[7]

Agent 007 must stop an arms dealer from starting World War III in the 15th installment in the long-running franchise. Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond. The Living Daylights is less campy than many previous Bond films, attributed largely to Dalton’s more serious take on the character. What it lacks in cheeky charm, it makes up in action. The script does a spectacular job leading from one memorable action set piece to the next, culminating in a satisfying climax in Afghanistan — both on the ground and in the air. There are a few too many villains, but only one Bond girl this time, and she’s played quite well by Maryam d’Abo. Jeroen Krabbe makes the part of a Russian defector into something fun and memorable, and John Rhys-Davies appears in a pleasant supporting role. A-ha provides a decent title tune and John Barry serves up his 11th and final score in the series.