January 1989: Columbo is revived. Anthony Zerbe is the murder victim in the first episode, his character is decapitated. Summer 1989: Zerbe's character in Licence to Kill had his head explode. 1990s: In a Star Trek movie, Zerbe's character has his face stretched out horribly. Poor guy keeps having things happen to his head.

Timothy Dalton is the perfect Bond in a great Bond film. The problem arises when we try to compare it to the other Bond's and Bond Films. You have to look at it as a stand alone Bond and it works great. As with each Bon... Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan are totally different Bond characters, yet, each work great in their portrayal of Bond. No such thing as a bad Bond film!

I think Licence to Kill is one of the best James Bond movie ever. I think the plot works great for an 80s Bond movie and I think the character of Bond has been fleshed out in both the Living Daylights and Licence To Kill

An aspect of this movie I find interesting is how Bond manipulates Sanchez into turning on his own henchmen

"Other than that, how did you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?"

I loved Licence to Kill. Gritty dark bond which was ahead of its time and has aged well. I do have to disagree. This is certainly one of the best bond movies of them all. It was reviewed well. great rating online.

Don’t compare License to kill to Quantum of solace

30:33 I like how the gun-barrel sequence has completely different music to what we're used to. It sounds like a thriller or murder mystery, which sets the right tone for the movie.

Don't care what anyone says, I loved this film, Dalton was brutal and a gritty Bond at his best, the girls were lovely and quite good. It was entertaining that Bond went rogue to get revenge. Will definitely be watching this again!

Timothy Dalton was seriously underrated. More gritty and serious which I preferred over Moore’s comedy moments.

if anyone likes Daniel Craigs films then you can't ever say you don't love this film, because its his films done with a better 007, better soundtrack and better acting with more realistic stories for the times,

The best Bond film. Hands down. All your problems with the bondgirl and story are in EVERY SINGLE BOND FILM.

I think the Q scenes were done to show that even though has revoked Licence to Kill from Bond, the board members like Moneypenny and Q still cares about his well being and him going rogue, it was Moneypenny who tasked Q to help Bond. I think those scenes work great because it really shows Q and Bond in a working relationship where even though they could be annoying to each other, they still care for each other as well

This is one of the best Bond films. Love Timothy Dalton's Bond squaring off against Robert Davi's Sanchez. A movie not without it's flaws but an exceptional one nevertheless. A solid 10 in my book.

Can someone explain to me how so many people prefer The Living Daylights to Licence To Kill? I really like both films, but to me this one is clearly the better of the two.

When Brosnan became Bond I was very happy because I didn't like Dalton. Now (25 years later) I like Dalton better than Brosnan, at least in terms of screenplay

Dalton’s Quantum. I get what they were trying to do, but the execution in both cases is lacking.

Dalton's performance is great in this. The stunts are cool and Pam is hot!!! The villain is realistic but sadistic and in the tradition of Fleming. It borrows from the Live and Let Die novel for parts of the plot which is good stuff too. The only weirdness for me is Q disguised as a Mexican and the Evangelical stuff. Dalton throwing squid in that guys face is obviously awesome.

I think that LK is a very underappreciated Bond film. The final showdown between Bond and Sanchez is one of the most poetic deaths of the main villain in the series. It is in my top 3 favorite Bond films but will always come in third place behind Goldfinger and OHMSS.

Bond sets davi on fire I would say ruthless and Dalton a better 007 than pierce broslan.

Love this bond, I prefer bond to be ruthless and cold blooded.

Too many 80s movie cliches in one. Roadhouse, cocaine, even ninjas!

I lean toward Joseph in regards to LTK but Scott really makes some compelling arguments. This is why I love being a James Bond fan. Even when I disagree, I've feel as if I learned something.

It's in my top 3.

I'm with Joe on this one. I know Licence to Kill is unique amongst 007 films, but it's not unique amongst 1980s action movies. I think it's an okay movie, but it's so derivative of other action movies of the decade.

I have to agree with Scott. I'm old enough to have seen LTK in its Cinema run. I absolutely liked the same things. Having it come out around the same time as Miami Vice was kind of the same situation of LALD - Blaxploitation and TMWTGG - Martial Arts/Enter the Dragon/Bruce Lee craze. I knew I was in for a different experience the moment Bond walked on the screen during the gun barrel sequence. Very dark use of the theme and it foreshadowed what was to follow. I really place this up there with OHMSS, a different experimental Bond. I loathed the Roger Moore era. I can see the weak points, inappropriate use of Q, and Talisa Soto's weird character arc. Still up there with my top five 007 films.

Dalton is my absolute favourite as Bond. He truly was ahead of his time and I wish he could have had a chance to make the third one that would have made his Bond more popular, I'm sure. Glad we have these two at least. I think that Dalton in LTK is just...fantastic! He IS Bond. The movie itself has some problems. It's not so good than TLDL. Still, enjoyable to watch!

18:57 "The jump from The Living Daylights to Licence To Kill reminds me of the jump from Casino Royale to Quantum Of Solace." Maybe that's because both films were made during a 14:50 a writers' strike.

A comment Joe made rang true: it’s a TV movie: a couple of flourishes here and there, but not for me. A real let down on the previous movie. Not a Bond movie at all

Here's how I see it, The Living Daylights is an overall better movie, but License To Kill is the more entertaining movie.

This film was ahead of its time. The violence & plot really endeared it to the Daniel Craig era. It also had the highest age rating because of that. Dalton wanted to get a bond that was as close to the books as anyone.

I agree with Joe, here. I want to like it but the writers tried to have it both ways here and made a mess of it.

2nd best James Bond

The best Bond movies for me are: 1965, 1967, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987!!!!!!!!!!, 1989, 1995. *** And of course Licence To Kill is a fantastic revenge story!!! So sad that we didn't see that kind of violent vendetta for Tracy in Diamonds Are Forever..........

i love this movie. one of the best bond baddies. you are soooooo wrong.

I agree with you Joe, you're not alone in your opinion.

James Bond now had to compete with Martin Riggs and John McClane.

Biggest issue with this movie.. It came out 15 years too early. If it came out later, the reception would of been very different

I'm with the guys who feel that T. Dalt had a solid one-two combo as Bond. For all the comparisons made between his and Craig's, the latter really became an emo shadow of himself over his series. THIS was Bond going off the reservation, no M(ommy) issues, with personal stakes but not against a villain absurdly linked to his personal history. I've been to all the Bond cinemas since GoldenEye but, this time, I'm seriously considering sitting out #25.

Timothy Dalton said that a third bond film was in fact started, but because Cubby got sick and there were other issues with United Artists that production was halted. Also, I read recently that Timothy Dalton was offered Goldeneye, but the producers wanted him to do three films, however, Dalton was only willing to do Goldeneye . This is interesting because I had never heard this until recently … wish Dalton could confirm

But of course, 14:17 Pam was mad at Bond! There was “my executive secretary” sequence earlier that day and then in the casino Bond ordered her around not in the most subtle way to get him a vodka martini only with one purpose to get Pam away so, that he can leave the room immediately with another woman, before Pam returns. Professionally she might understand that situation, but hate that it all the same, for it did look quite humiliating for her. And then, as if that was not enough, Bond took her weapon to meet his “uncle” alone and started again ordering her around. This time to wait in the hall. So she did want to punish him and did it by leaving him to sleep in the same room with Q. Judging by Bond’s reaction she was not that wrong to deem it as a punishment.

I've said this on other posts & other sites: I'll keep saying it The Daniel Craig era owes a lot to Tim Dalton. He was the first to go back and read Fleming to prepare. It shows here. He was just getting into his stride. At the time the average Bond fan was a Bond movie fan,not a literary fan. If Dalton had been able to do a third movie immediately it would be his best. Traditionally if an actor does 3,the third is his best. Sir Sean/Goldfinger the blue print for the franchise. Sir Roger/Spy Who Loved Me. He could kill with a twinkle in his eye but watch him get mad when Anya mentions Tracy. P. Bronsian/The World is Not Enough "I never miss." BANG! D. Craig/Skyfall Comes back shooting. I'm looking forward to NO Time to Die

As close to Fleming's bond as there's been!

Well I think they had to make Dalton's Bond different from the Living Daylights, because the Daylights' mission was a job, a professional job. Licence To Kill is purely personal for Dalton's Bond and here you see the unhinged rage that Fleming always eluded to in his Bond books

I kinda agree, LTK doesn't feel Bondian to me. It's like Bond does Miami Vice. Having said that I think it's a good film and I really like it.

License to kill as little problems but over all is a great film as far as having a good story and great lead character and villains

Underrated film, underrated theme. Both in my Top 5.

Best bond film ever

I'm with Joe on this one, don't like it either and that barfight yikes ...However i love Living Dayligts and i also wish Dalton would had done one (or two) more. Looking forward to the next one guys. I'ii give this review a 7, I would have liked more input from Scotty but Joe was on a roll with this one ; - )

Loved this film. Overall, my favorite. Some of the stuff in here was epic and covered the flaws.

this is the one that has the most of my 'fingerprints' on it....i watch this one more than any other film in the bond series....i think this is far better than living daylights, although i like that film as well...i wish dalton made a few more....i'm glad you made more of these reviews as well...peace...rocky

Another scene I thought wasn't mentioned that I think is good is the conveyor belt scene, its like another version of the laser scene in Goldfinger but much more realistic, grittier ,and nastier. Especially how Sanchez stops the belt when Bond yells about Stinger missiles, something he only hears briefly from Pam. It's very similar to when Bond yells about Operation Grand Slam in Goldfinger

Joe loved OHMSS but couldn't tune into the frequency of this movie. For me it's the other way around... Personal context: This is the first Bond theme I remember in the UK charts...would have been late 90s at least before I got to watch it though as it was a 15. By which point...well... ...I hadn't seen a Bond like it before or since. You want Bond raw? Check! You want Bond living on his wits? He doesn't have any other option here. One of the best villains of the series? Check. Dalton is on top of his game and ice cool, two minor nitpicks and only one has to do with the film itself. I'll concede that Bond is lucky to get his job back after this...can only assume Q put in a good word but I can also imagine an interesting alternate version of Goldeneye that I never got round to writing based on Bond not having returned to MI6 after the events here... Continuity wise...you've got that Tracey reference...again...it's hard to imagine Dalton-Bond as the same guy people would have seen prior to 1987... ...the low box office was a pity but the competition in 1989 was pretty impressive. Neither of those nitpicks takes away from my love for this film! 10/10!

I’m almost blown away by the lack of respect License to Kill gets. It’s like really? Petty bias cherry-picking going on here.

This was the 1st Bond movie I saw at its time of release. I'd seen Daylights, A View etc on TV but I remember my parents bringing me into the Video Store to rent this one when it was brand new. A big deal I was allowed watch it with them at 9 years old. And the shock on my mum's face when they realised it was a lot more violent than most other Bond movies was priceless 😂 But I do remember thinking at the time that it wasn't as exicitng as Daylights. And my Dad constantly comparing to Die Hard and Lethal Weapon! So really, it was, like all Bond movies (post-Connery), a reflection of its time based on what was popular in the Cinema.

I truly appreciate the mentioning of the 1988 WGA strike. That was the key factor in why LTK has story issues and why it fails to compare to TLD-because Wilson had to pretty much write it solo. However over time the film opens up and you enjoy it for its conviction and quality-but it was hurt by being forced to shoot in Mexico, production troubles and being tied to the forever broken MGM/UA who then dumped the film into the incredibly tough summer of 1989 where it got obliterated by Batman and Last Crusade.

I love LTK it's the most underrated in the franchise. A gutsy move for the series which before then was becoming a little stale. What's stands out for me is the story and the characters, Sanchez a ruthless and complex villain. Bond at his most cunning and cold and brilliantly played by Dalton. It's not the prettiest Bond film ever but I can forgive those if the story is strong unlike TLD. LTK was ahead of its time especially before the Craig era.

I like this movie better than all of the Pierce Brosnan films, most of the Roger Moore films, and two of the Daniel Craig films.

I get what you're saying about this feeling like a revenge story with Bondian moments tacked on. But I love this film. It's a go to. I never get tired of it; it's just relentless entertainment from start to finish. The stunts are great. And the cast is very good. Dalton nails it. Sanchez is second only to Goldfinger. I get the criticism about Pam's character. She does seen a bit wishy-washy towards the end, but I like her. Dario is a great henchman and Krest is a great slimy character. There's a lot of great character actors in this one. The Ninja scenes seem out of place and should have been kept out. I didn't mind having Q around more. It worked for me. Overall, I think this is a classic.

One of the best 👍

"Everything that goes wrong works itself out." That could be said for every Bond film.

Rio Bravo - The Great Howard Hawk's answer to High Noon. - To paraphrase Hawks: "He's a professional! What the hell is doing going around asking civilians for help."

There is no way Octopussy is better than this one... sorry

Loving the death skits at the end of these videos. Brilliant 😊

28:27 "I would've been more up for like, you know, maybe like a Guns N' Roses..." That would've been brilliant - they did a cover of "Live and Let Die" so we know that they like that song. I can imagine Axl Rose belting out "You Know My Name."

I actually am quite fond of this film. It sort of doesn't quite fit into the normal formula for Bond films - and to me, that is part of its appeal. Dalton feels a lot more comfortable in the role here than in TLD. The story feels a lot more suited to his take on Bond. There's some flaws in the film, namely due to some low production values(the use of rear projection for some of the car scenes, etc.). However, there's still much to comend : Davi is great as the bad guy, the revenge themed story, Q getting a different stake in the story, Dalton's performance, impressive action sequences(opening credit one with plane, the waterskiing scene and the tanker truck chase), Carey Lowell is also a decent foil to Dalton as his Bond girl.

A very underrated James Bond film. I always hated this one when I was a kid. Pretty much because I grew up with the Pierce Brosnan Bond era and how Pierce Brosnan was the James Bond of my childhood and the Bond films that I loved the most when I was a kid were the Sean Connery Bond films, the Roger Moore Bond films and the Pierce Brosnan Bond films and I always considered the George Lazenby Bond film and the Timothy Dalton Bond films to be the worst Bond films. However my thoughts on Licence to Kill, the Timothy Dalton films as a whole and Dalton as Bond and as an actor himself drastically changed when I watched Casino Royale, the Daniel Craig Bond films, Daniel Craig as Bond himself and reading some of the Ian Fleming James Bond novels. I really did appreciate this film more and Dalton's portrayal of Bond way more as an adult and it is absolutely criminal how he didn't do anymore Bond films after this because he was such a great Bond actor and has now become my favourite James Bond actor. He was even great in his non Bond stuff that he did since Licence to Kill like The Rocketeer, Hot Fuzz and Toy Story 3. He would have killed it in Goldeneye had he stayed on as Bond but alas. Cest la vie. Licence to Kill is a great revenge story and is a great Bond film as a whole. My only real negatives with it is the often clashing of the film's serious tone with all of its campy elements like the silly bar fight sequence, the film's weird and obnoxious fish fetish (don't even get me started on that stupid winking fish statue at the end of the film), Pam Bouvier, while being a great Bond girl, acting like the stupid jealous girlfriend half of the time, the film's stupid and annoying love triangle with Bond, Pam and Lupe that makes LTK come off as a sappy soap opera instead of an actual Bond film, how the film neatly wraps itself up like any other Bond film during its ending and the sappy Patti Labelle love song, If You Asked Me To, being played over the film's end credits. A good song. Don't get me wrong. But just not a good Bond song that just doesn't fit a Bond film. Especially one as serious, dark and gritty as Licence to Kill.

'The go to bed' trope is just like the post fight train sequence in SPECTRE. Seems like the writers didn't learn from this mistake. The transition never works. Even Q in SPECTRE did exactly as Q in LTK, an unasked for assistance. Seems like LTK is a reference point for SPECTRE.

One of the best.

Q helping 007 in the field, they went back to that idea in spectre I from what I recall. I never minded the idea, Desmond Lewellyn still played Q the same way, my thought always was that MI6 still needed bond so they assisted him in is personal mission with the hope of having him come back to the secret service. LTK has some problems with performances, an ending that is odd for the films tone and a couple of rough edges with the production. But honestly I was hooked by its story, the movie spends enough time building a sensé of closeness with bond and felix and the addition of him being maimed and his wife being murdered for me was more than enough to set him off. Top it off with gréât action and acting performances from Dalton, Davi and Del toro. LTK is still for my money the most underrated bond film, Quantum of Solace was garbage not because of Tone but poor editing, poor vilains and a boring plot.

These guys are honest. and the people who for whatever reason love this movie prbly hate it.

Perhaps the most delicious Bond villain ever….against the most under-rated actor playing Bond…I loved it. Also, I’m a pilot, and I know the guy who flew the boat plane with the barefoot skier. Great fun!

This is an awesome movie and it was a head of its time and the writers in away where not ready for a darker 007 Bond movie. They should had A killed Felix Lighter off and at the end of the movie Bond should have made it where Bond was alt of a job. There should been NO tucks popping wheelies. The directors and writers did not know how to handle a darker Bond movie. Its sad Timothy Dalton did not get to do 2 more Bond movies it would have been interesting. Tim played the character just like the way Fleming wrote James Bond. Alt of 5 stars I give this movie 4.

With respect, I feel that you're thinking too hard, Head of Section! Licence to Kill was a flawed masterpiece and well ahead of its time. Sure, it could have been better executed/tweaked, but it has all the elements of an epic Fleming with a classic villain played brilliantly by Robert Davi, gorgeous Bond girls and great action sequences. Truly, the end of an era, and a shame that Dalton didn't go on to do more Bonds. Bless your heart, Joe!

This Film to me was Better than Quantum by Far The Plot to me is More Understandable than Quantum this is essentially Bond Meets Scarface!!! Plus they use Q more in this Movie maybe the only Film to have Q more!!!! I Like this Film Better Than QOS!!!

"Again" -Joe Darlington

1-LICENCE TO KILL 2-FROM RUSSIA W. LOVE 3-GOLDENEYE 4-LIVE & LET DIE 5-YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE TOP [5] BONDS

Hi I love content you fellas are are doing , only thing keeping me going until the new bond film comes out!!! But I was just wondering have your opinions changed over time with different films , because as I was younger I used to love the light hearted campy films when I was young but as growing older I have come to appreciate the more serious and gritty films because I love daltons portrayal as bond he is great in the role both films

AWESOME film

Superb entry.

I just watched LTK for the first time, I really liked it. Great stuff for the most part. Only scene I thought fell a bit flat was the final one (in the pool with Pam).

When I stopped looking for the "Bond film" in it, I was able to enjoy it as a stand-alone movie. To summarize- it's too graphic and not a "fun" movie, but it's in the Bond canon and I like many of the performances in it.

The lower third watermark is spelled licenSe To Kill btw…

My main problem with Licence to Kill is that it just doesn't feel like a Bond movie. The core story is great and I like a lot about the film, but like Joe said, the execution is just a bit off. Maybe it's the drug plot and the locations (and the so-so production values) that make it feel more like a 1980s American action movie than a Bond film.

This is actually my favourite Bond film for various reasons. But even I will concede that the last 5 minutes really undermine the film. It used to be the winking finish that bothered me most, but now it's definitely this part: "Hey James! I totally didn't lose my leg and my wife didn't get raped and murdered. Let's go fishing next week... cuz sharks amirite heh heh!"

I was a projectionist for a grand, very old, suburban movie theater in the 80's and I got to project "The Living Daylights", and then this film, so I saw it many times. I'm an American, so I don't know how people from other countries relate to Bond films set in America, but I find them far less glamorous, with the possible exception of "Goldfinger", because the 1960's made Kentucky look somewhat exotic! I also loved Dalton as Bond (with the benefit of his Shakespearian, Patrick Stewart-like, baritone voice!). Not a fan of David Hedison as Felix (neither here, nor in "Live and Let Die"). Jack Lord kind of nailed it first and no one else has been as good since. Talisa Soto absolutely looks like a classic "Bond girl", Carey Lowell looks like a sitcom actress, to me. Felix's newlywed WAS a sitcom actress on "Threes Company"! And, I think the Charles Bronson comparison to the final film is very accurate. Although, I think this movie is basically chasing "Die Hard", which set a new bar for action one year before. And the cultural success of "Miami Vice" is in there too. It didn't then, and it still doesn't, feel like an actual Bond film to me. I agree that the pre-title sequence is great but, otherwise, it looks like an ugly TV movie. Characters (like Bond and Q) don't behave as they normally would. Simple world domination plots certainly deserve the eye-rolls, but 007 fighting drug cartels feels out of step with the far more grand plots of the past. I'm not a big fan of the Brosnan-era, but I think this was worse.

I think T-Dalt is a very underrated Bond. This movie, I felt was awesome. I did like that Q got more involved, and I felt like Desmond Llewellyn and Timothy Dalton had great chemistry on camera. I like that Living Daylights and this one went away from the silliness and overly used one-liners from the Roger Moore series. I wish Timothy Dalton would have had at least one, maybe even two more pictures.

This one was a very big change to everything that had come before...and I think to many people at the time,it was too big a change for a Bond movie. I took my girlfriend who is now my wife to see this and she was horrified! She thought It was too nasty and just too violent for 007. I enjoyed it but it didn’t really feel like a James Bond movie....like you said,it felt like a 1980s Miami Vice episode. Since then,it’s grown on me and I appreciate it much more than I did at the time. (It certainly has been a big influence on the 007 movies we see today,that’s for sure!) But your analysis is right on the money-it combines a dark revenge story with classic James Bond elements and sometimes it is not really a smooth combination!

What is so bad about the bar scene or Q? I don't get it. - 8.5/10 for me.

I like this film. And I followed the production of it as much as I could at the time. I do think Tim is a little less ‘cool’ than he was previously. He constantly looks dramatically alarmed in this. Not just in moments when it’s required. Even when Pam turn up at the bank with a nice haircut and a sharp suit, he looks at her with an expression of alarm more fitting to if she’d taken a waz on the floor. Just be cool man, I know Roger would have smirked and Sean too. No need to copy that but also no need to be quite so theatrical either I think. But I go along with it, I still enjoy the film. it’s definitely not the most Bond like of Bond films though

lol your endings a great. l wish you'd done them for all the films.

I don't have a problem with Q's characterization. In fact, I think his reaction to Bond being on the run is natural. These two have worked together for years, and while Q resents Bond's frivolous attitude to his work and gadgets, he has professional respect for Bond. He knows Bond's loyal and he knows the service Bond has given to Britain. He would know Bond has saved the world on many occasions. So for Q to suddenly want to help Bond, especially since he's the world's best agent, makes total sense to me.

This movie works better as a double feature bundled with The Living Daylights, when you want more Dalton Bond, but something more relaxing and less complex after just having watched The Living Daylights

I just watched it again. Aside from the stunts and setpieces which, of course, are always larger than life (however are presented maturely here without corny fanfare), it requires quite a lot of suspension of disbelief, this one, in the way Bond effortlessly manages to get wherever he wants or needs to without being identified, even though, lacking any disguise, he's previously pretended to be a great white shark expert to a henchman who unrealistically gives him a bit of a guided tour, no questions asked. The two Bond girls are BOTH good. Carey's excellent. Dalton's accent weirdly slips in to Yorkshire in parts when talking to Sanchez. Felix is told "It's nothing personal, it's just business" by Sanchez and Sanchez's character is clearly meant to have some honour, in that he cares about trust more than money, but what honour can you have knowing that your henchmen, if not yourself (how do we know Sanchez wasn't there too?) murdered and possibly abused Felix's wife? How was that "business"?I like all of the movie before they go to the retreat/temple. It feels like a bit of a wasted setting. The truck scene's great apart from Sanchez's demise seems a bit too easy for Bond to pull off - some extra jeapordy would have been good. But, all said, it's a great mix of being a cute little character piece film and a tastefully done setpieces and appropriate stunts movie. Stunts are well done because you can see when Dalton's in it too. It's one of those movies where you really want to know what each of the characters is doing when they're not on screen. It's as if they don't exist purely for us to watch a movie. They also don't exist to kill James Bond - they think he's no threat for a long time.

but OMG dalton's hearcut :)

'Bless your heart'

Joe - is "The Secrets of Cone Power" an actual publication by Butcher himself at the time, or penned by someone else? Anything interesting in it?

Great movie and a even better review.

2 points Bond Smoking and slicking back Daltons hair annoying me.

Easily the Best film in the series. I'd still put From Russia With Love in the top. Licence To Kill has a fantastic casting, a fantastic script, a great pace, great Special effects, great locations and probably the best performance by the actor playing Bond. Sanchez is easily My favorite villain. The song however is overrated. There are no wrong choices here. Everything works just perfectly in this picture.