LTK, which is only 2 years after, he appears to be really out of shape...what a difference.
That tells me you haven't watched LTK very recently. )
Haha I probably watched it about 3 months ago. My girlfriend recalled how good looking he is in TLD, but not in LTK. Have to agree!
Dalton's biggest problem in LTK is his awful wardrobe. When you see him without his shirt on he's very slim, but he doesn't look to be in poor shape in the least.
When you see him without his shirt on he's very slim, but he doesn't look to be in poor shape in the least.
Fair enough, he just doesn't look as good in the face. I wonder if Dalton continued in 1991/2 what he would've looked like then?
On this point, why was the wardrobe for him so poor in LTK? It's very un-Eon like to have Bond poorly tailored.
Dalton is 'my Bond' and is superb in LTK. However even if have to admit that he started to fade very quickly. He was in good shape if a little thin, but his hairline was moving south apace. As noted the costume design did not help, in fact the production values overall were poor. It looked and felt cheaper across the board. Despite all of that I still love it, it was a brave experiment and like Dalton somewhat ahead of its time. The great shame for me is that he did not become Bond two films earlier. Boy he would have been terrific.
Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Yeah, he looked slim enough but he never stripped very convincingly, he was a bit sheepish in the bed scenes. Never very tanned or buff. By now the series had been wrongfooted by Hollywood which was knocking out Bond-style fantasy stuff like Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Indy 3 and Arnie with those laconic, Connery-style quips. LTK was the film Glen always wanted to make, but it took him too long and there are no exotic touches really. I enjoyed it first time round more than TLD, but for me it has no rewatch value.
The Living Daylights came around on telly again last weekend.
In some ways it has aged well, though Timothy Dalton is still playing to the gallery again. Maybe it's the director's fault. Perhaps Tim did a good take, only to be told 'Tim! There's a little old lady with cataracts in Row W, she can't make out your expression, can you give it another go?'
Dalton even fluffs his one-liner that closes the pts: 'Better make that two...'
Still he looks good, esp in the tux in the Bratislava sequence.
That said, the film has a lot to absorb and I just can't get on with the pipeline to the West, chiefly because even today I cannot grasp what this is about. Yes, I have heard of such a pipeline. Never seen it though, neither in real life nor on telly nor in the papers. So it is all rather lost on me, though it seems an ingenious wheeze. It's like the conflict diamonds in DAD, I mean I've never heard of them so it goes over my head a bit.
It is all a bit confusing this film and I think a better director could have made it a bit lighter and more digestible. I mean, even when Bond is on sniper duty for years I thought, right, this is the new grumpy Bond - fun! But of course, Bond is tense because he is being asked to kill in cold blood. Just one line could make that clear. "You are used to this kind of thing, I take it?" "What, cold blooded murder? Yep, that's what I'm paid for."
But I don't think Dalton is a cinematic actor really, not sure if he's had any lead cinematic role up to that point. It's a bit like Lazenby, he's landed himself a tough debut gig.
But Dalton's Bond lacks any of the boyish narcissism that other Bonds have, so he is a bit stodgy. When Bond muses as to why Yogi chose him to be the sniper, Saunders replies 'He's under the impression you're the best.' Bond might then make a joke, a mock-boast, an expression as if to say 'Oh yeah, that makes sense' and we would remember the line more. It's significant; Yogi chose Bond cos he knew he'd deliberately miss Karla. But it took me many viewings to figure that out and even when you know, it doesn't really hit home.
Also, it's the bit when he pretends to be Yogi's friend to trick Karla. I mean, that's a mean trick, or is it? Cos John Barry's soppy music plays on, oblivious to Bond's deceit. When Dalton confides to Saunders that's he playing her along, to find out what he can, is he just saying that to impress Saunders and keep him on board, so he doesn't get taken for a man falling down on the job for a woman, like before? Or is that what he is really doing? It takes a more skilled cinematic actor than Dalton to convey that.
Oh, and helping out Bin Laden isn't a great move, either. It's like Roger Moore coming to the aid of Idi Amin in Live and Let Die.
Maybe if you research a little, you might understand TLD a bit more, and in turn, enjoy it more?
Film: Tomorrow Never Dies | Girl: Teresa di Vicenzo | Villain: Max Zorin | Car: Aston Martin Volante | Novel: You Only Live Twice | Bond: Sir Sean Connery
Yeah, he looked slim enough but he never stripped very convincingly, he was a bit sheepish in the bed scenes. Never very tanned or buff. By now the series had been wrongfooted by Hollywood which was knocking out Bond-style fantasy stuff like Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Indy 3 and Arnie with those laconic, Connery-style quips. LTK was the film Glen always wanted to make, but it took him too long and there are no exotic touches really. I enjoyed it first time round more than TLD, but for me it has no rewatch value.
Correct. My bad. I tend to think that North is whatever is in front of me. Mrs Zaphod believes that this is because I believe that I am the centre of the Universe
Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Why should I need to research a movie before seeing it?
You should have researched it after you saw it because you didn't understand it.
Exactly.
Film: Tomorrow Never Dies | Girl: Teresa di Vicenzo | Villain: Max Zorin | Car: Aston Martin Volante | Novel: You Only Live Twice | Bond: Sir Sean Connery
Well if you have to research a film to understand it better, haven't the writers and director failed in their basic task - entertainment and enlightenment? (David Lynch and Terence Malick aside ).
Not if everyone else has understood it. He's talking about conflict diamonds and pipelines... Not exactly rocket science. )
Film: Tomorrow Never Dies | Girl: Teresa di Vicenzo | Villain: Max Zorin | Car: Aston Martin Volante | Novel: You Only Live Twice | Bond: Sir Sean Connery
I'll be honest, the plot of TLD isn't the easiest thing to follow. I always find that I have to remind myself of the diamonds/opium plot point when watching it, because it doesn't quickly make sense to me.
It's almost too much with everything else going on. Call me stupid, but I agree with others who say that it's the fault of the filmmakers if it isn't easy to understand quickly...
I agree with others who say that it's the fault of the filmmakers if it isn't easy to understand quickly...
I like that I had to watch it a few times to fully get what was going on. -{
At least for me any Bond movie has never been straightforward. From when I was a kid to now it's always been a given that any Bond movie plot took multiple viewings to understand. IMO, that's always been the unwritten part of the formula in an attempt to make Bond movies intellectually elevated above the fray at the risk of becoming convoluted. This is why I think the way practically every movie was written was susceptible to plot holes...well above your average thriller/mystery movie.
"...the purposeful slant of his striding figure looked dangerous, as if he was making quickly for something bad that was happening further down the street." -SMERSH on 007 dossier photo, Ch. 6 FRWL.....
I agree with others who say that it's the fault of the filmmakers if it isn't easy to understand quickly...
I like that I had to watch it a few times to fully get what was going on. -{
At least for me any Bond movie has never been straightforward. From when I was a kid to now it's always been a given that any Bond movie plot took multiple viewings to understand. IMO, that's always been the unwritten part of the formula in an attempt to make Bond movies intellectually elevated above the fray at the risk of becoming convoluted. This is why I think the way practically every movie was written was susceptible to plot holes...well above your average thriller/mystery movie.
Yep. My comment certainly wasn't a criticism if the formula, it is something I appreciate.
I guess out of all the plots - TND is one of the easiest to "get-quickly".
Yeah, he looked slim enough but he never stripped very convincingly, he was a bit sheepish in the bed scenes. Never very tanned or buff. By now the series had been wrongfooted by Hollywood which was knocking out Bond-style fantasy stuff like Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Indy 3 and Arnie with those laconic, Connery-style quips. LTK was the film Glen always wanted to make, but it took him too long and there are no exotic touches really. I enjoyed it first time round more than TLD, but for me it has no rewatch value.
I met Michael G. Wilson at an event in the mid 90s. It was between GE and TND. I told him that I thought LTK was trying too hard to keep up with the Die Hards, Lethal Weapons, etc., especially with the use of Michael Kamen as composer. I told him that it was a poor storyline at which point he informed me that he wrote it due to the writer's strike and I crept away very sheepishly...
However, I do enjoy watching it now with an older and wiser head on.
One thing which never fails to surprise me is the lack of fire suppression/fighting equipment in a multi-million dollar facility? Because of this disregard for health & safety & fire regs (do you have health & safety & fire regs in a criminals lair?) Sanchez sees his empire consumed by flames in very short order from a small fire started by a beaker of petrol.
Note to all Bond villains. For your own safety & the safety of others please fit sprinklers.
I too watched LTK again. Time certainly has helped me appreciate it more. Great villain, decent revenge story. I love the way that Bond plays off Sanchez and Krest. And I have always loved the way Bond escapes from Sanchez's island.
I can't agree with an article that places LTK above TLD.
Agreed.
IMO TLD is a more classic Bond film, with all the right elements brilliantly all put together. While it may be slightly unoriginal (in terms of the feel of "churning out in the 80s"), it's certainly a better production than LTK.
LTK has quite a bit going for it, and I admire the film - but it just doesn't feel as polished.
I can't agree with an article that places LTK above TLD.
Agreed.
IMO TLD is a more classic Bond film, with all the right elements brilliantly all put together. While it may be slightly unoriginal (in terms of the feel of "churning out in the 80s"), it's certainly a better production than LTK.
LTK has quite a bit going for it, and I admire the film - but it just doesn't feel as polished.
Comments
She works at Cheers in Boston , I heard she married de Vito
Dalton's biggest problem in LTK is his awful wardrobe. When you see him without his shirt on he's very slim, but he doesn't look to be in poor shape in the least.
So the pipeline across the iron curtain never existed? I didn't know that.
Fair enough, he just doesn't look as good in the face. I wonder if Dalton continued in 1991/2 what he would've looked like then?
On this point, why was the wardrobe for him so poor in LTK? It's very un-Eon like to have Bond poorly tailored.
"Better make that two."
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
They hired a costume designer who could give Bond a more fashionable edge. It's equal to Bond's suits being too tight in SF and SP.
Dalton is 'my Bond' and is superb in LTK. However even if have to admit that he started to fade very quickly. He was in good shape if a little thin, but his hairline was moving south apace. As noted the costume design did not help, in fact the production values overall were poor. It looked and felt cheaper across the board. Despite all of that I still love it, it was a brave experiment and like Dalton somewhat ahead of its time. The great shame for me is that he did not become Bond two films earlier. Boy he would have been terrific.
Yeah, he looked slim enough but he never stripped very convincingly, he was a bit sheepish in the bed scenes. Never very tanned or buff. By now the series had been wrongfooted by Hollywood which was knocking out Bond-style fantasy stuff like Lethal Weapon 2, Batman, Indy 3 and Arnie with those laconic, Connery-style quips. LTK was the film Glen always wanted to make, but it took him too long and there are no exotic touches really. I enjoyed it first time round more than TLD, but for me it has no rewatch value.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Maybe if you research a little, you might understand TLD a bit more, and in turn, enjoy it more?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
You should have researched it after you saw it because you didn't understand it.
Correct. My bad. I tend to think that North is whatever is in front of me. Mrs Zaphod believes that this is because I believe that I am the centre of the Universe
Exactly.
It's almost too much with everything else going on. Call me stupid, but I agree with others who say that it's the fault of the filmmakers if it isn't easy to understand quickly...
"Better make that two."
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
At least for me any Bond movie has never been straightforward. From when I was a kid to now it's always been a given that any Bond movie plot took multiple viewings to understand. IMO, that's always been the unwritten part of the formula in an attempt to make Bond movies intellectually elevated above the fray at the risk of becoming convoluted. This is why I think the way practically every movie was written was susceptible to plot holes...well above your average thriller/mystery movie.
Yep. My comment certainly wasn't a criticism if the formula, it is something I appreciate.
I guess out of all the plots - TND is one of the easiest to "get-quickly".
"Better make that two."
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I met Michael G. Wilson at an event in the mid 90s. It was between GE and TND. I told him that I thought LTK was trying too hard to keep up with the Die Hards, Lethal Weapons, etc., especially with the use of Michael Kamen as composer. I told him that it was a poor storyline at which point he informed me that he wrote it due to the writer's strike and I crept away very sheepishly...
However, I do enjoy watching it now with an older and wiser head on.
Haha!
"Better make that two."
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Downsides: Pam Bouvier, Timmy's wardrobe.
From Esquire magazine....... LTK:The most underrated Bond film.
Agreed.
IMO TLD is a more classic Bond film, with all the right elements brilliantly all put together. While it may be slightly unoriginal (in terms of the feel of "churning out in the 80s"), it's certainly a better production than LTK.
LTK has quite a bit going for it, and I admire the film - but it just doesn't feel as polished.
"Better make that two."
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS