The Incomplete Guide to Timothy Dalton’s James Bond

In which Vanessa packs in two film reviews into one email, and shares her top 5 background Bond actors that turned into stars.

Timothy Dalton’s James Bond in 2024

Welcome to your double feature! As I race to the finish line of reviewing all Bond’s in 2024, today I present both films starring Timothy Dalton with their own quick reviews on all things ethicism, realism and tourism.

The Living Daylights

Timothy Dalton's debut as 007 marks a stark departure from Moore's lighter touch. A-ha continues the streak of 80s pop legends crafting Bond themes.

Czech your privilege

The film breaks new ground with its female characters, looking positively feminist! Rosika Miklos subverts expectations as “our man inside,” expertly using assumptions about her appearance to her advantage. Kara Milovy, though initially naive, shows agency in her decisions, particularly during the Afghan sequences, and grows into her role as Bond’s sidekick.

Something that’s especially morally repugnant today, and treated similarly in the film, is Brad Whitaker’s stolen valour - his impersonation of a decorated officer would today constitute a serious federal offence in the United States, explaining General Pushkin's evident disgust. Besides the Afghan context (which is a big caveat, I know), the only thing that dates this film is Bond’s indoor smoking habit. (4/5)

String theory

Let’s start simple - There is no Lady Rose cello by Stradivarius, though the New York auction details reveal that it is modelled on the La Belle Blonde, which is real. Worse yet, Kara would never play it in concert after it was punctured by a bullet hole, as this would completely affect its resonance in a way that would have to be studied and rebalanced first.

The PIG that took Koskov to the West. Credit: Karen Roe, 2012.

While this Bond is considered more grounded again after the previous Moore outings, the pipeline escape of Koskov seems less realistic than the perpetually unbuilt Hyperloop. On the other hand, Q’s voice-activated Swiss Army Knife-like key ring for Bond is much simpler than the digital assistants of today, but can carry out commands when recognising sounds too. (2/5) 

Vienna calling

You can watch fantastic orchestral performances by the Symphony Orchestra of the Bratislava Conservatory at Reduta Bratislava concert hall for €10 or less in spring. What might tickle you more is the Movie Melodies concert of the Philharmonic, though no Bond film seems to be listed, and it will cost you slightly more (€40) for the more experienced artists.

Vienna’s Wurstelprater has many of the attractions seen in the film still - entry to the area is free, and each ride charges individually, between approximately €3.50 and €15, so a decent choice for a date night. While the Palais Schwarzenberg previously operated as a hotel, you won’t be able to stay the pricey night, as it’s under refurbishment currently.

I wouldn’t recommend trying to retrace Bond’s steps in Afghanistan/Pakistan, not that the film depicted them with any accuracy - try and find me a place that’s both 325km away from Islamabad and 200km away from Karachi! For once, its general setting otherwise leans incredibly affordable though. (4/5)

Verdict: The Dalton Plan is a success here. (3/5)

License to Kill

This marked a dramatic departure from the established formula, with a tale of personal revenge - not even the death of Tracy shook Bond to this extent in the films. However, it presages Daniel Craig’s portrayal of revenge in Quantum of Solace. At the same time, it positioned itself as another late 80s film centred on drug smuggling and associated crimes, but without the cache of a Lethal Weapon, say.

Gladys Knight's theme song balances then-contemporary popular sound with a nod to Bond tradition, incorporating Goldfinger horn riffs. Maurice Binder's final credit sequence remains true to himself, with rhythmic portrayals of abstract women. The dedicated end credits song proves particularly effective, extending the film's narrative mood beyond its final scene.

License retained

Continuing the narrative that this is a film telling personal stories, we see how being involved in this business affects your private life - with Felix Leiter working on his wedding day, though Della seems ill-prepared for this life, considering she was thinking of blowing off the wedding.

Mostly, portrayals of women are strong: Pam Bouvier’s insistence on professional recognition directly challenges Bond's single-minded approach, as well as that of the machismo setting in central America. The female Asian narcotics agent similarly demonstrates resilience and willingness to fight to the death. Della is a more comical contrast, while Lupe remains in a grey area of using her feminine wiles to stay alive in a dangerous environment. (3/5)

Money talks

Unbelievably, the CIA and DEA relies on one helicopter full of people to nab Sanchez - understandably such stings require a small-ish footprint to avoid suspicion, but it sets them up for expensive, lethal failure. If a drug lord truly were able to smuggle his wares by dissolving them in fuel, this should get more attention from international agencies than M gave it. It’s interesting how this is an oppositional response compared to Live and Let Die, which draw from the same source material, and, as a consequence, echo rather than mirror each other, such as with the shark encounters, and pressurised blow-ups.

The other noteworthy aspect is the amusingly accurate send-up of televangelists in the form of Dr Joe Butcher, played to befuddled perfection by Wayne Newton. While I don’t suspect a money-laundering drug-ordering operation behind every megachurch, it feels like an influence on The Righteous Gemstones that I appreciate. (4/5)

Keys to paradise

So long as you accept that the Republic of Isthmus is really Mexico, there’s a lot you can do to travel in Bond’s footsteps - but we start in Florida. Hemingway House in Key West can be toured for $19, though you can’t guarantee it will be as quiet as when the British government secures it. The Barrelhead Bar, supposedly in Bimini, where Pam and Bond official meet for the first time, is also in Key West, but now is the respectable Thai Island restaurant.

There’s a person for scale at the centre of the plaza. Credit: Tim & Annette, 2005.

Centro Ceremonial Otomí remains open to visitors, offering spectacular valley views similar to those in the film. Unfortunately, my Spanish is not good enough to determine if there is a cost, but there are websites that cover past trips there for context. Chartering your own biplane or helicopter to get you there will cost you more than the shuttles and taxis, however, so it won’t quite be like Bond does it. (3/5)

Verdict: Less Bond-like, but very good. (3/5)

Die Another Dalton

The graphic violence that earned the first 15 rating of the franchise holds up as necessarily shocking rather than gratuitous, such as Benicio del Toro’s cocaine grinder crushing compared to Christopher Walken’s indiscriminate machine gun fire.

Dalton's double feature was not received as well in his time. However, it predicted the franchise's eventual evolution toward grittier storytelling, and feels validated by the Daniel Craig turn in the role. (3/5)

An Incomplete List of… break-out Bond background actors

Name-dropping Benicio del Toro right at the end there served the obvious purpose of considering who else appeared in these films so far, only to hit greater heights in their career afterwards. Some will be familiar, as I’ll have brought them up already, but some might surprise you!

1. Joanna Lumley

One of Blofeld’s Angels of Death in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Joanna Lumley was several years from her famous turn in The New Avengers in her second film role.

2. Charles Dance

As mentioned in the review of For Your Eyes Only, Charles Dance has a small association with Julian Glover, the main baddie, in this film (through intermediary character Emile Locque), which is reversed in Game of Thrones.

3. Dolph Lundgren

Sometimes it is all about who you know - henchwoman May Day, played by Grace Jones, originally spotted Dolph Lundgren in an Australian club, working as a bouncer while studying abroad. When he visited her on set, he stepped in to fill in a role as KGB bodyguard to General Gogol in A View to a Kill.

4. Minnie Driver

Still to come, Minnie Driver is a delight as tone-deaf sugar baby Irina to Robbie Coltrane’s Valentin Zukovsky in GoldenEye. Her later role in Beautiful starts with the same attitude on a much bigger canvas, if you will.

5. David Harbour

Still to come, David Harbour plays Gregg Beam, CIA section chief for South America and local contact for Bond ally Felix Leiter. Prior to appearing in Quantum of Solace, he starred in several well-reputed films, but also in bit parts, before nabbing a first lead in Pan Am (I was sad when that got canceled).