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IMDbPro

Licence to Kill

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 13m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
104K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,648
252
Carey Lowell, Talisa Soto, and Timothy Dalton in Licence to Kill (1989)
Trailer 2 for Licence To Kill
Play trailer1:54
2 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Action
  • Adventure
  • Thriller
A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
104K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,648
252
  • Director
    • John Glen
  • Writers
    • Michael G. Wilson
    • Richard Maibaum
    • Ian Fleming(characters)
  • Stars
    • Timothy Dalton
    • Robert Davi
    • Carey Lowell
Top credits
  • Director
    • John Glen
  • Writers
    • Michael G. Wilson
    • Richard Maibaum
    • Ian Fleming(characters)
  • Stars
    • Timothy Dalton
    • Robert Davi
    • Carey Lowell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 425User reviews
    • 104Critic reviews
    • 58Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Videos2

    Licence to Kill
    Trailer 1:54
    Licence to Kill
    Licence to Kill
    Trailer 1:19
    Licence to Kill

    Photos143

    Carey Lowell in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Carey Lowell in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Carey Lowell and Timothy Dalton in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Timothy Dalton and Desmond Llewelyn in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi, and Guy De Saint Cyr in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Talisa Soto and Robert Davi in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Robert Davi in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Carey Lowell, Talisa Soto, Timothy Dalton, Diane Hsu, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Talisa Soto in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Carey Lowell and Timothy Dalton in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Timothy Dalton and Robert Davi in Licence to Kill (1989)
    Wayne Newton in Licence to Kill (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Timothy Dalton
    Timothy Dalton
    • James Bondas James Bond
    Robert Davi
    Robert Davi
    • Franz Sanchezas Franz Sanchez
    Carey Lowell
    Carey Lowell
    • Pam Bouvieras Pam Bouvier
    Talisa Soto
    Talisa Soto
    • Lupe Lamoraas Lupe Lamora
    Anthony Zerbe
    Anthony Zerbe
    • Milton Krestas Milton Krest
    Frank McRae
    Frank McRae
    • Sharkeyas Sharkey
    Everett McGill
    Everett McGill
    • Killiferas Killifer
    Wayne Newton
    Wayne Newton
    • Professor Joe Butcheras Professor Joe Butcher
    Benicio Del Toro
    Benicio Del Toro
    • Darioas Dario
    Anthony Starke
    Anthony Starke
    • Truman-Lodgeas Truman-Lodge
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
    • President Hector Lopezas President Hector Lopez
    • (as Pedro Armendariz)
    Desmond Llewelyn
    Desmond Llewelyn
    • Qas Q
    David Hedison
    David Hedison
    • Felix Leiteras Felix Leiter
    Priscilla Barnes
    Priscilla Barnes
    • Della Churchillas Della Churchill
    Robert Brown
    Robert Brown
    • Mas M
    Caroline Bliss
    Caroline Bliss
    • Miss Moneypennyas Miss Moneypenny
    Don Stroud
    Don Stroud
    • Helleras Heller
    Grand L. Bush
    Grand L. Bush
    • Hawkinsas Hawkins
    • Director
      • John Glen
    • Writers
      • Michael G. Wilson
      • Richard Maibaum
      • Ian Fleming(characters)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Timothy Dalton stated in an interview about why his Bond was a much darker, grittier incarnation. It was because he wanted to go back to the Ian Fleming novels, and capture the essence and the spirit of the character Ian Fleming created.
    • Goofs
      When the air hose on a truck's braking system is severed, the brakes lock on, they do not release as shown.
    • Quotes

      [Sanchez is about to kill James]

      Franz Sanchez: You could have had everything.

      James Bond: Don't you want to know why?

      [Shows Sanchez Felix's lighter, then sets Sanchez on fire]

    • Crazy credits
      The Surgeon General's warning appears at the end credits, due to the characters' use of tobacco products.
    • Alternate versions
      On pan and scan VHS prints issued since 1990, the opening title credits have been slightly altered to fit the screen. Some credits that took one line in the widescreen version were altered to fit two lines in the pan and scan version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Folgers Coffee 'Licence to Kill' Television Commercial (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Licence to Kill
      Music by Narada Michael Walden

      Lyrics by Walter Afanasieff

      Performed by Gladys Knight

    User reviews425

    Review
    Top review
    Hard-edged Bond film. Not a great commercial success, but it has interesting points.
    Timothy Dalton only played Bond twice, but he tried to base his interpretation of the character on the descriptions provided by Ian Fleming in the original novels. Therefore, his Bond is quite ruthless and embittered, and always ready to stick two fingers up at the establishment if he feels they've got it wrong.

    Bond is vacationing in Florida, acting as best-man at his friend Felix Leiter's wedding, when the unthinkable happens. Leiter and his wife are assaulted by some Central American thugs; the wife is murdered and Leiter is crippled by sharks. Bond is obviously deeply unhappy about this, but his bosses instruct him to let the matter drop and get on with another assignment. 007 knows who is responsible for the injuries to his friend, so he revokes his licence to kill and becomes a rogue agent, tracking down the villainous drug lord Sanchez (Robert Davi) to his Latin America headquarters. Here, aided by Sanchez's unfaithful mistress Lupe (Talisa Soto) and CIA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), Bond attempts to wipe out their enormous clandestine drug operation single-handedly.

    There's definitely an uneasy, hard edge to the film which makes it unique among the Bond series. Whether or not this improves the film depends on your personal taste: if you like safe, humorous Roger Moore escapades, you'll probably find this too jarring, whereas if you prefer espionage stories with a bit of grit and sweat, this may be just what you're after. The action sequences are still outrageous in the tried-and-trusted Bond style, with memorable episodes featuring a daring helicopter .vs. airplane pursuit; a barefoot water-skiing sequence; and a truck chase down the side of a mountain. Some of the language, though not out-and-out "foul", is a bit stronger and more believable than in other Bond entries. The theme tune from Gladys Knight and the Pips is one of the better 007-tracks.

    Licence to Kill is a new twist on the Bond theme. It isn't the best, and some of its new ideas don't fit with the usual routine (which may or may not be a good thing), but it is certainly interesting.
    helpful•119
    25
    • barnabyrudge
    • Oct 10, 2003

    FAQ12

    • What is 'Licence to Kill' about?
    • Is 'Licence to Kill' based on an Ian Fleming book?
    • Who sings the title song?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 14, 1989 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • James Bond 007 - Lizenz zum Töten
    • Filming locations
      • Otomi Ceremonial Center, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico
    • Production companies
      • Danjaq
      • Eon Productions
      • United Artists
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $32,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $34,667,015
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $8,774,776
      • Jul 16, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $156,167,015
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 13 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby SR
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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