Licence To Kill1989
Licence To Kill (1989)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: License to Kill is darker than many of the other Bond entries, with Timothy Dalton playing the character with intensity, but it still has some solid chases and fight scenes.
Licence To Kill Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as James Bond
as Pam Bouvier
as Franz Sanchez
as Lupe Lamora
as Milton Krest
as Sharkey
as Ed Killifer
as Joe Butcher
as Dario
as Truman-Lodge
as President Hector Lopez
as `Q'
as Felix Leiter
as Della Churchill
as M
as Miss Moneypenny
as Heller
as Warehouse Guard
as Hawkins
as Kwang
as Perez
as President Hector Lopez
as Braun
as Mullens
as Loti
as Fallon
as Montelongo
as Consuelo
as Rasmussen
as Oriental
as Stripper
as Doctor
as Wavekrest Captain
as Chief Chemist
as Pit Boss
as Bellboy
as Ninja
as Tanker Driver
as Ticket Agent
as Della's Uncle
as Casino Manager
as Coast Guard Radio Operator
as Casino Manager
as Hotel Assistant Manager
as Sanchez's Driver
as Barrelhead Waitress
as Clive
as Warehouse Guard
News & Interviews for Licence To Kill
Critic Reviews for Licence To Kill
All Critics (52) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (12) | DVD (10)
Every once in a while, [the Bond series] pulls in its stomach, pops the gun from its cummerbund, arches its eyebrow and gets off another bull's-eye. The newest, Licence to Kill, is probably one of the five or six best of Bond.
If the series is ever going to return to its Connery-era glory, it definitely needs some new writers, ones who know how to streamline a story and keep the dialogue tight.
Dalton revives the cool, ironic detachment of the Connery years, but he also allows a touch of obsession to show through Bond`s surface aplomb.
With Dalton straightening out Bond for the second time, Licence to Kill continues the salvage operation begun in The Living Daylights and rescues a series that was in danger of shooting itself in the foot. With a Walther PPK, of course.
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.
The thrills-and-spills chases are superbly orchestrated as pic spins at breakneck speed through its South Florida and Central American locations.
Audience Reviews for Licence To Kill
In Timothy Dalton's second and final film as James Bond, we get the best in the series since "For Your Eyes Only" and one of the most unique and interesting entries. This movie is as far from the Bond formula as the Daniel Craig films, but the difference is that audiences apparently weren't ready to give up the cheesy one-liners and bombastic thrills the series had become known for up to this point, leaving this picture with the worst attendance in the series history by a wide margin. It's unfortunate because I feel like audiences would appreciate this film more today, but the toxic word of mouth the movie received upon release has become its legacy. This is a revenge thriller that sees Bond going rogue in order to purse a personal vendetta against a drug lord that seriously injures a friend and kills his friend's wife. Timothy Dalton is better here than he was in The Living Daylight's, and although Bond doesn't have the dashing personality anymore, he has never been more ruthless. It makes the movie a little bit of a downer compared to the rest, but also one of the most driven. It's compelling from beginning to end, despite a few dry spots. The same cannot be said for the last couple of entries. Q's added role in this film is also a pleasure for fans of the series. Overall, it's one of the stronger entries in the series and seems to be a clear influence on the current Bond films.
Super Reviewer
This is a pretty good Bond film. It's edgy, violent, and the first to be Rated PG-13. Dalton gives a good performance, so it sucks that this was his final of two films in the role. At least he went out on a high note. Not until Daniel Craig came around did the film get as serious as it does here. That's why I like it so much, because Bond gets almost ruthless. Granted, it's still an 80s era film, so the cheese and camp aren't 100% gone, but even then, this film gets dark, and there's an increase in the bloodletting. Bond is on a quest for revenge, and goes off the books in order to get things done. The target is a ruthless drug lord who has seriously maimed Bond's friend American DEA Agent Felix Leiter. Robert Davi is great as the antagonist, and you really believe that he's a chilling and ruthless fellow. Benicio del Toro gets his career off to a start as a henchman, which is cool, and, despite the campiness of it, I do kinda dig seeing Wayne Newton as a huckster type of character. Carey Lowell is the primary Bond Girl, and I like her a lot, She's got this quality about her that I just really like, even if I can't properly articulate why. It's too bad she has basically gone under the radar for the most part since then. All in all, a really fine film.
Super Reviewer
Timothy Dalton's second turn as Bond would also be his last, and I think that's probably a good thing. He does a decent job as Bond, but really makes the character humorless, and a borderline bore. Her he sets out avenge a friend by going after a Latin Drug dealer. The movie has great action, and look closely for a young Benecio Del Tore as a psychotic henchman(has an awesome death scene by the way). It's a more violent take on Bond than the Moore movies, and that's fine, but just keep the humor and womanizing with it. Also, I didn't care that movie ends with a cheezy love song like "If You Ask me To". Not the worst Bond, but probably towards the bottom of them. Still a must watch for all Bond fans.
Super Reviewer
Licence To Kill Quotes
| Franz Sanchez: | Don't worry, it's only money. |
| James Bond: | In my business, you prepare for the unexpected. |
| Franz Sanchez: | Well, it's a wise gambler who knows when his luck has run out. |
| Franz Sanchez: | Our biggest problem is what to do with all the money. |