For me, the concept of “immersion” indicates that a viewer, as a result of their deep involvement with the movie, becomes insensate to anything which might challenge such immersion. I often encounter the concept when discussions arise about aspects of a film which are controversial, e.g., racist/homophobic/sexist content. The argument goes that one is so engrossed in the formal elements or narrative that for the duration of the screening, all such content (which would draw objections in real life) is rendered acceptable in reel time. Such acceptance vanishes once the film finishes. I did try to watch a movie that way once, and failed to achieve immersion (though I had a vague sense of what it might be like).
For me, a movie deserves my rapt attention, and I endeavor to engage it on its own terms. However, I am never carried away by a movie where I become immersed in the experience of it (which has more to do with my own limitations as a viewer than those of any film).
I always felt like TLD was the most balanced of John Glen’s films. It’s probably most similar to FRWL (a girl is set up to meet Bond as a ruse on a mission.) Yet Glen also managed the style of the preceding directors as well–FYEO in the action and character development style of Peter Hunt, OP the big production adventure of Lewis Gilbert, AVTAK a Guy Hamilton Goldfinger homage with some questionable violence (TMWTGG) and humor (DAF/LALD), and LTK recalling the seriousness and violence of Terence Young’s films (DN/FRWL/TB.)
SF and SP are very meta, Bond films about the Bond mythos. There’s a Goldfinger call back in every single Craig Bond. It kind of takes one out of the movie, whereas all the Glen films and most of the earlier ones you can easily immerse yourself into. Glen wisely cut out a FRWL reference in AVTAK (the garote deleted scene on DVD/BR.) That immersion makes them fun. As good as they are, QoS is not fun and SF can be rather dour. SP tries for fun but tries to be heavy handed with emotion that just doesn’t pay off. The Bloferhauser twist that wasn’t, and didn’t mean anything anyway. And Bond falling hard for Madeline–so many other Bond women I’d rather see Bond, and Craig, with instead. Pam, Camille, Natalya …
I also feel that TLD is similar in spirit to OHMSS. Both are debuts, have a more intimate relationship with the leading female and have snow/ice locations. Both feature a black Aston Martin, but Dalton’s has gadgets - which is what elevates the world of TLD. As such I think it’s a near perfect template for any future Bond movie, satisfying both the Fleming Bond and Movie Bond camps.
They are classics and its too bad the audience didn’t accept Dalton back then. When he said to Saunders let him fire me I will thank him is when I knew he was meant for the role and the way he tells Saunders we have time no other bond actor could pull that off and not even Connery. I wish he did more films.
Perhaps, though, that six year gap was needed to make the audience want Bond again. In the mid-90s, the '60s was fashionable, and Bond being such a big part of that decade was good for the franchise.