Category Archives: Jeroen Krabbé

1987 Films, Action, Art Malik, Caroline Bliss, Desmond Llewelyn, James Bond, Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, John Glen, John Rhys-Davies, Maryam d'Abo, Robert Brown, Timothy Dalton

The Living Daylights-1987

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The Living Daylights-1987

Director John Glen

Starring Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo

Scott’s Review #1,194

Reviewed November 12, 2021

Grade: B+

It’s 1987, and Timothy Dalton is the new James Bond, having replaced the aging Roger Moore. Moore made seven Bond films.

Dalton’s reign was brief, and he made only two films: The Living Daylights (1987) and License to Kill (1989).

The Living Daylights is a fine Bond film ranking somewhere midstream with Best Of lists.

I completely agree with this sentiment, as it mostly borrows from other Bond films or stays true to the course, delivering a quality action film with all the typical trimmings a fan would expect from the franchise.

Nothing wrong with that.

This is unsurprising since director John Glen is at the helm once again. Responsible for directing the three prior Bond films- For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983), and A View To A Kill (1985)- he knows how to create a decent picture, and he does just that.

The main issue is with Dalton himself. Handsome, dashing, and British, he doesn’t quite possess the charisma that other Bonds like Moore, Connery, or Lazenby had. There is a seriousness to the actor and a lack of a smirk or wink in his eye that makes fans melt like putty in his hands.

The action commences with British secret agent James Bond (Dalton) helping KGB officer Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé) defect during a symphony performance. A mysterious blonde woman who plays cello immediately catches Bond’s attention for more than one reason.

She is Russian assassin Kara Milovy (Maryam d’Abo). Predictably, as events unfold, they become madly in love (or lust).

Koskov reveals that the new KGB head has instated a policy of assassinating defectors, Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies). But as Bond explores this threat, a counterplot surfaces, involving a shady American arms dealer (Joe Don Baker). Bond must thwart the evildoer’s fiendish plans and save the world from disaster.

The plot is secondary and difficult to follow, but the gist is the same as any other Bond film.

The fun (for me, anyway) is in enjoying the exquisite locales the film takes Bond to.

I salivated at the gorgeous concert hall and the surrounding areas of Czechoslovakia (pre-Czech Republic) and was mesmerized as the action moved to the stark desert lands of Afghanistan and Morocco, and finally into historic Austria.

The pre-title sequence was filmed on the Rock of Gibraltar and is utterly fabulous.

With every Bond film, this is a real treat and a major source of enjoyment. The Living Daylights doesn’t disappoint in this regard.

The finale aboard a speeding airplane is pulsating, edge-of-your-seat fun. Fights, ticking time bombs, and impending peril keep the action moving at a breakneck speed.

The villains lack much gusto, save for a hunky blonde assassin named Necros (Andreas Wisniewski), who enjoys prancing around in skimpy swimwear and who may or may not be gay.

In a more progressive Bond, they might have had a dalliance.  The main antagonists, Brad Whitaker, an arms-dealing General, and Koskov, are too goofy to pose any real danger or feel diabolical.

Also forgettable is the main Bond girl. Maryam d’Abo is an okay actress, but lacks much chemistry with Dalton. Their adventures are appealing, but more as buddies, and the romance didn’t work for me. He does respect her more than other Bonds would, so that is a win.

Delightful is the title theme song performed by the band A-Ha, which is catchy enough to stick in my head as I write this review. It is exotic and upbeat. Its standard inclusion in the opening credits makes the cheesy sequence more bearable.

Undoubtedly intended to launch a long and storied career as the new James Bond, Dalton lasted only briefly in the role.

The Living Daylights (1987) presents a Cold War theme that remains relevant but feels slightly tired by today’s standards. As usual, unless we’re talking about one of the superior Bond films, the locales are the real highlight.

2004 Films, Action, Albert Finney, Andy Garcia, Bernie Mac, Brad Pitt, Bruce Willis, Carl Reiner, Casey Affleck, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Cherry Jones, Comedy, Don Cheadle, Elliott Gould, George Clooney, Gregory Jacobs, Jeroen Krabbé, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, Robbie Coltrane, Steven Soderbergh, Topher Grace, Vincent Cassel

Ocean’s Twelve-2004

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Ocean’s Twelve-2004

Director Steven Soderbergh

Starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon

Scott’s Review #1,157

Reviewed June 30, 2021

Grade: B-

The casino heist gang is back together again for more action and adventure in a film that was only made because of the success of its predecessor, Ocean’s Eleven (2001).

The uninspiring title of the film, Ocean’s Twelve (2004) is a letdown as compared to the fantastic and enthralling 2001 film.

What felt like a purely original idea, even though it was a remake, now feels like stale bread that was fresh only yesterday.

Thankfully, Steven Soderbergh returns to the fold which adds some style and general good direction.

The story is slow to kick off and provides an implausible and unconventional ending that doesn’t work nearly negating most of the previous activity. There is something a bit irritating about watching a film with the knowledge that it was only made for one reason and the plot seems to be rushed and poorly thought out.

But that’s Hollywood.

Undoubtedly, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and other top talent enjoyed the hefty paychecks they received. This is also perturbing as the performances seem ho-hum and inspired by the big bucks being deposited into big bank accounts for services rendered.

The inauthenticity all around is evident in lazy acting and writing.

The foil and mark, Terry Benedict, once again played by Andy Garcia realizes that the gang has robbed him of millions and demands the money back with interest. Unfortunately, much of it has already been spent.

Unable to come up with the cash, the crew must come together to pull off another series of heists, this time in Europe. Presumably, they are not well known there.

Being “forced” to do what the career criminals love to do is far-fetched.

Danny (George Clooney) and the gang hatch a plan to swap a Fabergé Imperial Coronation Egg for a holographic recreation. Linus (Damon) comes up with a second plan involving Danny’s wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), posing as a pregnant Julia Roberts to get close to the Egg and swap it.

They are foiled by Lahiri (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and a coincidentally present Bruce Willis, and the rest of the group are captured.

While it’s slightly clever having Bruce Willis and Julia Roberts appear as themselves especially when Julia Roberts plays another character in the film, it doesn’t work as well as it sounds on paper.

The story is way too convoluted and Ocean’s Twelve quickly turns into the sort of film you tune out of enjoying the non-story points more than the written word. In this case, that’s not a positive aspect.

The film’s successes, mainly the returning A-list cast, are also negative. While it’s fun to reconnect with familiar characters like Danny Ocean, Rusty (Pitt), and Linus, we know the characters too well and they become caricatures. Meaning, they behave exactly as one would expect them to.

Still, it is admittedly juicy and exciting to witness so many A-listers on one big screen especially when there is trickery, scheming, and just a hint of romance to be had.

I’ll also partake in just about any film that goes on location to Paris, Rome, Monte Carlo, and Amsterdam. It’s an orgy of European history and goodness adding cultural trimmings to a sub-par storyline.

Particularly inviting are the villa scenes in luscious Lake Como.

Ocean’s Twelve (2004) will please only those who are obsessed enough with the franchise to enjoy what is a retread of the 2001 film set in various parts of Europe instead of Las Vegas.

It isn’t nearly enough for me as most cleverness and bright and crisp writing are gone.