In 1985 with Roger Moore departing the role Pierce Brosnan seemed to his likely Bond successor – and it nearly happened. However, because of his contract and commitment to his NBC television show Remington Steele Brosnan’s double-0 career was put on hold. Shakespearan Welsh actor Timothy Dalton was announced as the new 007.
Dalton would attempt to go back to the roots of the character established by Ian Fleming band his novels. He reread all of them in preparation for the role and Dalton’s 007 would be a complete contrast to Moore’s lighthearted take on the characters.
Dalton would bring a grittier and darker portrayal to the character that hadn’t been seen in years. The Living Daylights would be a box-office success and his followup Licence To Kill would be a disappointment. Overall, Dalton’s interpretation of James Bond wasn’t enthusiastically received by general audiences.
Dalton would play 007 only twice and then the series would go into a six-year hiatus due to legal problems. Directly following Moore’s tenure, he wasn’t what audiences wanted from a James Bond movie at the time. Now with the passsage of time it seems like Dalton’s interpretation of the charcter has become more appreciated. It is now felt by many fans that Dalton was ahead of his time and now is receiving the respect he didn’t receive when he was yielding his license to kill.
This is really where my review series really began to become a more comprehensive analysis than what it originally started as. I also posted all the individual parts together here, unlike the way it was posted on my Youtube channel.
