James Bond Video Collection Part IV

[Puck Bond]

The Living Daylights(1987)-6/10...the 15th Bond film and 1st appearance for Timothy Dalton. Certainly not my favorite Bond, but his portrayal probably was the closest resemblance to Ian Fleming's character. Directed by John Glen with the title song sung by a-ha. This isn't one of the best Bond's because the plot is a mess...it features a false defection of a KGB agent, a musician, a plot to assassinate spies, arms dealings, diamonds, heroin and all set on the backdrop of Russia's invasion of Afghanistan. The Bond girl Kara Milovi(a cellist and girlfriend of defecting agent) is played by Maryam d'Abo. Jeroen Krabbe plays Koskov who is selling diamonds for heroin, while scheming with American Brad Whitaker played by Joe-Don Baker, who is selling arms and all trying to get Bond to assassinate the head of the KGB-Leonid Putin played by John Rhys-Davies. It also features Art Malik as the charismatic leader of the Mohajadin(Afghan resistance and we all know what became of that). This film also brought a new Miss. Moneypenny played by Caroline Bliss. The chase scene in the snow in Bond's car and subsequently using a cello case as a sled is a good one.

License to Kill(1989)-6/10...the 16th James Bond film and Timothy Dalton's 2nd and last time as Bond. Directed by John Glen with the title song sung by Gladys Knight...this is one of the most brutal Bond films in terms of its plot and story. Bond goes up against a ruthless South American druglord Sanchez played by Robert Davi to avenge the death of Felix Leiter and his new wife. Felix Leiter is a character I haven't mentioned yet but he is a CIA agent who over the years has helped Bond out on numerous missions usually having to do with the United States or the Carribean. Basically Bond goes on a personal vendetta dismissing his orders from MI6. Bond girls are Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe played Talisa Soto and Miss. Kennedy an informer and pilot played by Cary Lowell. Sanchez's henchman Dario is played by Benicio Del Toro. The reason I consider this Bond film quite brutal are the death/mutilation scenes: eaten by sharks, electrocuted in water by an eel, blown up like a balloon and exploding, impaled on a fork-lift and being set on fire to name a few. Again not one of my favorite Bonds but the ending chase scene down a mountain road featuring 4 gas tankers, cars and an airplane is a great one.

GoldenEye(1995)-9/10...the 17th James Bond film and Pierce Brosnan's1st time as 007. It had been 6 years between this and the last Bond film and the series got a much needed shot in the arm with this film and its star. Brosnan has a great blend of style, wit, charm and grit. Directed by Martin Campbell with the title song sung by Tina Turner. This time Bond goes up against Alec Trevelayan/006 played by Sean Bean a former partner and friend of Bond whose family has been betrayed by the British. He has stolen the GoldenEye a Russian based space weapon capable of knocking everything out with an electrical circuit. He is aided by Xenia Onatopp deliciously evil and sexy Famke Janssen with crushing thighs! Joining Bond is Natalya Simonyova played by Izabella Scorupco. A new Bond in the 90's also brought change with other characters such as M now played by Judi Dench and Miss. Moneypenny played by Samantha Bond. Also Joe Don Baker who appeared as a bad guy in The Living Daylights appears as CIA agent Jack Wade. Robbie Coltrane plays ex-KGB agent Valentin Zukovsky...great cameo of Minnie Driver as his "singing" mistress. Also Alan Cumming plays computer programmer/turncoat Boris. This film has a spectacular opening scene with Bond jumping off a damn and a daring jump off a bike into a plane...the car racing scene with the Aston Martin and Ferrari is great. Bond destroying half of St. Petersburg in a tank is another great one and the final fight scenes of Bond and Trevalayan high on an antenna dish is great too.

Tomorrow Never Dies1997)-6/10...the 18th James Bond film and Pierce Brosnan's 2nd go around. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode with the title song sung by Sheryl Crow. This time Bond takes on media-baron Elliot Carver played by Jonathan Pryce who has ignited a crisis between the British and China all in the name of ratings. This isn't one of the best Bonds mainly because of the lackluster villian and Pryce's portrayal of him. Bond is aided by Wei Lin played by Michelle Yeoh...certainly not as beautiful as other Bond girls but she does kick some major ass. Teri Hatcher also plays Paris Carver, Elliot's wife and a former fling of Bond. The opening scene with Bond rescuing 2 nuclear warheads from a missile is a good one...as is Bond's remote control car racing around in a parking garage with Bond in the back seat and the chase scene involving the motorbike and helicopter through the streets and on the rooftops of Saigon is another very good scene.

The World Is Not Enough(1999)-7/10...the 19th James Bond film and Brosnan's 3rd go at Bond. Directed by Michael Apted wih the title song sung by Garbage(an awesome Bond tune by one of my favorite bands). This time Bond goes up against Elektra King played Sophie Marceau a wealthy oil-baroness and former kidnap victim of the terrorist Renard played by Robert Carlyle. This film has a slightly darker tone to it than most Bonds with a bombing at MI6 the capture of M and Bond's vulnerability to pain and deception. Bond is aided by nuclear physicist lol Christmas Jones played by Denise Richards...a forgettable Bond girl. Basically Elektra with the help of Renard is planning on creating a nuclear disaster in the Caspian Sea so that her oil pipeline will be the only way to get oil to the west.
Great scenes include a spectacular boat chase along the river Thames, a battle in an undergrond nuclear plant and Bond's fight with Renard aboard a sinking submarine. This film also marked the last appearance by Desmond Llewelyn as Q who died tragically a month after the films release in 1999...but John Cleese would be in line to take on the role as the gadget expert.

Die Another Day(2002)-8/0...my review can be seen here.
http://www.joblo.com/forums/showthr...&threadid=39654

[bob]

The Living Daylights-Poor. Is it just me, or does Bond kind of not work in the 80's? The other decades are fine, but there's something about Bond in the 80's that's off. Anyhoo, definitely a different look for Bond this time around, as he's played by a meathead. That should sum up this movie nicely.

Licence to Kill-Poor. Again, 80's setting and meathead Bond spoil what has the potential to be a sweet film.

Goldeneye-Very Good. Bond is back, with the very likable Pierce Brosnan playing him this time. Brosnan gives a great performance, and this film manages to pull something off that hasn't been done since You Only Live Twice: Being Over-The-Top while still being enjoyable.

Tomorrow Never Dies-Fair. This film has a good performance from Brosnan, and a sweet girl in Michelle Yeoh, but it feels too much like your standard, blow-everything-up action picture.

The World is Not Enough-Good. A great opening sequence, two great-looking(and one okay-acting) girls, and a fine performance from Pierce help this out. Parts of this film play as serious drama, which is kind of unsettling.

[The Professional]

i must have bad taste or something because i thought the two timothy dalton ones were better than most of Moores bonds.

[Jerk Shapiro]

The Living Daylights : N/A

License To Kill : N/A

Goldeneye : A cool movie. Brosnan's first is also his best.

9/10

Tomorrow Never Dies : My third favorite Bond movie. I really like this one for some reason.

9/10

The World Is Not Enough : Ehh...this one was ok. Not as good as Brosnan's first 2.

7/10

Die Another Day : N/A

[bob]

You don't have bad taste. I think License to Kill and The Living Daylights are better than Moonraker, A View to Kill, Octopussy, and For Your Eyes Only.