Living Daylights, The: Special Edition (James Bond) (UK)

now this is what a bond movie should be with twists and turns loads of action and a sense of humour .dalton is in fine form here ably backed by a great supporting cast also the last time john barry done the music score for a bond.excellent.and with the missing magic carpet sequence.brilliant

this is fantastic entertainment buy it now deleted scene excellent movie dalton rules

My patience is waring very thin with the Bond franchise at the moment. Each new film seems more contrived and derivative than the last and the central character ever more bland. That`s why this DVD is such a refreshing and worthy viewing experience.

Timothy Dalton`s debut as 007 is a great cinematic moment to re-live and buying this disc is the best way to do it. It saddens me that this more realistic approach has been abandoned so carelessly with the Brosnan era, as The Living Daylights is a highly engaging (and plausible) espionage story.

It starts off with a "paintball" training exercise that`s been infiltrated by a killer who`s (needless to say) armed with more than just paint. He manages to murder some of Bond`s allies before attempting an escape in a jeep. I remember enjoying the resulting pursuit sequence as a kid and it`s still very pleasing today. Dalton did his fair share of stuntwork in the movie and this chase scene (aswell as many others) benefit greatly. After the opening titles and A-Ha track are over, the film begins properly and sets up the main premise of the story, which is a defection and the involvement of the "Bond Girl" in an attempted assasination.

Explanation beyond this would give away the plot twists and eventual outcome because for a Bond movie, this has a lot more up it`s sleeve than you`d normally expect. The fact that the movie is more plot driven and sensible, does lead to one common criticism. There aren`t any really memorable bad-guy`s for Bond to defeat as his real task is to ascertain who his enemies actually are. When I was younger I thought this was a fault too, but watching it today I just think it`s another part of the more believable spin on a secret agent tale.

The DVD is another corker from MGM. The extra features are plentiful and worthwhile. There`s a good documentary covering most of the points you would ask for and all the usual stuff (for Bond discs) like a music video, commentary etc. There`s a deleted scene also, it was supposedly cut for time, but it looks to me like it was cut for being uncharacteristically cheesy when compared to the rest of the movie. The picture is great and has a remastered feel to it. The sound is of a similarly high standard, although the rears are used sparingly. It`s 5.1 but sounds more like a digital pro-logic as the sub is a bit under-used too. Overall though, superb.

Basically then, this is an engaging and in many ways forgotten motion picture. There`s nothing ridiculous or overly far-fetched about the story and there are plenty of set-pieces and explosions to keep everybody happy. If you`ve seen it in the past and can recall quite liking it, then I can`t recommend this disc highly enough. DVD is the perfect medium to show-off the many qualities of this solidly competent and highly entertaining production.

A Great Bond.Dalton is Excellent.Superb Action.Great Special Features

Great movie, Great DVD and features. 10/10.