Licence to Kill (1989)

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

One of my favourite,plus the theme song outstanding. I wish I can see this on a big screen. I mean no tv ,but cinema. Action,beauty and tricks

This is the second and last film Timothy Dalton made as James Bond, British secret agent 007. In this one, Bond takes on the king of the drug world, Franz Sanchez, played very well by Robert Davi. He even has to resign from the secret service to pursue Sanchez when he was given a different assignment. Bond was best man at his friend, American CIA agent Felix Leiter's wedding. Leiter had led the capture of Sanchez, and the crime boss repayed him by having his new bride raped and killed and then feeding Leiter to the sharks. He survived but lost a leg and an arm. As one can imagine, this Bond film is loaded with action. It's unusual in some ways. First, Q actually gets a role in part of the action. Second, Bond is captured and about done in a few times. Third, he brings the downfall of Sanchez about in an unusual way. The Sanchez stronghold was too impregnable to take down by firepower. So, Bond uses the strength of the Sanchez empire. Sanchez had boasted that he values loyalty more than money. Sanchez knows Bond only as a former secret agent who is now an independent operative. He tries to convince Bond to work for him. Instead, Bond plants doubt in his mind about his associates in his drug empire. It takes some special sleuthing and planting of a few million dollars Bond had obtained by disrupting a sale by Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe), a trusted business dealer of Sanchez. The doubt festers and as Sanchez misreads his associates' loyalty, he begins to knock off his own associates. Of course, Bond throws some wrenches into the Sanchez operation that help lead to its complete destruction. There are lots of explosions and a long semi convoy chase adds some different action toward the end.

It has a strong story line and grit that breaks away from the 'Roger Moore era' descent into farce - he was a lovely guy, an excellent actor and did a good job with the material he was given, but the material was a bit of a travesty of the 007 legacy. What is more, Carey Lowell is among my favourite Bond girls. She brought character and attitude that made a terrific contrast to Talita Soto's sultry ornamental role, but I thought she was great to look at too - definitely my type of gal :o)

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.