James Bond - Licence to Kill (Ultimate Edition 2 Disc Set) [DVD] [1989]

Released in 1989, Licence to Kill, remains the darkest and most violent of any of the James Bond films. It is also the most underrated. John Glen, directing this his fifth and final James Bond, opted to make a more realistic thriller, clearly influenced by the success of the then recent Die Hard movie. As with Die Hard, Licence to Kill would show the hero being injured and bleeding after confrontations with the villains.
The film was also to feature further scenes of violence including a man's head exploding after he is thrown into a decompression chamber, Bond setting a man alight and Bond's friend, Felix Leiter, being shown fed to As a result of this approach, the film was given a 15 rather than the usual PG certificate, and therefore generated some of the lowest box offices receipt of any Bond film. In particular Licence to Kill did not do well in America, although this was also a result of a poor marketing campaign there, as well as the film competing against the huge success of the Batman movie.
A further link to Die Hard, is that film is scored by Michael Kamen, who also undertook music duties for the Bruce Willis thriller, and here replaces long term composer John Barry. Kamen's score is excellent. There is a nice dramatic twist on the Bond theme at the start, underlying the seriousness of this movie. It is a shame that Kamen did not return for the next movie Goldeneye, which featured a somewhat mediocre score.
As well as being John Glen's final film, this also marks the last appearance of Robert Brown as M and although no one knew it at the time, this would be Timothy Dalton's second and last outing as Bond. After the films release, a lengthy legal dispute woudl prevent another Bond from being made for five years. By the time the dispute was resolved, Dalton's contract had expired and he elected to leave the series, bringing to an end a short-lived but nonetheless significant contribution to the series.
The film basically starts with Bond attending the wedding of his best friend Felix Leiter. Felix now working for the Drug Enforcement Agenct, is determined almost to the point of obsession, of arresting a South American Drug Lord called Sanchez. On the way to his wedding, Felix gets word that Sanchez is in Florida, he sets to apprehend him, with Bond joining him, although "strictly as an observer". After being captured, Sanchez escapes custody after bribing another DEA officer. He takes revenge on Leiter, maiming him and killing his new bride. Bond decides to avenge hi friends, by resigning from M16, and as a rogue agent, he goes after Leiter.
Dalton is more assured here than in his debut. In contrast to Connery, Moore and later Brosnan, Dalton is not particularly comfortable in delivering one liner jokes and therefore these are restricted in the film. Instead the film plays to Dalton's strengths. Dalton is very good at displaying anger, particularly when a colleague is killed. In The Living Daylights, cold anger is displayed when fellow agent Saunders is killed, and here when Bond realises his friend Sharky has been murdered, he snaps to the central villains girlfriend that she "better find a new lover".
In his book, For My Eyes Only, John Glen states that he considers Licence to Kill to be the best film that he has directed. It is easy to see why he said this. The film does not waver during 120 minutes, with some superb sequences, in particular a tanker chase at the climax. The villains are also particularly good. Robert Davi, as Sanchez, actually undertook research for his role, and future Oscar winner Benicio Del Torro, is particularly menacing as Sanchez's henchman.
The only slight criticism of the film, is that bar a very brief scene in London, it is set entirely in The Florida Keys and South America. Normally Bond films are set in more varying locations around the world.

Why do so many people dislike this film? Sure, it has a few flaws-the over-the-top truck chase and the lack of a John Barry score, to name a few. The trouble is Dalton's Bond followed immediately afer Moore's. Although Moore's films were enjoyable, they were completely different to Flemings original vision. All his gadgets and gags would have been better suited to Thunderbirds and the 'Carry on' films. in many ways Moore's Bond bastardized the character.

Once again Dalton plays bond as a moody, mean and cold character and again I think he is great. The supporting cast is also good with both Robert Davi and Benecio Del Toro playing very real and very sadistic characters, (not your usual meglomaniacs).

The plot itself is a tale of revenge, heavily inspired by Yojimbo and a Fistful of Dollars. It sees Bond going after a drugs baron(Davi as Sanchez), after Sanchez brutally mames his friend Felix Leiter. What ensues is a dark and gritty adventure-Bond swears for the first time-which is only let down by its silly climax (a truck doing a wheeley).

Give this film a chance, with an open mind. On a seperate note, the casting of Daniel Craig is inspired, as, I believe he will continue the legacy set by Dalton, in bringing a real and believable Bond to the screen.

A truly rousing piece of cinema and a milestone in the James Bond saga to which the fantastic Timothy Dalton bows out in explosive fashion as 007 in this gritty story about revenge away from HMSS.

Robert Davi and Benicio Del Toro star as the main villains of the film, drug baron Franz Sanchez and his thug bodyguard Dario who are ready to flood the streets with Class-A drugs and take down anyone who stands in there way, including CIA Agent Felix Leighter.

It's this grizzly event that takes James Bond from new highs to dangerous lows as he turns renegade to track down the ones responsible with the help of spunky Bond girl Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell).

The best of the two Dalton pictures, and a real dose of grown up action for the Bond series which never lets down and boats some of the most exciting and jaw dropping stuntwork and action sequences in a 007 film. Miss at your peril.