Is Timothy Dalton OVERRATED or UNDERRATED as 007?

Underrated, Dalton was in bad movies.

Clearly underrated.

Underrated. So much potential.

Underrated and out of place in time.

Dalton's approach to the character and Craig's approach were very similar. Essentially, Dalton got fried for the same portrayal that Craig was praised for.

And while I don't think Dalton won the script lottery, I also would argue that Licence to Kill in-particular is underrated.

Dalton is in a weird place because he is the closest portrayal of the Bond character to how he was written in the novels. Unfortunately this portrayal is probably the least charismatic and captivating to watch on screen, hence him usually being regarded as low on the hierarchy of actors that have played Bond.

Since most people asking or answering the question are doing so in relation to the movies and not the novels, he's probably right where he belongs. As a fan of both, I'd say he's probably underrated.

Under.

Dalton is the best Bond and The Living Daylights rocks!

Formerly underrated, currently overrated.

Bond fans love to always toss the term "underrated" whenever anyone brings up Timothy Dalton, but the thing is, how can he be underrated if everyone seems to like him? The only reason that phrase gets thrown around, is simply because Dalton isn't as well-known to general audiences as someone like Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan, but that's more due to the fact that he was only in two movies rather than people not caring for them (both The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill are frequently cited as some of the best Bond films by fans).

Personally, I love Dalton's performance in The Living Daylights but I'm not quite a big a fan of his turn in Licence to Kill. Timmy's performance in the latter just felt overwrought and excessive to me, with far too much emphasis on how mean and angry he is in every scene. His performance feels rather one-note to me in that film, as for all the talks of Dalton being the closest Bond to the one in the novels, his portrayal feels too outwardly explosive and short-tempered to be truly in line with Fleming (still probably the closest portrayal of the character, but not as accurate as some fans make him out to be) and it honestly makes him a bit unlikable in places.

If he had continued his tenure with a performance and tone more in line with The Living Daylights, that of a serious and determined Bond with a bit of fiery streak but not overly angry in every scene, I think I would've ranked Dalton as one of my top 3 favorites. As is, I think he's good but I think the fans in recent years have overrated his performance vastly.