James Bond is on possibly his most brutal mission yet. Bond's good friend, Felix Leiter, is left near death, by drug baron Franz Sanchez. Bond sets off on the hunt for Sanchez, but not everyone is happy. MI6 does not feel Sanchez is their problem and strips Bond of his license to kill making Bond more dangerous than ever. Bond gains the aid of one of Leiter's friends, known as Pam Bouvier and sneaks his way into the drug factories, which Sanchez owns. Will Bond be able to keep his identity secret, or will Sanchez see Bond's true intentions? Written by

Plot Synopsis:
-------------------

James Bond (Timothy Dalton) is on leave in Florida to serve as best man at the wedding of Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and Della Churchill (Priscilla Barnes). With Cold War tensions cooling down, Leiter has transferred to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and he's spent the last several months attempting to capture elusive drug kingpin Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). He is considered one of the most ruthless drug lords around, operating an invisible drug empire that stretches all the way from Alaska to Chile, and he's proven impossible to catch, having managed to kill, intimidate or bribe every major politician in the Western Hemisphere who could give him up.

As Bond, Leiter, and Leiter's fishing buddy Sharkey (Frank McRae) drive to the wedding, Leiter's boss, Hawkins (Grand L. Bush) intercepts them to inform Leiter that Sanchez is making a rare visit to Cray Key. The timetable to capture him before he can flee to non-extradition territory is tight, so Leiter decides to take it. Bond accompanies him aboard a Coast Guard helicopter, "strictly as an observer," to ensure that he will be back on time, and alive, for the wedding, leaving Sharkey to stall the proceedings until they get back.

The reason Sanchez is venturing this far north today is because he's found out that his mistress Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) is having an affair with another man. Sanchez and his three menacing henchmen, Dario (Benicio Del Toro), Perez (Alejandro Bracho), and Braun (Guy De Saint Cyr), creep up to the house where the boyfriend is staying, using piano wire to garrote a thug standing guard, then burst in and catch Lupe in bed with her new lover. Dario, Perez and Braun grab the boyfriend and take him outside, where they proceed to kill him and cut out his heart, while Sanchez himself punishes Lupe by whipping her with the tail of a stingray.

Bond and Leiter arrive just as Sanchez is preparing to fly out of US territory. After a short gunfight, he separates from his henchmen and Lupe, and flies off alone via a private plane. Bond manages to capture Sanchez by attaching the helicopter's tow cable to Sanchez's plane in flight and pulling it out of the air. Afterwards, Bond and Leiter parachute down to the church in time for the ceremony.

During the reception, Bond finds Leiter finishing up a meeting in his office with another woman, Pamela Bouvier, (Carey Lowell), but she leaves before Bond can speak with her. Della offers Bond a gift, a silver handled cigarette lighter with the engraving, "Love always, Della and Felix." Della tells Bond that he will need to get married next, causing Bond great discomfort. Della asks her new husband if it was something she said, and Felix tells her that Bond had been married before, but it ended tragically.

Meanwhile, Sanchez is taken to a holding cell in Key West, awaiting transfer to a higher security facility. Hawkins and another agent, Ed Killifer (Everett McGill), tell Sanchez that he is looking at least ten life sentences from all the felonies he's wanted for; his dream team attorneys and "million dollar bribes" will not get him out of this one. Sanchez offers $2 million for anyone who helps him escape. Though Killifer seems disgusted at the offer, Sanchez believes he has taken the bait.

Indeed, Killifer does accept the $2 million offer and agrees to help Sanchez escape custody. To do so, he arranges to ride shotgun in the van that is going to take Sanchez to Quantico. As the convoy crosses Key West's Seven Mile Bridge, the driver becomes visibly nervous as they pass road construction signs warning of repaving work going on up ahead. This is when Killifer makes his move. He uses the handle of his shotgun to knock the driver unconscious, then steers the van over the side of the bridge and into the ocean. Once the van sinks, and the driver drowns, frogmen stationed below the bridge load Sanchez and Killifer into a Shark Hunter submersible and transport them to the Ocean Exotica, a warehouse owned Milton Krest, (Anthony Zerbe) a marine breeder who operates a research boat, the Wavekrest, as a front for Sanchez's drug trade.

Unaware of Sanchez's liberation, Felix and Della return home, only to find Dario, Perez and Braun waiting for them. They knock Leiter out, and then proceed to rape Della before stabbing her in the heart. Leiter is driven to the Ocean Exotica, where Sanchez and his henchmen are waiting for him. Killifer apologizes for betraying Leiter, but insists he couldn't refuse the money. Sanchez's men open a trap door, revealing a feeding pit for a Great White shark. As Leiter is lowered into the pit, Sanchez tells him that he will not die this day, for there are some things that are worse than death, and Leiter's fate is nothing personal, just business. After the shark bites Leiter, Sanchez and his team remove him from the pit, return him to his house wrapped in a tarp, and deposit him on a couch, pinning a note to his chest reading "He disagreed with something that ate him". They then ransack the house and steal Leiter's files, which contain a list of his informants inside Sanchez's network.

Bond learns of Sanchez's liberation the next day, when he notices the police at the airport on high alert as he prepares to leave for a posting in Istanbul, Turkey. Realizing what's going on, Bond races back to Leiter's house, finding Della sprawled on the bed in the bedroom, dead, then finds Felix on the couch in his office, injured. It is around this time that Hawkins calls to check up on Leiter, and Bond tells him to call an ambulance.

Leiter is rushed to the hospital and put into surgery. His left leg has to be amputated below the knee, and there is a 50/50 chance that he will also lose his left arm. Hawkins tells Bond that the authorities' hands are tied regarding Sanchez, as he has already fled to the Republica de Isthmus (based on the real life Panama), which does not have an extradition treaty with the United States.

The local authorities believe that Leiter's injuries are the result of a chainsaw, but Sharkey knows a shark bite when he sees one. The two of them visit aquariums in the area, looking for the shark that Leiter was fed to. Eventually, they locate the Ocean Exotica. Krest tells them that the facility has the capacity to house a Great White, but it was sold years ago, so they now concentrate on breeding smaller fish to feed the world's hungry. After a cursory examination, Bond realizes he's in the right place, noticing the flowers from Felix' wedding boutonniere on the floor, as well as traces of dried blood.

That night, Bond and Sharkey infiltrate the Ocean Exotica, splitting up to cover more ground. Killifer has been ordered to hide here until Krest's flagship, the Wavekrest, can pick him up. Bond finds that Sanchez is smuggling packets of cocaine in the maggots Krest uses for his fish, but is discovered and has to take out two guards. The ensuing scuffle gives Killifer a chance to ambush him. Keeping his Magnum trained on Bond, Killifer opens the feeding pit. Before he can shoot Bond or usher him into the tank, he is knocked off balance by Sharkey, who emerges from another trap door directly below him. Bond seizes the opportunity and knocks him into the feeding pit. Killifer grabs onto a rope above the water, and motions to the briefcase holding his bribe money; if Bond saves him, he can have half of it. Bond throws the briefcase at him, causing him to lose his grip and fall into the water, where he is promptly eaten by the shark. Sharkey deems it a terrible waste....of money.

The next morning, Hawkins confronts Bond over his recent actions, which have violated several local laws. He summons two nearby MI6 agents, telling Bond that he is in over his head, and this is where it ends. The MI6 agents take Bond to Hemingway House, where M (Robert Brown) is waiting for him. M chastises Bond for his unprofessional attitude, insisting the Leiter knew that risks of the job, and Sanchez is outside their jurisdiction. Bond insists that the Americans will not do anything about Sanchez, but M considers this irrelevant, since they have not requested MI6's help on this matter. When Bond threatens to resign, M suspends him and immediately revokes his license to kill. Bond flees from MI6 custody and becomes a rogue agent.

With Sharkey's help, Bond learns that the Wavekrest is out to sea to test an automated submersible prototype, Sentinel. Bond boards the ship and finds Lupe sleeping in the captain's quarters. She tells him that Sanchez is not on board, and she doesn't know where he is. She covers for Bond (at knifepoint) when Krest checks up on her, and suggests that Bond leave before he gets them both killed. They then hear a commotion coming from outside. Bond and Lupe look out the window and see a patrol boat rendezvousing with the Wavekrest, displaying Sharkey's dead body like a trophy. The patrol leader, Clive, tells Krest that he caught Sharkey snooping around where he shouldn't have been, and jokes about Sharkey's poor choice of nickname. Lupe is disgusted, but Bond reminds her that she chose to be a drug lord's mistress. Bond escapes from the Wavekrest by shooting Clive and stealing his scuba gear. Krest is using Sentinel to smuggle drugs to Sanchez's distributors, who have arrived via seaplane. Still underwater, Bond sabotages Sentinel before making his escape on one of the seaplanes, stealing $5 million on the way.

Knowing that he will need allies to carry out his operation against Sanchez, Bond breaks into Leiter's house and uses his computer to find a list of informants who have infiltrated Sanchez's empire. Only one of them is still alive, an ex-military pilot by the name of Pamela Bouvier. He meets Bouvier at a Bimini bar, recognizing her as the woman from Leiter's wedding reception. Their conversation is interrupted when Dario arrives at the bar. Bouvier explains Dario used to be with the Contras before he was expelled for his sociopathic tendencies. She tells Bond to keep quiet and let her and her shotgun do the talking. Dario claims to want to hire her for a smuggling job, but she knows that it is a setup for her to be killed. Bond and Bouvier start a barroom brawl in order to escape, and they fight their way to a motorboat. Dario pulls out a Magnum revolver and fires at them, eventually hitting Bouvier in the back. She is saved by a Kevlar vest. Once they are a safe distance away, Bond asks Bouvier to fly him to Isthmus City. Bouvier warns that it will not be cheap. In addition to her fee of $100,000, Bond will have to throw around some serious money to make his presence felt in the city.

In London, Miss Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss) tells M that she has not found any indication that Bond has left the United States. M tells her that she should know better, Bond is gong to go after Sanchez alone, without support from the Americans or any other agency, and it is a diplomatic incident waiting to happen. They have an agent in Isthmus City, and he is to receive regular updates. After M leaves, Moneypenny calls Q Branch.

Bond and Bouvier travel to Isthmus City, renting a room at the luxurious Casino de Ithsmus hotel. Bouvier decides to stay with Bond, posing as Ms. Kennedy, his "executive secretary." She directs Bond to deposit the $5 million he stole from the Wavekrest into a bank which launders Sanchez's drug money, then alters her appearance by getting a conservative haircut and high end clothing, to better fit the part. Sanchez is currently arranging a summit with Triad Dragon Heads (bosses) that he wishes to do business with. He also has a complicated moneymaking scheme involving a phony meditation retreat, the Olympatec Meditation Institute, run by an American televangelist, Professor Joe Butcher (Wayne Newton), who solicits "donations" that are actually the market prices for drugs Sanchez smuggles out of a distribution facility that the meditation institute is a front for.

Bond makes his presence felt by playing blackjack at the casino, bringing $250,000 to the table. Sanchez, who is watching via security cameras, tells the casino staff to let him play when he notices how much money he has. Bond easily beats the pit bosses, but Lupe is dispatched by Sanchez to put an end to his winning streak. Bond is brought before Sanchez and meets two more of his associates, his head of security, Colonel Heller (Don Stroud), and his accountant, Truman Lodge (Anthony Starke). Bond claims that he is there to look for work, during the conversation he studies the office for any weakness in security, noting a building across the street that appears to be closed for renovations. Sanchez's interest is piqued, but he remains guarded, warning Bond that no one saw him coming into his hotel, so nobody has to see him come out. He allows Bond to leave, but confiscates his gun, implying that it will be returned once Heller's background check is complete.

After he is returned to his hotel room, Bond tells Bouvier that the windows in Sanchez's office are high grade bulletproof plexiglass, so regular weapons will be useless against it. They receive a surprise visitor in the form of Q (Desmond Llewelyn). Moneypenny has informed him of Bond's situation, and he wants to help. He is currently on leave, so it is entirely unofficial. He provides Bond with plastic explosive and a sniper rifle (that is disguised as a camera) with an optical palm readout that ensures that only Bond can fire it.

Bond sneaks to the roof of the hotel and uses a grappling line to rappel down, planting plastic explosives in the window of Sanchez's office and adjoining conference room. Inside, Sanchez tells the Triad leaders that they can become a part of his "franchise" if they pay him $100 million. He has already devised reasonable distribution deals based on a case-by-case basis on the size of each Triad's gang and the territory they control. The sole holdout is a man named Kwang (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), who wants to see Sanchez's main distribution center. Truman Lodge protests, but Kwang reminds him that $100 million is a serious investment, and the other Triads agree. Sanchez reluctantly acquiesces to their wishes, then directs them to a roomful of callgirls. Once the Triads leave, Sanchez tells Heller that they need to keep an eye on Kwang.

Bond heads toward the closed building and sets up a sniper's nest. He curiously sees Bouvier talking with Heller in one of the other rooms. After she leaves, Bond detonates the explosives. However, before he can fire the fatal shot into Sanchez's head, he is disarmed by a team of ninjas. Though he puts up a strong fight, they eventually overpower him. They take him to their hideout, where he meets Kwang and another MI6 agent, Fallon (Christopher Neame). As Bond is placed in restraints, Kwang reveals that he is an undercover agent for Hong Kong Narcotics, planning a major sting operation inside Sanchez's operation, but the assassination will likely mean that Sanchez and the Triads will go underground. Fallon assures Kwang that Bond's actions were not authorized by his government, and he will be brought back to England to account for his actions. As Fallon prepares a sedative, Sanchez's troops, led by Heller, bombard the safehouse with artillery. Fallon is killed right away, and Kwang is wounded. Kwang then commits suicide with a cyanide capsule before Sanchez can interrogate him (out of frustration, Sanchez shoots Kwang's body several times). The soldiers find Bond unconscious, but alive, and Sanchez orders him to be taken to his private island.

Bond awakens in a spacious guest bedroom, and Sanchez asks him why he was at Kwang's safehouse. Bond spins an elaborate fabrication that plays on Sanchez's existing paranoia, successfully convincing him that Kwang's team were an elite mercenary unit hired to kill Sanchez that thought Bond would be a threat because of his old loyalties. They seemed well-enough informed to suggest a security leak in Sanchez's organization. Sanchez insists that this is impossible, but after Bond leaves, he tells Heller they may have a problem with Krest. Lupe smuggles Bond off the island during one of her "shopping trips" to the mainland. After returning to the hotel, Bond confronts Bouvier about her meeting with Heller. She reveals that Sanchez bought Stinger missiles from the Contras, which he would threaten to use in terrorist attacks on American targets unless the DEA stopped pursuing him. Leiter had offered Heller amnesty if he helped get the Stingers back. However, Bond's assassination attempt scared him into backing out of the deal.

That night, the Wavekrest docks, and Sanchez is there to greet it, accompanied by Lupe, Perez, and Braun. Bouvier disguises herself as the Wavecrest's new helmsman, to give Bond time to infiltrate the boat underwater, then crashes the boat into the dock. She rendezvous with Bond in the aft section, strips down to a one-piece swimsuit, then helps Bond plant the $5 million he had stolen into the hyperbaric chamber. Sanchez questions Krest about the Sentinel incident. He has brought Lupe with him, as he has found that Krest cannot lie in front of her. Perez and Braun set out to find a safe, eventually discovering the planted money in the hyperbaric chamber. Furious at the apparent betrayal, Sanchez locks Krest in the chamber and then rapidly depressurises it, causing his head to explode. Sanchez orders Perez and Braun to clean the money (in more ways than one). Bond and Bouvier rendezvous with Q, who has disguised himself as a fisherman. Bond tells them they need to part company, as the authorities will be looking for them now. Unbeknownst to either of them, Bond has returned to Sanchez, being welcomed into his inner circle for his perceived loyalty.

The next morning, Lupe visits Bouvier and Q, revealing that Bond lied to them on the dock, he spent the night at Sanchez's estate, and slept with her. Bond thinks that he has earned Sanchez's trust, but Sanchez isn't stupid, and has Bond placed under intense scrutiny. It is only a matter of time before he is discovered, so she wants him extracted before that happens. Bouvier is furious, but cooler heads prevail, and she and Q devise a plan.

Sanchez takes Bond to his distribution center, built underneath the Olympatec Meditation Institute. Bond learns that Sanchez's scientists can dissolve cocaine in gasoline and then sell it disguised as fuel to the Triads. The re-integration process where the cocaine is extracted from the gasoline will be available after Sanchez receives the second half of his franchising fee. Unbeknownst to Bond, Dario has joined Sanchez, bringing the Stingers and two rocket launchers with him.

Meanwhile, Bouvier has made her way to the OMI by disguising herself as a student. She seduces Professor Joe, then steals a key to gain access to the distribution center.

During Sanchez's presentation, Dario recognizes Bond from the bar fight and tells Sanchez that Bond is their enemy. Bond headbutts Dario and starts a fire in the lab, but he is overpowered and placed on the conveyor belt that drops the brick-cocaine into a giant strawcutter. Before Sanchez can lower Bond into the strawcutter, Heller tells them that the fire is beyond their control, they need to move all their merchandise. Sanchez and most of his men leave to help Heller, while Dario hangs back to finish off Bond. Bouvier arrives and shoots Dario, allowing Bond to drop Dario into the strawcutter, which rips him apart.

Amid the chaos, Heller attempts to load the Stingers into a helicopter. Sanchez orders they be moved to his car instead, and secretly orders Braun to kill Heller. Four articulated tanker trucks full of the cocaine/gasoline mixture are able to escape the compound before it is destroyed. Bond and Bouvier also escape, and use a plane to catch up with the convoy. Bond hijacks the first tanker, dislodging the trailer and using the cab to pursue the other vehicles. Sanchez decides to "cut overhead" by shooting Truman-Lodge, then gives Perez a rocket launcher and orders him to set up an ambush. Bond avoids Perez's rocket with some precision driving, and one of the other tankers is destroyed instead.

As Bond closes in on the last tanker, Perez and Braun give chase in a pickup truck. However, during the ensuing chase, they drive through a wall of flame, setting their tires ablaze. They lose control of their vehicle, eventually plummeting off a cliff, narrowly avoiding Bouvier's plane. Sanchez fires a rocket at Bouvier's plane, grazing the tail and forcing her to make an emergency landing. Sanchez draws a machete and attacks Bond aboard the final remaining tanker, which loses control and crashes. As Bond crawls away, Sanchez, covered in gasoline, and still wielding his machete, overpowers him. Sanchez tells Bond he should have accepted his offer to join him, he could have had everything. Bond then reveals the engraved cigarette lighter, and sets Sanchez afire. Burning alive, Sanchez stumbles into the wrecked tanker truck's cistern and causes it to explode. Bouvier rescues Bond, driving the cab from one of the destroyed tankers.

Later, a party is held at Sanchez's former residence. Bond receives a call from Leiter, who reveals that his doctors were able to save his arm, and he is planning on going fishing once it heals. He adds that he received a call from M, implying that all is forgiven in regards to MI6. Bond chooses to reject Lupe's advances, suggesting the country's president as a better match, and romances Bouvier instead.

----------------------------------------
GaryMook from New Hampshire, USA
----------------------------------------

This is the most underrated film in the series. It's ironic that the first of the EON films not to draw its title directly from an Ian Fleming story is also the closest in spirit to Fleming since "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Of course, the titles had long since become the ONLY connection between Fleming's original stories and the movies -- the film plots and Roger Moore's portrayal bore almost no resemblance to Fleming's Bond.

In "License to Kill" continues what he started in "The Living Daylights": he portrays a Bond that is still an ultra-suave superagent, but is also moody and reckless -- in other words, human.

Bond is driven to avenge the near murder of his friend Felix Leiter (and the murder of Leiter's wife) at the hands of drug lord Franz Sanchez. Sanchez is excellently played by Robert Davi. He ends up being assisted by CIA agent Pam Bouvier. Bouvier is played by Cary Lowell, in a performance that earns her automatic entry onto the list of top 5 all time Bond women.

Some elements of the story come from Fleming's short story "The Hildebrande Rarity." Sanchez's doomed henchmen Milton Krest is lifted directly from "The Hildebrand Rarity," and elements of the relationship between Sanchez and his girlfriend Lupe echo that of Krest and his wife Liz in the original story.

The other Fleming story drawn upon is "Live and Let Die" for the plot-driving scene in which Leiter is thrown to the sharks. (This marks the second time that Fleming's "Live and Let Die" was drawn upon for a key scene in a movie other than the film version of LALD. The other is the "dragged behind a speedboat over the reef" scene in "For Your Eyes Only." It kind of makes you wonder what the powers that be at EON were thinking when they couldn't find a place for these powerful, effective scenes in the pastiche that is LALD.)

"License to Kill" features a realistic, believable story. Add to it the equal ruthlessness of Bond and Sanchez in their respective portrayals by Dalton and Davi and you have a movie that will stand out over time as one of the best in the series.

----------------------------------------
Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Todmorden, England
----------------------------------------

Timothy Dalton only played Bond twice, but he tried to base his interpretation of the character on the descriptions provided by Ian Fleming in the original novels. Therefore, his Bond is quite ruthless and embittered, and always ready to stick two fingers up at the establishment if he feels they've got it wrong.

Bond is vacationing in Florida, acting as best-man at his friend Felix Leiter's wedding, when the unthinkable happens. Leiter and his wife are assaulted by some Central American thugs; the wife is murdered and Leiter is crippled by sharks. Bond is obviously deeply unhappy about this, but his bosses instruct him to let the matter drop and get on with another assignment. 007 knows who is responsible for the injuries to his friend, so he revokes his licence to kill and becomes a rogue agent, tracking down the villainous drug lord Sanchez (Robert Davi) to his Latin America headquarters. Here, aided by Sanchez's unfaithful mistress Lupe (Talisa Soto) and CIA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), Bond attempts to wipe out their enormous clandestine drug operation single-handedly.

There's definitely an uneasy, hard edge to the film which makes it unique among the Bond series. Whether or not this improves the film depends on your personal taste: if you like safe, humorous Roger Moore escapades, you'll probably find this too jarring, whereas if you prefer espionage stories with a bit of grit and sweat, this may be just what you're after. The action sequences are still outrageous in the tried-and-trusted Bond style, with memorable episodes featuring a daring helicopter .vs. airplane pursuit; a barefoot water-skiing sequence; and a truck chase down the side of a mountain. Some of the language, though not out-and-out "foul", is a bit stronger and more believable than in other Bond entries. The theme tune from Gladys Knight and the Pips is one of the better 007-tracks.

Licence to Kill is a new twist on the Bond theme. It isn't the best, and some of its new ideas don't fit with the usual routine (which may or may not be a good thing), but it is certainly interesting.

----------------------------------------
Gavin Salkeld from United States
----------------------------------------

Licence To Kill is one of the most underrated Bond movies since On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Slipping easily back into 007's shoes with style after his previous role as Bond, Timothy Dalton embodies the character. With a break away from the comic-book villains and fantastical locations, the filmmakers decide to focus instead on a very adult and contemporary story about drug smuggling and revenge. Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum's story is engaging and exciting, with a steadfast confidence in their leading man. This is a Bond movie that took risks -- it was the first 15-rated Bond film in the UK -- and surely deserves kudos for doing so. Make no mistake; this is not a family Bond picture. Its themes require a more mature perspective than its predecessors, and the violence is certainly stronger than anything that had come before. Unfortunately, these factors seem to be what critics of Licence To Kill call 'faults'. But why is change so bad, I ask? Casino Royale is getting major appreciation from critics for its grittiness and its darker edge. So why not Licence To Kill? After all, this is the movie that started the current trend, with Dalton's mature portrayal of Bond paving the way for Pierce Brosnan and, without doubt, Daniel Craig. It always amazes me that people do not give Dalton more respect for what he did with the character. This guy started the ball rolling. And boy did he give it a hard push.

The characters in Licence To Kill are one of it's major plus points. James Bond is the most human we have seen him in 20 years, as Dalton brings a real sense emotional depth to the character; a tortured man full of hurt and pain and vengeance, his determined and stony face almost cracking with the burning hatred that is barely contained inside of him. We also get a strong female lead with Carey Lowell, whose portrayal of Pam Bouvier is at once intelligent, sexy, and funny. On the flip side of the coin, we have a genuinely terrifying villain in the shape of Robert Davi, playing his role deadly straight with not a hint of camp. It's a rare scenario where you feel Bond has met someone of equal competence. The Sanchez character is a frightening presence, and an early role from Benicio Del Toro is just as effective; his chilling grin a fear-inducing sight.

Technically speaking, John Glen's direction is taught and assured, with the pace never really letting up for the 130+ minutes running time, save at the very end of the movie where the spectacular truck chase sequence perhaps drags just a little. The brilliant Michael Kamen also supplies us with an elegant, sensual and brooding score that is a vital player unto itself, complimenting the visuals excellently.

In spite of these pluses, there are some minor quibbles. As I said before, the truck finale is perhaps a bit long, even though the stunt work is amazing, but it does slow the pace a bit. Talisa Soto is indeed beautiful as Sanchez' girlfriend but, bless her, she isn't exactly the most talented actress on the planet. She plays her part well enough, but the role isn't exactly Oscar-worthy, and it's not helped by the fact that the script tends to relegate her to the sidelines. Everett McGill's cigar-chomping Killifer is rather too pantomime for me - he just doesn't stand up to the characters of Sanchez or Anthony Zerbe's Krest but he doesn't stick around long so doesn't get in the way too much.

With a striking leading man in Bond's shoes, Licence To Kill deserves a lot more credit than it gets. This is the film that broke the mould, opening the doors to a more adult, violent Bond world that continued briefly with some of the Brosnan films and certainly with Daniel Craig's portrayal of the character. In Timothy Dalton we have a brilliant actor in the starring role who brought us a more human and believable Bond, yet it is Daniel Craig who is currently getting the credit for these exact traits. Don't get me wrong, his characterisation is superb. But Dalton is the one who started it off, and it is a shame that he only made the two films.

John Glen says that from all of the Bond movies that he directed, Licence To Kill is the one he is most proud of. And rightly so. Not only do we get a more fleshed-out character in Bond than previous outings, we get a more believable and mature storyline, with great characters and competent direction. Definitely one of the most underrated Bond movies, this engaging film is a great piece of entertainment, and one that I hope will gather praise with time. See it.

4 stars.

----------------------------------------
didi-5 from United Kingdom
----------------------------------------

The worst-performing movie in the Bond movie in terms of grosses, it probably failed because it wasn't really a Bond at all. True, it is the character Fleming created, and Q is in there, but this extremely violent thriller with its strong female characterisation (Carey Lowell, perhaps the only Bond girl with `balls') is not a neat fit with the others.

The only one of the franchise created especially with star Timothy Dalton in mind (perhaps the sexiest Bond of them all?) it is a tale of loyalty, drug cartels, sharks, and 007 losing his licence and setting off as a vigilante. Lowell plays agent Pam Bouvier, who shines in a bar fight and gives 007 as good as he gets. And boy, do these two have chemistry together!

The only problem with this movie is that it gets so truncated on its TV showings that it loses a lot of its point (and in the worst edit I saw, its sense). There is perhaps too much going on - the abused Latino bimbo, the crooked evangelist, the Japanese businessmen touring the factory, the casino …

Not at all as bad as many commentators at the time and since have suggested. What a pity the series stagnated after this before its big budget Pierce Bronson revival. Dalton should have had the chance to show us more of the character he portrays in `Licence to Kill'. And what a great theme tune from Gladys Knight.

----------------------------------------
eamon-hennedy (eamon.hennedy@talk21.com) from Co Down, Northern Ireland
----------------------------------------

I really liked Timothy Dalton as Bond. I really thought the guy did a great job. The Living Daylights was an excellent Bond thriller, more in line with Dr No and From Russia With Love in tone and style, but with Licence To Kill you can tell that Broccoli decided to compete with the big boys with this action packed spectacular that aims high and scores. What we have here is Bond with spectacular action scenes and a more nastier steak with regards to the violence that is more in line with Hollywood action blockbusters than with quintessential British spies. This is why the film works. Licence To Kill is much more darker than any of the Bond films that has come before, and after the silliness of the Moore era, that was what this franchise needed. Why have world domination craving villains when you can just p*ss Bond off, big time. Having Felix Lieter maimed and his wife killed on their wedding day is inspired and immediately puts the film on a darker streak. The script here is very strong as we watch a darker more violent Bond infiltrate the bad guy's lifestyle and then proceed to work from there.

Don't make any mistakes this is not a Bond film that would be broadcast during a Bank Holiday afternoon. What we have here is a film that is graphically violent. Check out the head explosion scene or the nasty incidents involving sharks. Having Bond on the revenge path makes for a more interesting tale than just another villain trying to take over the world. The more personal element fits in with this more darker Bond. Dalton really rises to the occasion here and ensures that he will be remembered as a fine actor who played the part of James Bond. The ice cool look of anger as he dumps a bad guy into a shark tank with a case fool of money is fantastic as is his reaction to finding Lieter's dead wife. It may not be said, buy OHMSS is being referenced. Helping Dalton along the way is a great support cast. Robert Davi is superb as Franz Sanchez, without doubt the nastiest Bond villain there has ever been. We have two Bond girls too. Talisa Soto is beautifully sultry, but Carey Lowell just pips her to the post as Pam Bouvier who really gives Bond a run for his money. Another great casting point is an increased role for Q. Desmond Lewellyn appears here more than he ever has done before, helping out in the mission that makes one wonder the Bond writers never thought of it before, or why they never did it after.

Licence To Kill is classic Bond. Purists may give of with the more American touch to the narrative (you just know that any theatrical trailer is crying out for voice over man to go "this time it's personal"), but the more darker narrative suits the film and it shows that Dalton was a good Bond no matter what his critics say. With some of the most spectacular action sequences at the time, this is a genuine Bond classic.

Shaken and stirred most definitely.

----------------------------------------
Righty-Sock (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
----------------------------------------

In the most serious Bond movie since "From Russia with Love," writer Michael G. Wilson eliminated some of the very elements that have contributed to the longevity of the series—namely, the biting humor, fascinating locations, and a grandiose scheme perpetrated by a fantasy villain… "Licence to Kill" was almost a claustrophobic Bond considering its limited and uninteresting trips to Key West and Isthmus City…

Dalton—who is once again serious and on target—should have been lightened up a bit… Audiences who spend two or more hours with Bond need to laugh once in a while… Thankfully, Q, awarded the biggest role of his film career (following a tip-off from an anxious Moneypenny), was on hand to provide some crucial comic relief…

The story was a brave departure from anything previously ventured: shortly after acting as best man at the wedding of Felix Leiter, Bond discovers that Leiter's bride has been murdered and that his friend has been savaged by a shark… With grim determination, 007 launches a personal vendetta against Frank Sanchez, the sadistic drug baron responsible; his obsession sees him stripped of his license to kill by a furious M (Robert Brown).

Robert Davi proved to be an excellent choice for the role of murderous South American drug lord Franz Sanchez… Surrounded by a private army that keeps potential assassins at arm's length, Sanchez was not an easy target… His main associates include corrupt seaman Anthony Zerbe, a drunken pervert and a sadist Benecio Del Toro…

Carey Lowell showed to be the best Bond girl in years… She was delightful as Pam Bouvier, a resourceful, beautiful CIA pilot and undercover operative who helps Bond at every turn… Her excellent introduction in the Barrelhead Bar is nothing but pure dynamite…

----------------------------------------
bob the moo from United Kingdom
----------------------------------------

After a major drugs bust CIA agent Felix Leiter gets married with his friend James Bond as his best man. However in a revenge attack drug lord Franz Sanchez mutilates Leiter and kills his wife. James Bond wants revenge but is ordered to stay out of it. Ignoring the order Bond goes on a personal vendetta to bring down Sanchez's organisation.

This was Dalton's second and last Bond movie. It was also his best. The nature of Bond is a lot darker than during the Roger Moore years and this lends itself to a more violent film with revenge as the motivation. The story is actually OK and allows some humour, however some may not like the idea of Bond as a vigilante type. The action is pretty good although not as visually stunning as other blockbusters. The drama is good and the Bond girls are all good.

Dalton was a good Bond no matter what is said – all he did was take it back to the root rather than playing it camp like Moore, he gave a harder edge to the role that was missing. Davi is a good bad guy – he can do this in his sleep and he's good here even if his 'evil Cuban guy' dial is turned up to 11! The girls are both good in different ways – Lowell's more demure comedy role or Soto's vixen. The inclusion of faces like Everett McGill is good and the rising star of Benicio Del Toro is an interesting find in retrospect. Wayne Newton is also really funny in a funny cameo.

Overall this isn't the best of the Bonds but it is a nice change after years of Moore being camp. The darker edge may put some off but it does add more action to the proceedings that had been missing recently.

----------------------------------------
Spikeopath from United Kingdom
----------------------------------------

Licence to Kill is directed by John Glen and written by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson. It's an original story that uses characters and instances created by Ian Fleming. It stars Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Anthony Zerbe, Desmond Llewelyn, David Hedison, Benicio Del Toro, Frank McRae, Everett McGill and Wayne Newton. Music is scored by Michael Kamen and cinematography by Alec Mills.

Bond 16 and 007 goes rogue when drug baron Franz Sanchez leaves Felix Leiter mutilated and his wife dead. With licence revoked by MI6, Bond has to go it alone to enact revenge for the Leiters.

The controversial Bond for many reasons, Licence to Kill even today has been known to induce fearsome arguments in Bond fan circles. Not since On Her Majesty's Secret Service has a Bond film so polarised opinions. In one corner are the folks who determine it's not a Bond movie, in the other is those who say it's a stripped to the bone human Bond. You either love it or you hate it it seems. True to say that it is more an action thriller than a outright Bond film, no humongous sets, no megalomaniac villain (Davi's drug baron a very realistic menace) and of course there is Bond being pursued by those that have courted him previously as their number one agent. Yet there's a whole raft of scenarios that could only exist in a Bond universe, there's gadgets, too, for those that enjoy that side of Bond. Where else would you see a tanker driving on its side? Or exploding toothpaste and alarm clock, camera's that turn into weapons and a broom that is actually a transmitter? Not Bondian enough? Really?

Licence to Kill is a superior action thriller movie, the script is tight, the cast ace and the picture is crammed full of exceptional action set pieces. From the pre-credits sequence that sees Bond and Leiter enact a mid-air arrest, to the rather brilliant tanker carnage at the finale, the film rarely pauses for breath, and right there in the centre is a brilliant Dalton giving a rogue Bond plenty of layers. He's brainy and classy, fallible and driven, intense and tough, always sexy and always dangerous. Dalton's ability to convey raw emotion as each challenge comes his way is a real treat to watch. But most of all he is right there restoring Bond to being a serious action figure. What Bond fans didn't realise at the time was that it would be 17 years before Bond would be this raw again, then it would be heralded as a brave new start for Bond!

Another of the film's strengths is bringing back Hedison as Leiter, last seen playing the role in Live and Let Die, Hedison has great chemistry with Dalton and it's a joy to see Leiter play an active part in the action on screen. However, the makers do make a misstep by having Leiter be all too jovial at the end of the film, weird since he is minus a limb and his wife was raped and murdered by Sanchez's henchmen. Another big plus is Lowell's Pam Bouvier, a tough and brave Bond girl, sexy as heck, her pilot skills come in handy and she's no mug when it comes to brawling. Lowell does fine work in the role and keeps it away from being a token interest cliché. Davi keeps Sanchez as believable, a very driven drug baron who is cultured and funny, but always pulsing a vicious streak, while McRae has presence, McGill neatly keeps the cards close to his chest, Del Toro a nice line in nastiness and Soto is pretty as a picture and plays Lupe Lamora with skilled vulnerability. And of course there's Llewelyn as Q, who here gets a right old meaty role as he goes out in the field to become Bond's only aid from MI6. Again, not Bondian enough?

Licence to Kill saw the end of Dalton's tenure as Bond, legal issues between Danjaq and MGM/UA meant that no Bond movie would be made for another six years. By then Dalton had moved on to other work and was 51. It also marked the end of production duties for Cubby Broccoli, the final direction by John Glen (5 Bond films in total), Richard Maibaum's last script and the last performances by Robert Brown as M and Caroline Bliss as Moneypenney. One of the many misconceptions about the Dalton era is that Licence to Kill was a flop, it made $156 million worldwide, considerably down on The Living Daylights but more than A View to a Kill. A huge profit of over $100 million, this in spite of it being pitched against Batman and sequels to beloved American films by a studio head who had no idea how to market a film. The best actor to take on the role of Bond, Dalton's impact on the series cannot be overstated, he (rightly so) is very proud of his work in the two films and still talks very fondly of a role he respected beyond compare. 9/10

----------------------------------------
deltron-0 from United States
----------------------------------------

Sure, it's not the best 007 film, and Dalton is not the best Bond (that would be Brosnan or Connery, leaning toward Connery for the better films), but the idea that anyone would be appalled by the violence in this movie is, err, appalling. Did people forget that in DR. NO Connery plugs six bullets into Prof. Dent? Or breaks the neck of No's security guard on the island? Or that Quarrel is graphically roasted alive by the dragon? In FRWL, people are strangled and stabbed and beaten and shot throughout the entire movie! Had no one actually read Fleming's LIVE AND LET DIE novel? Bond is a Secret Agent with a Licence To Kill, hence the title of this movie! At the time, I was very impressed with this movie, and still find it enjoyable to watch though it hasn't aged well. The dialog is rough at times and so is some of the acting, though it had the best cast in a 007 film in dog's years! The costuming is a joke, the drug story shop-worn, and 007's 'resignation' scene, what should have been the first truly dramatic moment of the entire movie, is treated as though the movie starred Steven Segal! Also, in a series where music plays an integral part, this movie just didn't come through. Knight's title theme has a rousing under-rhythm, but overall it's just a modern 'Thunderball', and Kamen's non-score makes me feel like I'm watching a 'Lethal Weapon' movie. When it ends and the most memorable music in the film is the Mex-mariachi music from the trucks' speakers, you know the music director f'd up big time! How come that wasn't on the soundtrack? Heh-he.

Still there are plenty high points thanks to the EON team: David Hedison as the best Felix Lieter ever, Carey Lowell as the best Bond Girl since Melina Havelock, Q's extended presence, the camera-gun, the Hong Kong narcotics plot twist, and the credible action stunts (007 overtaking the drug money plane is breathless from the moment he harpoon's one of Sanchez' men, pun intended)! Seeing James Bond actually get hurt at the end of the movie was a real stunner though! In the end, it's not great Bondage, but it's an overlooked cut above much of it's competition.

----------------------------------------
Chris Pappas from Howell
----------------------------------------

Licence To Kill came out during the huge box office summer of '89 (which included Batman, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters II, etc). Unfortunately, lousy advertising and Timothy Dalton's lack of appeal to American audiences did not bring in the big bucks that could have been expected. While the film did not do great in the US compared to other Bond films, it still did well overseas. Because of the assumption that LTK was a flop, people consider it one of the weakest entries in the series. Needless to say, they're dead wrong.

(Possible Spoilers)

Sanchez is one of the most realistic, deadly villains Bond has ever met, and this is also 007's most personal mission yet. Felix Leiter, the trusted ally and Bond's best friend is fed to sharks and his newlywed bride has been murdered. After Bond decides to attend to Felix and find out what happens and doesn't leave for his mission, he resigns and his license to kill is revoked by M. Bond goes on a personal vendetta which involves more spying, more detective work and less gadgets and over the top villanious plans. Licence to Kill isn't everybody's cup of tea, and some think it's a Charles Bronson rip off, but personally I see it as more of an Ian Fleming Bond movie, which is ironic since this is the first movie title not to be taken from a Fleming novel. Q has a nice supporting role rather than the smaller role he usually has.

In a way, I always see Licence to Kill to be the end of an era for Bond films. It seemed with Goldeneye's release in 1995, Pierce Brosnan's Bond is not the same Bond as portrayed by his four predecessors. I don't know why, but with Felix Leiter out of action, Bond losing his license, the last appearance of so many members of the Bond crew and cast, it seems like Dalton's final portrayal was the end of one continuity, and Brosnan's is a new, revamped Bond. Nonetheless, this is one of the best Bond films of the entire series, both pre-Brosnan and the Brosnan era.

drug lord|vengeance|personal vendetta|drug cartel|cult film|drugs|agent|cia|cia agent|wedding|dea|mission|bride|pilot|airplane|james bond 007|brawl|secret agent|chase|factory|drug baron|mexico|baron|revenge|boat|torture|shark|controversy|brutality|henchman|evil man|machismo|explosion|disobeying orders|fistfight|hard boiled|mi5|pulled into a swimming pool|jumping into a pool with clothes on|shredder|pushed into water|underwater sequence|money falling through the air|exploding car|uzi|arms dealer|scar|fight|crushed to death|assassin|bodyguard|person on fire|pistol|cigarette smoking|money laundering|shootout|rocket launcher|silencer|sniper rifle|shotgun|organized crime|gangster|crime boss|swat team|defying orders|exploding building|jealous woman|romantic triangle|wetsuit|damsel in distress|former spy|battered woman|suspense|pan am|cartel|stinger missile|woman with gun|woman shot|dead woman on bed|off screen murder|dead woman|exploding truck|casino owner|head butt|flirting|weapon|weapons dealer|terrorism|pursuit|loot|kingpin|investigation|foil|espionage|drug|drug trade|deal|barnstorming|gambling house|gambling casino|casino card game|female spy|female agent|dea agent|u boat|righteous rage|bond girl|drug enforcement|miami florida|bearer bonds|poetic justice|lighter|televangelist|friendship|exploding head|helicopter|running out of gas|sadist|truck|fish tank|sadism|explosive decompression|father son relationship|betrayal|spy|casino|bar fight|murder|money|x rayed skeleton|psychopath|blackjack game|bar brawl|monastery|honor|spit in the face|undercover|signature gun|car off a bridge|traitor|tyrant|bar|martial arts|iguana|father figure|psychotic|limousine|maiming|undercover agent|submarine|coast guard|rogue agent|water skiing|eaten alive|gasoline truck|spear gun|shark pool|caribbean|drug dealing|crop duster|seaplane|rape|sniper|secret hideaway|hitman|underwater escape|florida keys|barefoot water skiing|swordfish|violence|mutilation|machete|tragedy|death of friend|gangsta grip|warrior|one man army|tough guy|returning character with different actor|action hero|1980s|dead woman with eyes open|sixteenth part|cult figure|gore|official james bond series|cult film reference|blockbuster|sequel|title spoken by character|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:13 / Australia:M / Brazil:12 / Canada:PA (Manitoba) / Canada:A (Nova Scotia) / Canada:AA (Ontario) / Canada:13+ (Quebec) / Finland:K-16 / Germany:16 (re-release) (uncut) / Iceland:12 / Ireland:15 / Malaysia:PG-13 / Netherlands:12 / Norway:15 / Peru:14 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG / South Korea:15 (DVD rating) (2000) / South Korea:12 (theatrical rating) (1989) / Sweden:15 / UK:15 / USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) / USA:R (original rating) / West Germany:16 (video rating) (cut)