It's a strained, sexless, and overcooked film...Dalton's game, but the film is inert, perhaps unprepared to work with the new Irish Kiss direction of the series.
Licence to Kill (1989)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:24
Rotten:10
Average Rating:5.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: James Bond (Timothy Dalton) returns with a vengeance in LICENCE TO KILL. Having just witnessed his best friend's wedding, Bond is shocked when he learns that ruthless drug runner Franz Sanchez... James Bond (Timothy Dalton) returns with a vengeance in LICENCE TO KILL. Having just witnessed his best friend's wedding, Bond is shocked when he learns that ruthless drug runner Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) has assaulted the couple on their honeymoon, killing the bride. Assisted by the twiggy Drug Enforcement Agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and the gadget wizard Q (Patrick Llewelyn), Bond resigns from Her Majesty's Secret Service and pursues justice on his own. Perhaps the darkest of the 007 films, LICENCE TO KILL, exhibits a previously unseen side of James Bond. Maniacal at times, ex-agent 007 detonates everything in his way on the road to avenging his friend's bride. The 16th installment of the James Bond series, LICENCE TO KILL, veers away from the pick-up artistry and light interlocution of former 007 films. Instead, director John Glen, gives the audience a crystal clear view of the man behind the martini glass. [More]
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Anthony Zerbe
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Anthony Zerbe, Talisa Soto, Wayne Newton
Director: John Glen
Director: John Glen
Story: Richard Maibaum
Screenwriter: Michael G. Wilson
Composer: Michael Kamen
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Reviews for Licence to Kill
A well-produced slick high-octane action thriller that remains escapist and as entertaining as possible throughout.
...it often feels more like a typical '80s actioner than a bona fide James Bond adventure...
The Bond women are pallid mannequins, and so is the misused Dalton -- a moving target in a Savile Row suit. For every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in his sixth.
Fast, efficient and unusually gruesome Bond. The tone is sombre, the action is ingenious and in Dalton the series finds the only actor to take 007 seriously.
Hardcore Bond fans may be dismayed by some of the changes, but no one can deny that the action scenes staged by director John Glen are some of the most spectacular of the entire series and well worth the price of admission.
The thrills-and-spills chases are superbly orchestrated as pic spins at breakneck speed through its South Florida and Central American locations.
Despite some shaky narrative continuity and muddled motivations, this manages to move pretty briskly, and the action sequences are generally well handled, especially at the climax.
Even weak James Bond is better than the norm action flicks, and this one qualifies.
A cameo by Wayne Newton pushes the film into full-on kitsch, and many feared the series was dead after Licence's poor showing.
It's all very pacy, with the overly straightforward plotting dimmed but not obscured by the hi-tech effects.
Both the toughest Bond movie ever and the most entertaining Bond movie ever. A rare entry in the series where the danger seems real.
Latest News for Licence to Kill
November 07, 2008:
Bonding with Bond, Day 18: Licence to Kill
Community Manager RT-Ryan has never seen a single James Bond film, except for 2006's Casino Royale. To rectify the situation, he decides to watch every Bond film and write... More...
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