Customer Reviews

Dalton goes out with a bang - By: Lorraine J. Fleming, 26 Dec 2008
Although i'm not a great T. Dalton fan I actually prefer this movie to his other film Living Daylights. Much more adult than the other films that have gone beforein the bond series, it offers a much grittier story than was seen before. Robert Davi was good as was Ms Lowell as the bond babe. Robert Llewelyn shinesin a much extended role for Q. In the end not a very memorable entry a very pleasing one &in the last twenty years only Goleneye & Casino Royale have been any better.

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He was married once... - By: Matthew Mercy, 30 Aug 2008
Expanding on his nearly humourless interpretation of Bondin the previous film, Dalton here takes the character one step further, presenting us with a borderline psychopath obsessed with violent revenge against the scumbags who targeted his friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison, encoring from Live And Let Die & by this point far too old for the role) & his new bride. Robert Davi (Die Hard), Anthony Zerbe (Papillon), Everett McGill (Twin Peaks) & a very young Benicio Del Toro play the bad guys, & there isn't a duff performance amongst them, whilst Carey Lowell is very good value as Dalton's love interest. Not a typical Bond film, & cerainly not one for the younger fans, it is nevertheless the best pure action moviein the series.

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Thunderball meets Live and Let Die - By: Nicholas Casley, 23 Apr 2008
This is the sixteenthin the series & the second & last outing of Timothy Dalton as Bond. (Everyone apparently wanted & expected him to do the next one too, but delays & timetable clashes meant that Pierce Brosnan would step into the frame for "Goldeneye".) This was also the fifth & final Bond movie to be directed by John Glen, & for once he has left us with a Bond movie that suffers from no undercranking.

Dalton was a good Bond, bringing a seriousness to the role that had almost verged into self-parody under Roger Moore. It's pointed outin the accompanying commentaries & other extras that Dalton here becomes a mere citizenin this film, that we see a different Bond than normal: an angry Bond, a darker Bond, more human & self-doubting. He wears open collars & his first erotic kiss does not take place until 54 minutes into the film. The dreadful one-liners are this time spoken by the bad-guy. Dalton explains his rolein this film as that of "a murderer, a killer: cold, cruel, ruthless killer. He just happens to be working for the side that's called `good'."

Filmed & setin Florida & Central America, it seemed clear to me that Colonel Noriega's control of the state of Panama was the inspiration for the tale of drug-trafficking & money laundering. This time Bond steps out of his professional role & embarks on a personal vendetta. I took the proposition with a pinch of salt that the original title was "Licence Revoked" & that it was changed to "Licence to Kill" on the studio's suggestion because many Americans would not understand it. Butin an interview amongst the extras the story is confirmed by John Glen.

Because of the heavy use of underwater shots, together with the setting around the Caribbean Sea & the subject of drugs, I view this film as a cross between "Thunderball" & "Live & Let Die": indeed, it features the same actor (David Hedison) playing the same role (CIA operative Felix Leiter)in both "Live & Let Die" & "Licence to Kill".

There are two commentaries, one by the front of camera team & director, the other by the production team. Much of the commentary is obscenely full of back-slapping. There is a short documentary on location-scouting, as well as the usual `on-set with the director' kind of featurettes. "Bond 89" has interviews with the key players (including Cubby Broccoli).

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Impressive! - By: SeanLock, 26 Mar 2008
Whilst not the greatest Bond film of the series it is a worthy addition. Dalton is excellent as the super spy &in this film manages to up the grit level he had setin the Living Daylights. This is a revenge film pure & simple & unlike any Bond films previous to this it is much more violent & contains swearing if you can believe it.

The storyline is ropeyin places but i have to say that this is an extremely enjoyable way to spend an evening, plus the main female lead is hot as! Allin all it is just a shame that Dalton didn't do more because he was one of the better bits of casting.

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Dalton grows into the character - By: NoWireHangers, 24 Feb 2008
"The Living Daylights" was a disappointment. Butin "Licence to Kill", Timothy Dalton grew into the character & made it his own rather than trying to mimick Roger Moore. It's a darker James Bond than before, this time motivated by revenge. The story is less extravagant than some of the earlier movies - the villain is no super terrorist or megalomaniac but a South American drug lord - but the action is great. Robert Davi is a good villian & a young Benicio del Toro plays one of his henchmen. It is a pity Dalton quit after this movie. It would have been interesting to see more of him as Bond.