Customer Reviews

Licence To Kill

5 star:		(103)
4 star:		(80)
3 star:		(22)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(23)

 

 

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.

"License 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.

I have seen where a few critics have down-graded this movie and that is a shame as "License to Kill" has a lot going for it. The concept of Bond as a rogue was a refreshing change, and one of the best concepts in any of the Bond films. Essentially, the plot goes as follows: A renown drug dealer Sanchez (Robert Davi) is arrested in Miami with help of the DEA and Felix Leiter (Bond's CIA contact and good friend). Following the arrest, Felix gets married. Sanchez escapes and commits a brutal act of revenge before returning to Isthmus City. James Bond (Timothy Dalton), determined to take Sanchez down, enlistes Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) to help him. One problem for Bond is that Sanchez is well guarded and has numerous contacts. Bond will have to have to be careful in infiltrating Sanchez. The other problem is that he is now a rogue agent, having his license to kill revoked by the British government.

The only real weak points of this movie would be the occasional weak acting from Talisa Soto (Sanchez's girlfriend), and a little bit more swearing than some of the other bond films, but many other elements more than make up for these two minor shortcomings.

Timothy Dalton is superb as James Bond. Dalton is a great, capable actor, and he is perfect for the movie and its concept. Dalton did a superb job and this is a key factor to the success of the film. As a side note, Dalton needed to make a change in the approach from Roger Moore, just as Moore needed to make a change from Connery. This change between actors is important, otherwise comparisons are made, and usually it is the incumbent who loses (in the minds of the general audience). Dalton did the right thing by changing the Bond to a darker persona. The contrast is important because of Roger Moore's 12-year tenure as Bond, which spread over seven films. Carey Lowell makes a very capable Bond woman as it nice to see a tough woman pairing up with Bond. The central villain, Sanchez, is very strong and well acted -- and also a nice change away from villains who want to destroy the world. Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Zerbe are well cast and well-acted as Sanchez's henchmen. Also, it was nice to see Q, played by the late Desmond Llewelyn, get more to do than his usual brief cameo or two. He certainly deserved it and rose to the challenge admirably. It was also nice to see David Hedison return to play Felix Leiter (he previously played Leiter in "Live and Let Die").

Other elements that make this a very enjoyable, memorable Bond film to watch are the location work, great special effects, and great stunts. The stunts with the semi-trucks toward the end are great fun! Michael Kamen's score adds a lot to the movie as well.

VHS or DVD? The VHS version simply contains the movie. The DVD version is a special edition that includes two different audio commentaries which let you watch the movie and hear commentary by some of the cast and production members. They comment about the actors, work on the set, the scenes, and how certain scenes were shot/created. Two music videos are included: "License to Kill" by Gladys Knight is the opening theme, and "If You Asked Me To" by Patti LaBelle marks the closing theme. A promotional feature on the stunt footage at the climax and a documentary on the film itself are also included. Finally, two theatrical trailers and a photo galary with over 100 stills are included.

If you are a fan of the Bond series, I highly recommend this movie, and the same goes toward Timothy Dalton and spy/action movie fans. This movie is also included in the first volume of a Bond Collector's set. If you like extra features, I would recommend the DVD. Overall, I happen to think that "License to Kill" is one of the best Bond movies. Major re-evaluation required.

'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!

Timothy Dalton's 2nd and final appearance as James Bond finds the famous spy going AWOL from the British Secret Service in search of drug kingpin, Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi), the man responsible for the near death of his American friend, Felix Leiter as well as the death of his new bride. This Bond film is very different from the rest of the series, in that it shows Bond as more of a renegade than that of a super spy. Teaming up with an American operative (Carey Lowell), the two work together to destroy Sanchez's organization from the inside out. People will note that this plot has a very "Yojimbo," "Fistful Of Dollars," "Last Man Standing," quality to it, in that Sanchez befriends Bond, who then makes him suspect all his allies, having him eliminate his own men in the process.

As in all Bond films, Licence To Kill has some great stunt sequences, notably 007 firing a harpoon gun at a plane and skiing after it on the water without skis. Also the great tanker truck sequences are amazing. You have to see a rocket launcher being fired at one to believe it!

Timothy Dalton will always be remembered as the most serious James Bond. And although many people criticize him to this day for it, he truly made the part the most real.

It's also interesting to point out that Licence To Kill had the best scored screenings with test audiences than any other Bond film, yet it failed to find an audience in the US but did do well in the UK. The original title was Licence Revoked, but United Artists thought Americans wouldn't know what that meant (we're not that ignorant, UA!) so it was changed.

The DVD version is packed full of extra features including 2 audio commentaries, one with director John Glen, the other with producer Michael G. Wilson. Although Wilson's is quite informative, John Glen's is the most enjoyable in my opinion.

You also get the Licence To Kill music video with Gladys Knight, who claims she now would not have done the song because its subject matter involves killing. And you get the End Credit "If You Asked Me To" music video by Patti LaBelle, one of the most popular End Credit Songs for a Bond movie.

There are also other little goodies such as a still gallery, some publicity footage, a featurette on the exciting stunt footage of the film, and of course, theatrical trailers.

But one of the best bonuses on the disc is the Inside Licence To Kill Documentary. You get a real feel of how hard and difficult the film actually was to make, with Cubby Broccoli unable to stay on location because of the heat and the mysterious burning hand seen on one of the still photos of a tanker explosion. Very cool stuff!

So, although many dislike it here in the USA, this does not mean the film is not credible and more and more people are discovering today what an actual good film it truly is.

"Bless Your Heart."-Wayne Newton

"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-

In his two films as 007, Timothy Dalton salvaged the role from the jokey one-liner characterization of Roger Moore. Frankly, I don't think Bond would still be around had Dalton not gone back to the source material(Fleming's novels)to reinvent the character. In his(unfortunately)last outing as Bond, Dalton resigns from the service and turns rogue agent to get revenge against a South American drug lord. The gadgets are few and far between. The action is brutal and tense. The villain (Robert Davi)is one of the best of the film series. Desmond Llewelyn, as Q, has more screen time than ever before, and it's a plus. If you've read Fleming's original novels, particularly LIVE AND LET DIE, you realize Dalton had the character nailed. Fleming's Bond was a human being--he got hurt physically and emotionally, he drank, ate, and smoked too much, he had feelings. Admittedly, Dalton didn't handle the humor as well as Connery, Moore, or Brosnan. But he knew how Fleming intended for the character to be and he played him that way. Sadly, when the film came out in 1989, it had to compete with Michael Keaton's much-hyped first Batman film, the last Indiana Jones film, and Lethal Weapon 2. In addition, it was poorly advertised by the film company. With this series of obstacles, one of the best of the Bond films never stood a chance, and Dalton joined George Lazenby as the other underrated 007.

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.

It is kind of sad the bad rap that Timothy Dalton has taken as James Bond, especially when he starred in two excellent Bond films "The Living Daylights" and this one. A little Bond history. When Roger Moore stepped down as Bond, Timothy Dalton replaced him. Just like the recent "Casino Royale," "The Living Daylights" was an attempt to bring Bond back to basics after the excesses of the Moore years. Dalton reread the Fleming books and attempted to play Bond as the man of the novels. There was very little humor and Dalton, like Daniel Craig, had difficulty throwing out the little Bond one-liners the way Connery and Moore did.
"The Living Daylights" opened in the summer of 1987 and was very successful. "License to Kill" opened in the summer of 1989, a very competitive summer, against the likes of Tim Burton's "Batman," "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade," "Lethal Weapon II," "Ghostbusters 2," "Star Trek V," etc. This film did well overseas but was a flop in the U.S. After this film, there was six years of litigation between the Bond producers and the studio. When "Goldeneye" was announced in 1995, Dalton elected not to come back and Pierce Brosnan very successfully replaced him.
Since that time Dalton and this film have gotten a very bad rap. "License to Kill" is a terrific Bond film with some great action scenes,especially a wild chase between 4 oil tankers on a winding mountain road, a lot of shooting, a low-flying plane and SAM missiles. This action scene has to be seen to be believed. It also has a great villain in Robert Davi, a fairly good leading lady in Carey Lowell, (Dalton had the least interesting leading ladies in his 2 Bonds,) and a very good supporting cast including Anthony Zerbe, Don Stroud, Wayne Newton and the great David Hedison (Capt. Crane,) returning as Felix Leiter.
It is interesting how Dalton's portrayal of Bond is not that far from Daniel Craig's (although Craig's is admittedly a bit more brutish and physical.) Still Dalton's portrayal of Bond has come to be condemned in recent years (although it wasn't at the time.) Despite all the condemnations of Dalton's portrayal of Bond, he really did star in 2 very good Bond films.
"License to Kill" has always been one of my favorite Bonds since I saw it that summer of '89. Check it out, I'm sure you will enjoy it too.

Licence to Kill is the 16th movie in the James Bond series, the 2nd and last one featuring Timmothy Dalton as 007, and the one fans and the general public usually blame for the 6-year hiatus till GoldenEye. As a result, when current Bond fans watch LTK after hearing this, it becomes easy for them to nitpick the movie and say how horrible it was. On the contrary, LTK is easily one of the strongest and most daring installments in the franchise, and should not be missed.

There are many reasons why LTK did poorly at the box office and the series was on hold for six years. 1989 had a crowded box-office, with such high-profile titles like Batman, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, and Back to the Future II all gunning for a piece of the pie. Among such company, someone has to lose, and unfortunately it was Licence to Kill. With installments coming out on a near-regular basis since 1962, the public was beginning to take Bond forgranted (in time, this will probably happen again, either with Brosnan or his successors). They probably assumed another installment would come out in two years either way, and they were actually right. Unlike other executive producers, the Broccolis don't let the almighty dollar sign rule their decisions. The franchise had survived worse, such as the Connery/Lazenby changeover and the early Moore years, and they were all set to go ahead with Dalton's 3rd movie for 1991. However, legal issues, coupled with the death of longtime screenplay writer Richard Maibaum, kept setting the movie back. Note that Dalton could've returned for GoldenEye, but voluntarily ended his run. This is the story of LTK that is somehow always skipped over.

Licence to Kill is a great movie. While I don't think every Bond movie should be played as dark as this one, it makes for a refreshing change of pace after the Moore years. The story is simple and focused; here the smaller scope works better than in previous Bond films like "Live and Let Die." This is Bond's personal vendetta, and he's taking care of business the old-fashioned way. The villains are threatening yet charismatic; Robert Davi's Sanchez is evil by his actions, yet the viewer can't help but like the guy. Few of the villains in the Moore years (Stromberg, Drax, Kamal Kahn, Zorin) feel as human and developed as Sanchez does. The girls are gorgeous, with Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto each respectively showing the proper amounts of competence and helplessness. The action scenes are great, with Dalton doing many of his own stunts, for added tension. Besides that, Dalton also again puts everything he has into Bond, for another great performance. And finally, Q fans will love his extended role, as he goes out into the field unofficially to slip 007 some more cool gadgets. In fact, the only place where the movie slips is its final resolution; after having his wife killed and his leg ripped off, Felix Lieter looks a little too happy in his hospital bed. It's a blemish on an otherwise great movie, but it's small enough to be overlooked.

As usual, MGM has packed Licence to Kill with tons of features, including their standard (but always great) documentaries, commentaries, trailers, music videos, and other cool stuff. Seeing so many participants in the documentary is a testament to how popular the franchise is and how much fun the stars had making Licence to Kill. Hopefully the background information provided on the movie's proported box office failure will let viewers see the movie in a different light. Licence to Kill is a fresh experience, and should not be passed up.