Licence to Kill

Sure, it's not the best 007 film, and Dalton is not the best Bond (that would be Brosnan or Connery, leaning toward Connery for the better films), but the idea that anyone would be appalled by the violence in this movie is, err, appalling. Did people forget that in DR. NO Connery plugs six bullets into Prof. Dent? Or breaks the neck of No's security guard on the island? Or that Quarrel is graphically roasted alive by the dragon? In FRWL, people are strangled and stabbed and beaten and shot throughout the entire movie! Had no one actually read Fleming's LIVE AND LET DIE novel? Bond is a Secret Agent with a Licence To Kill, hence the title of this movie! At the time, I was very impressed with this movie, and still find it enjoyable to watch though it hasn't aged well. The dialog is rough at times and so is some of the acting, though it had the best cast in a 007 film in dog's years! The costuming is a joke, the drug story shop-worn, and 007's 'resignation' scene, what should have been the first truly dramatic moment of the entire movie, is treated as though the movie starred Steven Segal! Also, in a series where music plays an integral part, this movie just didn't come through. Knight's title theme has a rousing under-rhythm, but overall it's just a modern 'Thunderball', and Kamen's non-score makes me feel like I'm watching a 'Lethal Weapon' movie. When it ends and the most memorable music in the film is the Mex-mariachi music from the trucks' speakers, you know the music director f'd up big time! How come that wasn't on the soundtrack? Heh-he.

Still there are plenty high points thanks to the EON team: David Hedison as the best Felix Lieter ever, Carey Lowell as the best Bond Girl since Melina Havelock, Q's extended presence, the camera-gun, the Hong Kong narcotics plot twist, and the credible action stunts (007 overtaking the drug money plane is breathless from the moment he harpoon's one of Sanchez' men, pun intended)! Seeing James Bond actually get hurt at the end of the movie was a real stunner though! In the end, it's not great Bondage, but it's an overlooked cut above much of it's competition.

Licence To Kill is one of the most underrated Bond movies since On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Slipping easily back into 007's shoes with style after his previous role as Bond, Timothy Dalton embodies the character. With a break away from the comic-book villains and fantastical locations, the filmmakers decide to focus instead on a very adult and contemporary story about drug smuggling and revenge. Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum's story is engaging and exciting, with a steadfast confidence in their leading man. This is a Bond movie that took risks -- it was the first 15-rated Bond film in the UK -- and surely deserves kudos for doing so. Make no mistake; this is not a family Bond picture. Its themes require a more mature perspective than its predecessors, and the violence is certainly stronger than anything that had come before. Unfortunately, these factors seem to be what critics of Licence To Kill call 'faults'. But why is change so bad, I ask? Casino Royale is getting major appreciation from critics for its grittiness and its darker edge. So why not Licence To Kill? After all, this is the movie that started the current trend, with Dalton's mature portrayal of Bond paving the way for Pierce Brosnan and, without doubt, Daniel Craig. It always amazes me that people do not give Dalton more respect for what he did with the character. This guy started the ball rolling. And boy did he give it a hard push.

The characters in Licence To Kill are one of it's major plus points. James Bond is the most human we have seen him in 20 years, as Dalton brings a real sense emotional depth to the character; a tortured man full of hurt and pain and vengeance, his determined and stony face almost cracking with the burning hatred that is barely contained inside of him. We also get a strong female lead with Carey Lowell, whose portrayal of Pam Bouvier is at once intelligent, sexy, and funny. On the flip side of the coin, we have a genuinely terrifying villain in the shape of Robert Davi, playing his role deadly straight with not a hint of camp. It's a rare scenario where you feel Bond has met someone of equal competence. The Sanchez character is a frightening presence, and an early role from Benicio Del Toro is just as effective; his chilling grin a fear-inducing sight.

Technically speaking, John Glen's direction is taught and assured, with the pace never really letting up for the 130+ minutes running time, save at the very end of the movie where the spectacular truck chase sequence perhaps drags just a little. The brilliant Michael Kamen also supplies us with an elegant, sensual and brooding score that is a vital player unto itself, complimenting the visuals excellently.

In spite of these pluses, there are some minor quibbles. As I said before, the truck finale is perhaps a bit long, even though the stunt work is amazing, but it does slow the pace a bit. Talisa Soto is indeed beautiful as Sanchez' girlfriend but, bless her, she isn't exactly the most talented actress on the planet. She plays her part well enough, but the role isn't exactly Oscar-worthy, and it's not helped by the fact that the script tends to relegate her to the sidelines. Everett McGill's cigar-chomping Killifer is rather too pantomime for me - he just doesn't stand up to the characters of Sanchez or Anthony Zerbe's Krest but he doesn't stick around long so doesn't get in the way too much.

With a striking leading man in Bond's shoes, Licence To Kill deserves a lot more credit than it gets. This is the film that broke the mould, opening the doors to a more adult, violent Bond world that continued briefly with some of the Brosnan films and certainly with Daniel Craig's portrayal of the character. In Timothy Dalton we have a brilliant actor in the starring role who brought us a more human and believable Bond, yet it is Daniel Craig who is currently getting the credit for these exact traits. Don't get me wrong, his characterisation is superb. But Dalton is the one who started it off, and it is a shame that he only made the two films.

John Glen says that from all of the Bond movies that he directed, Licence To Kill is the one he is most proud of. And rightly so. Not only do we get a more fleshed-out character in Bond than previous outings, we get a more believable and mature storyline, with great characters and competent direction. Definitely one of the most underrated Bond movies, this engaging film is a great piece of entertainment, and one that I hope will gather praise with time. See it.

4 stars.

Another great Bind movie with Timothy Dalton. Again, the stakes are clear from the get go and the villain is mean. Even the opening scene fits in the movie story this time around. Benicio Del Toro playing a Henchman is also a great nice to have!

I first saw this in the early 90s on a vhs.

Revisited it recently.

(Frank McRae - who played 'Sharkey' in this movie died on 29th April, few days before i revisited this film. May his soul rest in peace).

This is the sixteenth in the Bond series and the second (and last) to star Timothy Dalton as James Bond.

This time Bond gets suspended from MI6 for pursuing drugs lord Franz Sanchez for personal vendetta.

A furious Bond immediately sets out to hunt and kill those involved in his friends' torture and mutilation.

Apart from Sanchez, Bond has to deal with a ruthless and psychotic killer n rapist, Dario (Benicio del Toro's second movie role).

Bond also deals with Ed Killifer, a double agent n lots of Sanchez's henchmen.

This time Bond gets to cool off with Talisa Soto and Carey Lowell. (Even i wud have left Talisa Soto for the short hair Carey Lowell).

This movie has lots of action towards the end n it is violent n a bit dark.

For the first time there is a rape scene implied n thankfully its an offscreen one.

A man gets maimed by a tiger shark, a man is trapped in a decompression chamber and his oxygen cord is cut off resulting in an explosion of his face (comedic one), a man gets chopped in a giant shredder and a man is set on fire alive.

Some info about Dario : he was kicked out of the Nicaraguan Contras for his brutality and found his way into Sanchez's drug cartel as his youngest chief enforcer.

Timothy Dalton only played Bond twice, but he tried to base his interpretation of the character on the descriptions provided by Ian Fleming in the original novels. Therefore, his Bond is quite ruthless and embittered, and always ready to stick two fingers up at the establishment if he feels they've got it wrong.

Bond is vacationing in Florida, acting as best-man at his friend Felix Leiter's wedding, when the unthinkable happens. Leiter and his wife are assaulted by some Central American thugs; the wife is murdered and Leiter is crippled by sharks. Bond is obviously deeply unhappy about this, but his bosses instruct him to let the matter drop and get on with another assignment. 007 knows who is responsible for the injuries to his friend, so he revokes his licence to kill and becomes a rogue agent, tracking down the villainous drug lord Sanchez (Robert Davi) to his Latin America headquarters. Here, aided by Sanchez's unfaithful mistress Lupe (Talisa Soto) and CIA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), Bond attempts to wipe out their enormous clandestine drug operation single-handedly.

There's definitely an uneasy, hard edge to the film which makes it unique among the Bond series. Whether or not this improves the film depends on your personal taste: if you like safe, humorous Roger Moore escapades, you'll probably find this too jarring, whereas if you prefer espionage stories with a bit of grit and sweat, this may be just what you're after. The action sequences are still outrageous in the tried-and-trusted Bond style, with memorable episodes featuring a daring helicopter .vs. airplane pursuit; a barefoot water-skiing sequence; and a truck chase down the side of a mountain. Some of the language, though not out-and-out "foul", is a bit stronger and more believable than in other Bond entries. The theme tune from Gladys Knight and the Pips is one of the better 007-tracks.

Licence to Kill is a new twist on the Bond theme. It isn't the best, and some of its new ideas don't fit with the usual routine (which may or may not be a good thing), but it is certainly interesting.