Review by John S. Ryan
Rating:
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.

Review by
Rating:
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.

Review by Mr.
Rating:
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