Why Timothy Dalton was the best James Bond

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  1. He demanded that the scripts for his movies were believeable and original than the same old world domination plot.
  2. He brought the most energy, vigor and vitality of all the Bond actors.
  3. He did most of his own stunts, adding a much greater physicality to the character than Moore and Connery.
  4. His character was the closest to Fleming's novels, and he looked the part too.
  5. His Bond was able to be aggressive and vulnerable like Craig's, but he also had an elegance and lightness to his performance when needed.
  6. He changed the direction of the series, adding more violence and action, laying the framework for Brosnan and Craig's films.
  7. His character was the most respectful of women ; he jettisoned the character's misogynistic and philandering tendencies.
  8. Unlike Connery and Moore, he quit the role before he got too old.




Dalton's lack of acclaim (compared to Craig, right now) was moreso due to bad luck than any fault on his part.
  • There was a 6 year long lawsuit. He could've had a movie in 1991, 1993 and possibly 1995.
  • Audiences were not ready for a darker grittier Bond, as they are today.
  • John Glen was a good director, but he wasn't able to do for Dalton what Campbell did for Brosnan and Craig.
  • UA didn't dress him very well. His clothes were often ill fitted and not very becoming.
  • UA made some poor casting choices in The Living Daylights
  • License to Kill had a terrible advertising campaign and stiff competition at the box office.



Oy, I thought this was a gag thread.

Man I dont care if Sean Connery was half in the bag and sick with the flu, theres is no way Dalton would come off as a better Bond, James Bond. I like Dalton, all the way back to The Lion In Winter, but he just ...he has no true leading man qualities, just no impact. Even Roger Moore in his younger years looked the part appropriately and Dalton could act rings around him. Dalton may be the best actor thats played Bond, but that doesnt make him the best. Im sorry but you have to have an impactful leading man actor to be a proper Bond. Dalton was overqualified but unsuitable as Bond, imo.



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I think Dalton might very well be my favourite Bond for many of the reasons that marmalade skies already outlined, but TONGO raises an interesting point as to whether or not any of that matters if Dalton himself doesn't have the same level of screen presence as Connery or even Bond. Speaking for myself, I think the answer is "no".
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His character was the most respectful of women ; he jettisoned the character's misogynistic and philandering tendencies.
The philandering was ditched to an extent (and was usually a means to an end) but I think AIDS put paid to that (that and John Hurt scaring us all to death). I'm not sure misogyny was ever there; it's more sexism and I think Dalton's Bond was still sexist, especially in Licence to Kill.

UA made some poor casting choices in The Living Daylights
This is interesting – which casting choices do you think were poor?



I think Dalton might very well be my favourite Bond for many of the reasons that marmalade skies already outlined, but TONGO raises an interesting point as to whether or not any of that matters if Dalton himself doesn't have the same level of screen presence as Connery or even Bond. Speaking for myself, I think the answer is "no".
Maybe it's that Timothy Dalton was always visibly uncomfortable about being Bond, but in a way that adds to his character given that Bond himself dislikes his role in life and is often disgusted by it.



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He's not the best Bond, that distinction has and always will go to Sean Connery, from the very first time he said "Bond, James Bond" was all anyone needed to be believe him, it was one of the most well delivered lines in all of cinema in my opinion, to make a character completely interesting in one line.

However, I think Dalton was a good choice as well, he was a lot like Craig only he could have more than one emotion on his face.



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The philandering was ditched to an extent (and was usually a means to an end) but I think AIDS put paid to that (that and John Hurt scaring us all to death). I'm not sure misogyny was ever there; it's more sexism and I think Dalton's Bond was still sexist, especially in Licence to Kill.
Interesting how you distinguish between misogyny and sexism like that, though it's not like Bond hasn't gotten a bit too physical with a few women over the years (the clearest example I can think of right now being him threatening to break a woman's arm if she didn't give him information in The Man with the Golden Gun, to say nothing of his more forceful approach to bedding Pussy Galore in Goldfinger). I also wonder how much of Dalton's more progressive-looking qualities as Bond happen by default due to the fact that he only got two films and thus didn't have to deal with as much collateral damage as the actors who got to appear in more films (case in point - none of the Dalton-era Bond girls actually die). That being said, what was especially sexist about Bond in Licence to Kill?

Maybe it's that Timothy Dalton was always visibly uncomfortable about being Bond, but in a way that adds to his character given that Bond himself dislikes his role in life and is often disgusted by it.
Yeah, you can also see that sort of discomfort in Craig's portrayal but it somehow never seems as effective - NextScorsese is probably right about Dalton being better at actually emoting. With Craig, the whole appearance of struggling to maintain the same stony composure no matter what happens works a little too well for its own good.



Interesting how you distinguish between misogyny and sexism like that,
Well I don't know what it's like in the books but I don't get the impression Bond dislikes women in general, despite often being sexist.

though it's not like Bond hasn't gotten a bit too physical with a few women over the years (the clearest example I can think of right now being him threatening to break a woman's arm if she didn't give him information in The Man with the Golden Gun, to say nothing of his more forceful approach to bedding Pussy Galore in Goldfinger).
One thing is that everyone is an equal threat – he doesn't distinguish between men and women in such situations and actually that's the least sexist quality about him.

That being said, what was especially sexist about Bond in Licence to Kill?
The interaction with Pam Bouvier is pretty sexist, isn't it?

Yeah, you can also see that sort of discomfort in Craig's portrayal but it somehow never seems as effective - NextScorsese is probably right about Dalton being better at actually emoting. With Craig, the whole appearance of struggling to maintain the same stony composure no matter what happens works a little too well for its own good.
Paul McGann said something interesting about Craig recently (someone was asking him whether he'd been asked about Bond if I remember rightly). He was of the opinion that although Craig is good, you can see in his eyes that he's restless and would probably rather be doing something else. In Craig's Spectre interviews that opinion seemed to be quite perceptive.



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Well I don't know what it's like in the books but I don't get the impression Bond dislikes women in general, despite often being sexist.
That's a good point, it's hard to gauge whether or not he feels any genuine contempt for them, though he frequently seems callous enough in his treatment of them that you can't help but wonder.

One thing is that everyone is an equal threat – he doesn't distinguish between men and women in such situations and actually that's the least sexist quality about him.
Yeah, that is a good point, even though the implications surrounding his treatment of Pussy Galore are still a little hard to ignore (especially since there's something of a lesbian subtext to her, plus she's apparently a survivor of sexual abuse in the book).

The interaction with Pam Bouvier is pretty sexist, isn't it?
As in the general interaction or just at first? In any case, I can see that - wonder if it's supposed to be a response to the fact that the sole Bond girl in Daylights was something of a damsel, so here was a competent and confident woman who could not only keep up with Bond but even surpass him at times (such as bringing a shotgun to the dive bar while he brought a puny-looking Walther). Check me if I'm wrong, but she might be the only Bond girl who manages to go a whole movie without being captured at all.

Paul McGann said something interesting about Craig recently (someone was asking him whether he'd been asked about Bond if I remember rightly). He was of the opinion that although Craig is good, you can see in his eyes that he's restless and would probably rather be doing something else. In Craig's Spectre interviews that opinion seemed to be quite perceptive.
Yeah, you'd think such a quality would work for the character but nah.



As in the general interaction or just at first? In any case, I can see that - wonder if it's supposed to be a response to the fact that the sole Bond girl in Daylights was something of a damsel, so here was a competent and confident woman who could not only keep up with Bond but even surpass him at times (such as bringing a shotgun to the dive bar while he brought a puny-looking Walther). Check me if I'm wrong, but she might be the only Bond girl who manages to go a whole movie without being captured at all.
I think you're right – I don't remember her being captured. Yeah, Kara was an unusual Bond girl in that way, whereas Pam is cast more as an equal and closer to the contemporary films.



This is interesting – which casting choices do you think were poor?
The Living Daylights is a very good movie. I love the action, the story and Dalton's performance in it. But the movie needed a memorable female lead (Maryam Abo was boring) and a memorable villain (the film had 3 hammy villains but none of the shined).



I'm not sure misogyny was ever there
The movies are a product of their time. I love the Bond movies but that doesn't stop me from seeing them for what they are.

Dr. No - Honey Ryder was basically a 10 year old in a 25 year olds body
From Russia With Love - Tania was treated like crap by everyone, and there was the catfight.
Goldfinger - Started the dead mistress trope.
Thunderball - Bond blackmails a nurse into sex. (Really?!)
You Only Live Twice - "In Japan, women are second"
Diamonds Are Forever - Female lead is a sex object
Live and Let Die - Solitaire's psychic abilities are tied to her virginity (aka, women are less valuable after they lose their virginity trope)
The Man With the Golden Gun - Female lead is a sex object
Moonraker - The Bond girl is named Goodhead...
A View to a Kill - Moore was twice the girl's age. It was creepy.

The Dalton era was a big improvement. I'm not saying it was perfect. There was one scene in TLD where Bond took off a girl's shirt to distract a guard, but aside from that it's been pretty fair to women.



The movies are a product of their time. I love the Bond movies but that doesn't stop me from seeing them for what they are.
As I was saying above, it's this idea of Bond disliking women that I think is a myth, but yeah sexism is rife through the majority of the films.



dalton was never comfortable in the womanizing aspect, as all the others managed to do it comfortably especially i may point out pierce brosnan as one of the best in that regard, he s very smooth with his lines.



https://www.007.info/the-007-film-th...ns-third-bond/
The plot for the third film which never happened with dalton



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I would say Dalton is either my 4th or 5th favorite, which is kind of low, but he does have one significant weakness. He is very good in the action and drama scenes, but unlike better Bond actors, he kind of sucks with the women and the seduction I feel. He doesn't have the women charm, but is good in other areas.



Dalton brought a cold determination to the role, a man on a mission who could not be distracted. Apparently Dalton was offered the bond role as far back as the 1970s but turned it down because he was not old enough.



Well normally you would disqualify someone for being Bond for only two films...but if we are going short term than George Lazenby is the best bond because...he never made a bad Bond film.



I love Dalton as Bond although it has to be Connery for best Bond. I think the key appeal of Bond is that women want to sleep with him and men want to be him- I don't know whether Dalton provides that male fantasy aspect whereas Connery gets the balance spot on.

I think Craig was good in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace but Skyfall and Spectre are very much rinse-and-repeat. He probably should have bowed out after Skyfall. Craig's performance definitely owes a lot to Timothy Dalton- I would say particularly in License to Kill, which I think is the first time he properly goes rogue and gives that feeling sometimes that perhaps in another life he could have been the villain. It stands up much better than the Roger Moore films.



I love Dalton as Bond although it has to be Connery for best Bond. I think the key appeal of Bond is that women want to sleep with him and men want to be him- I don't know whether Dalton provides that male fantasy aspect whereas Connery gets the balance spot on.

I think Craig was good in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace but Skyfall and Spectre are very much rinse-and-repeat. He probably should have bowed out after Skyfall. Craig's performance definitely owes a lot to Timothy Dalton- I would say particularly in License to Kill, which I think is the first time he properly goes rogue and gives that feeling sometimes that perhaps in another life he could have been the villain. It stands up much better than the Roger Moore films.
I agree with you about Sean Connery as best Bond overall. Very few have his charisma.

Then later I recall seeing Casino Royale for the first time. In that fabulous opening chase scene, I thought to myself, "So this is the new style Bond. Fantastic." Daniel Craig brought to the role an athleticism and energy that seemed to mirror the contemporary styles. The 21st Century Bond.

I was never a big fan of R. Moore, especially at first. But then I came to enjoy him for jokes and campiness.