IMDb > Licence to Kill (1989)
Licence to Kill
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Licence to Kill (1989) More at IMDbPro »

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Licence to Kill -- Trailer 2 for Licence To Kill
Licence to Kill -- Clip: You Were Supposed To Be In Istanbul
Licence to Kill -- Trailer for Licence To Kill

Overview

User Rating:
6.5/10   49,753 votes »
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Director:
Writers (WGA):
Michael G. Wilson (written by) and
Richard Maibaum (written by) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Licence to Kill on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
14 July 1989 (USA) See more »
Tagline:
Out for revenge. Glimpse behind the cool facade of 007. And see how sweet revenge can really be. [USA poster] See more »
Plot:
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. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
1 nomination See more »
NewsDesk:
(138 articles)
User Reviews:
One of the best Bond films, definitely the most underrated! See more (278 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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

Don Stroud ... Heller
Caroline Bliss ... Miss Moneypenny

Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ... Kwang

Grand L. Bush ... Hawkins
Alejandro Bracho ... Perez
Guy De Saint Cyr ... Braun

Rafer Johnson ... Mullens

Diane Hsu ... Loti (as Diana Lee-Hsu)
Christopher Neame ... Fallon

Jeannine Bisignano ... Stripper
Claudio Brook ... Montelongo
Cynthia Fallon ... Consuelo
Enrique Novi ... Rasmussen
Osami Kawawo ... Oriental
George Belanger ... Doctor
Roger Cudney ... Wavekrest Captain
Honorato Magaloni ... Chief Chemist
Jorge Russek ... Pit Boss
Sergio Corona ... Bellboy

Stuart Quan ... Ninja (as Stuart Kwan)
José Abdala ... Tanker Driver (as Jose Abdala)
Teresa Blake ... Ticket Agent
Samuel Benjamin Lancaster ... Della's Uncle
Juan Peláez ... Casino Manager (as Juan Peleaz)
Mark Kelty ... Coast Guard Radio Operator
Humberto Elizondo ... Hotel Assistant Manager (as Umberto Elizondo)
Fidel Garriga ... Sanchez's Driver (as Fidel Carriga)
Edna Bolkan ... Barrelhead Waitress
Eddie Edenfield ... Clive
Jeff Moldovan ... Warehouse Guard

Carl Ciarfalio ... Warehouse Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Martinez ... Customs officer
Gerardo Albarrán ... Alvarez (uncredited)
Tom Bahr ... Marshall #1 (uncredited)

Chick Bernhardt ... Marshall Driver (uncredited)

Andrew Castillo ... Seaplane Pilot (uncredited)
James D'Orta ... Doctor (uncredited)
Alex Edlin ... Marshall #2 (uncredited)
Lars Lundgren ... Probe Operator (uncredited)

Branscombe Richmond ... Barrelhead Bar Patron (uncredited)
John Sabol ... Naval Officer (uncredited)
Jorge Valdés García ... Casino Guest (uncredited)

Michael G. Wilson ... DEA Agent (voice) (uncredited)
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Directed by
John Glen 
 
Writing credits
(WGA)
Michael G. Wilson (written by) and
Richard Maibaum (written by)

Ian Fleming (characters)

Produced by
Albert R. Broccoli .... producer
Barbara Broccoli .... associate producer
Tom Pevsner .... associate producer
Michael G. Wilson .... producer
 
Original Music by
Michael Kamen 
 
Cinematography by
Alec Mills (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
John Grover 
 
Casting by
Janet Hirshenson 
Jane Jenkins 
 
Production Design by
Peter Lamont 
 
Art Direction by
Dennis Bosher 
Michael Lamont 
 
Set Decoration by
Michael Ford 
 
Costume Design by
Jodie Lynn Tillen  (as Jodie Tillen)
 
Makeup Department
Tricia Cameron .... hair styles supervisor
Naomi Donne .... makeup supervisor
George Frost .... makeup supervisor
Dinah Holt .... hair stylist: second unit (as Di Holt)
Dinah Holt .... makeup artist: second unit (as Di Holt)
Norma Webb .... makeup artist
 
Production Management
Efren Flores .... production manager
Philip Kohler .... production manager
Ned Kopp .... production supervisor: Florida
Héctor López .... production supervisor: Mexico (as Hector Lopez)
Crispin Reece .... production manager: Mexico
Iris Rose .... unit manager
Anthony Waye .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marcia Gay .... second assistant director: second unit
Miguel Gil .... assistant director
Miguel Lima .... assistant director
Terry Madden .... first assistant director: second unit
Callum McDougall .... second assistant director
Batan Silva .... first assistant director: second unit (as Sebastian Silva)
Arthur Wooster .... second unit director
 
Art Department
Andrew Ackland-Snow .... assistant art director
Gilly Noyes Court .... scenic artist (as Gilly Noyes-Court)
Ken Court .... art director: Florida
Roger W. Deer .... sketch artist (as Roger Deer)
Tony Graysmark .... construction manager
Bernie Hearn .... stand-by propman (as Bernard Hearn)
Bert Hearn .... property master
Richard Helfritz .... set decorator: Florida
Richard Holland .... assistant art director
Neil Lamont .... assistant art director
Daniel Miller .... sculptor
Rodney Pincott .... stand-by propman: second unit
Ron Quelch .... production buyer
Héctor Romero .... assistant art director (as Hector Romero)
Bob Walker .... graphics (as Robert Walker)
Frederic C. Weiler .... set decorator: Florida (as Fredrick Weiler)
Alejandro Ayala .... art assistant (uncredited)
William A. Cimino .... set dresser (uncredited)
Stephen P. Durante .... leadman (uncredited)
Teri Anne Kopp .... art department assistant: US (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Mark Auguste .... sound editor
Graham V. Hartstone .... sound re-recording mixer (as Graham Hartstone)
John Hayward .... sound re-recording mixer
Jean-Pierre Lelong .... additional sound effects
Vernon Messenger .... sound editor
Peter Musgrave .... sound editor
Edward Tise .... sound recordist
Martin Trevis .... boom operator
Ross Adams .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
Sandy Buchanan .... post-production sound assistant (uncredited)
Nicolas Le Messurier .... sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)
Mark Mostyn .... assistant sound editor (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
Clive Beard .... special effects technician
Lawrence J. Cavanaugh .... special effects coordinator: Florida (as Larry Cavanaugh)
Chris Corbould .... special effects supervisor: second unit
Neil Corbould .... special effects: first unit
Laurencio Cordero .... special effects supervisor: Mexico
Daniel Dark .... special effects: underwater team
Nick Finlayson .... special effects technician
Sergio Jara .... special effects supervisor: Mexico
Peter Pickering .... special effects technician
Paul Whybrow .... special effects technician: second unit
Andy Williams .... special effects technician: second unit
Jeffrey S. Farley .... shark puppet crew (uncredited)
Steve Hamilton .... senior special effects technician (uncredited)
Sergio Jara Jr. .... special effects assistant (uncredited)
Thomas Kittle .... special effects (uncredited)
Hal Miles .... animatronic supervisor (uncredited)
Nigel Nixon .... special effects model maker (uncredited)
Marcus Richardson .... special effects assistant (uncredited)
James L. Roberts .... special effects (uncredited)
R. Bruce Steinheimer .... special effects technician (uncredited)
Greg R. Stone .... special effects technician (uncredited)
 
Visual Effects by
John Richardson .... special visual effects
Craig Chandler .... optical camera (uncredited)
Alan Church .... optical camera operator (uncredited)
Julian Parry .... model unit (uncredited)
 
Stunts
Gerardo Albarrán .... stunt supervisor (as Gerardo Moreno)
Alex Arnold .... stunt diver
Mark Bahr .... stunts
Gilbert Bataille .... stunt driving team
Marc Boyle .... stunt supervisor
Jake Brake .... stunt double
Didier Brule .... stunt driving team
Julian Bucio .... stunts
Jorge Cardenas .... stunt diver
Juan Dario Corona .... stunt diver
Jo Cote .... stunt driving team
Simon Crane .... stunt double: Timothy Dalton
Manuel Cárdenas .... stunt diver (as Manuel Cardenas)
Steve Dent .... stunts
Alex Edlin .... stunts
J.W. 'Corkey' Fornof .... aerial stunt supervisor (as 'Corkey' Fornof)
Jean-Claude Houbart .... stunt driving team
Dominique Julienne .... stunt driving team
Rémy Julienne .... driving stunts arranger (as Remy Julienne)
Javier Lambert .... stunts
Jake Lombard .... aerial stunt double: Timothy Dalton
Emilio Magaña .... stunt diver
Artie Malesci .... stunt supervisor (as Art Malesci)
Mauricio Martínez .... stunts
David Reinhardt .... barefoot ski double: Timothy Dalton
Paul Weston .... stunt coordinator
B.J. Worth .... parachute stunt coordinator
Tom Bahr .... utility stunts (uncredited)
Chick Bernhardt .... stunt driver (uncredited)
Marc Boyle .... stunts (uncredited)
Mickey Giacomazzi .... stunts (uncredited)
Terry Jackson .... stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin .... stunt driver (uncredited)
Jake Lombard .... stunt rigger (uncredited)
Jake Lombard .... stunts (uncredited)
Lars Lundgren .... stunts (uncredited)
Valentino Musetti .... stunts (uncredited)
Rafael Valdez .... stunts (uncredited)
Nick Wilkinson .... utility stunts (uncredited)
Curtis Williams .... stunt diver (uncredited)
B.J. Worth .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
Kenneth Atherfold .... camera grip: second unit (as Ken Atherfold)
Ramón Bravo .... underwater photographer (as Ramon Bravo)
Donald Bryant .... second camera operator: Mexico
Frank Elliott .... camera focus
John Elton .... second camera operator: Florida
Mike Evans .... camera focus: second unit (as Michael Evans)
Pepe Flores .... underwater assistant camera
Mike Frift .... camera operator (as Michael Frift)
Keith Hamshere .... still photographer
W.C. 'Chunky' Huse .... camera grip (as Chunky Huse)
Edward Knott III .... key grip: Florida (as Eddie Knott III)
Malcolm MacIntosh .... camera operator: second unit
Phil Pastuhov .... camera operator: aerial team
Tim Ross .... second camera operator: Mexico
John Tythe .... electrical supervisor
George Whitear .... still photographer: second unit
Arthur Wooster .... photographer: second unit
Norman Zuckerman .... electrical supervisor: Florida
Lou Angeli .... camera operator: video (uncredited)
Andrew Cooper .... photographer: underwater unit (uncredited)
Jack Gittings .... underwater lighting: second unit (uncredited)
Erik Hollander .... additional still photographer (uncredited)
Simon Mills .... clapper loader (uncredited)
Gary Ryan .... best boy rigging gaffer (uncredited)
 
Casting Department
Claudia Becker .... casting: Mexico
Emilia Arau .... assistant to casting director (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Robert Chase .... costume supervisor: Florida
Hugo Peña .... costume supervisor (as Hugo Pena)
Barbara Scott .... costume supervisor
Enrique Villavicencio .... wardrobe master: Mexicali
 
Editorial Department
Ross Adams .... assistant editor
Richard Fettes .... assistant editor
Matthew Glen .... assembly editor
Rob Green .... assistant editor
Mark Mostyn .... assistant editor
John Nuth .... assistant editor
Carlos Puente .... editor: Mexico
Wayne Smith .... assistant editor
 
Music Department
Andrew Glen .... music editor
Michael Kamen .... conductor
Dick Lewzey .... music mixer
Stephen McLaughlin .... music programmer
Monty Norman .... composer: James Bond theme
Joel Sill .... music consultant
Vic Flick .... musician: guitar (uncredited)
 
Transportation Department
Arthur Dunne .... transportation manager
Joyce M. Lark .... transportation coordinator: Florida (as Joyce Lark)
Mauro Venegas .... transportation captain: Mexico
Manuel Paredes Murillo .... driver (uncredited)
Alfonso Paredes .... driver (uncredited)
 
Other crew
Laura Aguilar .... location manager: Mexico
R. Allen .... helicopter pilot: US Coast Guard (as L.cdr. R. Allen)
Gerardo Barrera .... production assistant
Harris Bierman .... armorer
Maurice Binder .... title designer
Ramón Bravo .... director: underwater scenes (as Ramon Bravo)
Albert R. Broccoli .... presenter
Tony Broccoli .... location manager: underwater team
Linda Brown .... contact: Los Angeles
Kenny Calman .... helicopter pilot (as Ken Calman)
Saul Cooper .... director of publicity
Loolee DeLeon .... production coordinator (as Loolee Deleon)
Jacques Descent .... location accountant: Florida (as Jack Descent)
Tony Didio Jr. .... armorer (as Tony Didio)
Sue Field .... continuity: second unit
Ileana Franco U. .... production secretary
Sheila Goldfinger .... jeweler
Monica Greene .... production assistant
Sparky Greene .... special consultant to producers
Rosa María Gómez .... accountant (as Rosa Maria Gomez)
R. Colette Hailey .... location manager: Florida (as Colette Hailey)
Georgina Heath .... production coordinator: Mexicali
Lorentz Hills .... marine coordinator: Florida
Neil Hughes .... helicopter pilot: US Coast Guard (as Lt. Neil Hughes)
Charles Juroe .... marketing director
Nicole Kolin .... location manager: underwater team
Patricia Serafina Madiedo .... production coordinator: Florida (as Patricia Madiedo)
John McElwain .... technical advisor: US Coast Guard (as Comdr. John McElwain)
Randy Meade .... helicopter pilot: US Coast Guard (as L.cdr. Randy Meade)
Jane Meagher .... accountant
Andrew Noakes .... assistant accountant
Douglas Noakes .... production accountant
Jillian Palenthorpe .... special consultant to producers
Marcia Perskie .... production assistant
June Randall .... continuity
Carlos Renero .... animal supplier
Amanda Schofield .... contact: London
Rita Sheese .... underwater coordinator
Tom Bahr .... marine coordinator (uncredited)
Hector De Rubi .... stand-in: Timothy Dalton (uncredited)
Ann Dunsford .... publicity coordinator (uncredited)
J.W. 'Corkey' Fornof .... pilot: Piper PA-18 Super Cub (uncredited)
Pauline Hume .... graphic artist: titles (uncredited)
Mark Juckett .... pilot: Cessna 185 (uncredited)
Harry Kopoian .... airport liaison: Mexico (uncredited)
Andreas Leon .... utility stand-in (uncredited)
Maria Alaina Mason .... production assistant: Key West (uncredited)
John Patteson .... armorer: second unit (uncredited)
Laura Ruiz .... stand-in: Talisa Soto (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


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Additional Details

Also Known As:
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for action violence and drug content (edited for re-rating)
Runtime:
133 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Iceland:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Singapore:PG | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Germany:16 (re-release) (uncut) | West Germany:16 (video rating) (cut) | Ireland:15 | USA:R (original rating) | USA:PG-13 (edited for re-rating) | South Korea:15 | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12
Company:

Did You Know?

Trivia:
Making their final appearances with the James Bond series: Richard Maibaum (writer), John Glen (director), Maurice Binder (title design), Robert Brown as M and Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny. Not to mention Timothy Dalton as James Bond.See more »
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Bond first tries out the lighter given to him, a tube connected to the lighter is visible running down his sleeve.See more »
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.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Premiere Bond: Opening Nights (2006) (V)See more »
Soundtrack:
If You Asked Me ToSee more »

FAQ

How does Bond know to look behind the picture of Della to find the computer disk?
Who sings the title song?
Why does Milton Krest's head explode when Sanchez takes an axe to the decompression chamber?
See more »
56 out of 77 people found the following review useful.
One of the best Bond films, definitely the most underrated!, 9 October 2006
Author: cupidandpsyche85 from United Kingdom

A terrific thriller and a great Bond film, Licence to Kill was Timothy Dalton's second and final performance in the role of 007, and it's his finest hour as the world's most famous secret agent. With a brutality and edge unlike any other Bond film before or since, the darkness of this film turned off many fans; indeed, this is about as far from the likes of Octopussy and Moonraker than is imaginable. A heavy American influence is present; the likes of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard were upstaging the old-fashioned thrills of 007, so director John Glen and writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum decided to match their rivals and deliver a grittier, bloodier and more intense storyline. The results are a success, and the film stands out as one of the most exciting, interesting and gripping Bond films of all time.

A memorable pre-credits sequence involves the capture of vicious drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi); he has left the security of his corrupt home to act out revenge on the lover of his mistress, so the DEA exploit this risk to carry out an audacious arrest. James Bond is along for the ride, as is his old friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison), who was just about to get married before word of Sanchez's whereabouts reached him. Unfortunately, it's not long before one of Sanchez's 'famous million dollar bribes' is doubled and he is helped to escape. Sanchez's first action is to exact horrific revenge on those who captured him; when Bond discovers Leiter's wife murdered and Leiter himself the victim of a shark attack, he swears revenge himself against Sanchez, even if it means acting alone, with his licence to kill revoked and the British government after him. As Sanchez never saw him at the time of his capture, Bond has the freedom to work undercover and into his enemy's world and business, encountering many friends and foes along the way; there's the egregious Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe) whose underwater transport firm is a cover for Sanchez's drug deals, the sadistic Dario (Benicio del Toro) who used to be part of the Contras before he was kicked out, Sanchez's lover Lupe (Talisa Soto), and CIA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), who is the only one of Leiter's contacts in the Sanchez investigation who is still alive, and who works with Bond to successfully provide cover for him when he arrives in the fictional Isthmus City in the hope of climbing Sanchez's criminal ladder.

Usually, when reviewing Bond films, I can't be bothered with delving into the plot as there's barely one to speak of most of the time; it's the usual tale of globe-trotting and world domination. Licence to Kill actually has a tense and involving storyline that keeps the excitement and momentum moving at a cracking pace. Another major factor to the film's success are the performances, especially by Dalton and Davi as two men on opposing sides of the law. Dalton remodels Bond as a determined, often ruthless free agent who, I'm told, is a lot closer to Ian Fleming's original 007 in the novels; here, Bond is tougher, more vicious and clearly quite a dangerous person. Dalton delivers a great performance which combines a dark edge, humour (despite what most people say, Dalton is not humourless: 'Switch the bloody machine off!!!' is one of the most shamefully amusing lines in any Bond film!) and plenty of physicality that's a lot more convincing than any attempts from previous Bond actors. Davi on the other hand, makes for a chilling villain, one of the best in the series. This is no crazy megalomaniac with hollowed out volcanoes or grand airships for lairs; he's a powerful, scary criminal who nevertheless favours loyalty over money, something that gives him an interesting edge over many previous Bond villains. As the film progresses, Bond and Sanchez even become allies, though in Bond's case it's merely to get closer to his nemesis in order exact his revenge. Of course, Sanchez is still a Bond villain at heart; he has two chances to kill Bond on the spot, yet his sadism and desire to indulge in a protracted killing prove to be his downfall. When will these bad guys learn? Supporting performances are almost all excellent, with Lowell (as well as looking stunningly beautiful) proving to be one of Bond's best sidekicks, more than adept at taking on foes by herself, especially in the bar-room brawl sequence. Soto is unfortunately pretty wooden in the other main female role; she certainly looks the part, but her delivery of the dialogue is often stilted. A young Del Toro makes for a deeply unpleasant lackey, while Zerbe is agreeably slimy as Krest. Las Vegas performer Wayne Newton is pretty funny as the televangelist-type whose phoney 'phone donation shows are actually a sneaky cover for Sanchez and his business partners to communicate with each other effectively, while Desmond Llewellyn enjoys his biggest and best screen time as Q, who once again provides Bond with a couple of gadgets that prove to be conveniently very useful indeed.

The action surpasses even that of The Living Daylights, with spectacular aerial sequences, underwater fights and excellent chase sequences providing thrills in abundance. The one-man attack on Krest's boat in particular is a highlight, while the fiery finale is one of the best endings to any Bond film, as oil tankers, missiles, planes and the most lethal cigarette lighter on Earth all combine to deliver a truly exciting final confrontation. This is also by far the most violent and bloody of all the Bond films, though the violence suits the edgier, more brutal tone of the story; in fact, this is one of the only films in the series where there's a real sense of menace and danger to the proceedings, making Licence to Kill the most suspenseful and gripping of the series, and certainly one of the best.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
how could they walk into a hotel room full of bad guys. bradhig
Talisa Soto vs. Carey Lowell brentnevers
'We feed maggot to our special breed of genetically engineered fish' shehateme01
Was Felix high on painkillers... scarlet_symon
Surprised no one noticed... phultra
This film disturbs me. bradhig
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