British Secret Service training exercises, one of which is conducted at the beginning of Never Say Never Again as Bond (SEAN CONNERY) attempts to rescue a kidnapped millionairess (WENDY LEECH) from fanatical revolutionaries. In a severe test of his agility and perseverance, Bond is sent into the South American jungle to overwhelm a garrison of well-armed killers. Everything appears genuine, down to the painful screams of the men Bond eliminates in his assault.
In actuality, the fighting is fixed and 007 doesn’t really kill anyone. Unaware that the millionairess has been brainwashed (à la Patty Hearst), 007 lowers his guard, and she stabs him in the arm with a retractable knife.
Evaluating the exercise on video, M (EDWARD FOX) is thoroughly unimpressed with Bond’s ability to break into the enemy nest and downright disgusted that he forgot to check his rescue victim for brainwashing. The upshot is that Bond is sent to the Shrublands health clinic to once again purge his system of body toxins that are obviously slowing down his reflexes.
War games also play a part in The Living Daylights teaser. Assigned to penetrate a radar station on Gibraltar that’s defended by SAS troops, three double-0 agents-—002 (GLYN BAKER), 004 (FREDERICK WARDER), and 007 (TIMOTHY DALTON) – skydive and parachute onto the island, where they each meet a different fate. Agent 002 is immediately captured by the SAS. 004 is assassinated by an imposter (CARL RIGG) working for arms dealer Brad Whitaker (JOE DON BAKER) and renegade Russian General Georgi Koskov (JEROEN KRABBÉ). And 007 exacts his own revenge by jumping on the assassin’s land rover, riding it down the mountainside, and forcing it off a cliff—with Bond escaping out the back when he pulls the rip cord on his reserve parachute.
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