Licence To Kill (1989)

Timothy Dalton's second and last shot at playing James Bond isn't nearly as much fun as his debut, two years earlier, in the 1987 The Living Daylights. This time Bond gets mad after a close friend (David Hedison) from the intelligence sector is assassinated on his wedding day, and 007 goes undercover to link the murder to an international drug cartel. Robert Davi makes an interesting adversary, but as with most of the Bond films in the '70s, '80s, and '90s--and especially since the end of the cold war--one has to wonder why we should still care about these lesser villains and their unimaginative crimes. Still, Dalton did manage in his short time with the character to make 007 his own, which neither Roger Moore did nor Pierce Brosnan did. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com

The Worst

Worst Bond flick ever. I own all the others, sure glad I rented this one. The scene where a semi trailer is tilted to one side to run with only one set of wheels still on the pavement to avoid a missile is the defining moment of how cheesy this movie is. October 24, 2008

Made for TV Bond

Timothy Dalton played Bond pretty well in this movie - very similar to Craig's Bond in terms of under the surface violent boil. But Dalton is just too swarmy to be Bond. Robert Davi is also good as Sanchez, though his character is more suited to an episode of Miami Vice than 007.

There has never been a worse supporting cast in a Bond movie. From the very first scene, I was wincing at poorly played lines. The actors -- and I use that term liberally -- look like they are reading off cue cards. David Hedison particularly embarasses himself as Felix Leiter. Carey Lowell is beyond terrible - continuing a Bond tradition of looks-before-ability female casting.

The production values of this movie are Made for TV. So many of the set pieces look like they could have been featured on an episode of the A-Team. Is that a Grand Marquis Bond in driving? Many of the props look like carboard cut outs. Even the film quality seems shabby.

When you see a Bond like this, it's really hard to imagine how the plug wasn't pulled on the franchise earlier. This thing is running on fumes. October 19, 2008

license to kill

This product arrived as it was described on the web site. it arrived in a timely fashion and was packed well to prevent damage. I am very happy with the price and purchase, the condition of the disc and the timely arrival. September 14, 2008

Nice film

Tim's second 007, but he should have done one more. This flick moves fast, looks sleek, delivers the usual Bond formula and Tim lets us know he is a Bond not to be taken lightly. It strays a bit from the others, in that Bond is driven by revenge, not a lesson for the kids who follow the Bonds, but, then again, isn't that what a dirty business killer agents do for a living at times? September 9, 2008

Some like it, some don't...

I have watched the whole JB series in chronological order several times now. I have not reviewed each one on Amazon, but felt compelled to advise others about License to Kill. I have cringed each time it's time to view this movie, and have decided to rarely if ever watch it again.

Why?

Well, first of all, a disclosure. I like Roger Moore's Bond. I like Sean Connery too. I like the silly 1960's special effects for what they are, and the gadgets, the girls, the whole semi-unrealistic but fun plot devices and production values. But as you may have read in other reviews, this movie deviates from all of those.

The opening theme, looking down the gun barrel is awful. The unnecessary and disgusting "give her his heart" scene gave me nightmares in 1989 and still is bothersome. The lack of an MI6-backed mission is uninteresting. And why, oh why, does Felix Leiter get knocked-off every few films, then magically brought back to life? (or in this case, half-eaten)

Yes, I know, Ian Fleming's novels are grittier than the films. One Amazon reviewer noted the shark scene is right out of the novel "Live and Let Die". Well, that is another one of my least-liked Bond films, and for much the same reason I don't like this film. The sense of death and maiming is palpable. The good guy doesn't really win. Europeans sometimes are said to like tragedy versus redemption. Maybe, but you have to be interested in the characters, and I'm not in this film -- or at least the characters that are still alive.

Some people would point out that all Bond films are not exactly supposed to be harmless romps through the playground, but this is all about entertainment, not about how close can we make a movie that mimics what Columbia drug lords really have done to people in graphic detail. It's too bad for Dalton, who's acting is quite respectable.

So, if by some chance you are a Bond fan and still haven't seen this film, hopefully the above will allow some manner for you to interpret the feel of this movie. But I would rather watch the off-kilter Never Say Never Again than License To Kill. August 8, 2008

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