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 "M" and "Miss Moneypenny" have been replaced by other actors, but Desmond Llewelyn is back as the marvelous "Q." Thomas Wheatley deserves special mention for his portrayal of fellow agent, Saunders, who is a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. ***.

ANACONDAS: TRAIL OF BLOOD

ANACONDAS: TRAIL OF BLOOD (aka: Anaconda 4/2009 Telefilm). Director: Don E. FauntLeRoy.

A man named Murdock (John Rhys-Davies) hires some men to bring him back a serum derived from a "blood orchid" and to essentially kill off anyone who gets in their way or who knows too much. Adding to the problem is a very big anaconda that snacks on humans, moves very swiftly, and who has apparently grown large due to consuming the serum. The FX work is uneven. At times the snake is a shuddery horror; at other times it's about as convincing as an image in a computer game. In any case, it creates a certain spooky frisson as it swishes silently and at great speed through tall grass on its way to its next meal. Aside from Rhys-Davies, Linden Ashby (Melrose Place, The Young and the Restless) is the best-known actor. He and the rest of the cast acquit themselves nicely, and the pace is fast. Some of the action and attack scenes are well-choreographed as well. You've seen it all before, of course, but it's fun for devotees. Shown on the Sci Fi Channel, of course.

Verdict: More snakes in the grass. **1/2.