And just as quickly as it began, the Dalton era comes to an end. I’ve always wondered what kind of films we would have gotten had legal issues not come up and Dalton had continued in the role for longer. Sadly we only get these two as he decided to move on when the next film was finally able to move forward. While it’s not as good as its predecessor, Licence to Kill is still a sold entry in the Bond canon in spite of the fact that it feels less like a Bond film than almost any film since perhaps Live and Let Die.

As Moore’s first film was heavily influenced by the blaxploitation films of that era, Dalton’s swan song is very reminiscent of the action films of the 1980s. Bond had always walked that balance between debonair spy and action hero. The films directed by John Glen definitely upped the stunt work game, but the action always felt secondary to the story. Here, on a quest for revenge on behalf of his longtime ally Felix Leiter, the plot seems to have little bearing other than to link the action scenes that were written into the script. Dalton makes you feel his seething hatred for Sanchez and his bloodthirsty need for revenge, but it never rises above being more than a plot decide to propel the story. Even at the end, Leiter seems in quite good spirits for a man who lost his wife and a leg.

Bringing back David Hedison as Leiter was a smart play as it’s a character we’ve already Identified as Leiter so the audience is more invested in the story. It helps that he was also one of the better actors in the role. Imagine if it was the Leiter from Diamonds are Forever again. Shudder. What would have been more interesting is to see a Bond taking more risks, getting a little sloppy as he’s so focused on revenge, his normal skills not at their peak. Instead he lucks into situations were Sanchez, a man who prides himself on the loyalty of his underlings, begins to doubt and subsequently dispatch said underlings.

What does work is the expanded role for Desmond Llewelyn’s Q as he ventures into the field to help Bond in his vendetta. His pouting when Bond sends him away and his immediate delight when asked to stay a little longer are highlights for longtime fans. His best scene is easily when he casually throws one of his gadgets into the bushes after spending years admonishing 007 for not taking proper care of his work. It doesn’t hurt that he’s wearing a comical fake mustache at the time. Llewelyn is a series treasure and I’m so glad they wisely chose not to replace him until he tragically passed away.

I wish I could say the same for the replacement M and Moneypenny. Robert Brown is capable enough but when he’s barking at Bond it just doesn’t carry the same weight as when Bernard Lee could cower him with a glare. Caroline Bliss was a poor substitute for Lois Maxwell and is given little more than a cameo here. Her and Dalton had no real chemistry so it was no real loss they had no interaction here. As for the Bond girls, I always like Lupe better than Pam Bouvier. Both actresses are fine, but Lupe felt like she sizzled with Bond more. Bond and Pam barely exchange a few sentences before jumping in the sack and her jealousy of Lupe through the rest of the film feels lacking and rather immature for a Contra fighter pilot.

I’m going to give Licence to Kill 6/10. A better than average entry that feels like it could have used a few more passes on the script. An unhinged, reckless Bond would have been a sight to see. The action is still quite good for the series, with the tanker chase at the end being one of the more interesting final assaults on the big bad. I like the theme (not as much as the previous two) but it feels like the music in this film took a backseat to everything else. We now close out the classic Bond era and look to see what regeneration he takes when he pops up six long years later.

Current Rankings:
1) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2) From Russia with Love
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) The Living Daylights
6) The Spy Who Loved Me
7) Thunderball
8) Dr. No
9) Licence to Kill
10) Octopussy
11) Live and Let Die
12) You Only Live Twice
13) The Man with the Golden Gun
14) A View to a Kill
15) Moonraker
16) Diamonds are Forever

Scores updated to this point!

I'm a bit behind in the Brosnan era...hoping to do a double feature this long weekend.

Licence To Kill

***Never seen this one before***

Opening scene is a bit far fetched. It good to have David Heidison back as Felix, he’s been the best amongst a bunch of middling rivals in the Felix role.

Theme song is ok, Gladys Knight has an amazing voice but the track lets her down.
Great cast of 1970’s and 80’s supporting players – Everitt McGill, Frank McRae, Grand L Bush, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa.

This is quite dark, I’m not sure this would have worked with Moore or Connery, but it certainly suits Dalton style.

Not too fusy on Carey Lowell as Bouvier, Talisa Soto makes up for it though.

Like the villains here, something TLDL lacked, Davi and Del Torio both evil and stylish.

The final scenes with the fuel tankers do become a bit repetitive and could have been slimmed down.
I’ve really enjoyed Dalton, shame issues caused the hiatus and eventual replacement.

I think LTK and TLDL are on a par with each other, The Living Day Lights starts better and is helped by a brilliant Bond girl in D'Abo. But it suffered as it went on with weak villains. Strangely Licence To Kill starts weak, has a disappointing Bond girl but it has great villains and a really enjoyable edgy second half.
I reckon Licence To Kill just shades it. 8/10

I've gone well into my 30's without ever seeing a Dalton Bond so kudos to this rewatch for getting me to seek them out (plus the charming For Your Eyes Only). We'll not mention Octopussy though!

Tomorrow Never Dies. Well, this pleasantly surprised me. I'd have had this as a 6 beforehand, but now, it's at least a 7. Falls short of an 8, but it certainly shades Goldeneye, (which I'd have definitely ranked above it before this). I was tempted to put it at an 8, but then it'd share billing with OHMSS and TSWLM, and it's not quite there (curse the lack of half marks!)

This tends to be quite an overlooked Bond, but I found it to be largely enjoyable from first minute to last. Aspects of the plot are quite topical, and Carver is detestable - a ruthless and powerful figure whose lack of compassion certainly mirrors parts of the mainstream media that I'm familiar with. I can see why some might find him a little feeble, but he is exactly how I'd picture a media mogul in his position (aka a shithouse hiding behind masses of bodyguards and henchmen). Brosnan is very much in the groove as Bond, and Wai Lin is a grade A bad ass Bond girl (certainly up there as one of the best). There's some really cool stunts (I particularly like the bike chase scene and the remote control garage scene) and some amusing dashes of humour (even if the sexual innuendo is on the nose... a cunning linguist?!)

Biggest negative is probably the theme song. I like Sheryl Crow a lot, but some of the notes she hits aren't pleasant to the ears.

I’ve long maintained that Pierce Brosnan was the best Bond after Connery and that GoldenEye was easily his best film and one of the best of the franchise. This may be due in no small part to the fact that GoldenEye was the first Bond film I saw in the theatre. I was 11 years old and had been watching the older Bond films for a few years. But GoldenEye was my first true Bond experience and Brosnan was MY Bond in that regard. However I will admit right at the start that I was a little underwhelmed by GoldenEye for this rewatch. Looking back at Moore’s For Your Eyes Only and Dalton’s The Living Daylights (what I consider to be their respective best films) I was genuinely happy and even excited rewatching them. I never really got that feeling with GoldenEye.

I spent a good portion of the first half of the film questioning the plot. Outside of maybe Thunderball, I don’t know if Bond have ever been more convenienced into a villain’s scheme. He happens to run into Xenia on the road, who happens to steal the helicopter and then the GoldenEye. It doesn’t kill the film but much like on the Thunderball rewatch it takes you out of the film when the narrative doesn’t flow more naturally. I also thought they made Brosnan’s Bond a little too quippy. There’s a one liner every couple of minutes almost like he’s parodying himself. I did laugh when the film pokes fun at this facet when he starts to say he’s a little tied up but quickly cuts himself off with “never mind”.

I still thoroughly enjoy Brosnan as Bond. Whereas with Dalton you could feel the emotions under the surface, Brosnan feels like a rogue with a sophisticated polish. More apt to engage in a brawl then reason out of a situation. He engages in a few hand to hand combats that were sadly lacking in the Moore and Dalton eras. I particularly enjoyed the scuffle with the deckhand utilizing a towel as a weapon. He lets little emotion out either intentionally or unwillingly. I felt more could have been mined from 006’s betrayal but for Brosnan’s 007, it comes off little more than a mild annoyance rather than grappling with the treachery of such a close friend.

Not to say that 006 is not a great villain to kick off the Brosnan era. Sadly I don’t think he’ll get another of such high caliber. But it was genius to have a darker version of 007 be the main antagonist. Even if his plan seems a little convoluted, the fact that he knows Bond’s methods and tactics lets him stay one step ahead of the hero without having Bond make foolish mistakes just to make the villain seem powerful. The film picks up considerably when Bean makes his reappearance and he and Brosnan play very well off one another.

The film also does a fine job of populating the supporting cast of MI6 for the first time since the Connery era. Judi Dench is fantastic as the new M, mining conflict with Bond as a bureaucrat who thinks he’s a relic of the Cold War while still being smart enough to know when Bond is a necessary tool to be used. They have grudging respect for one another but there is realistic tension between them. Samantha Bond as the new Moneypenny is also a great addition. Sadly I think they devolve her character as the films go on and she never is as strong or as witty as here. And of course, Desmond Llewelyn stays on as Q providing a crucial link to the classic era and just generally being beloved by all.

I’m going to give GoldenEye a 7/10 which is still strong for the series however I’ll probably rank it below some of the other 7s I used to put above it. Coming off a six year hiatus, Bond makes a welcome return to the silver screen, but the issues that were becoming more emblematic in the 80s really hit their peak in the 90s. Bond is little more than a gun toting action hero rather than a secret agent. He massacres countless Russian soldiers and drives a tank through St. Petersburg. Admittedly I probably enjoyed those bits as a kid but they seem out of place in the franchise when viewed as a whole. It’s not done to excess here but you can almost see how the Brosnan era ends up as it does as they start to sacrifice believability for spectacle more and more.

Current Rankings:
1) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2) From Russia with Love
3) Goldfinger
4) For Your Eyes Only
5) The Living Daylights
6) The Spy Who Loved Me
7) GoldenEye
8) Thunderball
9) Dr. No
10) Licence to Kill
11) Octopussy
12) Live and Let Die
13) You Only Live Twice
14) The Man with the Golden Gun
15) A View to a Kill
16) Moonraker
17) Diamonds are Forever

Happy to be jumping in with Brosnan, but sad that I missed Dalton. I've been doing a bit of a rewatch of my own with #FromFebwLove on my film blog - http://undy-a-hundy.com/

I just saw Octopussy. Man, I am late on the schedule.

I don't really have that much to say about this one, honestly. It's probably the weakest Bond movie so far. The slapstic and action scenes look like they came straight from Disney's Aladdin (hell, there are jokes that are pretty much the same), the villains are forgettable, their plan makes little sense, and overall I was pretty bored while watching it. This movie is as by the books as a Bond movie can be, and while following the Bond formula is expected, they play it as safe as possible.

3/10, I was bored throughout.

At times like this I really miss Goldfinger. It has a massive asspull at the end, but the rest of the movie flows wonderfully. It still frustrates me to no end they couldn't make a rewrite or fix the scene so that the betrayal made more sense, but what can you do.

Welcome aboard and I checked out your site, great concept for your review scores! If your joining us here for this you can always just give scores for the previous films rather than reviewing here.

Goldeneye

Good theme song by Bono/Edge sung by Tina Turner, I also really liked the credits with the fall of the USSR motifs. Brilliant opening sequence as well, the bungee jump, 006, the skydive. Has the feel of The Spy Who Loved Me.

Nice to see Moneypenny completely besting Bond. Samantha Bond is a better choice than her young blonde predecessor (The two actually were in school together but a couple years later now makes her more believable)

Dench straightway impresses as M. The lines she delivers were she calls Bond a dinosaur really brought Bond up to date in the mid 90’s.
I’d say Goldeneye has the very best Q scene, always loved the “Don’t touch that, that’s my lunch” line. Llewelyn works best with Brosnan, always seemed a genuine love and respect between the two.

The three villains are great, Trevelyan is unique in that he’s a real match for Bond’s skills, it's a bit of shame we couldn't have seen Bean before in other films to add more weight to the loss/betrayal. Onatopp has to be the best henchwoman in the series, I love the way Ourumov looks at her when she’s panting after shooting the scientists at Severnaya. Brilliant performance for Famke Jansen.
Gottfreid John also brings real depth to Ourumov, playing the Soviet general role that has often been one dimensional in pervious films.

Joe Don Baker gets to redeme himself after TLDL. That “Do you like gardening?” line is a bit weird though. I guess something got cut later?

The tank chase scene is impressive, so often its Bond being chased so it’s a good reversal. How does it end up ahead of the train though? Absolutely implausible.
Overall, great start for Brosnan, I think the film benefitted from the prolonged break due to the dispute. Allowing it to revaluate itself for a post-Cold War world. 8/10

Scores updated to this point!

Also, the results of the previous poll:

New poll is up!

Thanks to everyone for participating so far. It's kind of sad we're nearing the end...

I owe you guys some mini-reviews!

Octopussy

I don't really have a lot of strong feelings on this one. It's just sort of there, occupying space. Some of the set pieces, locations, and action scenes are quite good, but the confusing plot and tonal imbalances keep it down. Louis Jourdan is a fun and suave bad guy, but Maud Adams is on the bland side, and Berkoff just gnaws on the scenery.

5/10

A View to a Kill

Moore maintains the tradition of a Bond actor exiting on this worst movie. A View to a Kill starts off OK, actually (I was wondering if I had judged it unfairly) with some very exciting stunts and a fun chase through Paris. Then we toil away as viewers in the stables for what feels like hours, and suffer another absurd storyline. Walken and Jones seem wasted in the movie, although they have some great sexual chemistry. Moore looks old. I will say the master-servant stuff with Moore and Patrick Macnee is excellent; I would have liked to see even more of it.

4/10

The Living Daylights

For about 85% of the movie, I was thinking 7/10. But the third act in Afghanistan is tedious and Whitaker is just a cheesy, distracting villain. Still, Dalton shines in his first Bond affair (I love that first zooming shot of him on the rocks) and the rest of the supporting cast is quite good. Krabbé, d'Abo, and Rhys-Davies are all welcome. Just a hair short of 7/10.

6/10

Licence to Kill

It might be an unlikely Bond movie, but it's paced well with taut action, a visceral plotline, and a steely performance from Dalton, who exited the franchise far too soon. Davi is a solid villain: cruel, but charismatic. I really like Q in this one; him operating as a field agent is a lot of fun--albeit out-of-character--and brings some much-needed levity to this dark revenge story. The violence can be a bit much, and Soto's Lupe is disappointing (she falls in love with Bond at the drop of a hat), but overall this is a rock-solid action film.

7/10

GoldenEye

This has always been a personal favorite. I was 12 when it came out, after all, so it definitely captured my young male mind. Plus I adored the video game. Brosnan, who I've long maintained is the second-best Bond, immediately slides into the role. The supporting cast is one of the best ever: Dench, Coltrane, Bean, Janssen, Cumming, etc. Dench is an absolute delight, and her short screen time really elevates the proceedings. Samantha Bond sparkles in her brief role as well. Martin Campbell's action direction is great, and some of the stunts are spectacular, including the opening bungee jump and the tank chase. I just wish the movie slowed down to develop some of the characters, dynamics, and relationships. There's so much to mine here: the brotherly relationship between Bond and Trevelyan, political fragmentation in a post-Cold War world, Bond's emotional detachment. There's that really beautiful scene on the beach in Cuba, where Natalya asks Bond "how can you be so cold?", but it doesn't feel earned. The script touches, glancingly, on some of these themes, but doesn't really attack them. At 130 minutes, the film had the time to be as intellectually efficient as it is technically efficient. GoldenEye helped push the series into the modern era, but ultimately it still confirms to the standard template.

7/10