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.

The Fellowship Of The Ring

What the hell? You're reviewing Lord Of The Rings when Star Wars is coming out this week?! I already did Star Wars, so just read my reviews on those then go see the new movie, then get back to me and read these reviews during the holidays.

So why exactly am I reviewing The Lord Of The Rings movies? Well to be perfectly honest I got so used to a new Hobbit movie every December, and the actual meaning of the movies is companionship, loyalty, and friendship, qualities found in this world especially around Christmas time. I'm actually going to review the extended cuts of these movies cause they are the only true way you can watch The Lord Of The Rings movies. Needless to say I am a huge fan of these movies, have been since 2001 and it does not take long to get you interested. Just the opening sequence hooks you, and not once does it get slow, it keeps a steady and interesting pace. It gives you plenty of time to get to know the characters and the world. It is an epic tale of a Ring Of Power that if not destroyed can plunge Middle-Earth into eternal darkness, so it is up to our heroes to destroy it before it is too late. The term perfect cast has never ever been more true than with this cast, Elijah Wood is the only Frodo Baggins ever, Ian McKellen is wise and friendly as Gandalf the Grey, Orlando Bloom is nothing to me but Legolas he just has the physique of an Elf, friggin' Christopher Lee (God bless him) is pure menace as Saruman the White, just to name a few and everybody is so perfect. New Zealand is the most fitting backdrop for Middle-Earth on this planet, and I need to visit there one day. The music by Howard Shore just...my God. The best examples of it are actually the songs with singing in Tolkien's Elvish and the Black Speech of Mordor. I would recommend watching the theatrical cut and if you loved it enough to view the extended cut, it adds to the movie in every sense of the word. Every thing they added makes the movie better to the point where, really it kind of ruins the theatrical cut because of the lack of the additional scenes. It makes the film better in my eyes, but the theatrical cut is still a great film on it's own but the extended cut is leaps and bounds better. If you think you are hardcore enough and want to jump right into the extended cut alone, you rock! You will greatly enjoy it and it will not hurt you if you have never read the books written by J.R.R Tolkien, cause I haven't read the books. Not yet anyway and I still praise the movie and can't wait to read them. Even if you know nothing about Lord Of The Rings, the film, either cuts of it will fill you in. It is a very accessible movie to non-fans which is good if you feel that you might not have the proper beforehand knowledge and might find it a bit daunting. Anyone can watch this movie so have no fear. I hope you enjoy it, and you can find the extended editions just about anywhere, probably cheaper now than they were when first released and the best part is it includes both cuts of the movie and not just the extended cuts. So tune in tomorrow where we continue the trilogy.