86 replies to this topic

[DamnCoffee]

I dont know about the rest of you, but I love Licence to Kill. Its a fantastic James Bond movie and tailors Timothy Daltons needs perfectly.

I love Pam Bouvier - The only time I actually like the Bond girl being a true equal to Bond. (Untll Quantum of Solace that is )

I love Sanchez - He is a really different villian, I really do not think he would of killed Bond if he wasn't on to him. He took Bond under his wing.

The return of David Hedison is interesting, I love how they brought an established actor in the part back, It felt more personal as we all loved him in Live and Let Die.

The love the whole concept of the story, Bond going rogue and out for revenge etc...

I love the fact that Q has more screentime, he deserved it.

I also love how elements of the Live and Let Die novel was used.

The music of Kamens Gunbarrel is brilliant aswell! Very Dramatic... suites the tone of the movie perfectly.

what about you guys?

[Harry Fawkes]

Yep. I love Licence To Kill. One of the best Bond films for me. I stand up to be counted! Timothy Dalton did a marvelous job as Bond. The only thing I didn't like to much was the music that's all. Having said that Kamen did have his moments especially the gun barrel theme which I consider the best of the whole series. Oh, another thing, nobody walks, turns and shoots better than Timothy Dalton. And that's a fact.

[sharpshooter]

My favourite Dalton Bond film, and one of my favourites of the entire series.

[DamnCoffee]

My favourite Dalton Bond film, and one of my favourites of the entire series.

Well said!

[Agent 76]

Ohh man... Licence to Kill, an almost perfect Bond movie, to my taste at least.

Being Dalton my favourite Bond, this is a movie that I like very much, because it has the great/strong elements that Timothy gave to his interpretation. I would have changed some things in it, such as the ending, his hairstyle and one or two actors. Besides that is almost perfect movie, with such beautifull moments, I love this scenes for example:

Della Leiter: [kissing Bond] That's a custom, you see. The bride always gets to kiss her best man.
James Bond: I thought it was the other way around.
Della Leiter: Aww...
[kisses him again]
Della Leiter: Oh, James, would you mind? Felix is still in the study and we've got to cut this cake.
James Bond: I'll do anything for a woman with a knife.

M: You were supposed to be in Istanbul LAST NIGHT! I'm afraid this unfortunate Leiter business has
[beat]
M: clouded your judgment! *You have a job to do*! I expect you on a plane this afternoon!
James Bond: I haven't finished here, sir.
M: Leave it to the Americans! It's their mess. Let them clear it up.
James Bond: SIR! They're not going to DO ANYTHING!
James Bond: [calms down] I owe it to Leiter. He's put his life on the line for me many times.
M: Oh SPARE ME this sentimental RUBBISH! He knew the risks.
James Bond: And his WIFE?
M: This private vendetta of yours could easily compromise Her Majesty's government. You have an assignment, and I expect you to carry it out *objectively* and *professionally*!
James Bond: Then you have my resignation, sir!
M: [incensed] We're not a country club, 007!
[pause]
M: Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your weapon. Now. I need hardly remind you that you're still bound by the Official Secrets Act.
James Bond: I guess it's, uh... a farewell to arms.

It's a shame he didn't do a third and a fourth movie.

[DamnCoffee]

LMAO I've always wondered about that scene...

James Bond: Then you have my resignation, sir!

M: [incensed] We're not a country club, 007!

[pause]

M: Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your weapon. Now. I need hardly remind you that you're still bound by the Official Secrets Act.

Why change his mind in a split second and revoke his licence to kill?

[Jim]

LMAO I've always wondered about that scene...

James Bond: Then you have my resignation, sir!

M: [incensed] We're not a country club, 007!

[pause]

M: Effective immediately, your licence to kill is revoked, and I require you to hand over your weapon. Now. I need hardly remind you that you're still bound by the Official Secrets Act.

Why change his mind in a split second and revoke his licence to kill?

Because it's an appalling script.

[DamnCoffee]

Jim, Fans of the 16th James Bond film come here... your obviously not a fan of it... stay the hell out the thread!

Nahh, I'm only kidding, don't you have anything good to say about the film, since you're here?

[Agent 76]

This quote is fantastic

"To James. Love Always, Della and Felix."

[DamnCoffee]

This quote is fantastic

"To James. Love Always, Della and Felix."

Yeah, then they rebooted the franchise and erased the history between both of them!

I'm gonna watch Licence to Kill this afternoon.

[Dell Deaton]

This quote is fantastic

"To James. Love Always, Della and Felix."

Count me in! And, Agent 76, I've always admired the Rolex in your signature.

As to the quote, I've always smiled at the way Mr. Dalton said, "Deller."

W/out taking anything away from any other James Bond actor (many of whom I can admire for bringing to the character great and valuable interpretations), I continue to think that Mr. Dalton's portrayal was the closest to what Ian Fleming wrote. And, as said above, this film has the added plus of original Fleming content, a'la Live and Let Die: Down to the first reference of a Rolex.

[Agent 76]

I'm gonna watch Licence to Kill this afternoon.

And I'm going to watch it tonight, after another dose of 24 - season 1 episodes.

[Double-0-Seven]

Licence To Kill is a great Bond movie. It has always been one of my favorites. Sanchez is easily one of the greatest and most realistic villains in the entire series. The film works perfectly for Dalton's Bond, due to the violence and the dark tone. It would have been interesting to see where Dalton would have taken the character next.

[Jim]

Jim, Fans of the 16th James Bond film come here... your obviously not a fan of it... stay the hell out the thread!

Nahh, I'm only kidding, don't you have anything good to say about the film, since you're here?

Fairy nuff.

I like the waterskiing + 'plane stunt.

And I like that others like it as that's nice and makes people happy.

[zencat]

It's a film I like now in hindsight. Very hard to love in 1989.

[Harmsway]

It's a mediocre film that has its moments. John Glen's bland direction doesn't help the film, nor does its low budget. I like things about it, but it's not a film I've ever come to love.

[Loomis]

I'm surprised, Harmsway. I'd assumed you were a big LTK fan, for some reason.

Me, I love the film. Gritty, serious, paved the way for the Craig era, etc. Before CASINO ROYALE, I considered it to be the only really surprising and risk-taking Bond outing.

[Harmsway]

I'm surprised, Harmsway. I'd assumed you were a big LTK fan, for some reason.

Really? I'm surprised myself. I've never been overly praiseworthy in regards to LICENCE TO KILL (often more negative than positive about the film, to be honest).

Me, I love the film. Gritty, serious, paved the way for the Craig era, etc. Before CASINO ROYALE, I considered it to be the only really surprising and risk-taking Bond outing.

It is gritty, serious, surprising, risk-taking, and did pave the way for the Craig era.

But I can't get past the lackluster execution throughout. Lazy writing, lazy direction (John Glen's worst, in fact), lazy performances, lazy production design... the list goes on and on. If you're going to take risks, the execution has to be on par. It's why CASINO ROYALE succeeds and LICENCE TO KILL doesn't.

Now, I don't hate the film. There are moments I genuinely love, especially the water-ski to plane sequence, which is completed by Dalton's look of sheer joy when the realization that he has oodles of cash in the back of his plane sinks in. But it's also the same film that contains the awful bar scene and the winking fish, etc. and so on.

[Loomis]

Well, I grant you that CASINO ROYALE is an incomparably better film than LICENCE TO KILL, but that doesn't make the latter awful.

"Lazy writing, lazy direction, lazy performances, lazy production design... the list goes on and on." I half-agree, but then again all of those things are also true of many other 007 outings that I (and presumably you) consider to be enjoyable timekillers.

I think LTK has many strengths: Dalton is terrific and Davi even better (he makes Sanchez one of the most interesting villains in the history of the series). I like the locations, the action, the score and the harder edge, and must also confess to a particular liking for Talisa Soto. As for Glen, his "lazy" work here sure trumps his direction of his three Moore flicks - he was a director who got better as he went on.

For me, LTK was the best Bond film of the eighties.

[Harmsway]

"Lazy writing, lazy direction, lazy performances, lazy production design... the list goes on and on." I half-agree, but then again all of those things are also true of many other 007 outings that I (and presumably you) consider to be enjoyable timekillers.

Well, to be honest, I've grown considerably pickier over the last few years in terms of which Bond films I do and don't like, and with entertainment on the whole (I'd probably leave a good half of the franchise by the curb). But it's also true that since LICENCE TO KILL wants to take risks, those things show a bit more and are therefore more bothersome.

I think LTK has many strengths: Dalton is terrific and Davi even better (he makes Sanchez one of the most interesting villains in the history of the series).

I'll agree there. They make the movie worth watching.

I like the locations, the action, the score and the harder edge, and must also confess to a particular liking for Talisa Soto.

I don't like any of the above. The locations are among the blandest in franchise history (only to be out-done by the Brosnan era), the score is wholly uninteresting and rather dated, and Talisa Soto couldn't act her way out of a paper bag (attractive, though).

As for Glen, his "lazy" work here sure trumps his direction of his three Moore flicks - he was a director who got better as he went on.

Not sure I agree. I haven't watched A VIEW TO A KILL in a while, so I can't comment there, but I think his work on FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (a film I detest, mind you) and OCTOPUSSY is stronger.

For me, LTK was the best Bond film of the eighties.

For me, it's THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, a film that I find far more entertaining, enjoyable, and successful than LICENCE TO KILL in almost every area. And right behind that would be OCTOPUSSY.

[Royal Dalton]

The script could have done with at least one more draft. The film needed a higher budget. It probably would have been better if it had been set somewhere else (Corsica, or wherever). It should have been shot at Pinewood, instead of a warehouse in Mexico. Dalton needed to lose the sideburns and get a better haircut. Hiring Miami Vice's costume designer wasn't a particularly good idea. Etc, etc.

But, despite its numerous flaws, at least it was trying to shake the formula up a bit, and I'd still rather watch this one than any of the Bond films that have come along since.

And, for my money, it contains the best plot-integrated action sequence of the entire series.

[DamnCoffee]

But, despite its numerous flaws, at least it was trying to shake the formula up a bit, and I'd still rather watch this one than any of the Bond films that have come along since.

Even Casino Royale?

[Royal Dalton]

But, despite its numerous flaws, at least it was trying to shake the formula up a bit, and I'd still rather watch this one than any of the Bond films that have come along since.

Even Casino Royale?

Yes.

[DavidSomerset]

But, despite its numerous flaws, at least it was trying to shake the formula up a bit, and I'd still rather watch this one than any of the Bond films that have come along since.

Even Casino Royale?

Yes.

You must be either John Glen, Robert Davi or Timothy Dalton.

[Safari Suit]

But, despite its numerous flaws, at least it was trying to shake the formula up a bit, and I'd still rather watch this one than any of the Bond films that have come along since.

Even Casino Royale?

Yes.

You must be either John Glen, Robert Davi or Timothy Dalton.

Then I must be one of them as well. Amazing really, that at least two of those three would be posting on this forum but there you go.

It's a film I like now in hindsight. Very hard to love in 1989.

What was it you found particularly dislikable at the time?

[byline]

Hiring Miami Vice's costume designer wasn't a particularly good idea. Etc, etc.

If only they'd aimed so high. "Miami Vice" had a far better wardrobe and sense of style, IMO. I do see that the costume designer for both was Jodie Tillen; wish she'd done as good a job here.

The one thing I did like was the zip-off portion of Pam's sequined outfit, turning it from a full-length evening gown into a cocktail dress.

Edited by byline, 06 July 2008 - 05:01 PM.

[Turn]

It's a film I like now in hindsight. Very hard to love in 1989.

I actually did love it in 1989. I liked it so much because of Dalton and the different approach at the time. Davi's villain seemed more of a personal challenge for Bond than there had been in years and before the Brosnan era made it a regular feature of each movie.

I've read through some of the old 007 Magazine letter pages from the time and it seemed a lot of others liked it at the time as well.

[Mister E]

For once, I'll be nice when talking about LICENCE TO KILL. I think Timmy Dalton did a good job overall despite the flaws of the script, it's also more watchable then Brosnan Bonds. Also Robert Davi did really take the role of Sanchez and made it his own.

Edited by Mister E, 06 July 2008 - 11:07 PM.

[DaveBond21]

Yeah I love LTK.

Here are the things I love about it:-

Sanchez - excellent and very realistic villain. Possibly one of the nastiest bad guys in Bond history.

The plot - love the way that Bond brings down Sanchez's organisation from the inside, gaining his trust, Shakespeare-style, and then destroying him bit by bit. Love the way he sets up Milton Krest especially.

The girls - both Pam and Lupe look great and do a good job.

The action - love the scene from underwater, to water-skiing while hanging onto the seaplane, to throwing the pilot out and then the money around! I'm also a big fan of the tanker chase.

Q - Q has his biggest role of any Bond movie (beating even Octopussy), taking leave to help 007 out. Love the scene of Q testing the firmness of the beds "I hope you don't snore, Q" and also the shot of him throwing away one of his own gadgets!! - something he is always admonishing 007 for doing!!

Great score by Michael Kamen and good direction by John Glen.

[Gabriel]

One of the more loathesome elements of the GoldenEye promotional campaign was a whispering campaign that said that Timothy Dalton was a rubbish Bond and Licence to Kill was an utter failure. After six years, a lot of people had forgotten Licence to Kill and were happy enough to accept this as the gospel truth when the overhyped, overrated failure of a Bond film that was GoldenEye began the misfire that was Brosnan's era.

If you read a lot of reviews from the time of release, people were overwhelmingly positive about the series' move away from Roger Moore era self-parody. John Glen's direction was complimented, Dalton was described as not yet being comfortable as Bond, although a third film should see him truly embrace the role (same went for Roger!) More than anything, LTK did a service to the Bond films by moving them away from gormless sci-fi and comedy and into the tougher action film territory in which we find Bond now. In an era of ultra-violent action thrillers, Bond could more than hold his own.

LTK is very much a film of its time, but, given Casino Royale adopting a similar tone, a Bond film very much ahead of its time. LTK's financial woes were due to it being released in summer with a stupidly huge number of sequels. It also had to contend with strikes (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier also suffered with half of its budget being slashed forcing heavy rewrites) and the first financially OTT studio marketing campaign for a rival movie. Batman would have so much money thrown at pre-publicity that it didn't matter whether the film sucked - it would still be a success, based on merchandising alone. Batman would also be the first film released on sell-thru VHS, meaning it was available within six months of cinema release.

The other criticism bandied around is that Felix hadn't been in the Bonds beyond a cameo appearance in TLD since LaLD. In fairness, most of us viewed Bond films out of order back then, based on which film was airing on TV, so I wouldn't have knownn Felix had been out of the series for over a decade. Different actors playing Felix was also nothing new. As a youngster, I didn't really know the correct order to view the films. LTK was timed perfectly for me: I was 14 when I saw it in the cinema. Roger Moore's Bond was the Bond of my childhood. Timothy Dalton's Bond was the Bond to fit my move into adulthood.

Licence to Kill: a great one-off for the Bond films. A Bond film that dares to remove Bond from his comfort zone and show how dangerous an angry Bond can be. The film showed such promise for Bond's future. A regrettable end for Dalton's Bond, as it would be followed by four films of utter creative cowardice, before they would acknowledge that Dalton's Bond was going in the right direction and cast Daniel Craig to play a very similar version of Bond!