all), has aged bad due to the use of very 80s sounding synthesizer rhythm tracks. I wish Barry had used a more traditional, 60s spy movie sound. Ten years later 60s sound were again current, TND soundtrack is so 60s sounding. But this was the 80s, and synths we "cool".
1. I was not only speaking about you and him when I mentioned the curse of the Timboys (admittedly he majorly criticized the score which you have defended )
Hope that he'll put a more comprehensive review a bit later - if his snakes did not kill him today
3. Chief Insulter? He's stupid, so I am more a reality-teller
And he insults me more, I am quite modest compared to what I am really thinking about him
Yep, poor fella as the Timboys where after him. Though he may be too stupid to even realize that ) ) )
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Timboy as defined by Higgins- anyone who does not loathe TLD or LTK with every fibre of their being, raging every time the films or their star come up. Anyone who suggests that either film may possibly have some good points. Anyone who does not have Timothy Dalton at the very end of their preferred Bond list, no matter how low he may appear on said list.
In return, I'll support you slagging of the LTK score any time you call.
Actually I quite like Kamen's work for the Robin Hood movie and parts of LTK.
But he over-exaggerates his themes and on repeated hearing it tends to annoy me - though his ideas are not really bad. Really bad it NSNA's score.
He's far away from the Master but I see no reason for "slagging".
So you see, I find positive parts in the shitty movies called TLD and LTK, hey I am a highly-sophisicated and complex spirit and not the blunt instrument that the Timboys try to draw of me
President of the 'Misty Eyes Club'.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Thanks for defending the score for TLD. In return, I'll support you slagging off the LTK score any time you call.
I think Kamen's score for LTK is one of his worst scores ever.
But like pizza, even bad Kamen is still Kamen. I actually like it a bit, but I still wish Barry had done it.
I pretty much hated the score for Licence to Kill, though his rendition for the Bond theme was accetptable. I pretty much felt the same way about his score for Die Hard, except for one part which I later found out came from James Horner.
Comments
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Necros is not like Grant- he's a self-happy goon in search of a boot.
And he got it. B-)
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
A perfect example of blending realism with the fantastic... B-)
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I agree with most of this, except I do not rank Kara so lowly or find her so annoying. Kara, Koskov, Whitaker, Shah, Necros, Moneypenny, Felix Leiter, are by no means all poor, they are just not memorable. I do enjoy the dynamic between Bond and Saunders, beginning frostily and ending with mutual respect. I then believe Bond's anger when he pops the balloon after Saunders death. I also enjoy the similar dynamic between Bond and Pushkin.
Even though you rank FYEO and OP as the best Moore films?
Anyway, I also consider TLD to be a top-notch Bond. Like Halcon, both of Dalton's films are in my personal Top 10.
Even in my early days as a Bond fan, renting VHS tapes and trying to make sense of it all, TLD always stood out as one of the best.
For what it's worth- Kara is one of my favorite Bond girls and Whitaker is one of my favorite villains.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
To be honest I braved the cgi fest that was The Hobbit:Battle of the Five Armies yesterday and what a mess that turned out to be.
If this is modern film making with annoying cgi then you can keep it. Perhaps you will enjoy TLD when you older.
TLD has a superb score. i'd say the best in the series.
Happens to me all the time
How dare you criticizing heir favorite toy.
So Asp9mm how did you enjoy Dalton's weeping?
Isn't it totally annoying?
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
As for the music, I don't entirely agree with our stupid moronic fella here.
I can agree, that the tempo of the music is relatively slow, but you can say the same about OHMSS and Octopussy.
That's how Barry does it however he stretched the repeatings of the main theme a bit too far in TLD.
The music is good for me, the big and tearful flaw in the movie is somewhere else
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Interesting. 8 of your top 10 are in my top 10; your number 1, 6 and 8 matches up perfectly with mine
This sums up why I rank Dalton as Bond so highly - his portrayal of the more of the cold blooded assassin, the consummate professional killer, who hates his job and only kills if he has to. This is Fleming's Bond. His "stuff my orders" like was delivered perfectly, as Fleming's Bond would. There was an article in GQ magazine about why Dalton was the best:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140825060347/http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2012-11/08/timothy-dalton-the-best-james-bond-007
That pretty much sums up my reasons for loving his portrayal too. Like Dalton, I'm very much a Fleming purist. I believe there's only one way to play Bond and that's by the book.
Sadly, I do agree with others that the main villain was somewhat weak. He wasn't portrayed as someone who could pose a threat to Bond, but merely an inconvenience to be disposed of. That was the main weakness of this film. It started off with a big enough bang, though - that sniper scene was almost straight from the book.
"Stuff my orders! I only kill professionals. That girl didn't know one end of the rifle from the other. Go ahead, tell M what you want. If he fires me I'll thank him for it ... with any luck, it'll cost me my double-0 number!"
That's because you go out of your way to invite it. Ask, and you shall receive.
(And I'm a Barryboy, not a Timboy!
Really? I remember that you mentioned that you are the first.
Anyhow - I may invite them. But this time, it was not me.
That poor fella said that he did not like the movie and immediately the same people who go after me show up and praise the lord
Look and you may realize, old friend
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
(1) I was the second (Chris was first).
(2) I'll leap to John Barry's defence every time (and have done so quite literally!)
(3) "that poor fella" ??? From his chief insulter???
1. I was not only speaking about you and him when I mentioned the curse of the Timboys (admittedly he majorly criticized the score which you have defended
Hope that he'll put a more comprehensive review a bit later - if his snakes did not kill him today
3. Chief Insulter? He's stupid, so I am more a reality-teller
And he insults me more, I am quite modest compared to what I am really thinking about him
Yep, poor fella as the Timboys where after him. Though he may be too stupid to even realize that
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
I must suggest a new entry to Loeffelholz:
Timboy as defined by Higgins- anyone who does not loathe TLD or LTK with every fibre of their being, raging every time the films or their star come up. Anyone who suggests that either film may possibly have some good points. Anyone who does not have Timothy Dalton at the very end of their preferred Bond list, no matter how low he may appear on said list.
Don't you ever bring me near to your suggested me-making definition of a Timboy
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
How old do you have to be? It's already been 27 years since I first saw it
Thanks for defending the score for TLD. In return, I'll support you slagging off the LTK score any time you call.
(and of course I won't ask Loeffs to add my grossly exaggerated definition
Yeah, time to grow up a little for Asp9mm
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Actually I quite like Kamen's work for the Robin Hood movie and parts of LTK.
But he over-exaggerates his themes and on repeated hearing it tends to annoy me - though his ideas are not really bad. Really bad it NSNA's score.
He's far away from the Master but I see no reason for "slagging".
So you see, I find positive parts in the shitty movies called TLD and LTK, hey I am a highly-sophisicated and complex spirit
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
But like pizza, even bad Kamen is still Kamen. I actually like it a bit, but I still wish Barry had done it.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS