Review of Licence to Kill (1989) by Kieran F — 28 Jul 2012

I always wondered why this one was rated as one of the worst bonds. Its very good and In My Opinion was almost the pro to type for Daniel Craigs Bond. I know people probably won't admit that but him and Dalton almost play bond in the same way when you watch them.

I could never figure out why this one got so much flaq and etc for the violence and the story granted it was violent but really it was just a prelude to Craig's bond. If you ever sit and watch this film and Casino Royale and even Quantum you'll see the similarities to the actors portrayal. and yet Craig got more praise. WHY???? I honestly thought Dalton was better and wish he could've done just one more.

The story was a REALLY original Story too. Bonds friend and partner Felix Lighter is to be married(where bond was his best man) when he is called away to get the drop on a drug lord named Franz Sanchez . Bond and Felix are able to get the drop on him and are successful in capturing him. BUT that day he is also freed by a bribed agent working for Felix. Upon his break out he Finds Felix and Kills him and his Wife(After SUPPOSEDLY rapping her)Upon seeing this bond sets out on a personal vendetta to avenge his friend after MI6 said he was not aloud.

While on his vendetta Bond Systematically kills off all of Sanchez's Men and his high ups(Most of who are killed by Sanchez himself because of how Bond is able to cast doubt on them,Loyalty is a big thing to Sanchez,) and eventually finds his way to Sanchezs.

Eventually Bond has his cover blown and is discovered and tried to be killed by Dario,Sanchez lead man,(Benicio Del Toro in one of his first film roles ever)By now bond has discovered his plan of taking Cocaine and transferring it into Gas and then refining it in other states. Bond is able to stop Sanchez trucks from being sent out and in the last battle between him and Sanchez Bond kills him(Getting his revenge for Felix) by lighting him on fire from the Gasoline that his Cocaine was in.

I always thought this was one of Daltons best. It really showed how..ruthless he could be as bond and also showed that bond was also a..effective killer and killed with out remorse it seemed too.

As Usually Dalton does a great job at his performance,He again plays bond like a brooding angered character, and this time he's more driven. Granted in the Living daylights he was driven but in this one he's almost driven to the point of madness to complete his mission(Good example is the scene where he breaks out the glass of the truck and goes after Sanchez.The look on His face is of a man possessed or something)it really made the film feel a LOT more brooding or something.

Dalton wasn't the only one that was great I thought that Sanchez's actor,Robert Davi(who interestingly enough doubled for bond in screen tests), Was great I always liked how everything he did "Was just Business" and did it with a really..cool/straight face. Now like I said I thought he was great but..I don't think that Sanchez would've worked in any other "Bond world" except Dalton's,Unlike the last film who's villain felt more at home in a Moore style film then a Dalton, Sanchez was almost built for only Dalton. He's evil,ruthless and etc. and I think if he was put in another previous bond actor's world he REALLY would've failed. He would've been TO dark for both Moore AND Connery's portrayal of bond,they MAYBE could've gotten away with it in Connery's but..not really he still would've been to dark, In all honesty the only world I can think of where he MAY fit is..well..Craigs world. As I said though I thought that his character was well thought out and was really evil too.(I recently read to that he wanted to be more like a Mirror image of LeCheffe so that would explain why he would fit more in a Craig film).

Another nice thing in the film was bonds leading lady,Carey Lowell,Now she is the COMPLETE Opposite of Kara from Living Daylights. While Kara was loving and a girl that was..almost "The Girl Next Door" Pam is like..an updated version of Pussy Galore,slightly, and Domino mixed together..at least In my opinion. she even has a little of Fiona Volpe in her,not as much as Domino but a little, because of the toughness in her. I will admit she doesn't really look hot. but she is entertaining to watch cause of her toughness.

Now another thing in the film I really liked was the addition of "Q" as more of a character. It's no doubt in any bond fans eyes that the visits to "Q"s lab where almost ALWAYS the highlight of bonds,for either humor or plot evolution, But this time it was nice to see Q in more of a field operative/fatherly role then before and also I always thought that him and Dalton had decent Chemistry together.,maybe not as good as Brosnan but..not bad,.

There was also another leading lady who is worth mentioning, which is interesting cause in the last one they had tried to modernize it by getting away from the "Love Triangle" Idea by only having one. In this one..it's not REALLY a love triangle(Yes bond falls for both women but not really) is Lupe Lamora portrayed by Talisa Soto as the abused girlfriend of Sanchez. But the interesting thing about her is how she falls for bond but..bond doesn't really fall for her. I thought it was fun to watch how Bond..kind of.."Teased" her into thinking he loves her then at the end leaving her for Pam. it was almost touching and sad at the same way to see bond leaver her,Touching cause it showed that he truly did care for Pam but sad cause he teased Lupe into making her fall for him.

The other characters aren't to bad either. Milton Chest is an interesting villain cause he seems so..afraid of Sanchez but when he's not around him is tough around everyone else. I always liked how Sanchez never truly trusted him and then in the end,thanks to Bond, Kills him in a humorous way LOL Albit cruel too..like Sanchez's character. And it's interestingly to note that Dario,Sanchez's right hand man who was acted by Benicio Del Toro,wasn't to bad considering that this film was one of his first major films. In my personal opinion I would easily rank him as one of the best bond henchmen,up there with Red Grant & Necros, because he really was a BAMF when he did his stuff. I always liked the scene where he try's to kill bond and spits in his face it's almost like a big F**K You to him. Again though Like Necros he kind of died in a disappointing way, I won't ruin it but it's almost as if they didn't want the henchmen to die in..memorable ways anymore,Unlike characters like Red Grant,Oddjob,Erich Kriegler etc. who all died in ways that are memorable: Red Grant Garotted by his own string, Oddjob Shocked to death by his own hat and Kriegler thrown out a window by bond. Daltons henchmen just seem to..well..die. no real big way. Like Necros and Bond have a SMALL fight but not really it's no where NEAR as fun to watch as Red Grant VS Bond and Darrio's fight is almost non existent and dull with Dalton,Kind of like how in Goldfinger he didn't really FIGHT Oddjob but at least he died in a fun way(Electrocution, Darrio just dies from a..flux if anything and it's like..really? no big fight no..suspense really. Like..Yeah it's a LITTLE suspenseful seeing bond hanging from the end of the track that drops the cocaine into a grinder..but..it still doesn't have the same feeling as the other bond fights and REALLY he's saved more so by Pam then by his own wits. Kind of disappointing in my mind. Fortunitly they made up for this by making Sanchez's death bad ass.

All in All I really enjoyed this film and also really enjoyed Daltons portrayal of bond and still to this day somewhat regret his resignation.(I actually shed a bit of a tear at the end of this film a lot too cause of it).