License to Kill, 1989

      Whatever you may say but facts are rather stubborn: Bondiana was and is the most popular TV serial (consult "Guinness Records of 1998" for instance!). Here is the list of its movies including film hire incomes taken from the magazine "Video-Audio Business", �1 (26), January, 1998 from page 34:

Movies about Bond. Hire handles.

      Shutting our eyes to the political aspect and some propagandistic "tinge" we can disclose in these movies producer mind liveliness, executor acting technique, stunt courage, operator knack and ability of such a specific product advertising (engine of trade), but chiefly a search, a search for new forms applicable for the viewer to draw his attention - so it's the merit of numerous script-writers, composers, cutters and all participants of this industrial process. And undoubtedly actors who play the leading parts, whose image, ability to draw everybody's attention, to become an idol for blind imitation and worship - all that brings commerce fame to the movie.

      In other words there should be a film star, a superstar to prolong the life cycle of the movie. And Timothy became such a superstar, a widely known person after he had acted in that outstanding TV serial though he had been a star possessing a charisma of reincarnation since the beginning of his career. It's really a pity that only a few professionals and amateurs of the dramatic art in the UK and US knew and followed his creativity.

      "License" as the film of the grand epopee in most cases needs presence of such a brilliant star 'cause the plot of this movie being greatly headed for acting and not for demonstration of the 007 Agent exciting adventures may seem to be a little bit dull, especially for Russians 'cause nobody struggles with us here and James Bond by Timothy Dalton is really a super-agent - a tall, stately, sympathetic, light, graceful, desperately courageous and merciless to his enemies person "Lord forbid!" to bump face-to-face into in real life, especially if he stays on the opposite side of the barricade�"License" being different to what has been done before and after the serial still remains in the shadow.

      Comparing other dramatic activities in this serial, Bond images made by Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan I must say that Bond image by Roger where James Bond is a gentle, clumsy person with a huge sense of humor is more flatter for me. Undoubtedly director is a great deal and image by Moore changes visibly: first it looks like an amazing cartoon film or "The moonraker" commix (directed by Lewis Gilbert) and secondly has much in common with the ecologically-romantic commix entitled as "For Your eyes only" diorected by John Glen! It's nothing to be done but to accept Bondiana lightly as it is!

      And what's about Timothy?

      I was slightly shocked to find out that Timothy Dalton, being a Shakespearian actor and a romantic hero would become James Bond no.4: stage is a one thing, but feats, pursuers and gun-shooting are the others! Can he? Won't he spoil anything? What's the reason for him?

      He really managed to do it! He did it in another way shattering the standards proposed by Connery and Moore, creating the academically accurate portrait of the secret agent depicted by Jan Fleming as it had been mentioned in mass media and Internet. I'm not sure he had to do it 'cause Bondiana movies had already departed from the origin and begun to develop independently, which laws dictated market conditions. It means that Bond image has been already programmed by this viewer's demand.

      Humanly I understand why Timothy being a self-independent person and honest painter wouldn't repeat the "traversed path". I appreciate his ability to follow his own way through taking risks and lack of support from the studio management in conducting such policy.

      Even the most "neutral" Timothy's acting in "The Living Daylights" (1987) differs from the image created by Moore, but first scenario has been written especially "for Roger": Dalton's Bond hesitates before pulling the trigger and then suffers killing even the most out-and-out scoundrel. He treats women in another way avoiding everything negative, may be coldly-cynical that is possessed by Connery's one. Dalton's Bond gets tired sometimes, he is more a human being than a superman, lonely and miserable because of his attitude towards his work - he likes and hates it at the same time but he isn't able to break through.

      "License to kill" leads us away from the works of Connery and Moore depicting practically alive person in the face of complicated circumstances. There is no plot in Jan Fleming's creations. A scenario was written "by motives" of his novels on the assumption of Dalton's artistic potentialities who represented the 007 agent avenging his friend's perished wife which possibly had reminded him of destiny of his own one as it had happened in the series where George Lazenby occasionally played Bond ("On her Majesty secret service"(1968).

      Robert Davy as the drug baron, Desmond Llevelyn as Q (the most prolonged part of Q in the serial, to my pleasure!) and Carrie Lowell as one of the most beautiful women in Bodiana turned to be worthy partners of Dalton in that series.

      Money, drugs, Latin America� Explosions, pursuits, terrible heat and�tired eyes of the exhausted and emaciated man when his aim is achieved. Remember Dalton's Bond moving, no, it's better to say "crawling" at the end of the movie when the drug baron's body has been committed to the flames on the bottom of the fire-spitting gasoline river?

      Why did Timothy create such an image of super-agent? Probably because of a lack of such roles to play in his career and at the same time striving to "try" himself in that genre till age limit and not only proving his independence to the society? I haven't got even a slightest idea on this matter. Nevertheless "License" without any proper advertising financially succeeded as last Moore's films had done (see the Table above). It's a pity that studio's management hasn't displayed its desire to prolong Dalton's policy who had inventively, physically and psychologically prepared for it.

      Comparing "The Living Daylights" with "License to kill", we can see how Timothy has changed in duration of time period between shootings: he has become stronger, sporty, his movements have become more accurate and energetic as well as his mimicry has become more economical. And only three things are still the same - his smile, his sparkling clever eye glance and fascination! By the way here is the best interpretation of "The Living Daylights" - after all this "Living view" to life afforded neat rifleman to reveal not a spy but a talented musician in a young girl-violoncellist.

      OK, fate decrees! But "nothing on Earth passes over without a trace"! By the way Pierce Brosnan repeats Dalton's plasticity in "Golden eye"! He has undoubtedly considered Tim's "mistake" and "acts" a little bit as Moore does. Remember the way he sets his tie straight standing in the tank hatch in the center of Saint-Petersburg after he has played havoc with several buildings there and made a lot of noise! It has been done greatly!

      Special thanks to Timothy for his courage (the actor performs most of the tricks by himself!) as well as for his spirit and persistence he operates to create the image of his Bond helping us to follow our way in life. If there is anybody to dislike it, he mustn't forget that Timothy has paid his solutions and deeds off by losing new proposals from producers who have apprehended him as a super-agent only!

      The first night of a new Bond movie "The World Is Not Enough" took place in Moscow in the beginning of January 2000 with Pierce Brosnan and Sophy Marso. Have you already seen this film?

      Regardless of it I'd like to recommend you the article "Timothy Dalton's James Bond" by Cindy from Texas about her understanding Bondiana as a whole and Timothy's contribution to the development of this screen theme. I think, after reading this review you will agree with the author in most cases. Thank you very much, Cindy!

      Please, visit, the Internet Site of Vlad Pavlov - you will get a lot of new data about Bond and not only about him! Read here the exerpts from "The License to Kill"

      �.�., 1999

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