Robert McElwaine Timothy Dalton's second and final outing as James Bond which see's him go rogue on a personal vendetta. After 007's long time friend and ally within the CIA; Felix Leiter (David Hedison) is left brutally maimed, and his new-found bride murdered at the hands of drug baron; Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) he set out to to hunt him down and kill him. MI6, who feel that Sanchez is not their problem strip Bond of his licence to kill, leading him to turn renegade as he goes after Sanchez. Acquiring the services of former army pilot and CIA informer; Pam Bouvier, (Carey Lowell) Bond tracks the Drug kingpin to his drug factory in his quest for revenge.Continuing with the more gritty realism which was introduced with 1987's; The Living Daylights which heralded Shakesperian actor Timothy Dalton's debut in the role of the suave, debonair secret agent; Licence to Kill marked something of slightly more significant departure. Delving in to some darker territory which see's Bond essentially going it alone as he turns his back on MI6, and the 00 branch as he sets out on his own personal agenda. It wouldn't entirely be shocking one might think given the maverick nature of the character. However; while this potentially might have made for an intriguing development to see Commander Bond turning rogue agent it unfortunately comes as the expense of a plot of some substance. Given that; The Living Daylights was refreshing in that it was actually a fairly riveting if flawed action thriller with a story involving the defection of a former KGB officer which in turn is revealed to be a devious double cross involving an American arms dealer, Licence to Kill opts instead for a rather routine story of revenge which had become the staple of the 1980's. There is some further expansion on events as the plot unfolds further, but it does little to deviate from what the movie is thematically. Gone as well as well is our hero's globetrotting and the array of varying foreign locales as the movie's settings are whittled down to on this outing, with both being Florida's Key West and the fictitious South American Republic of Isthmus. For it is here where the movies chief Bond Villain Franz Sanchez 's(a charismatic ally complacent Robert Davi) empire of narcotics is centralized. However what it still does retain are the showstopping action set pieces with the now traditional crowd pleasing pre-opening credits prologue, neatly sowing the early seeds of the film's narrative; as we witness Bond acting as best man to his long time friend and ally within the the CIA; Felix Leiter (David Hedison) as he set to wed his bride, the vivacious Della (Priscilla Barnes). But with unanticipated news that Sanchez has flown in to Key West on personal business; the loyal British secret serviceman backs up the husband to be as he sets out to apprehend the drug kingpin. For a film series that had cemented itself more in gritty reality it's paradoxically audacious as it is implausible. However so was The Living Daylights; and it neatly establishes the contradictory nature of what's to come. Be it Bond hooked to an airplane as he waterski's barefoot to make his getaway with $5 million of a drug shipment to a climatic final showdown involving four oil-tankers as he pursues his latest foe, no expense was spared in terms of sheer spectacle. It just doesn't quite compensate for the deficiencies within Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum's patchy script. The film never fully gets to grips with the full ramifications of Bonds insubordination, and without giving anything away they become little of anything else but an afterthought which we the viewers are supposed to conveniently forget. It feels condescending as if they don't expect their target audience to engage their brain and account for these pertinent plot developments and the impact they should have. Bond is for my money at his most cavalier, and although he is forced partway through the story to face the realization that there is more to his personal vendetta that's at stake; it's never really addressed again. Despite this there's the welcome return of Desmond Llewellyn as Q who's usual minimal supporting role is expanded upon (as it was in 1983's Octopussy) although I do acknowledge that it does feel contrived. Carey Lowell offers ample support although she's ultimately forgettable as former United States Army pilot, and CIA informer; Pam Bouvier. Robert Davi does carry some weight and presence as Sanchez but try as he might, there's little he can arouse significant interest in him. Although there's more gravitas to the who tone of the film; I would have liked to have seen a more sneering, contemptuous interpretation of the villain. A youthful, pre-fame Benicio Del Toro does partially make up for this as Dario, one of Sanchez's lackey's but in a world where we have seen 007 square off against formidable human killing machines like Necros in; The Living Daylights, he just doesn't quite cut the mustard as any kind of credible threat. With Dalton of course rounding off the cast; and acquitting himself as effectively as he had done so before; Licence to Kill regrettably marked a downturn in the standard set up pretty well with what had gone before. unsurprisingly this would be Dalton's last hurrah to a short-lived stint in the role and while hardly awful, I couldn't help but still feel a tad shortchanged. The film may have been called; Licence to Kill; but it didn't quite have as much of a Licence to thrill as I would have liked.

cinemajesty Movie Review: "007: Licence To Kill" (1989)This "007" comes along with an highly U.S. Americanized attitude. In the wake of hard-boild action movies as "Lethal Weapon" (1987) and "Die Hard" (1988) the character of James Bond, portrayed once again in boldness-striking charactization by actor Timothy Dalton, in where his "007" interpretation gets on a private vendetta to avenge his closest friend, cold-blooded executed by the strongest Bond Nemesis in years; the character of Franz Sanchez, performed by buttocks-whipping ironized-ruling antagonist-indulging actor Robert Davi, who from a sophisticated helicopter-airplane-capturing live-action stunt work beginnings to a fire-breathing truck crashing finish line in "Licence To Kill", which keeps the character of James Bond on the run throughout the picture.The production office gets new additions with Barbara Broccoli, acting associate producer alongside her father Albert R. Broccoli (1909-1996), who gambles with producing partner Michael G. Wilson on denying to rely on any of the intial author Ian Fleming (1908-1964) short stories. The original screenplay by Richard Maibaum (1909-1991) and Michael G. Wilson, in final functions at the writing department before the break-a-new "GoldenEye" (1995), brings in high-risk new features close to an R-rated body count in fierce gun fights, live-flesh shark feedings, explosions in mid-summer heat and a Mexican-U.S. border drug war with the character of Sanchez, seeking vengeance for temporarly imprisonement in a realism-preaching pre-title sequence, cleaning up all competitors in the process to achieve a money-for-drugs business deal about to be stopped by Bond.To this point "Licence To Kill" (1989) marks arguably the most realistic "007" action movie since "Dr. No" (1962). The emotional relationships between James Bond portraying actor Timothy Dalton and actress Carey Lowell, given face to originally written character of Pam Bouvier, who takes part of the action from casino decoying beats to up in the air compact plane navigations. In this "007" movie, everything what James Bond stands-for has been put in jeopardy, which makes it stand out in the crowd of an total twenty-four pictures between 1962 and 2015. The suspense is heart-pounding at times with a constant under pressure James Bond targeting even "Q", portrayed by Desmond Llewelyn (1914-1999) at age 74, in a Key West hotel room before receiving his first fingerprint-signature weapon; a rifle, not yet the pistol, to assassinate Sanchez in his office from an exterior rooftop vantage point at night.This Bond makes full use of its 32 Million U.S. Dollar production budget, captured mainly on U.S. American and Mexican locations, which gives "Licence To Kill" a certain summer movie image system, elegantly shot by cinematographer Alec Mills, accompanied by an back-to-the-classics embracing score composer Michael Kamen (1948-2003), when Timothy Dalton gives his farewells to the character of James Bond, which he has given his own signature to be enjoyed in highly recommended revisits of Bond 16.© 2017 Felix Alexander Dausend (Cinemajesty Entertainments LLC)

ivo-cobra8 This is simply the best action film. My fifth favorite James Bond 007 film in my top 10 Bond films. It has action and great performance from Timothy Dalton. The film has great dangerous stunts, real actions that is why I love this film to death! I enjoy this film so much even as a kid growing up I loved this film. I'm a hard-core James Bond fan. I make no apologies for believing that Timothy Dalton is the closest thing we've seen to IAN FLEMING's James Bond. Licence to Kill is one of the most underrated decent action films and I love it so much.This movie is more about Die Hard action junkies like me. This movie has hard core action than espionage. I enjoy this film I still do even over those years. Sadly this is the last Timothy Dalton film and the last 80's film. After this one Timothy Dalton did not want to make another Bond film.The movie is about one of the biggest heroine supplier in the USA in which Felix Letier (David Hedison) and James Bond 007 (Timothy Dalton) captures him, but with the inside man, the drug dealer escapes and kill's Leiter's wife and Felix throws in to the pit with shark in it. Now James Bond goes on a revenge spree and stopping the drug dealer supplying people with heroin. James Bond goes rogue and sets off to unleash vengeance on a drug lord who tortured his best friend, a C.I.A. Agent, and left him for dead and murdered his bride after he helped capture him.Timothy Dalton was excellent as James Bond 007 really too bad he wasn't interested to play the role again. I enjoy his two movies The Living Daylights and this one Licence to Kill. Timothy Dalton is once again serious and on target should have been lightened up a bit. Audiences who spend two or more hours with Bond need to laugh once in a while. Thankfully, Q, awarded the biggest role of his film career (following a tip-off from an anxious Moneypenny), was on hand to provide some crucial comic relief.Carey Lowell showed to be the best Bond girl in years. She was delightful as Pam Bouvier, a resourceful, beautiful CIA pilot and undercover operative who helps Bond at every turn. Her excellent introduction in the Barrelhead Bar is nothing but pure dynamite. She is sexy hot and beautiful irresistible Bond girl.Talisa Soto is in here from Mortal Kombat as Lupe Lamora, Sanchez's girlfriend who has romantic feelings for Bond. She becomes the second Bond girl but Carey Lowell steals the show.Robert Davi proved to be an excellent choice for the role of murderous South American drug lord Franz Sanchez. Surrounded by a private army that keeps potential assassins at arm's length, Sanchez was not an easy target.His main associates include corrupt seaman Anthony Zerbe, a drunken pervert and a sadist Benecio Del Toro.Desmond Llewelyn as Q was excellent this was the only movie that was the longer run Desmond was. He was Bond's ally who supplies Bond with various gadgets and helps him in the field.I love the music scores: Licence to Kill by Gladys Knight, Dirty Love by Tim Feehan and of course my favorite soundtrack If You Asked Me To by Patti LaBelle. This was the last Bond movie that was directed by great director John Glen.This movie has ton's and ton's of action: in the opening scene we see Bond sliding from helicopter to capture the airplane that was really dangerous stunt excellent, executed and performed. Bond being on a bloody machine hanging up and Pam shoots Dario and Bond throws him in to the machine. I love the fights on the trucks that was awesome from the airplane Bond jumps on a truck takes It over and he fights those bad dudes awesome. I love the bar fight which is awesome. Actor Branscombe Richmond was in this movie from (Renagade) in which Bond knocks him out. Bond eludes the divers in the water and he skies with a harpoon on one of the seaplanes, stealing $5 million on the way. Bond goes from Miami Vice to The Punisher and he try's to Kill Sanchez by climbing the wall. Bond gets attacked and knocked out by two ninjas. Bond burns Sanchez with lighter that Felix and Della gave him as a wedding gift.Licence to Kill is the 16th entry in the official James Bond film series. The 1989 sequel (which was the first not to bear the title of an Ian Fleming novel or short story) finds Bond on a personal mission to take down the drug lord responsible for an attack on his CIA friend Felix Leiter and his wife. Licence to Kill co-stars Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Benicio del Toro, Talisa Soto, and Wayne Newton and was the final Bond film directed by John Glen and the final film to star Timothy Dalton as Agent 007. Bond is such a bad-ass in this movie he kicks all the bad guys he is even more dangerous and crazy than Sean Connery. 10/10 it is my fifth favorite James Bond 007 film because it has insanely action, you have great explosions, real actions, no shaky cam. It is Timothy Dalton's second and last best film in his career he ever did.

Alex Walker From a retrospective perspective, Licence to Kill is probably the most divisive and most controversial James Bond film, 1987's THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS saw Bond reinvented into a more darker and serious series with Timothy Dalton in the leading role, this film saw a more violent take. this being the only James Bond film to be given a 15 certificate in the UK and had to have many cuts made The plot is fairly simple, James Bond goes rogue and after a escaped Drug baron Franz Sanchez (Played with menace by the fantastic Robert Davi) after his friend Felix Leiter is maimed, the plot and visuals feel more akin to an long lost TV miniseries, the story, camera-work and colours all feel more akin to Television, however the familiar 007 feel spices the plot.Timothy Dalton feels more comfortable in the role in comparison to THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, the leading ladies played by Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto are two of the hottest girls, the former of which is given a good personality.Michael Kamens score is great, giving a more darker feel to the film, Gladys Knights theme however is slightly a mixed bag, mainly being a rehash of previous Bond themes, Patti Labelles R&B Ballad 'If You Asked Me To' is used for the end credits, the song mostly is decent, however slightly dates the film.Unfortunately, Licence To Kill remains the lowest grossing Bond film, mainly due its poor marketing as well as it being released at the same time as a bunch of other summer blockbusters such as BATMAN, INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, GHOSTBUSTERS II and LETHAL WEAPON 2.Licence To Kill is a great Bond film, its darker, more 80s thriller tone makes it stand out among its predecessors and successors, the villains are dastardly and their deaths are gory. however after the film was released, the series fell into legal difficulties, leaving Bond off the big screen until 1995's GOLDENEYE which saw 007 come back with a new face.