39 Years Ago Today: Underrated James Bond Movie Released

On this day, 39 years ago, one of the most underrated films in the James Bond movie series hit the big screens in the United Kingdom.

The 007 franchise was in need of a drastic shake-up after the last three films in the Roger Moore era, For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View to a Kill (1985), with the latter often regarded as the worst Bond film ever.

Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan were both sought to replace Moore, but the former had schedule commitments for Brenda Starr. The role was poised to go to Brosnan, as NBC canceled the TV series Remington Steele, in which he starred alongside Stephanie Zimbalist.

However, NBC decided to continue Remington Steele after an unexpected resurgence in ratings. As the Los Angeles Times noted in 1988, Brosnan was under contract and had no choice but to continue the series. The Bond producers eventually waited for Dalton, who signed up for the next 007 film, The Living Daylights.

On June 30, 1987, the film hit the big screens in the United Kingdom. It would be released in the United States one month later, on July 31.

Timothy Dalton Brought a Never-Before-Seen Version of Bond to the Big Screen

While Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore brought charm, smooth talk and humor to the screen, Dalton was far colder, more calculating and ruthless than the 007 actors before him.

The plot and action sequences in The Living Daylights perfectly complemented Dalton's 007 portrayal. In the movie, Bond helps KGB General Georgi Koskov defect from Russia to the West safely.

Only does Bond realize that Koskov faked the defection and was wanted for embezzling Soviet funds. Additionally, Koskov and American arms dealer Brad Whitaker form an alliance to smuggle opium 007, with Whitaker supplying high-powered weapons to the enemies.

Now, Bond must team up with the new KGB head, Pushkin, to stop the illegal scheme.

In 2025, Luc Haasbroek of Collider ranked The Living Daylights as the No. 2 'Most Overlooked James Bond Movie.'

Dalton reprised the 007 role for Licence to Kill, which was released two years later.

This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 4:58 PM.