Da 5 Bloods Film Review

Directed by Spike Lee

Starring: Delroy Lindo, Jonathan Majors, Clarke Peters

Rated R for strong violence, grisly images and pervasive language

Da 5 Bloods is the newest Spike Lee joint which centers around four Vietnam War veterans. In this film, four black Vietnam veterans who travel back to Vietnam 50 years after the war has ended. In Vietnam, the four veterans are on a mission to retrieve the remains of their fallen soldier, Norm (played by Chadwick Boseman), and search for a loot of buried gold .

Da 5 Bloods is one of Spike Lee’s most powerful film and this is taking into consideration that Blackkklansman was Lee’s previous film. The beginning of the film shows us reel clips of actual historical events that occurred during the Vietnam War. These clips certainly gets the audience prepared for what is about to come and puts us in the mindset of these veterans . In addition, the film highlights a group of men that are rarely highlighted in history and films and almost feel largely forgotten to history. The film makes the point that a large percentage of black men were in Vietnam while back home, these men were called names and treated as second class citizens. It makes a point of why were black men willing to fight for a country that didn’t respect them? This powerful message certainly looms over the film as Lee tries to make a point that black men and women were the ones to build the United States, yet they get little respect and credibility.

Lee’s film is accompanied by a strong screenplay. The screenplay not only explores the ideas of racism in the U.S. but also how veterans still cope with a war that ended 50 years ago. Paul (played by Delroy Lindo) has a rough time revisiting Vietnam as he despises the natives of the country and refuses to talk about his post traumatic stress disorder. The film is also amazing in a technical aspect. The cinematography is crystal clear and this all due to the amazing work of Newton Thomas Sigel. Also, the film makes the distinction of knowing the audience know which timeline is which. The film has multiple flashbacks and the aspect ratio is brilliantly changed to show us these flashbacks. In addition, when the group finally goes out to the jungle, the aspect ratio is changed to a widescreen format. I respect and adore the decision to change the aspect ratio so the audience can know where the story is at.

All of these aspects make Da 5 Bloods a great film, but the acting is what certainly elevates the film. Delroy Lindo’s character is the one in the front and center and his acting certainly is the stand out. His character, Paul, is a veteran who still feels like he is in a war. At some point, Lindo goes beyond being an actor and becomes the character. What confirmed this is his monologue that broke the fourth wall in the third act. While we may only be at the midway point of the year, Lindo’s role as a Trump supporting veteran who has PTSD is one of the best performances of the year. The rest of the cast is of course spectacular. There is not one false note in the cast of this film.

Da 5 Bloods is a timely film that feels appropriate to today. Director Spike Lee’s direction and message certainly makes the film stand out from his filmography. This is a film that is certainly worth viewing, especially in the social climate we live in today.

3.5/4

Artemis Fowl Film Review

Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Starring: Ferdia Shaw, Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad

Rated PG for fantasy action/peril and some rude humor

Artemis Fowl is a Kenneth Branagh directed film based on a book series by Eoin Colfer. In this film, Artemis Fowl (played by Ferdia Shaw) teams up with his butler (played by Nonso Anozie) and a fairy officer (played by Lara McDonnell) to rescue his kidnapped father (played by Colin Farrell). In order to save his father, Artemis must retrieve a sacred fairy item and hand it over to a pixie (voiced by Hong Chau).

It goes without saying that the titular character, played by Shaw, has to carry the entire film. But its unfortunate to say that Shaw’s acting is not a strong suit in the film. This is not a dig towards Shaw, as I can certainly see potential in his future. Also, he is a newcomer so his acting abilities are not going to be as strong as a veteran actor. But I will place most of the blame on the filmmakers, particular screenwriters Conor McPherson and Hamish McColl for writing a disjointed flat screenplay (more on that later). Also director Kenneth Branagh bares some fault here. I was almost convinced that we were seeing the first takes of some scenes. A director’s responsibility is to direct their actors and try to get the best take from them. But Branagh, who is a masterful director who has made multiple Shakespeare films missed the mark here.

On the opposite side of spectrum, we have Judi Dench who plays a commanding officer of the underground world. Dench is a terrific veteran actor who is known for her strong acting. But like Shaw, her performance is not as strong as it could have been. For the most part of the film, Dench somehow looks bored and tired. It doesn’t help that Dench has to play her role in an off putting voice that doesn’t suit her at all. It’s a shame that an incredible actor like Dench is reduced down to a forgettable role in a largely boring film.

As mentioned before, the screenplay is mostly disjointed. In the beginning of the film, we learn that Artemis Fowl Sr is actually a theft who has stolen some of the world’s most important artifacts. Because of this information, we learn that Fowl Sr is wanted by police. But soon after, he is kidnapped by a pixie. Throughout the film, I keep wondering when will this play a role in the film? But its clear that it is not as it doesn’t serve any purpose at all. We never see police come to mansion nor is it really mentioned again. If the subplot of Fowl Sr being wanted by police for his crimes were left on the cutting room floor, it would not changed the film at all. The film could have began with Fowl Sr kidnapped and the audience would not be missing anything. I have not read the novels and I am not sure if this subplot is in the book. But if it is, then it has no place in the film. At least in the book, the author has the opportunity to explore this idea, but a film has a time limit and cannot waste time.

The film certainly doesn’t help itself when a majority of it is dull. While the film tries to entice its viewers with great locations and incredible makeup of the goblins, it doesn’t do much to make itself stand out. Reflecting back on the film, there’s not one thing I can recall from the film, except the location and makeup. Everything in the film soon gets largely forgotten after viewing, mostly because of a tired plot that is being acted with actors who are trying their best to make sense of the mess of a screenplay.

Most of this film review is listing the faults the film has and rightfully so. But there are some moments that are enjoyable. But the decent scenes are not enough to recommend the film entirely. I suppose fans of the novel may want to watch this to compare and contract the film and the novel, but that’s about it. I cannot say in confidence that Artemis Fowl is a film audiences should watch.

1.5/4

Just Mercy Film Review

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton

Starring: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx, Brie Larson

Rated PG-13 for thematic content including some racial epithets

In the height of the Great Depression, many Americans, and people around the world, went to the theaters in hopes to escape reality and get submerged in another world. Today, we look at the world and we see that we can no longer go to films to escape reality. We must look towards films in order to educate the public about the struggles many people face today. Recently in light of the George Floyd protests, Warner Brother released Just Mercy for free to the public. I felt this was the right time to view the film. Just Mercy is a true story of Bryan Stevenson (played by Michael B. Jordan), a young lawyer who works hard to release Walter McMillian (played by Jamie Foxx), a innocent man who was framed for a murder he did not do.

Just Mercy is a film that invokes strong emotions because it is a story that actually occurred. The film not only focuses on McMillian’s story and his struggle, but also other inmates who were not given the opportunity to prove their innocence. We see inmates who had rush trials with officers who are insistent that the suspect is guilty. This story does not take place 100 years ago or even 50 years ago, its a story that took place in the late 80’s and early 90’s. As much as we can say we have evolved and we are doing better with executing people who may be innocent, we are not. The story certainly makes the audience think about how the legal system in the United States is not truly equal for all.

The film is also filled with strong performances from the main leads of Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx to the supporting cast of Brie Larson and O’Shea Jackson Jr. Foxx gives an incredible performance who is wanting to be free. He conveys McMillian as I did not see Foxx on screen, I saw McMillian. Jordan also gives an incredible performance as a young lawyer in a setting he has never been in, Alabama. Jordan is emotional, compassionate, and angry when he needs to be. His role as Stevenson proves why Jordan is a great actor. In the background is Brie Larson as Eva, an assistant to Stevenson. While Larson did a fine job in the role, there wasn’t much for her to do in the film. This is not to dismiss Larson’s acting, but the screenplay doesn’t give much the character to do. It was unfortunately a wasted potential, but was enjoyable whenever she was on screen.

In these uncertain times, Just Mercy is a film audiences need to watch in order to understand the racism and struggle most black people face. While the film was set thirty years ago, the story could have been set in present times and it would not have been different. Just Mercy goes beyond being entertaining and serves as being educational. I implore all audiences to view the film and take away the lesson that we have to do better in our society and in our justice system.

3.5/4

The Lovebirds Film Review

Directed by Michael Showalter

Starring:Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Paul Sparks

Rated R for sexual content, language throughout and some violence

The Lovebirds is a Netflix romantic comedy starring Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae. In this film, Leilani (played by Issa Rae) and Jibran (played by Kumail Nanjiani) are a couple that are on the run after they think they are framed for a murder. While on the run, they decide they should investigate the murder and clear their name. What ensure is a night filled with an adventure the couple will never forget.

To start off, our main leads, Rae and Nanjiani, have great chemistry. These two interact like how any couple would, to the warm feeling of falling in love to the bitter arguments that come with it. It’s believable how these two interact and one could mistake them for a real couple. On top of that, these two are quite funny together. These two come from a comedy background and use it to full effect in this film. I wouldn’t say the jokes in the film are laugh out loud hilarious, but they are still good jokes that get a chuckle out of me. But not every joke does stick the landing unfortunately. There are sometimes where either the jokes are unfunny or go on for too long.

The film itself is an hour and a half, which is the perfect runtime for a film like this. The film gets to the point and doesn’t waste any time with its short time. The film is fast paced, as we see the couple go to various places throughout the night. One scene they are in a bar, the next they are at a barn. It goes without saying that the film uses its setting of New Orleans to great use. But while the film does goes at full speed, there are some times where the film does lose some steam. This can be due to the film giving us some complicated exposition or the jokes in the film are not working at all.

Sure, The Lovebirds does have its fair share of issues, but its still enjoyable. There are some great moments and its stars Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani work great together as a couple who are madly in love at first, but then are on the brink of breaking up. I am glad The Lovebirds is a Netflix film because that’s where it works best. It’s a film to put on when you have 90 minutes to kill and you just want to have a good laugh.

3/4

Precious Film Review

Directed by Lee Daniels

Starring: Gabourey Sidibe, Mo’Nique, Paula Patton

Rated R for child abuse including sexual assault, and pervasive language

Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire is film centered around Clarice “Precious” Jones, a young African American woman who lives in 1987 Harlem. Precious (played by Gabourey Sidibe) is pregnant with her second child by her own father and still in high school. She is forced into to an alternative school to better her education and all the while being physically and mentally abused by her own mother, Mary (played by Mo’Nique).

Actress Gabourey Sidibe gives a very strong performance and possibly one of the best acting debuts in a film. Sidibe gives a range of performances from happiness to sadness. When we see Precious smiling with her child, we feel happiness knowing she has a feeling she rarely gets to experience. When Precious breaks down and cries, we feel sympathy for the character as this is an emotion most people should not feel. She interacts well with the rest of the cast from Paula Patton to Mariah Carey, who surprisingly gives a great performance as a social worker. For a moment in 2009, it seemed like Gabourey Sidibe was the next big star. Unfortunately, she never got the opportunity to show her acting range as Precious would be her only main starring role.

While I wish I could say Sidibe gives the best performance in the film, Mo’Nique, as Mary, steals the show. While we root for Precious to succeed, we don’t feel any sympathy for her mother. Mary is a mother who emotionally and abuses her underage child and to an extent, her grandchildren. Mo’Nique plays the character as a monster who doesn’t care for the well being of her child. In a scene, Mary asks Precious where she was and why she wasn’t at school. A simple question like this is asked not because she cares for her child, its only asked because she sees Precious as a paycheck. As long as Precious stays in public school, Mary keeps receiving a welfare check. What makes Mary terrifying is that her character is a realistic portrayal of people that actually exist in this world. She is not a villain who is bent on destroying the world or stealing money. She is a villain that lacks remorse when she abuses her child. For her efforts, Mo’Nique won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

It goes without saying that this is a heavy film. The constant abuse and trauma the main character has to go through can be uncomfortable to view. But give credit where credit is due with Geoffrey S. Fletcher’s magnificent writing. Fletcher explores the idea of a neglected young woman wanting to better herself through education and hope. But this screenplay mixes a bit of humor into the film as well. The humor never gets in the way of the story nor is it placed in serious moments. Instead, it is placed where it needs to be, scenes where Precious is not worried about her mother and can relaxed with her friends. Having this humor sprinkled throughout this film certainly eases the film and takes the viewer’s mind off the depressing scenes.

Precious is certainly a film that is uncomfortable to watch. The cast sells the film, in particular its two main stars, Gabourey Sidibe and Mo’Nique. These two are on the opposite ends of a spectrum and give performances of a lifetime. The beginning of the film shows Precious who only dreams about having it all, being rich and famous with a boyfriend. But at the end of the film, we see she doesn’t need all that, instead she has two children that can make her happy. The film ends with the quote, “for precious girls everywhere”, a quote that perfectly fits in the film.

4/4

Contagion Film Review

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Starring: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law

Rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some language

Considering the current events, I thought it would be best to view Contagion. Contagion is a film directed by Steven Soderbergh, in which a new virus quickly takes over the world. As a pandemic emerges, multiple groups such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) try to investigate the origins of this new virus and find a vaccine for it as millions of patients die.

The pacing of the film goes by quickly. Since it has multiple stories with a an A list cast, it certainly has to keep the story going and not waste time. But with the fast pacing, it does have its ups and downs. First, the film doesn’t waste any time and knows it has to keep moving forward. This is a positive aspect as nothing feels pointless and every scene in the film feels important. But on the other hand, since the story goes fast, we never slow down and see how people feel or react to certain situations. In the beginning of the film, a character dies and we fully don’t explore how his family feels about the situation until the very end. Even when we see how a character feels about another character’s death, it is a very brief scene. I realize that the film is not focusing on how characters feel and think, but more how they react and what they do. But in a situation like this, we should see how certain characters think about the situation around them.

The main plot focuses on how a new virus enters society and how quickly it spreads. The film shows how the CDC works around the clock to find a new vaccine for this new virus. But there is also a subplot of a WHO worker investigating the origins of the virus in Hong Kong. The WHO worker (played by Marion Cotillard) is in Hong Kong investigating the virus with the dismay of Hong Kong citizens. Soon she is kidnapped and taken to a small village, so when a vaccine does come out, the small village gets the cure first. This is a waste of time, as we rarely see this story play out. Once she is kidnapped, we don’t see her character or story until the end of the film when she is released. If the writer of the film wanted this story play out, then he should have added more to it.

In addition, the sub story of Alan (played by Jude Law), a blogger with the conspiracy theory site, is also wasted towards the end. Seeing a blogger spread miscommunication and spread theories instead is something we are dealing with today and its a great subject to explore. While this is a subject that is relevant to today and is realistic, Alan gets arrested by the FBI for multiple charges. There’s nothing wrong seeing a conspiracy theorist getting arrested for spreading false information that may or may not killed his followers, but its soon wasted. After getting arrested, Alan makes bail and goes out in public and continues to cover the story. So what was the purpose of Alan getting arrested for only to be bailed out and never bring his story up again? Its not like we see the charges dropped or Alan actually being found guilty. That arrest scene doesn’t add too much to the story and is unfortunately squandered.

But as much as I have some issues with some of the plots of the film, it does feature an impressive A list cast. From the likes of Matt Damon to Laurence Fishburne, each individual give a strong performance with the few scenes they are in. Since this a film that features multiple plots, each character has limited screen time. But with the limited scenes they are in, they give stellar performances. Director Steven Soderbergh works perfectly with this cast and gets them to give a decent performance.

While it is ten years old, Contagion is a timely film that offers many lessons for us today. While there are some issues with the story, there is no doubt that this a realistic comparison to the situation we face today. Contagion is certainly worth a viewing for the spectacular A list cast and the real life parallels to today.

3/4

Extraction Film Review

Directed by Sam Hargrave

Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Bryon Lerum, Ryder Lerum

Rated R for strong bloody violence throughout, language and brief drug use

Extraction is a Netflix released film from stunt coordinator turned director, Sam Hargrave. In this film, Tyler (played by Chris Hemsworth) is a mercenary who is hired to rescue Ovi (played by Rudhraksh Jaiswal), the son of a drug lord in India. Tyler is tasked with getting Ovi out of the city of Dhaka, all the while being chased by henchmen who want Ovi dead.

To begin with, the action sequences in Extraction are quite spectacular. The action scenes are fast paced with great stunt choreography. Considering directing Sam Hargrave was a stunt coordinator himself, it would make sense that he would deliver top notch fight sequences. Additionally, Hargrave brings fourth a one shot action sequence that is impressive. In this scene, Tyler and Ovi have to run away from the police in a car chase sequence. That scene alone is shot as it were one take. But soon the chase ends when Tyler crashes his car. One would have thought this would been the end of the one take, but it continues onto a chase in an apartment building. It’s obvious that there were some edits disgusied in the scene to make it seem like it is one take, but it is still impressive. The single take only ends when Tyler and Ovi finally escape the apartment only to be chased in a truck, and have it end in a crash. Director Sam Hargrave certainly could have this scene filled with choppy edits, but instead he decided to take a risk and have it a single shot.

Chris Hemsworth does a great job portraying a mercenary who is tasked with a difficult job. He is certainly tough and interacts fantastically with Ovi. Rudhraksh Jaiswal also does a fantastic job carrying the film and certainly holds his own against Hemsworth. Yes, his character is the damsel in distress characters most heroes have to save. But throughout the film, he somehow learns that he cannot just sit there and be that damsel in distress. While giving great performances, these two work great with the material they are given.

Extraction is an enjoyable film that has great action sequences. Audiences will not stick around for the plot, but instead be surprised by the spectacular action sequences that are shot very well. These scenes flow naturally and that makes it even more enjoyable. Extraction is a perfect viewing on Netflix on a Friday night.

3/4

James Bond Week: Casino Royale Film Review

Directed by Martin Campbell

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violent action, a scene of torture, sexual content and nudity

Finally, we dig deep into 2006’s Casino Royale, the first Bond film starring Daniel Craig. In this film, Craig is a newly 007 agent who is tasked with winning a high stakes poker game in Montenegro. One of the players of the game is Le Chiffre, (played by Mads Mikkelsen) a man who funds world terrorists. If Bond loses, he would have financed world terrorism and if he wins, he would stopped these terrorist acts from occurring.

Casino Royale is not your typical Bond film as it doesn’t follow a formula previous Bond films did before. To start, the film doesn’t start off with the gun barrel sequence that is usually placed at the start of every film in this series. Instead, the film begins with a black and white cold open showing Bond achieving his 007 status. Since Bond had just gained his license to kill, he is new to this job. We can tell he is new to this by the way he acts so careless in some scenes, whether its catching a bad guy or trusting individual people. In the first act of the film, Bond is chasing a henchmen through a construction site in Madagascar. In this scene, Bond stumbles, runs through walls, and improves when he’s at a dead end. Showing this indicates that Bond is new to this and not perfect, and most of all, not the super spy we all know him to be as. Seeing Bond fall while chasing a villain makes the story more believable, as the film wanted to deviate from the silliness the previous Bond film had brought.

Also, the film changes the formula by not including Q or his gadgets. In all previous Bond films, we seen Bond receive a gadget from Q and then use it later on when he’s in danger. In the second act, Bond is kidnapped and tortured by Le Chiffre. Normally, Bond would use some type of gadget to get out there, but in this film, he doesn’t have any gadget to save himself. Instead, he’s lucky that another villain comes in to shoot Le Chiffre. Not only does Bond not have anything that would have saved himself, but the main villain is shot dead, not by Bond, in the second act. Proceeding the second act, we get a love story of Bond and Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green) romantically in love. Again, this is something we would have never seen in any previous films of the series. The final act is usually reserved for a big battle scene with henchmen dying and impressive explosions, not a couple falling in love in Venice. This is what makes Casino Royale a nice change of pace and a film that feels different from the rest of the series.

The storytelling in Casino Royale is top notch and high energy. Each act of the film is its own individual story, as the first act is action filled spy story, the second act is tells the story of a high stakes poker game, and finally the final act is a romance story. While each act is different from its the rest of the film, it never gets confusing or clunky. The action certainly drives the first act as we begin the film with a parkour chase sequence. The scene is perfectly filmed as it shows us how Bond is not great at parkour. Later in the first act, we see Bond trying to stop a terrorist act at a Miami airport. After this sequence, we learn that Bond is up against a banker who gives money to world terrorists and Bond has to stop him by winning a poker game. This plot is a change of pace as the villain is not out destroy the world in a complicated scheme. Yes, Bond films are known to have villains wanting to destroy the world and that can be fun to watch, but it can get tiring after a while. Casino Royale brings things down to reality as it doesn’t rely on a scheme that involves destroying the world. Instead it relies on a story that involves terrorism, something that was relevant in the 2000’s.

The second act mainly focuses on Bond and the poker game he is a part of. Truth be told, poker is a complicated game that I wouldn’t understand. But under Martin Campbell direction, he simplifies the complex nature of a poker game so audiences could comprehend the game. This is done with camera angles, music, and the acting of the actors in these scenes. Scenes like these could have dragged the film down, but these scenes are not slowed down. It goes relatively fast, mostly due to the intensity of the scenes. Finally, the final act is where we see Bond fall in love and be at his most vulnerable. While, we have seen Bond fall in love before and even get married. This act is the perfect opportunity to put Daniel Craig’s acting on display. He is madly in love with Vesper Lynd for a while, but once he realizes that she betrayed him, he is angry. Craig does a perfect job displaying the range of emotions in this act and in the entire film in general.

Casino Royale is a film that offers a nice change pace of direction. Its an entertaining film as it never slows down, it keeps a high energy going throughout the film. Its also engaging from the moment the film begins to the moment it ends. Casino Royale is not only one of Daniel Craig’s best film, but also one of the best Bond film the series has to offer.

4/4

James Bond Week: The World is Not Enough Film Review

Directed by Michael Apted

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexuality and innuendo

The World is Not Enough is the 19th Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan as the role of 007. In this film, Bond is sent to protect a oil tycoon’s daughter, who was recently killed in an explosion. While protecting the Electra King (played by Sophie Marceau), Bond discovers that King actually suffers from Stockholm Syndrome and is in love with her former kidnapper (played by Robert Carlyle), as they plan to destroy Istanbul.

It’s unfortunate that Brosnan wasn’t given stronger films as his tenure as Bond because he certainly tries to give it his best in these films. Brosnan gives a performance that embodies the work of Sean Connery. He’s charismatic and menacing, he brought something to the role that was missed with Dalton’s Bond. In addition, Judi Dench as M certainly brings something to the table we haven’t seen before. Dench as yalways gives a strong performance and this film is no exception.

But with performances being mentioned, there is one performance that sticks out like a sore thumb. Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones was and still is a horrible miscast role. It’s understandable wanting to have a pretty face in the film, but this character was supposed to give lines that dealt with nuclear radiation. Not only does it sound like she has no idea what she is talking about, but as an actress, Richards does not convince the audience she is a doctor. It’s almost cringey hearing Richards pretend her way to be a nuclear physicist. It would have been right to give this role to another actress who can handle the type of dialogue that was given to the character.

The best way to describe The World is Not Enough is that its a film with missed opportunities. In the beginning of the film, Bond gets injured when he takes a fall. Seeing Bond injured is something we don’t see too often. While we are lead to believe the injury would have an effect on the film, its only relevant for the first act and only mentioned a couple times afterwards. This seems to have no effect on the film and instead should have been left in the cutting room floor. Also, M’s past has come back to haunt her when King kidnaps her. This is the first time we have ever seen anything like this as M is usually placed in an office and give Bond orders. While its interesting to see M in danger, its not a concept explored too much. It would finally take until Skyfall where these concepts are fully fleshed out and placed in the forefront of the story.

Overall, the film is somewhat enjoyable. While there are some strong performances in the film, there are some aspects of the film that not explored and only touch the surface of the film. This is not the best Brosnan Bond film, but there are some redeemable qualities of the film that makes it worth a view on a Sunday afternoon.

2.5/4

James Bond Week: The Living Daylights Film Review

Directed by John Glen

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, Jeroen Krabbé

Rated PG

After 12 years of having Roger Moore play the role of James Bond, it was finally time to have a new actor step into the role. Timothy Dalton stepped into the Bond in the mid to late 80’s with critical success. The Living Daylights centers around Bond who is tasked with finding out why someone is killing spies. In a complicated plot, Bond faces off against an arms dealer (played by Joe Don Baker) who is also tied to the Soviet-Afghan War and a Soviet defector (played by Jeroen Krabbé).

Re-watching The Living Daylights was enjoyable to say the least. Although still having some humor in the film, it was interesting watching Dalton bring his own interpretation of Bond to the big screen. There are some elements of dark moments in the film, but it wouldn’t be until Licence to Kill where these malarial would be fully fleshed out. It was a nice change of pace to not see jokes after jokes in the film, but considering the screenplay was written with Moore in mind, it still has the feeling of a lighthearted film.

Along with the tone, the story is finally brought back to reality. I know it is custom to have these types of story lines be about a manic wanting to destroy the world. While it is enjoyable to view those types of plots, it can be a bit tiring to watch film after film. The Living Daylights stepped away from the outlandish plots we’ve seen in the Moore era to a more grounded one. The story of an arms dealer wanting to sell weapons is not the most exciting, but a nice change of pace. It’s almost as if the series saw itself speeding ahead and decided to slow down once Dalton came on board.

While the film is enjoyable to view, unfortunately, the main villain of the film is dull and forgettable. At first, it is hard to distinguishing who the main villain is. But once we know who the main villain is, there is nothing memorable about him. The only memorable thing about him is that he plays with historical wax figures and that’s about it. He poses no threat to anyone in the film and doesn’t even seem menacing at all. Over the years, Bond villains are known to be memorable, whether its good or bad, and this one doesn’t bring anything to the table. It’s unfortunate to say that Joe Don Baker as Whitaker is probably one of the worst Bond villains.

But with that being said, the film is a decent telling of a spy story that is based in reality. The film finally moved away from Moore era jokes and focused on telling a story with humor as an after thought. While the film does have a terrible villain, this is not an element that drags the film entirely down. Overall, its a nice entry in the Bond series that has some redeemable qualities that is worth a watch.

3/4