License To Kill

Ooh this is a tough call.

I honestly kind of like Licence To Kill just a tiny bit more than The Living Daylights, and I really enjoy that movie! I have no issue saying this is one of the best Bond stories, it's like For Your Eyes Only but incredibly commited and even better. We meet up with Bond on Felix's wedding day after they arrested a drug lord but he escapes and comes after Felix and his wife, leading Bond on a full fledged revenge mission as a rogue agent from MI6. Oh my God. I am so onboard with this story, you don't need to do a thing. I am there and I am loving it. It's a shame Dalton never got one more crack as 007 because he is really really good in this movie, and I know some say his intense attitude was occasionally off in the last movie which is somewhat true, but here I totally buy it. He friggin' wants this guy dead and will do anything to avenge his longtime friend. It kind of cut me a little seeing Bond show such love and kindness to Felix and his wife Della just to have this horrible thing happen to them, and the fact they brought up Tracy made me get misty eyed a little. He just loses friend after friend, ally after ally, and it really makes you get behind Bond's actions all the way through. I think this is a great story and one that was worth telling! The performances really sold me on this story, as I said Dalton is damn good in this movie and I feel people focus too much on the violence to really appreciate his performance. Robert Davi is such a good villain, he does downright gruesome things yet still has an air of charm and likability at times and his death is perfection honestly. Carey Lowell is a very good Bond girl in my eyes, kind of a more action more than words type of character though she certainly doesn't mind calling bullshit when she sees it, she's one of the finer Bond girls of the series. There's a handful of people you may kind of recognize in the story, we have two Mortal Kombat actors in this movie specifically Katana and Shang Tsung which is kind of cool to see, Benecio del Toro is the main henchman and it's really neat to see him in one of his earliest roles, but strangest of all Wayne Newton the famous singer plays a minor part in this movie and I swear to God I couldn't believe it was him even with my own two eyes. The action is pretty great at times, in particular the big rig truck chase at the end I mean damn guys, good show! So well done, and people throw a fit over, "Oh this movie's too dark and violent, I can't take my 7 year old to see this James Bond movie!" yes because clearly the James Bond series was created for pre-teen audiences. I was watching Goldeneye when I was 4 years old, and yes my parents and even grandparents were slightly concerned about that but they let me watch it anyway because I loved the movies for everything they did and not just certain, uh...elements. My point is, the violence should not take away from your experience unless you are really squeamish around blood. It's telling a very realistic and very serious movie, and I applaud the producers for taking that chance and doing something daring with a very formulaic movie series at this point. You need to shake it up occasionally! There was no harm done by this movie, but the production problems made this the last Bond film for 6 years and good God did they make that comeback worth the wait! Next time, this is where the fun begins. 4 stars from me, with a sterling 8/10!

The Living Daylights

I think people are a bit too hard on Tim.

I never really got the dislike for him, and I totally understand and respect the producer's decision to make the next Bond a radical departure from the last. James is more close to how Ian Fleming wrote him in the books, and considering how popular Daniel Craig's Bond potrayal is I feel it's time to give Dalton another shot. And his first story isn't a bad one, with James working his way up through a KGB arms operation after several agents have been killed, as he soon meets a young orchestra player Kara who is caught up in all the double crosses and plans. I quite like Timothy Dalton and always have but it is sort of a toss up as to which movie of his I like better, he plays Bond with a more rough around the edges view like, problems with authority, not hesitating to threaten or kill to complete the mission but still have the charm and gadgets that we know the character so well for. Connery had those qualities too but the films never took themselves too seriously, where as this one does though it still has humor and a touch of silliness. But it works for me, and this is one of my favorites so far. Maryam d'Abo is lovely as Kara, a kind and quite innocent figure that gets swept up in all this spy business and yeah she's a bit of a klutz but neither is she a brainless fool and I quite liked the chemistry she had with Dalton, granted they bicker like a married couple at times but it's nice to see Bond actually spend time with her and get to know her before the adventure really begins which is a rare occurence in this series but when it's done they do it right. I will say that I'm happy Joe Don Baker got a much better role in the Bond series, cause his character Whitaker is so blah he's just a fanboy for war and weapons, and doesn't have an interesting plan though it's probably the most realistic villain plan ever, exchanging weapons for opium and diamonds to further supply his arms dealing. It's really the only weak point of the movie. But the rest is pretty good! The action scenes start strong from the beginning, and I have to give credit for Dalton wanting to do all his own stunts because not many actors are that commited to a role, and it has my favorite gadget laden car chase so far. It feels very new in terms of production, slowly shifting gears from the 70s to late 80s Bond to more modern cinema. It doesn't really feel 80s though A-Ha of Take On Me fame did the main theme which is one of my absolute favorites of the whole series, it just feels like a well made Bond film that I can safely say tops A View To A Kill. 4 stars, 7.5/10, you should definitely check it out, and next time we look at my favorite of Dalton's films. Will it hold up? Only one way to find out as we view Licence To Kill.

A View To A Kill

Yeah this movie is a bit weird.

Roger Moore's last bow as James Bond is set amid a strange yet still kind of enjoyable movie. The plot is somewhat akin to Goldfinger, Bond is investigating an electronics tycoon with intents to level Silicon Valley and create a monopoly on the microchip, and while the story isn't half bad the devil is in the details. Even Roger said he didn't very much like this movie and felt it was way out of left field for the series at that point and I do have to agree, and said he was far too old to play the part which I sort of see. Granted yes, the stunt doubles are so prevalent you could start a drinking game, it is odd to see Roger get in bed with such young women but honestly the man could charm anything and anybody, the villains though great are just bizarre, and I feel this would have made a fantastic first Bond film for Timothy Dalton. Regardless Roger does fine work in his last installment and it is a shame to see him go but what an impact he left which is still felt even today. Tanya Roberts is...not teeth grindingly annoying as some would suggest and she does have a nice moment here or two but the character was missing something for me. Honestly I would have loved this movie ten times more if we stuck around with that Russian spy, she seemed quite fun and had some history with Bond. Now let's get to the best part, Christopher Walken as the villain and flipping Grace Jones as May Day. Oh God it is simultaneously a stroke of genius and one of the most weird casting choices in cinema. But aside from the neverending fun that is Christopher Walken, I do genuinely dig Max Zorin's backstory of a product of nazi experimentation and that he worked for the KGB is endlessy fascinating and is a pretty great origin especially for a Bond villain. Grace Jones is not out of place in the weirdness that is A View To A Kill, and is a matchmade in heaven with Walken but I just don't know what to make of this character, but I'll be lying if I said she isn't fun to watch at times. The action is okay this time around but it certainly picks up in the next few movies but I can't blame it, Moore was 57 when they were shooting and I'm not going to say he should have doubled down on the physical aspects of the role. The whole film just feels off, not bad but off, if they changed two or three aspects of the film including our main star I wouldn't mind it a bit but the way the production feels is like they just wanted to make another Bond movie and not the next best Bond movie. It doesn't feel like an appropriate end to Roger Moore's tenure, whereas Octopussy ended just right. Despite the issues it has I don't hate the movie, and would give it 2.5 stars, 6.5/10, but would only really recommend it for the hardcore Roger Moore fans or if you're having an all out marathon of the series. Tune in next time for Timothy Dalton's The Living Daylights.

Octopussy

This might be my favorite Moore movie of the series.

This is one of the easiest Bond movies to watch, it returns to the more lighthearted and fun tone of the Moore era and is never a dull watch. 007 is issued a case after the death of 009 where honestly a lot of threads are strewn together but basically is investigating a smuggling organization run by the mysterious woman only known as Octopussy. It's not a difficult plot to follow but there are several parties with their hand in the smuggling ring, but it's all laid out clearly and each has a resolution. Roger Moore is a lot of fun in this movie with tons to do in both action and humor and this particular movie has always been a favorite of mine. Maud Adams returns as a Bond girl, which makes me beyond happy to see her in another role and I'm just gonna say it Octopussy and James are the best combination of the Moore era. Not necessarily to say I hated the other Bond girls of this stint of movies, but the chemistry that Moore and Adams have is simply the best and feels like it could genuinely go deeper than just a fling like so many other women. I'm just glad to see her have more of a role and stake in the story, and needless to say the woman is a work of art she is so beautiful. Louis Jourdan is excellent as Kamal Khan our main villain of the story, his screen presence is strong and is just a lot of fun to watch. Alongside him we have Kabir Bedi as Gobinda, a memorable henchman that has a lot of screen time like Jaws and Oddjob, and while not having much personality is still a strong point of the movie for me. I think a small reason I love this movie so much is because we actually get Q out in the field, a rare occurence for the series but always a highlight for me, in fact Q is my favorite of all the MI6 personnel and Desmond Llewelyn is a treasure in my eyes. I just love him to bits and pieces. The action has a stronger stance in this movie with a great pre-title sequence, good chases, good shootouts, acrobatic asskicking women who work for Octopussy, it's easily one of the most fun and enjoyable watches of the series much like Goldfinger, Live And Let Die, and a few more yet to be seen. I enjoyed myself very much with this movie, and it kinda makes me sad Roger Moore only has one more movie but if memory serves he certainly didn't leave on a bad note. 4 stars, 8/10, definitely recommend even if just to watch it on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Next time, the most strangely awesome villain and a farewell to Roger Moore in A View To A Kill.

For Your Eyes Only

It was better than I remembered.

I seriously didn't like this movie much when I first saw it some few years back and truly dreaded seeing it again, but looking at it now it's actually pretty good! I appreciate the producers wanting to go for a more small scale personal story, and I have to say it works great! Bond is on the hunt this time for a missile communique machine which leads him to cross paths with a woman named Milena who is on her own personal vendetta, as they work together for simultaneous different and similar reasons. Something I never thought I would see in a Bond movie, in this case a more personal story about revenge is done amazingly in my opinion with Milena seeing her parents gunned down and is hell bent on finding the person who ordered them to be killed, is genuinely interesting and actually segueways with Bond's recent actions in the pre-title sequence where he finally gets vengeance on Blofeld after visiting his wife's grave. I simultaneously like that opening and hate it, Diamonds Are Forever should have been the revenge story but they tried to distance themselves so far from Lazenby's film and it's a shame. I see what they try to do, to make a compelling and grounded story about how vengeance is not really the answer, and while it does have it's moments it's not really touched on too deeply. This film and The Spy Who Loved Me were Roger Moore's favotite Bond films and I can see why, he just has such good material and situations to work off on, including a downright ruthless killing that may not suit the Moore era greatly but is still such a good scene I honestly don't mind. Carole Bouquet is damn good in this, though I will say her personality flip flops from stone faced dead eyed killer, to a charming yet broken woman still grieving for her family, but she handles both sides very well. Julian Glover though a fantastic actor has nothing to really play off with the character of Kristatos, now I'm not sure if that's just the fact we've had so many colorful and full of personality villains that he just pales tremendously in comparison, or if it's just not a well defined character that while suiting the more grounded reality of this film just isn't terribly interesting. Again, I know Julian Glover is fantastic and I'm always happy to see him in a new movie but the character just had nothing going for him. Surprisingly most of all, Charles Dance appears with this being his first theatrical film and I couldn't even believe it. It's sad he didn't have much to do in fact he's really in a blink and you miss him scene, but just the fact we have two great actors from Game Of Thrones appearing in a single Bond film is really neat. There's not much action in this one, but it has the best car chase in the series so far! I'm serious this car chase floored me, and the fact that it's not in Bond's Lotus Esprit but a little dinky car that looks like a mix between a Volkswagen Beetle and a 1940s mafia car just makes it even better in my opinion. This movie had an awful lot that I enjoyed and really shot up in my estimation this time around, I just had a blast with this movie. It's going to be tough ranking each individual Bond movie collection, especially with Roger's cause I've enjoyed every last one of them greatly. I give this movie, 3 stars, 7.5/10! Next time, Roger Moore's penultimate Bond movie Octopussy.