THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS

THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1987). Director: John Glen.

Timothy Dalton inherited the role of James Bond from Roger Moore and made an excellent, much more realistic 007 in an outing that has little of the overly campy humor and absurd situations of Moore's films. The pre-credit sequence, in which a training exercise at Gibraltar goes horribly wrong, is outstanding. The main story has to do with the defection of General Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbe), whom Bond protects from a possible sniper attack. The "sniper" is a pretty cellist named Kara (Maryam d'Abo) but Bond resists killing her when he sees what an amateur she is and suspects something's up. The two wind up teaming up as assorted factions try to kill them. The action takes Bond from Czechoslovakia to Vienna to Tangiers and finally Afghanistan where the thrilling climax takes place on a plane as Bond and the assassin Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) dangle in the air and struggle even as a bomb is ticking in the cargo bay. Dalton makes a fine, more human Bond; Krabbe is wonderful; D'abo is hardly a classic Bond sexpot but she is effective and convincing; and there are good performances from Joe Don Baker [Criminal Law] as an American arms dealer, John Rhys-Davies as General Pushkin, and Art Malick as rebel Kamran Shah. "M" and "Miss Moneypenny" have been replaced by other actors, but Desmond Llewelyn is back as the marvelous "Q." Thomas Wheatley deserves special mention for his portrayal of fellow agent, Saunders, who is a bit tight-assed but likable. John Barry's music is a plus, especially the end title song "If Someone Was You." Followed by Licence to Kill, Dalton's second and last appearance as Bond.

Verdict: Entertaining, highly credible 007 outing. ***.

THE OUTFIT

Tom Reese and Duvall with Karen Black in the background

THE OUTFIT (1973). Director: John Flynn.

Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) gets out of prison to discover that his brother was murdered. It seems the two of them knocked off a bank that was owned by the crime cartel, the "Outfit." Macklin decides to pay back and wage war on the Outfit by carrying out heists -- with his pal, Jack (Joe Don Baker) -- that will hit the Outfit where they live. His main antagonist is Outfit bigwig Mailer (Robert Ryan), who lives in a big mansion with bodyguards and has a fairly disinterested wife (Joanna Cassidy). The Outfit is loosely based on the third "Parker" novel by Richard Stark (Donald Westlake), a series of books in which a career criminal is the protagonist. [Another Parker adaptation was The Split.] Frankly, the book is much more entertaining than this indifferently directed "thriller" in which only Robert Ryan gives an especially memorable performance. Baker isn't bad, Karen Black [Trilogy of Terror] has her moments as Macklin's girl, and Duvall is Duvall. Sheree North [Mardi Gras] also has some flavorful moments as the wife of an associate, but Jane Greer isn't very good as Macklin's sister-in-law. Richard Jaeckal, Marie Windsor, and Henry Jones aren't on screen long enough to register much but are all effective. John Flynn also directed The Sergeant.

Verdict: Indifferent adaptation of a gritty Parker novel. **.

THAT CERTAIN SUMMER

Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen

THAT CERTAIN SUMMER (1972 telefilm). Director: Lamont Johnson. Written by Richard Levinson and William Link.

Contractor Doug Salter (Hal Holbrook) has divorced his wife and is in a relationship with musician Gary McClain (Martin Sheen). When his teenage son, Nick (Scott Jacoby) comes for a visit, he has to deal -- although he doesn't want to -- with the boy's eventual realization of his father's sexual orientation. This was the first made-for-TV movie to deal fairly positively with the subject of gay relationships. The focus is perhaps more on the father-son relationship than it is with the lovers, although they are portrayed as normal human beings and not losers or freaks. It is likely that Broadcast Standards and Practices (the TV censors of the time) probably imposed a speech in which Doug wonders if homosexuality is a "sickness" and says "if I had a choice it's not what I would choose for myself." In spite of this, the gay relationship is in no way presented as being abnormal, and it is made clear that Doug is much more conservative than the younger and more liberated Gary. The entire cast gives excellent performances, including Hope Lange [Peyton Place] as Doug's ex-wife; Jan Shepard [Attack of the Giant Leeches] as Gary's sister; Joe Don Baker [Criminal Law] as his brother-in-law; and Marlyn Mason as a client of Doug's who has romantic feelings for him.

Verdict: Whatever its flaws -- and it has them -- this frank, mostly intelligent film was certainly a step in the right direction. ***.

CRIMINAL LAW (1988)

CRIMINAL LAW (1988). Director: Martin Campbell.

Slick, well-acted nonsense presents a defense lawyer Ben Chase (Gary Oldman) who gets off a nutty serial killer Martin Thiel (Kevin Bacon), then discovers that he really is guilty and decides to risk disbarment by defending him on new charges and bringing him down while secretly working with the police. Surrrrre -- defense lawyers always do that sort of thing! The movie is never believable but a lot of it is dramatically handled and Oldman and Bacon give dynamic and committed performances. Tess Harper and Joe Don Baker are fine as the detectives pursuing Thiel, and Elizabeth Shepherd is wonderful as Martin's doctor mother. Shepherd made this film ten years after she played the crow-pecked Joan Martin in Damian: Omen II, but she looks even more attractive. The picture has some exciting scenes and suspenseful moments, but it's never able to make its central premise remotely believable.

Verdict: Definite suspension of disbelief required. **1/2.