James Bond Retrospective: Timothy Dalton - A Bond Too Soon

So it’s the mid-1980’s.  Roger Moore’s last Bond film (at the age of 57) was not well-received (I still like it), and it was time to pull back and do a slight reinvention of James Bond, taking him back more to his roots in Ian Fleming’s books.

Enter Timothy Dalton.

Timothy Dalton was in consideration for the role of James Bond prior to it being offered to Roger Moore, but he felt he was too young and also didn’t want the unenviable task of following Sean Connery (ask George Lazenby).  This time around, the producers initially wanted Pierce Brosnan for the role.  He was supposed to be coming off of the soon-to-be-cancelled Remington Steele, but once NBC thought he was going to be James Bond, they renewed the show.  Producers didn’t want to confuse the two characters, so Brosnan was out, and the role was offered to Dalton. 

Dalton was by far the most similar to Ian Fleming’s descriptions of James Bond, and he brought an intensity to the character that none of the previous actors had shared.  While his movies did well, some didn’t enjoy the seriousness what Dalton brought to the character – something that Daniel Craig would be lauded for nearly twenty years later (thus my calling Dalton a “Bond Before His Time).  Dalton made two appearances as 007. 

The Living Daylights (1987) – In his outing, James Bond goes up against an evil arms dealer (Joe Don Baker) who is trying to instigate a world war between the Soviet Union and the West.  Dalton is amazing as Bond, and he is given a great cast to work with.  In addition to Baker (who returns as a good guy in two of the Brosnan films), you have John Rhys Davies, Jeroen Krabbe, and the stunning Maryam d’Abo as the requisite Bond girl.  “The Living Daylights” was truly the end of an era though, as this was the first film to not feature Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny; Caroline Bliss She had been the only actor to appear in all of the first fourteen films.  This is also composer John Barry’s last score for a Bond film, and the first to include electronic rhythm tracks.  The theme song was sung by 80’s Norwegian pop band, A-ha, hoping for a similar success to Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill”.  The song is lackluster, but the movie is an exciting change from the last few Bond films.

Licence to Kill (1989) – Dalton returns as 007 and gives the series its darkest entry (pre-Daniel Craig).  The movie begins with Dalton and his friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison – up to this point, the only actor to ever play the role twice – he was also Leiter in “Live and Let Die”) on their way to Leiter’s wedding.  On the way, they make a detour to capture the notorious drug kingpin Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi).  Sanchez later escapes though, and he maims Leiter and kills his bride.  When MI6 tries to send Bond to work a different case, he threatens to resign to avenge his friend.  M (Robert Brown in his last appearance as the head of MI6) suspends Bond and revokes his licence to kill.  Bond goes rogue in his pursuit of Sanchez.  

"Licence to Kill" also included a brilliant turn from a young Benicio del Toro and a hilarious cameo from Wayne Newton.  Bond girls Cary Lowell and Talisa Soto are adequate, but ultimately unmemorable in the Pantheon of Bond beauties.

This is a great Bond movie, though it was one of the poorest received at the box office.  Some blame the darker tone and it’s last minute title change (from Licence Revoked), but it may have been in large part due to the fact that it was released the same summer as “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (featuring former Bond, Sean Connery), Tim Burton’s “Batman”, “Lethal Weapon 2” and Back to the Future II”.  “Licence to Kill” is unique in that it was the first film to not have any scenes shot in England.  This was due to budget concerns.  This is also the first film that did not use an Ian Fleming title. 

Michael Kamen wrote the score as John Barry was recovering from throat surgery.  An original theme song was written by Vic Flick and Eric Clapton to go along with Dalton’s grittier performance, but it was turned down in favor of the a Gladys Knight sung song that borrowed heavily from the theme to “Goldfinger.”

*****

Timothy Dalton was contracted for a third appearance, but after a long legal battle between UA and Eon films, Dalton’s contract had expired.  He chose not to return as Bond in the film that would become “Goldeneye”.  Up until Daniel Craig, Dalton had been my favorite incarnation of James Bond, after Sean Connery.  After watching Dalton later as spy Alexei Volkoff, I wonder if he would be more fondly remembered if he had brought some of that humor to the role.