Both 007 films are directed by John Glen and star Timothy Dalton as the famous British spy James Bond. (SPOILERS)
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| The Living Daylights |
The rap sheet.
The Living Daylights has a 74% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It received a Saturn Award nomination for Best Fantasy Film, and it won a BMI Film Music Award and a Motion Picture Sound Editors (USA) one. Licence to Kill has a 73% rating on RottenTomatoes.com. It received a Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture.
Winner: The Living Daylights
The setup.
In Licence to Kill, James Bond goes rogue to avenge the attack of his friend by a Latin American drug dealer (Robert Davi). In The Living Daylights, Bond must stop an arms dealer (Joe Don Baker) with the help of a cellist (Maryam d'Abo).
Winner: Licence to Kill
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| Licence to Kill |
The execution.
Both films have the standard Bond treatment - guns, gadgets, explosions, and chase sequences. The Living Daylights has a more exciting opening sequence, a key double-cross, and a better romance. Licence to Kill has revenge, tropical locations, and death by shark attack.
Winner: The Living Daylights
The ending.
In Licence to Kill, Bond blows up the dealer's lab facility, and he kills the villain with his recovering friend's cigarette lighter. In The Living Daylights, Bond kills the arms dealer, and celebrates the cellist's world tour in a way accustomed to him. Of course, he gets the girl at the end of both films.
Winner: The Living Daylights
Winner: The Living Daylights
The wild card.
The Living Daylights has Jonathan Rhys-Davies as a foreign ally to Bond. Licence to Kill has Benicio del Toro as the villain's main henchman.
Winner: Licence to Kill
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| The Living Daylights |
Ratings: The Living Daylights - ***1/2, Licence to Kill - ***
No one seems to agree with me but I love Timothy as Bond. He might be a little 'lame' but he's handsome, charming and British - a perfect Bond!!!
ReplyDeleteHe's great as Bond. I haven't seen Lazenby's performance yet, but Dalton would at least be my #3 behind Connery and Craig.
DeleteOh man, I can't choose as I LOVE both of them and Dalton, of course.
ReplyDelete@ Emma – glad to see another fan of Dalton as Bond! He's so not lame, the script maybe but he's the shining light in everything he's in. Yes he's what I'd picture a super spy would be... devastatingly handsome, dangerous and no-nonsense. I always wish he had completed his three runs as Bond :(
Haha. I was surprised at how much I loved The Living Daylights. Dalton was a much better Bond than I remembered too. :)
DeleteNo, Josh! The ending of License to Kill is one of the great finales in Bond history! The tanker-truck chase is classic! Either way, I like the idea for this post. Dalton is great as Bond.
ReplyDeleteSorry, Dan! I wouldn't rank the ending that high, but I do agree on Dalton as Bond.
DeleteThanks! :)
I'm not a Bond fan, but I am intrigued by the thought of him teaming up with a character played by Jonathan Rhys-Davies. :-)
ReplyDeleteWell, if you're thinking of watching it, you should know that Rhys-Davies is only in three or four scenes. ;)
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