← Back to results
The Living Daylights
1987 130 min United Kingdom, United States of America PG 12+
★6.7
Action, Adventure, Thriller
Director: John Glen
🎭 Based on
«Octopussy and The Living Daylights»
byIan Fleming
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
After a defecting Russian general reveals a plot to assassinate foreign spies, James Bond is assigned a secret mission to dispatch the new head of the KGB to prevent an escalation of tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.
Budget:
$40M
US Gross:
$51.19M
Worldwide:
$191.19M
Starring
Timothy Dalton
Actor
Maryam d'Abo
Actor
Jeroen Krabbé
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 1988
— Best Fantasy Film
Key opinion
The Living Daylights is generally regarded as a solid, transitional entry that successfully modernized the franchise by introducing Timothy Dalton’s gritty, serious interpretation of Bond. While praised for its impressive action sequences and Cold War atmosphere, critics remain divided on whether Dalton’s humorless approach revitalized the series or stripped away essential charm.
| Acting | Timothy Dalton provides a welcome, grounded shift toward professionalism and gravitas after the increasingly lighthearted Moore era. | |
| Direction | The film excels in delivering high-stakes, technically ambitious stunt work, particularly during the aerial and vehicle-based set pieces. | |
| Acting | The female characters, particularly Maryam d'Abo's Kara Milovy, are criticized for being underutilized and lacking genuine chemistry with Bond. | |
| Originality | The plot's heavy reliance on established Bond tropes and formulaic Cold War structures leaves some viewers feeling that the film lacks true originality. | |
| Acting | Dalton’s stern, humorless portrayal of 007 divides audiences, with some appreciating the realism while others miss the traditional charisma and wit of the character. |