Review of Licence to Kill (1989) by Julian J — 05 Apr 2009

Much like "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "Licence To Kill" has proved to be a dark, gritty entry into the Bond franchise, and has polarized opinions in Bond fandom. Timothy Dalton makes his second and final appearance as Agent 007 in this tale of revenge and decadence. Bond fans have established that you either love or hate this movie. Like "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", "License To Kill" is a dark horse.

DEA agent (and longtime friend and ally to James Bond) Felix Leiter has been maimed by Colombian drug kingpin Franz Sanchez. Resigning his license to kill, 007 becomes a rogue agent. Being hunted down by his fellow 00 agents, Bond finds himself in Isthmus City with CIA agent Pam Bouvier and millions of dirty money stolen from an American drug smuggler named Martin Krest. Bond gets closer to and earns the trust of Sanchez, while at the same time toying with the affections of Lupe, Sanchez's mistress, as Bond calculates how he will avenge his comrade Felix Leiter.

This is easily my favorite Bond movie. While some dismiss it as "James Bond meets Miami Vice", they're missing one of the darkest Bond films in the franchise. Timothy Dalton once again portrays a serious, sadistic Bond. Being a native Floridian, I was pleased to see the beautiful city of Key West as a locale for the film (Bond gets his license revoked at the Hemingway mansion). Robert Davi plays a wonderful Bond villain, not wanting to take over the world and of no real threat to Her Majesty's government, but having a beef with Bond. The two Bond girls (Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto) prove both beautiful and competent. Lowell's Pam Bouvier is tough and stands her ground against Bond's charm, although she has feelings for him. The action scenes are great, and include chases on semi-trucks, barefoot waterskiing, bar brawls, mid-air combat, and a finale so vengeful and explosive it will leave you in awe. While there is plenty of dark elements in this movie, there is still plenty of Bond camp. Wayne Newton plays a cult leader that provides a front for Sanchez's cocaine distribution. One notable Bond henchman is Benicio Del Toro in his film debut as Sanchez's right hand man Dario.

Unconventional? Yes. Dark and gritty? Yes. Campy? Not as much as previous films, but in some instances, yes. Fun and action-packed? You bet your ass it is! This is the best Bond film ever!