Timothy Dalton stepped into the role of James Bond at a time when the spy series needed a shake-up. After Roger Moore’s lighter, more humorous take in films like A View to a Kill, Dalton brought a darker, more intense edge that pulled Bond closer to Ian Fleming’s original novels. He only made two official Bond movies, The Living Daylights in 1987 and Licence to Kill in 1989, but fans have argued for decades about which one stands taller.[1] Some swear by the first as a solid introduction to Dalton’s gritty style, while others champion the second for its raw revenge story that feels like a bridge to later Bonds. These debates rage on in fan forums, podcasts, and rankings because both films capture Dalton’s unique spin—brooding, physical, and willing to bend rules—without the gadgets or one-liners dominating every scene.[2]
Let’s start with The Living Daylights, Dalton’s debut as 007. Released in 1987, this movie marked the end of an era after Moore hung up his tuxedo. Producers had been hunting for a fresh face, and they landed on Dalton, a Welsh actor known for serious roles in films like Wuthering Heights. He was cast in August 1986 after screen tests showed he could handle the physical demands and the cold stare Fleming described.[4] The plot kicks off with Bond escorting a defecting Soviet general, but things twist when he spots a beautiful cellist named Kara Milovy, played by Maryam d’Abo, who seems to be an assassin. Turns out, she’s caught in a bigger game involving arms dealers and a rogue KGB plot. Bond has to navigate Cold War tensions, from Vienna opera houses to snowy Afghan mountains, all while questioning loyalties.[1][3]
What makes this film a fan favorite in the debate? Many point to its balance. It’s got classic Bond elements like John Barry’s sweeping score, high-stakes chases, and that iconic Aston Martin V8 rigged with lasers and missiles. The car chase through snowy peaks is pure adrenaline, with Bond outrunning a cargo plane on skis—something that still wows viewers today. Dalton’s Bond feels real here; he’s not cracking jokes mid-fight. In one scene, he coldly dispatches a sniper with a hidden knife, showing the killer instinct fans love from the books. Critics at the time noted how Dalton revived the character, making him “swarthy and brooding,” ahead of its time compared to Moore’s charm.[2] Rankings often place it around mid-pack, like 18th out of 26 on some lists or 15th on IMDb user votes, but Dalton fans argue it’s underrated because it sticks closer to Fleming’s spy without over-the-top villains.[2][3]
On the flip side, detractors in the debate say The Living Daylights plays it too safe. It’s directed by John Glen, who helmed several Moore entries, so it carries some of that formula—Q’s gadgets, M’s scoldings, and a globe-trotting feel. The villain, General Koskov played by Jeroen Krabbé, is cunning but not memorable like Goldfinger or Blofeld. Some fans wanted Dalton to go darker right away, and this film eases in with romance and music nods, like the title track from a-ha that topped charts. Still, its box office success—over $191 million worldwide—proved audiences were ready for change.[1] Debates heat up when comparing action: the mujahedeen sequences feel authentic to 1980s geopolitics, blending real-world Afghan conflicts with spy thrills, which aged well post-Cold War.
Now shift to Licence to Kill from 1989, Dalton’s second and final Bond outing, and the one that often edges out in fan arguments for being bolder. This isn’t your standard mission; Bond goes rogue after a personal betrayal. His CIA buddy Felix Leiter gets mauled by a shark—literally—on his wedding day, courtesy of drug lord Franz Sanchez, played with oily menace by Robert Davi. Sanchez’s bride-to-be is fed to said shark, pushing Bond over the edge. He quits MI6, loses his licence to kill, and hunts Sanchez through Central America, from steamy Isthmus City to tequila distilleries.[1][3] It’s revenge porn for spies, with Bond infiltrating cartels, burning drug labs, and allying with undercover agent Pam Bouvier, a tough pilot played by Carey Lowell.
Fans who pick this as Dalton’s best love how it mirrors Fleming’s short story “Licence Revoked,” renamed to avoid confusion. Dalton’s Bond is a loose cannon here, chain-smoking, drinking, and brutalizing foes in ways Moore never did. One standout scene has him strapping Sanchez to a torture device that lowers him toward a cocaine grinder—grim, visceral stuff that prefigures Daniel Craig’s grit.[2] The film dives into drug war themes, reflecting 1980s headlines about cartels, with stunts like a flaming tanker truck chase and a massive casino brawl. John Glen directs again, but amps up the edge; no Union Jack parachutes, just sweat and blood. Rankings boost it higher—7th on JustWatch lists—because it “sets the stage for the brooding Bond” in later eras.[2][3] Box office dipped to $156 million amid competition from Batman and Indiana Jones, partly due to PG-13 rating backlash, but it gained cult status over time.[1]
Critics of Licence to Kill in the debate call it too dark, almost anti-Bond. Without MI6 support, there’s less Q-branch fun or Moneypenny banter. The villain’s lair in a luxury hotel feels low-budget next to Moonraker’s space stations, and some plot holes—like Bond’s endless resources while rogue—irritate purists. Female leads split opinions: Kara in the first is sweet and classical, while Pam is feisty but sidelined. Violence draws flak too; the shark attack is graphic, with Leiter’s leg mangled, echoing real shark bite traumas but amped for cinema. No medical sources directly cover this fictional injury, but shark attacks typically cause severe tissue loss and infection risk, as noted by the International Shark Attack File from the Florida Museum of Natural Sciences, which reports over 90% of bites involve extremities and require immediate amputation in extreme cases to prevent sepsis (Florida Museum of Natural Sciences, International Shark Attack File, 2024 report).
Dalton’s short tenure fuels endless what-ifs. Why only two films? Legal woes from Thunderball rights delayed things, and Dalton clashed with producers over direction—he wanted grittier scripts, closer to Fleming, but studios chased blockbusters.[4] Rumors swirled of a third, maybe Licence Renewed, but Pierce Brosnan took over with GoldenEye in 1995, which some say owed its reboot vibe to Dalton’s groundwork.[2] Tailoring fans dissect his suits: three-piece herringbone in Daylights screams elegance, while Licence’s looser fits match the rogue vibe, though not Brioni-level sharp.[5] Soundtracks spark rows too— a-ha’s pop hit vs. Gladys Knight’s su
