The Living Daylights (1987)
75%RT Audience Score: 66%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 4 nominations
Newcomer Timothy Dalton plays James Bond with more seriousness than preceding installments, and the result is exciting and colorful but occasionally humorless
The Living Daylights is a classic Bond film that’s both fun and thrilling. While some critics may have outgrown the franchise, Timothy Dalton’s debut as 007 brings a serious side to the role that’s been missing since Sean Connery’s early days. The film’s locations are remarkable, but the plot may leave something to be desired. Overall, it’s a great action film with top-class set pieces that breathe new life into the series. Plus, who doesn’t love a bit of daredevilry and realism in their Bond movies?
Production Company(ies)
Atticus Group Vision Quest Productions,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Ouarzazate Airfield, Ouarzazate, Morocco
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1987
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo Dolby Surround 7.1
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 10m
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Language(s):English, Arabic, French, German, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Dari, Pashtu
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 31, 1987 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 7, 2006
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Timothy Dalton, Maryam D’Abo, Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, John Rhys-Davies, Art Malik, directed by John Glen, written by Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Michael G Wilson, produced by Albert R Broccoli, Michael G Wilson, action, PG, James Bond, KGB, defection, assassination, arms dealer, Russian assassins, box office, budget, reviewed by Henry Sheehan, Sheila Benson, Dave Kehr, Jay Boyar, Carrie Rickey, Gene Siskel, Matt Brunson, Josh Larsen, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, James Bond 007
Worldwide gross: $51,186,259
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $136,628,147
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 880
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 14,899,471
US/Canada gross: $51,185,897
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $136,627,181
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 558
US/Canada opening weekend: $11,051,284
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $29,498,473
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 471
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $40,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $106,769,395
Production budget ranking: 372
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $57,495,319
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$27,636,567
ROI to date (est.): -17%
ROI ranking: 1,484
Maryam D’Abo – Kara Milovy
Jeroen Krabbé – General Georgi Koskov
Joe Don Baker – Brad Whitaker
John Rhys-Davies – General Leonid Pushkin
Art Malik – Kamran Shah
Director – John Glen
Producers – Albert R. Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson
Writers – Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson
Director(s)
John Glen
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (58) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (15)
The Living Daylights might be reactionary hooey as far as its worldview goes, but it’s really fun hooey.
May 9, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
Henry Sheehan
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
I feel just rotten about this, but I’m afraid I’ve outgrown James.
October 20, 2015
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
In The Living Daylights, Dalton establishes his claim to the role; in the films that will follow, he’ll have the chance to dig deeper.
October 20, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
Dave Kehr
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Dalton shows a serious side that’s been missing from the role since Sean Connery’s earliest 007 days. And as a whole, the new picture is less of a special-effects affair than most of Roger Moore’s Bond films.
October 20, 2015
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
As with other Bond movies, the locations in The Living Daylights are more remarkable than its plot.
October 20, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
The result is a film that is not so much bad as mechanical and uptight.
October 20, 2015 | Rating: 2/4
Gene Siskel
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Timothy Dalton’s series debut is classic Cold War Bond, and grade-A spy stuff.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
…marks one of those moments when the Bond franchise was awkwardly caught between two eras.
September 17, 2021 | Rating: 1.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
The Living Daylights is extraordinary. The greatest Bond Actor gets an auspicious debut, harkening back to the strengths of Fleming and offering a richly detailed excursion in the world of 007.
August 28, 2021
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
Smartly, it kickstarts a grander daredevilry in Bond films – and a greater realism in the violence – that is entirely welcome.
September 6, 2020 | Rating: 9/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
The Living Daylights breathes new life into the series and we needed that.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
If you’re looking for a bit for fun in your Bond film, this would be one to skip, otherwise it’s a really good action film with some top class set pieces.
January 6, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk…
Plot
James Bond 007’s mission is to firstly, organise the defection of a top Soviet general. When the general is re-captured, Bond heads off to find why an ally of General Koskov was sent to murder him. Bond’s mission continues to take him to Afghanistan, where he must confront an arms dealer known as Brad Whitaker. Everything eventually reveals its self to Bond.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Living Daylights.
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