Licence to Kill (1989)

A vengeful British spy goes rogue and sets off to unleash vengeance on a drug lord who tortured his best friend, a CIA agent, and left him for dead and murdered his bride after he helped capture him.

Director:

John Glen

Writers:

Michael G. Wilson, Richard Maibaum,

Stars:

Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Timothy Dalton	...	James Bond
Carey Lowell	...	Pam Bouvier
Robert Davi	...	Franz Sanchez
Talisa Soto	...	Lupe Lamora
Anthony Zerbe	...	Milton Krest
Frank McRae	...	Sharkey
David Hedison	...	Felix Leiter
Wayne Newton	...	Professor Joe Butcher
Benicio Del Toro	...	Dario
Anthony Starke	...	Truman-Lodge
Everett McGill	...	Ed Killifer
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	President Hector Lopez (as Pedro Armendariz)
Robert Brown	...	M
Priscilla Barnes	...	Della Churchill Leiter

Storyline

James Bond is on possibly his most brutal mission yet. Bond's good friend, Felix Leiter, is left near to 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. Bond is now more dangerous than ever. Bond gains the aide of one of Leiter 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?

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | agent | drug lord | cia | cia agent | 

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Taglines:

His bad side is a dangerous place to be.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action violence and drug content

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

14 July 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Permis de tuer

Filming Locations:

707 South Street, Key West, Florida Keys, Florida, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$32,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$34,667,015 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Danjaq, Eon Productions, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Italy, title was "Vendetta Privata" (Personal Revenge or Private Revenge), not following the translation, because the first Bond film (Dr. No) was titled "Licenza di Uccidere", the translation of this film's title. Sweden had the same problem: Dr. No had been "Agent 007 med rätt att döda" (Agent 007 with a license to kill), so "Tid för hämnd" (Time for revenge) was used for this movie. Other countries used Personal Revenge (France); The Cancelled Licence (Japan); and With A Right To Kill (Norway). Brazil, Finland, Portugal and Spain simply translated the actual title.

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Goofs

When the helicopter is flying over the church with the airplane in tow, it is relatively low but moments later, when Bond jumps off, it is thousands of feet higher.

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Quotes

[first lines]
AWACS radar operator: We have a mid-course deviation. Target heading 036, 126 miles, bearing 062, Havana VOR.
Voice of DEA agent: He's landing at Cray Key. Advise Key West Drug Enforcement.
AWACS radar operator: Roger, sir. AWACS to Key West. Key West Drug Enforcement, please come in.
Voice of DEA agent: If they hurry, they just might be able to grab the bastard.

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Crazy Credits

The Surgeon General's warning appears at the end credits, due to the characters' use of tobacco products.

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Connections

Followed by Bond 25

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Soundtracks

"If You Asked Me To"
Performed by Patti LaBelle
Produced by Stewart Levine
Arranged by Aaron Zigman
Written by Diane Warren

User Reviews

CLASSIC BOND!

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.