The Strange Story Behind Timothy Dalton’s Short Reign As James Bond 007!
As some of you know, I am reviewing the entire slate of James Bond films in order, and trying to give some context to what was going on at the time each film was released…for Bond #16, released in 1989, Timothy Dalton followed up his fairly tepid debut in “The Living Daylights” in the worst way possible!
Bond Gets Really Heavy!
After a run of Roger Moore films that were fun, breezy and eye-popping, 007 got very dour with “The Living Daylights”, and for some reason, the Producers decided to make Timothy Dalton’s next outing as 007 even more dour and humorless!
Here’s the plot of “License To Kill”:
After his close friend Felix Leiter is attacked on his wedding day, 007 refuses to follow orders and relinquishes his license to kill! Bond goes on a mission of revenge when his best friend’s wife is killed by a drug baron, played by Robert Davi. A beautiful CIA pilot – played by Carey Lowell – flies him to Sanchez’s South American headquarters where, disguised as a hit man, Bond is hired by the villainous drug dealer.
Let’s check out the trailer:
So…it’s a very serious trailer and a very serious Bond…the Producers decided to completely abandon the escapist 007 as portrayed by Roger Moore – in a string of hugely successful films! So as I watched this one I wondered: why?
Let’s start with the good news: the opening wedding scene is disrupted by an action sequence, all fine – which leads to one of the all time great Bond themes!
Gladys Knight’s Classic Theme!
What a great theme song! A “Bond Theme” has to sound like 007: rich orchestration and a bombastic feel…I will link to my reviews of all of the Bond themes at the end of the story, but for now, enjoy this one!
The mean-spirited “License To Kill” wastes no time in making sure we don’t have fun with the movie. Robert Davi is the villain in this one: when we meet him for the first time he is beating a woman with a whip – and he is behind the attack on Leiter and his new wife…and thus sets up the only purpose for the film: Bond seeks revenge – which leads to him having his “license to kill” revoked by a very asshole version of “M”…
Carey Lowell is the “Bond Girl” with zero personality and the two have no chemistry either…it’s a convoluted plot with Bond going rogue – he is dour and so serious that it’s hard to care at all…but we do get a feisty performance by Davi’s henchman…
Yes, that’s Benicio del Toro chewing a bit of scenery as the young punk who glowers the entire film…almost as much a Dalton does as Bond…
Davi is evil incarnate – an off-putting take on Tony Montana in “Scarface” – with no personality other than to be “Evil with a capital E” – this is really all the film is about and it feels so small in scope – and Timothy Dalton’s second outing as James Bond is so humorless and dull that it was sad to watch.
My notes on the film as I watched just said over and over again how disappointing this film was: they decided to turn James Bond into a sour guy with a grudge – and some of the scenes of torture and suffering in the film are really off-putting – especially for a Bond film!
Reviews were harsh, and though the worldwide box-office take was $156-million, “Licence To Kill” is still the least financially successful film of the series.
What’s particularly fascinating though, is what happened to Timothy Dalton. This would be his second and last film, even though he had been contracted for three Bond movies, with the third set to be released in 1991.
However, it was a legal dispute between EON productions and film studio MGM that stalled the third film from getting off the ground.
Once this was resolved by 1993, Cubby Broccoli asked Dalton to return in the planned “GoldenEye.”
Here’s what I found online – it turns out the bad reception to “License To Kill” wasn’t what killed off Dalton’s return! The Actor was up for another outing as Bond, but only wanted to do one more. However, the producer said he couldn’t come back after a five-year gap and only star in a single 007 movie – he wanted four or five out of him.
Dalton respectfully declined as he didn’t want to play Bond for the rest of his life, so Pierce Brosnan put on the tuxedo and took over the role!
My next review will look at Pierce Brosnan’s first outing as 007…as for Dalton, he was for me the weakest and least interesting James Bond of them all…here is my review of his previous film:
Dalton was the fourth actor to play 007…of course the iconic Sean Connery was first.
I miss the swagger that Connery immediately brought to the role.
See my review of the film that started it all here:
Connery did six official Bond films and one knockoff – the renegade remake of “Thunderball” – see my review here:
So farewell to Timothy Dalton – only two Bond films, narrowly topping the “one and done” Bond:
George Lazenby only made a single Bond film, but some thinkers the best of all time!
See why by clicking on my review here:
Roger Moore had seven outings as Bond…some of the most successful films of all – here’s a look at his most popular, “The Spy Who Loved Me” – with a Stanley Kubrick twist!
You can see all of the reviews for every Bond film by going to my front page and searching 007.
As for the Bond themes: here is a look at all of them!
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Categories: Action Films, British Cinema, Film Fight Club, Movies, Pop Culture, Revenge Movies, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I respectfully disagree with you. I love License To Kill! It’s one of my favorite Bond movies. I don’t think it is as serious as you make it out to be (it has moments of humor). It is definitely more serious than Octopussy and A View to Kill, but not nearly as serious as Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace. Anyhow, I liked Robert Davi’s villain, and the last action sequence is fantastic. As for Dalton, he is actually my favorite Bond, so far.
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I have no issue with your take on it…I know that we are all fans of the series and the character, which is why I appreciate you giving me your point of view…for whatever reason it didn’t work for me…it actually could be that I am re-watching them all in order and perhaps seeing a new one every few weeks colors how I react to them – I enjoyed the Moore films more than I expected and wrote about how fun and escapist they were, so my reaction to Dalton was perhaps colored by that…thanks for the comment!
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The weakest and least interesting Bond. Yup, I have to agree. I feel like he got a bad deal. The script, the production, etc. was so gloomy and dour he didn’t really have a chance. But yes, glad to see Pierce’s version!
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Agree with you on all counts, especially that it wasn’t his fault it was clearly the intent for a grittier Bond..I just don’t know why as the previous Moore films, light and breezy pop culture entertainment, were massively successful!
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You are spot on with this review, John. How many people remember that Dalton played Bond? Not many.
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I loved him in the film “Hot Fuzz” but they made him SO grim that none of the best parts of 007 were there at all…thanks for leaving a comment!
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Well said. Always happy to read and comment on your great blog, John.
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As I am sure I have said before, Dalton’s looks and acting style were much better suited to ‘Period Dramas’. He didn’t look right as a suave action hero, at least not to me.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, I had a very strong response to this review on Facebook – interesting how some prefer this “grittier” Bond, who to me was lacking any charm, class or style…and Dalton Brough NO personality to the role at all!
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I’ve just begun watching at the very beginning, will be a summer project )
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I’m curious what you think about Timothy Dalton’s James Bond vs Daniel Craig’s. Would we have had the “darker” James Bond of Daniel Craig if we didn’t see the one Timothy Dalton portrayed?
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Well, it’s a great question! When they decided to make a grittier Bond, they lost many of his most compelling elements: humor, style, grace…giving Dalton in may opinion nothing to work with…they turned him into just another humorless spy…Craig made 5 Bond films and you will see that I hated 3 of them…so this style of Bond isn’t my favorite…if you watch “From Russia With Love” you see a gritty Sean Connery who still exudes something more – but as I always say, everyone has the right to their opinion!
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What do you think about Pierce Brosnan? He seems to encapsulate humor with grit (you just recently reviewed Matador…)
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I loved his return to a more balanced Bond…the films let him down a bit but he was pure class, charm, and a knowing smirk when needed to lighten the tone! I’ve met him and he is exactly the same in person – pure class!
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I love the story of how he nursed his first wife through her dreadful illness, adopted her children, and raised them as his own. Pure class! What made you sense that in him?
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It’s the way he comes across…totally at ease with himself and he generated a “giving” vibe by asking about you, showing interest in the conversation, and being very engaging…here are a few others who I found to be the same way: Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, and the master of it, Tom Cruise – when he comes into an interview he introduces himself to every single person on the crew and shakes their hand…
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Wow. As if I needed any more reasons to respect and like him!
I’m curious: does the way Tom Cruise behave come across as genuine or more as a routine he feels he should do? I read great things about how he treats crews on his movies, but one never knows…
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I have interacted with Cruise three separate times and it always comes across as genuine – he is always polite, interactive, interested and totally professional…if it is an act he has mastered it because there is nothing artificial about it.
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Wow, again. How utterly magnificent (and, sadly, what a polar opposite from what seems to be the norm…).
Two more follow-up questions, if I may:
1) Does it feel like the crew reacts well to that, and help out more/work harder when it’s Tom Cruise?
2) Does Tom Cruise remember folks from one meeting to another?
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Great questions! the crews LOVE him, because they feel genuine respect for their craft from him! Also, he doesn’t remember er everyone, but he remembered us and many others, perhaps because he is SO well prepped for his press interactions! Thanks for the great interaction!
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