Licence to Kill (1989)

"Licence To Kill" is one of the most controversial films in the Bond catalog. For many, it is too violent (in a realistic way, without the comedic or fantasy elements), and does not feature a "Bondian" villian or plot. For others, however it is a return to the classic Fleming style, as seen in "From Russia With Love," and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Of all the actors that have played James Bond, Timothy Dalton provided the most accurate interpretation of Ian Fleming's character. That may be a different character than the one that Sean Connery played, and certainly quite different than the one Roger Moore played, but Dalton's performance as Bond in "License To Kill," and "The Living Daylights," is the truest to Fleming's novels.

The Special Edition DVD of "License To Kill" is quite special indeed. A beautiful widescreen picture, crystal clear sound, and a plethora of special features (like the other Bond special editions) including theatrical trailers and documentaries on the making of the movie make it a must have. The film itself also boasts some of the most exciting action sequences and best character development (what a novel concept!) in all of the Bond films, and features some crackling dialog. If you're an action movie junkie, or like an exciting thriller this one is for you.

If you enjoyed the first few James Bond films with Sean Connery (before the franchise turned into a campy parody of itself), then you'll like this one. Although it's not based on any of Ian Fleming's original stories, it captures their feel better than anything since _From Russia With Love_.

Timothy Dalton's steely Bond is arguably the closest to date to Fleming's original vision for the MI6 secret agent (not 'spy', please). He's as tough and lean as Connery ever was, and he brings something of Connery's lupine charm to the role.

The rest of the movie is extremely well done. Robert Davi is one of the best villains since Goldfinger, and surely one of the most realistic in the entire series. Carey Lowell, though mostly effective, is a little underwhelming in the acting department. And the plot -lifted at least partly from Fleming's _Live and Let Die_ (which is the source for the bad thing that happens to Felix Leiter early in the film) -gives Dalton's Bond an excuse to seethe with volcanic fury and go off seeking vengeance.

If I'm not mistaken (and I don't think I am), this is also the last script to which longtime Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum contributed. (He died not long after this film was produced.)

I like Pierce Brosnan in the role, and I'd like him better if he got better movies to do; _Goldeneye_ has probably been his best so far. But for some reason, the screenwriters don't want to make him gritty enough. (And by the time they tried with Roger Moore -in the excellent _For Your Eyes Only_ -it was far too late.)

I also like _The Living Daylights_. But when I want to watch a non-Connery Bond film, this is the one I pick most often.

Probably all Bond fans out there have already seen it. But if you haven't, you've got a treat ahead of you.

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'Licence to Kill' marks Timothy Dalton's last appearance as James Bond, and it is a gritty, harder-edged Bond film than any since the halycon days of Sean Connery. Despite Leonard Maltin's comments posted here at Amazon.com, I prefer this film to Dalton's debut, in 'The Living Daylights'. (Rumor has it that the script of the earlier film was written with Pierce Brosnan in mind, as he came very close to playing Bond in the late eighties...it was filled with quips and one-liners, definitely NOT Dalton's forte!)

In this outing, Bond's longtime friend, Felix Leiter (David Hedison, playing the CIA agent a second time), is brutalized by a vicious druglord (Robert Davi), and his new bride is murdered, and Bond has to go AWOL from the British Secret Service to get revenge. This concept turns Bond into a lone wolf, although Q and CIA operative Pam Bouvier (the athletic and sexy Corey Lowell, later on 'Law and Order'), join him in his vendetta.

As in all the best Bond films, the action is fast and loud, the women don't wear much, and there is a riproaring climax (here, in a high-speed big rig chase). By having Bond act alone, the producers were able to keep the budget down, the high-tech gadgetry to a minimum, and the locations to just Miami and Mexico (substituting as a fictional Latin American country.) All this makes for a lean, mean Bond vehicle, well-suited for Dalton's interpretion of Bond as less witty, and more violent.

Why did the film fail at the box office? Sad to say, audiences weren't prepared for a 007 that was closer to Ian Fleming's vision. Also, 'Lethal Weapon 2' came out at about the same time, and Mel Gibson was at the peak of his popularity, which pulled crowds away. Finally, while Dalton was very macho, and excellent in fight scenes, he lacked the charisma and panache of Connery or Moore, and was uncomfortable saying the occasional one-liners.

All this is a shame, because the film is excellent, one of the better Bond outings! It would be six years before a new generation of filmmakers reinvented 007, in 'Goldeneye', with Pierce Brosnan, at last, as Bond.

Discover for yourself the pleasures of 'Licence to Kill', in the wonderful DVD Special Edition, with commentaries by director John Glen, a 'Making Of' documentary, theatrical trailers, and a LOT of other goodies! You WON'T be disappointed!

Read Best Reviews of Licence to Kill (1989) Here

Licence to Kill is a product of its time. This James Bond movie was released on the heels of the original "Die Hard" and it shares not only a similar feel but also literally takes some of the same elements from that movie. Oh, and it was also the "Daniel Craig James Bond movie" before there was a Daniel Craig James Bond.

Released in the late eighties, this Bond flick was an attempt to modify the traditional Bond formula. Its basically a revenge picture as Bond attempts to avenge a drug baron's attack upon Felix Leiter and his newlywed bride. The new element this time was to make the adventure a personal one rather than a mission on behalf of queen and country.

The producers chose a style that embraced a gritty feel before Daniel Craig came along, and they clearly chose Die Hard as a model. Unlike the would-be tyrants of previous Bond flicks, the villain here shares with Die Hard's heavy the ultimate desire merely to obtain a lot of illegally-procured cash. Both movies focus upon the villain's point of view and personal frustrations so much that the audience's sympathies are sometimes shared between both hero and villain.

The setting is a little more commonplace this time. Gone are the previous rocket wrist-bands and Eiffel Tower chases. There are a lot more conventional automatic weapons, and the vehicles this time include small planes, speedboats and tanker trucks rather than Aston Martins outfitted with built-in arsenals.

Instead of just suggesting Die Hard, "Licence" sometimes borrowed the same actors. The drug lord and the CIA agent here are played by fellow FBI agents(!)from the earlier movie. If the soundtrack sounds familiar, it's because composer Michael Kamen brought his minimialist style to both films.

That said, the approach works in spades for Licence to Kill. The stunt-pieces are great, and the pacing is lively. Timothy Dalton introduced a serious Bond before Daniel Craig, and while opinions vary, I think he made a great Bond. Most importantly, the essential Bond elements haven't been discarded--the gadgets and the "Bond girls" are still there--they just aren't the focus this time.

Technically, this is a great Blu-ray. This movie has probably never looked better, even during its initial release. Many of the extras are recycled from previous DVD releases, but they still go into more depth than say, the recent "Quantum of Solace" release.

While Licence to Kill was a financial disappointment when it was released, I think history will be kind to this movie and to Timothy Dalton. It has aged gracefully, and is one of the best in the Bond series.

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"Licence to Kill" is the 2nd and final outing of Timothy Dalton as James Bond. It's better than his first turn as Bond "The Living Daylights" and has some great action sequences, beautiful women, and even some drama. In the opening of the film, Bond's friend Felix (David Fedison) is getting married to Della (Priscilla Barnes). Right before the ceremony, Bond and Felix hear that drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi, an actor you'll recognize from many films. Even though, I can't remember which ones) is nearby and they manage to arrest him; The scene ends with Felix arriving at the chapel, to his overjoyed bride. Problem is, Sanchez has a lot of money and is able to bribe one of the officers to help him in escaping. He exacts his revenge by attacking Felix and Della; With Della dead and Felix in the hospital, Bond resigns from the British Secret Service and goes after Sanchez with a personal vendetta. Aiding him is a beautiful pilot named Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto, wife of Benjamin Bratt). A very young Benicio Del Toro turns up as one of Sanchez's henchmen; It was weird seeing Del Toro, because he looks different and his voice is a lot higher compared to his now-raspy voice. A lot of people complain about Dalton's interpretation of Bond, which is a far cry from Connery's (I haven't seen any Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan outings yet, so I have only Connery to compare to). I agree that Connery is the best Bond, but it's not so much in the acting; But the character. Connery's Bond is almost inhuman. He shows almost no real emotion. He loves women, but he's never seen in love with a woman. He's pretty much immortal, always winning in the end. He seems to have no real friends, except Q...But that's just the guy that makes his weapons. In his outings, Dalton makes Bond human. Everything Bond does in this film is for personal satisfaction, he has friends, he shows emotion. A lot of people don't like this, they like Bond to be what they want to be. But, I have to respect Dalton for what he did. If you like the James Bond series, then you'll probably like this film. It's a pretty strong entry in the series.

GRADE: A-

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