Romantic Gruff

In a sort of Bond retrospective, I checked-out an informal duology that's had a bit of flack thrown at it, but also some praise for being dark and gritty and generally not Roger Moore. I remember liking them when I first saw them many many years ago.

This second look, not so much. It's not depressingly dark and that may have dimmed my outlook on it. And I do see the loss of flair people have complained about. They were really pretty okay. I didn't feel really bored that I wanted to do something else. But it didn't grab my attention with a compelling story and great visuals.
I guess that's the root of my problem with it. I like how there are darker themes, but it's gripped by the necessity to have the glamour of the franchise. So we have a not so suave Timothy Dalton being a bit too romantic and cute, or at least trying to be. It's not exactly a forced affair, but it's a bit unsightly. If he was served a script that was more naturalistic, it probably would still have gained some vilification, but the contemporary reviews would have been more decisively positive.

As it is, it has these big set-pieces in the desert that are too big-deal for what I'm looking for, but not grand enough to be attractive. That is, by being chained to the franchise, it's hurting itself. At the same time, it isn't physical enough to be called a gritty, naturalistic movie, at least not by today's standards.

Another unforeseen problem is Bond suddenly being a bit American. There was none of the charm of From Russia With Love. That, though an incredibly simple movie had some small laughs and pretty good mood and action (that fight in the cabin). These were, as an Anglophile, a bit too try hard.

(The Living Daylights and License to Kill - John Glen)