***

With this film, Timothy Dalton made his debut as James Bond. Dalton's Bond comes across as a darker and more dangerous Bond than we've seen for quite a while. Whereas Connery kept these aspects behind a thin veneer of charm, Dalton keeps it to the fore. But Dalton's James Bond is definitely a charmer with the ladies. In this arena Dalton actually outdoes Connery. However, when he has to deliver those trademark Bond witticisms, Dalton fails completely. Another weak point in this film is the villain. Here, the casting is totally wrong and this actor fails to be truly menacing. With the obligatory henchman, we get yet another Red Grant wannabe. But even so, the plot is the thing here and it is fantastic to get back to a truer Fleming flavor within this James Bond film epic.