mNew James Bond introduces himself well
I By Geoff McMurtry
Staff Reporter__
"Bond. James Bond.”
For the first time since "Live and Let
Die,” 14 years and several films ago, a
new 007 introduced himself.
Movie Review
"The Living Daylights,” the latest
film based on Ian Fleming’s novels and
iort stories about the British secret
agent, is a Bond film with something
new.
Besides Timothy Dalton as the new
leading man, the obvious, this is the
first Bond film in at least five attempts
in which it actually doesn’t seem that
everything in it has been done in a
previous episode. There are new stunts,
new villains, some new toys and even
an intriguing new heroine.
So the plot and locations may seem a
bit fimiliar, but once you’ve been to all
four comers of the giobe, the moon and
back, you’re bound to retrace a few
steps here and there.
The best thing about “The Living
Daylights” is not the new ground it
breaks, but the way it disquises the old
ground. Sure, it borrows from a couple
of old plots, but this time they’re used
as subplots swirling around the real
action.
The strongest part of the earlier
films was a knack for making you
believe the impossible — (sure, they
r mid maybe have this huge under
ground headquarters with shark tanks
and stolen nuclear weapons and . . . ).
Add to that just enough of Fleming’s
historical, political dogma, and you
had a Bond film.
When the filmmakers started to run
out of novels, believability went out the
window — just watch the car chase
and look at the girls. “The Ljying Day
lights” tries to bring back some of the
, plausibility from the early films.
As always, there are stunts. All Bond
films, even the boring ones, were known
| for great stunts. One scene in “The
Living Daylights” is as exciting, origi
nal and realistic as any previous Bond
i stunts. James should feel lucky to be
alive.
Another element that seemed lack
ing of late was a really great villain. But
this movie has a classic Bond villain
—evil and believable, a sociopath on a
crusade.
Another welcome sight was a heroine
who was a step above the empty models
who had hounded poor James over the
last few weary adventures. Maryam d’
Abo, as Kara, actually acts. She even
has a character to portray. Who’s Tanya
Roberts?
My only complaint is that he some
times seems fidgety and irritable under
stress. Downright humorless, even. In
the books, Bond did get scared, worried
Watch the glamour
set dine at Julio’s
JULIO’S from Page 15
After opera at the Lied Center, the
re’ll be fruity specialty drinks at Bar
rymore’s and a late meal at Julio’s. And
just so I can be the first to say it about a
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ity here. That’s the Minneapolis term.
That’s the Denver term. It means pea
pie can watch you eat and that you
want people to watch you eat, because
your status In the community may have
a lot to do with whether you ordered
the Meatloaf Monterrey or a little
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and remorseful and had many of the
real feelings often associated with real
people. But James Bond 007 never
would let it show.
One thing James Bond could be
counted on especially in the books, was
to remain veddy, veddy British, keeping
a stiff upper lip in a crisis. And that
stiff upper lip always could be counted
on to have a good one-liner behind it.
While it may be tough te convey thoughts
like that on film through a stream of
one-liners, James Bond never would
allow himself to show nervousness,
especially around women or enemies.
While it’s no “From Russia With
Love” or "Man With the Golden Gun,”
“The Living Daylights” is James Bond’s
return to the excitement that had
slowly been slipping away.
This mostly is because it seemed as
though the writers and producers were
interested in the film they were making
for the first time since “The Spy Who
Loved Me.”
Dalton, the fourth actor to play Bond
(remember George Lazenby?), handles
a tough job well. Following Roger Moore,
who had to overcome the memory of
Sean Connery, is ajob for, well. . . James
Bond. As far as favorites go, I still have
trouble deciding between Moore and
Connery. Dalton doesn’t have Connery’s
sardonic grin or Moore’s elegant wit,
but he manages to bring his own pies
ence to the screen. Let’s just say I
didn’t want to like him, but I did any
way. Of course, he’s James Bond.
Alas, there is one final note of sad
ness for nostalgics. They finally retired
the actress who played the aging Miss
Moneypenny, the Secret Service’s long
time secretary and James’ blatant
admirer, and replaced her with a new,
younger Moneypenny. Oh well, that’s to
be expected when the new regime
takes over. She may never have gotten
James, but at least she outlasted three
of them.
“The Living Daylights" is
playing at the Plaza Four
Theaters.
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