The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights

The Living Daylights

1987Movie130 minEnglish

After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigned a secret mission to dispatch the new head of the KGB to prevent an escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.

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Insights

IMDb6.7/10
Rotten Tomatoes64%
Metacritic57/100
Google Users73%
Director: John GlenGenres: Action, Adventure, Thriller

Plot Summary

James Bond is assigned to protect a Russian general's wife, Kara Milovy, who is being used by a KGB general to smuggle arms. Bond's mission takes him from Czechoslovakia to Afghanistan, uncovering a plot to spark a third world war. He must race against time to expose the rogue general and prevent global catastrophe.

Critical Reception

The Living Daylights was generally well-received by critics, who praised Timothy Dalton's more rugged and intense portrayal of James Bond. While some found the plot slightly convoluted, the action sequences and Dalton's performance were widely considered highlights, marking a fresh direction for the franchise.

What Reviewers Say

  • Timothy Dalton brings a grittier, more serious tone to James Bond.
  • The film features impressive action set pieces and a compelling storyline.
  • Critics noted a departure from the more fantastical elements of previous Bond films.

Google audience: Audiences appreciated Timothy Dalton's darker, more grounded take on the iconic spy. Many viewers found the action sequences exciting and the plot engaging, though some missed the lighter, more extravagant elements of prior installments.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for Saturn Award for Best Action, Adventure or Thriller Film.

Fun Fact

The Aston Martin V8 Volante used in the film featured a variety of gadgets, including outrigger skis, rocket boosters, laser beams, and a self-destruct system, making it one of the most elaborate vehicles in Bond history.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

6 reviews
tmdb93836550

tmdb93836550

I also use to not like this that much and again I like it now but I do prefer Licence to Kill.
drystyx

drystyx

The last of the very good 007 films. The last of the fun 007 films for sure. Here, Bond is supposed to stop an assassination of a Russian VIP defecting to the West, but Bond senses something, and instead of killing the assassin (a shapely...
GenerationofSwine

GenerationofSwin...

I don't understand all the hate on Dalton as 007, I actually thought he was a decent Bond, I thought he brought back some of the cold blooded assassin that personified the first of the Connery Era films. And I think he was a much needed ...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

So Roger Moore has handed the baton of Ian Fleming's "007" to Timothy Dalton and this first outing is not at all bad. The story is, perhaps, not the best but this is still an action packed adventure with loads of pyrotechnics and daft gadge...
JPV852

JPV852

Great entry into the series and wonderful debut for Dalton who was charming, and for me far and away better than any of Roger Moore's movies (though found some of his to be entertaining enough). Not all that fond of this theme song but stil...
Wuchak

Wuchak

_**Solid Bond film with Timothy Dalton taking over as 007**_ "The Living Daylights" was the first of two James Bond films featuring Timothy Dalton as 007. It's a solid Bond flick, but rarely cited when the best films of the franchise a...