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Licence to Kill

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Licence to Kill 1989 poster 6

Licence to Kill (released in the United States as License to Kill, but sold in the U.S. home video market with the British spelling) is a 1989 spy film, the sixteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, and the second and final film to star Timothy Dalton in the role of the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Its story sees Bond being suspended from MI6 as he pursues drug lord Franz Sanchez, who has ordered an attack against Bond's CIA friend Felix Leiter and the murder of Felix's wife after their wedding.

Licence to Kill was the first film in the series to not use the title of an Ian Fleming story. Although its plotline is largely original, it contains elements of the Fleming novel Live and Let Die and the short story "The Hildebrand Rarity", interwoven with a sabotage premise influenced by Akira Kurosawa's film Yojimbo. It was the fifth consecutive, and final, Bond film to be directed by John Glen, as well as the last to feature actors Robert Brown as M and Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny, and the final Bond film to utilise the services of screenwriter Richard Maibaum, title designer Maurice Binder, and producer Albert R. Broccoli (the final film as producer during his lifetime); Maibaum and Binder died in 1991, and Broccoli in 1996. Originally titled Licence Revoked in line with the plot, the name was changed during post-production due to American test audiences associating the term with driver's license.

Budgetary factors resulted in Licence to Kill becoming the first Bond film to be shot entirely outside the United Kingdom: principal photography took place on location in Mexico and the US, while interiors were filmed at Estudios Churubusco instead of Pinewood Studios. The film earned over $156 million worldwide, and enjoyed a generally positive critical reception, with ample praise for the stunts, but attracted some criticism for its significantly darker tone than its predecessors, which carried into Dalton's portrayal of the character. This would be the last James Bond film to make direct use of Ian Fleming's concepts and characters until Die Another Day (2002).

Storyline[]

Plot[]

James Bond adventure in which 007 relinquishes his licence to kill, disobeys his orders and goes on a mission of revenge when his best friend's wife is killed by a drug baron. A beautiful CIA pilot flies him to Sanchez's South American headquarters where, disguised as a hit man, Bond is hired by the villainous drug dealer.

Genres[]

  • Action
  • Spy
  • Adventure
  • Thriller
  • Crime film

Motion Picture Rating[]

  • 13 (Argentina)
  • M (Australia)
  • 12 (Brazil)
  • PG-13 (Canada)
  • PA (Canada) (Manitoba)
  • A (Canada) (Nova Scotia)
  • 13+ (Canada) (original rating, Quebec)
  • G (Canada) (Quebec)
  • 16 (Denmark) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • K-16 (Finland)
  • K-15/13 (Finland)
  • K-16/13 (Finland)
  • Tous publics (France)
  • 16 (Germany) (re-release, uncut)
  • II (Hong Kong)
  • 12 (Iceland)
  • UA (India) (TV)
  • A (India) (1990)
  • 15 (Ireland)
  • T (Italy)
  • G (Japan) (2015)
  • P13 (Malaysia)
  • A (Mexico)
  • 12 (Netherlands)
  • M (New Zealand)
  • PG (Nigeria)
  • 15 (Norway) (DVD and Blu-ray rating)
  • 15 (Norway) (1989, cinema rating)
  • 14 (Peru)
  • R-18 (Philippines) (self-applied)
  • 16 (Poland) (self-applied)
  • M/12 (Portugal)
  • 12+ (Russia)
  • PG (Saudi Arabia)
  • PG (Singapore)
  • PG (South Africa)
  • 15 (South Korea) (2000, DVD rating)
  • 12 (South Korea) (1989, theatrical rating)
  • A (Spain)
  • 15 (Sweden)
  • 15+ (Turkey) (self-applied)
  • PG (UK) (2005, uncut)
  • PG (UK) (1989, cut)
  • PG-13 (USA) (re-rating)
  • 16 (West Germany) (video rating, cut)

Images[]

Cast and Crew[]

Director[]

  • John Glen

Writing Credits[]

  • Richard Maibaum (screenplay) and
  • Michael G. Wilson (screenplay)
  • Ian Fleming (characters)

Cast[]

  • Timothy Dalton - James Bond
  • Carey Lowell - Pam Bouvier
  • Robert Davi - Franz Sanchez
  • Talisa Soto - Lupe Lamora
  • Anthony Zerbe - Milton Krest
  • Frank McRae - Sharkey
  • Everett McGill - Killifer
  • Wayne Newton - Professor Joe Butcher
  • Benicio Del Toro - Dario
  • Anthony Starke - Truman-Lodge
  • Pedro Armendáriz Jr. - President Hector Lopez (as Pedro Armendariz)
  • Desmond Llewelyn - Q
  • David Hedison - Felix Leiter
  • Priscilla Barnes - Della Churchill
  • Robert Brown - M
  • Caroline Bliss - Miss Moneypenny
  • Don Stroud - Heller
  • Grand L. Bush - Hawkins
  • Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa - Kwang
  • 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

Other Cast (in alphabetical order)[]

  • Bob Martinez - Customs officer
  • Gerardo Albarrán - Alvarez (uncredited)
  • Tom Bahr - Marshall #1 (uncredited)
  • Chick Bernhard - Marshall Driver (uncredited)
  • Andrew Castillo - Seaplane Pilot (uncredited)
  • Laurencio Cordero - Pinaple Truck Driver (uncredited)
  • James D'Orta - Doctor (uncredited)
  • Christopher De Stefano - Alter Boy (St. Mary Star of the Sea Church) (uncredited)
  • Alex Edlin - Marshall #2 (uncredited)
  • Keith Hamshere - Wedding photographer (uncredited)
  • Victor Jones - Traveler (uncredited)
  • Lars Lundgren - Probe Operator (uncredited)
  • Joseph Parisi - Boat Henchman (uncredited)
  • Doug Redenius - Wedding Guest (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)

Producers[]

  • Albert R. Broccoli (produced by)
  • Barbara Broccoli (associate producer)
  • Tom Pevsner (associate producer)
  • Michael G. Wilson (produced by)

Details[]

Countries[]

  • UK
  • USA

Language[]

  • English
  • Italian

Release Dates[]

  • June 13, 1989 (UK) (London) (premiere)
  • June 14, 1989 (UK) (London)
  • June 16, 1989 (Ireland) (Dublin)
  • June 22, 1989 (Netherlands)
  • July 7, 1989 (Denmark)
  • July 7, 1989 (Norway)
  • July 7, 1989 (Sweden)
  • July 10, 1989 (USA) (Hollywood, California) (premiere)
  • July 12, 1989 (Austria)
  • July 12, 1989 (Yugoslavia) (Belgrade)
  • July 13, 1989 (Belgium)
  • July 14, 1989 (Canada)
  • July 14, 1989 (UK)
  • July 14, 1989 (Ireland)
  • July 14, 1989 (USA)
  • July 19, 1989 (Spain)
  • July 21, 1989 (Finland)
  • July 22, 1989 (Taiwan)
  • July 30, 1989 (Italy)
  • August 3, 1989 (Iceland)
  • August 10, 1989 (West Germany)
  • August 11, 1989 (Portugal)
  • August 16, 1989 (France)
  • August 24, 1989 (Hungary)
  • August 31, 1989 (Brazil)
  • September 7, 1989 (Australia)
  • September 14, 1989 (Uruguay)
  • September 30, 1989 (Japan)
  • December 1989 (Turkey)
  • December 3, 1989 (Greece)
  • December 4, 1989 (Hong Kong)
  • December 8, 1989 (Cyprus)
  • December 16, 1989 (Philippines) (Davao)
  • December 30, 1989 (South Korea)
  • June 3, 1990 (Poland)
  • October 22, 2002 (Singapore) (DVD premiere)
  • May 12, 2009 (Mexico) (Blu Ray release)
  • May 3, 2015 (Spain) (Barcelona) (re-release)
  • September 14, 2015 (United Arab Emirates) (Blu-ray premiere)

Also Known As[]

  • Licence to Kill (original title)
  • Licencia para matar (Argentina)
  • 007: Licence to Kill (Australia) (alternative title)
  • Licence to Kill (Australia)
  • 007 - Permissão para Matar (Brazil)
  • 007 - Vendetta privata (Italy)
  • Vendetta privata (Italy) (alternative title)
  • Agente 007 - Vendetta privata (Italy) (alternative title)
  • Bond XVI (UK) (original script title)
  • Bond 16 (UK) (original script title)
  • Licence Revoked (UK) (working title)
  • Licence to Kill (UK)
  • Licence to Kill (USA)

Production[]

Shortly after The Living Daylights was released, producer Albert R. Broccoli and writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum started discussing its successor. The film would retain a realistic style, as well as showing the "darker edge" of the Bond character. For the primary location, the producers wanted a place where the series had not yet visited. While China was visited after an invitation by its government, the idea fell through partly because the 1987 film The Last Emperor had removed some of the novelty from filming in China. By this stage the writers had already talked about a chase sequence along the Great Wall, as well as a fight scene amongst the Terracotta Army. Wilson also wrote two plot outlines about a drugs lord in the Golden Triangle before the plans fell through out of Broccoli's concerns that the Chinese government would censor the script. The writers eventually decided on a setting in a tropical country while Broccoli negotiated to film in Mexico, at the Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City. In 1985, the Films Act was passed, removing the Eady Levy, resulting in foreign artists being taxed more heavily. The associated rising costs to Eon Productions meant no part of Licence to Kill was filmed in the UK, the first Bond film not to do so. Pinewood Studios, used in every previous Bond film, undertook only the post-production and sound re-recording.

Writing and themes[]

The initial outline of what would become Licence to Kill was drawn up by Wilson and Maibaum. Before the pair could develop the script, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) went on strike and Maibaum was unable to continue writing, leaving Wilson to work on the script on his own. Although both the main plot and title of Licence to Kill owe nothing to any of the Fleming novels, there are elements from the books that are used in the storyline, including a number of aspects of the short story "The Hildebrand Rarity", such as the character Milton Krest. The novel Live and Let Die provided the material surrounding Felix Leiter's mauling by a shark, whilst the film version of the book provided the close similarity between the main villain, Mr. Big, and Licence to Kill's main villain Sanchez. The screenplay was not ready by the time casting had begun, with Carey Lowell being auditioned with lines from A View to a Kill.

The script—initially called Licence Revoked—was written with Dalton's characterisation of Bond in mind, and the obsession with which Bond pursues Sanchez on behalf of Leiter and his dead wife is seen as being because "of his own brutally cut-short marriage". Dalton's darker portrayal of Bond led to the violence being increased and becoming more graphic. Wilson compared the script to Akira Kurosawa's Yojimbo, where a samurai "without any attacking of the villain or its cohorts, only sowing the seeds of distrust, he manages to have the villain bring himself down". Wilson freely admitted that the idea of the destruction-from-within aspect of the plot came more from Yojimbo and Sergio Leone's remake of that film, A Fistful of Dollars, than from Fleming's use of that plot device from The Man with the Golden Gun.

For the location Wilson created the Republic of Isthmus, a banana republic based on Panama, with the pock-marked Sanchez bearing similarities to General Manuel Noriega. The parallels between the two figures were based on Noriega's political use of drug trafficking and money laundering to provide revenues for Panama. Robert Davi suggested the line "loyalty is more important than money", which he felt was fitting to the character of Franz Sanchez, whose actions were noticed by Davi to be concerned with betrayal and retaliation.

The United Artists press kits referred to the film's background as being "Torn straight from the headlines of today's newspapers" and the backdrop of Panama was connected to "the Medellín Cartel in Colombia and corruption of government officials in Mexico thrown in for good measure." This use of the cocaine-smuggling backdrop put Licence to Kill alongside other cinema blockbusters, such as the 1987 films Lethal Weapon, Beverly Hills Cop II and RoboCop, and Bond was seen to be "poaching on their turf" with the drug-related revenge story.

Casting[]

After Carey Lowell was chosen to play Pam Bouvier, she watched many of the films in the series for inspiration. Lowell had described becoming a Bond girl as "huge shoes to fill", as she did not see herself as a "glamour girl", even coming to audition in jeans and a leather jacket. While Lowell wore a wig for the scenes set in the United States, a scene where Bouvier is given money and told by Bond to go and buy some new clothes (and, going off and doing so, also has her hair cut) was added so that Lowell's own short hair style could be used.

Robert Davi was cast following a suggestion by Broccoli's daughter Tina, and screenwriter Richard Maibaum, who had seen Davi in the television film Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami. To portray Sanchez, Davi researched the Colombian drug cartels and how to do a Colombian accent, and since he was method acting, he would stay in character off-set. After Davi read Casino Royale for preparation, he decided to turn Sanchez into a "mirror image" of James Bond, based on Ian Fleming's descriptions of Le Chiffre. The actor also learned scuba diving for the scene where Sanchez is rescued from the sunken armoured car.

Davi later helped with the casting of Sanchez's mistress Lupe Lamora, by playing Bond in the audition. Talisa Soto was picked from twelve candidates because Davi said he "would kill for her". David Hedison returned to play Felix Leiter, sixteen years after playing the character in Live and Let Die. Hedison did not expect to return to the role, saying "I was sure that [Live and Let Die] would be my first – and last" and Glen was reluctant to cast the 61-year-old actor, since the role included a scene parachuting.

Up-and-coming actor Benicio del Toro was chosen to play Sanchez's henchman, Dario, for being "laid back while menacing in a quirky sort of way", according to Glen. Wayne Newton got the role of Professor Joe Butcher after sending a letter to the producers expressing interest in a cameo because he always wanted to be in a Bond film. The President of Isthmus was played by Pedro Armendáriz, Jr., the son of Pedro Armendáriz, who played Ali Kerim Bey in From Russia with Love.

John Rhys-Davies claimed he was asked to reprise his role from the previous film as General Pushkin in a cameo appearance, but declined since he felt the character was not necessary to the plot.

Filming[]

Principal photography ran from 18 July to 18 November 1988. Shooting began in the Estudios Churubusco in Mexico, which mostly doubled for the fictional Republic of Isthmus: locations in Mexico City included the Biblioteca del Banco de Mexico for the exterior of El Presidente Hotel and the Casino Español for the interior of Casino de Isthmus whilst the Teatro de la Ciudad was used for its exterior. Villa Arabesque in Acapulco was used for Sanchez's lavish villa, and the La Rumorosa Mountain Pass in Tecate was used as the filming site for the tanker chase during the climax of the film. Sanchez's Olympiatec Meditation Institute was shot at the Otomi Ceremonial Center in Temoaya. Other underwater sequences were shot at the Isla Mujeres near Cancún.

In August 1988, production moved to the Florida Keys, notably Key West. Seven Mile Bridge towards Pigeon Key was used for the sequence in which the armoured truck transporting Sanchez, following his arrest, is driven off the edge. Other locations there included Ernest Hemingway House, Key West International Airport, Mallory Square, St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church for Leiter's wedding and Stephano's House 707 South Street for his house and patio. The US Coast Guard Pier was used to film Isthmus City harbour. As production moved back to Mexico City, Broccoli became ill, marking the first time during the James Bond film series where he was not present during filming.

The scene where Sanchez's plane is hijacked was filmed on location in Florida, with stuntman Jake Lombard jumping from a helicopter to a plane and Dalton himself being filmed atop the aircraft. The plane towed by the helicopter was a life-sized model created by special effects supervisor John Richardson. After filming wide shots of David Hedison and Dalton parachuting, closer shots were made near the church location. During one of the takes, a malfunction of the harness equipment caused Hedison to fall on the pavement. The injury made him limp for the remainder of filming. The aquatic battle between Bond and the henchmen required two separate units, a surface one led by Arthur Wooster which used Dalton himself, and an underwater one which involved experienced divers. The barefoot waterskiing was done by world champion Dave Reinhart, with some close-ups using Dalton on a special rig. Milton Krest's death used a prosthetic head which was created by John Richardson's team based on a mould of Anthony Zerbe's face. The result was so gruesome that it was shortened and toned down to avoid censorship problems.

For the climactic tanker chase, the producers used an entire section of Mexican Federal Highway 2D in La Rumorosa, Baja California, which had been closed for safety reasons. Sixteen eighteen-wheeler tankers were used, some with modifications made by manufacturer Kenworth at the request of driving stunts arranger Rémy Julienne. Most were given improvements to their engines to run faster, while one model had an extra steering wheel on the back of the cabin so a hidden stuntman could drive while Carey Lowell was in the front and another received extra suspension on its back so it could lift its front wheels. Although a rig was constructed to help a rig tilt onto its side, it was not necessary as Julienne was able to pull off the stunt without the aid of camera trickery.

Release and reception[]

Film ratings organisations had objections to the excessive and realistic violence, with both the Motion Picture Association of America and the British Board of Film Classification requesting content adaptations, with the BBFC in particular demanding the cut of 36 seconds of film. Licence to Kill became the first Bond film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA’s ratings board, a rating that has been applied to every Bond film since. The 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD of Licence to Kill marked the first release of the film without cuts. It remains the only Bond movie to be originally rated 15 by the BBFC.

Licence to Kill premiered at the Odeon Leicester Square in London on 13 June 1989, raising £200,000 (£529,354 in 2022 pounds) for The Prince's Trust on the night. The film grossed a total of £7.5 million (£20 million in 2022 pounds) in the United Kingdom, making it the seventh-most successful film of the year, despite the 15 certificate which cut down audience numbers. Worldwide numbers were also positive, with $156 million, making it the twelfth biggest box-office draw of the year. The US cinema returns were $34.6 million, making Licence to Kill the least financially successful James Bond film in the US, when accounting for inflation. A factor suggested for the poor takings was fierce competition at the cinema, with Licence to Kill released alongside Lethal Weapon 2, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (starring former Bond Sean Connery), and Batman.

There were also issues with the promotion of the film: promotional material in the form of teaser posters created by Bob Peak, based on the Licence Revoked title and commissioned by Albert Broccoli, had been produced, but MGM decided against using them after American test screenings showed 'Licence Revoked' to be a common American phrase for the withdrawal of a driving licence. The delayed, updated advertising by Steven Chorney, in the traditional style, limited the film's pre-release screenings. MGM also discarded a campaign created by advertising executive Don Smolen, who had worked in the publicity campaign for eight previous Bond films, emphasising the rougher content of the film.

Derek Malcolm in The Guardian was broadly approving of Licence to Kill, liking the "harder edge of the earlier Bonds" that the film emulated, but wishing that "it was written and directed with a bit more flair." Malcolm praised the way the film attempted "to tell a story rather than use one for the decorative purposes of endless spectacular tropes." Writing in The Guardian's sister paper, The Observer, Philip French noted that "despite the playful sparkle in his eyes, Timothy Dalton's Bond is ... serious here." Overall French called Licence to Kill "an entertaining, untaxing film". Ian Christie in the Daily Express excoriated the film, saying that the plot was "absurd but fundamentally dull", a further problem being that as "there isn't a coherent storyline to link [the stunts], they eventually become tiresome."

David Robinson, writing in The Times, observed that Licence to Kill "will probably neither disappoint nor surprise the great, faithful audience", but bemoaned the fact that "over the years the plots have become less ambitious". Robinson thought that Dalton's Bond "has more class" than the previous Bonds and was "a warmer personality". Iain Johnstone of The Sunday Times pointed out that "any vestiges of the gentleman spy ... by Ian Fleming" have now gone, and in its place is a Bond that is "remarkably close both in deed and action to the eponymous hero of the Batman film" that was released at the same time as Licence to Kill.

Adam Mars-Jones of The Independent gave the film a mixed review, pointing out that it took out some of the more dated ideas from the Fleming novels, such as imperialism; he wrote that the writers were "trying in effect to reproduce the recipe while leaving out ingredients that would now seem distasteful"

For the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, Rick Groen wrote that in Licence to Kill "they've excised Bond from the Bond flicks; they've turned James into Jimmy, strong and silent and (roll over, Britannia) downright American", resulting in a Bond film that is "essentially Bond-less". Summing up, Groen thought "Actually, that dialogue ... ain't bad. The silence looks good on Timothy Dalton".

Gary Arnold of The Washington Times wrote that a number of factors "fail to prevent the finished product from jamming and misfiring with disillusioning frequency". Arnold opined that "demanding that he [Dalton] play Bond's wrathfulness in a transparently seething and hotheaded manner" means that Dalton "seems to waste away on this second outing as Bond." Overall Arnold sees that there is a "failure to recognize that Bond productions are simply too extravagant to permit an uncompromised return to first principles." The critic for The New York Times, Caryn James, thought Dalton was "the first James Bond with angst, a moody spy for the fin de siecle", and that Licence to Kill "retains its familiar, effective mix of despicably powerful villains, suspiciously tantalizing women and ever-wilder special effects", but was impressed that "Dalton's glowering presence adds a darker tone". James concluded that "for all its clever updatings, stylish action and witty escapism, Licence to Kill ... is still a little too much by the book."

Roger Ebert for the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 3½ stars out of 4, saying "the stunts all look convincing, and the effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating ... Licence to Kill is one of the best of the recent Bonds." Jack Kroll, writing in Newsweek, described Licence to Kill as "a pure, rousingly entertaining action movie". Kroll was mixed in his appraisal of Dalton, calling him "a fine actor who hasn't yet stamped Bond with his own personality", observing "Director John Glen is the Busby Berkeley of action flicks, and his chorus line is the legendary team of Bond stunt-persons who are at their death-defying best here". For Time magazine, Richard Corliss bemoaned that although the truck stunts were good, it was "a pity nobody – not writers Michael G. Wilson, and Richard Maibaum nor director John Glen – thought to give the humans anything very clever to do." Corliss found Dalton "misused" in the film, adding that "for every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in his sixth."

Retrospective reviews

Opinion on Licence to Kill has changed with the passing of time: some reviews are still mixed, though film review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes lists the film with a positive 77% rating from 53 reviews. Tom Hibbert of Empire gives the film only two of a possible five stars, observing that "Dalton ... is really quite hopeless". Hibbert concluded that "he may look the part, but Timothy Dalton fails the boots, the scuba gear, or the automobiles left him by Moore and Connery." In 2006, IGN ranked Licence to Kill fifteenth out of the then 21 Bond films, claiming it is "too grim and had strayed too far from the Bond formula." Norman Wilner of MSN considered Licence to Kill the second worst Bond film, above only A View to a Kill, but defended Dalton, saying he "got a raw deal. The actor who could have been the definitive 007 ... had the bad luck to inherit the role just as the series was at its weakest, struggling to cope with its general creative decline and the end of the Cold War". In October 2008 Time Out re-issued a review of Licence to Kill and also thought that Dalton was unfortunate, saying "one has to feel for Dalton, who was never given a fair shake by either of the films in which he appeared".

Celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the film, Esquire's Bob Sassone urged readers to give it a second look. High-Def Digest awarded it four out of five stars when re-released on Blu-ray. British GQ considers it the most underrated in the series, thinking the change in tone caused upset among fans. Digital Spy called Dalton the best Bond of the six actors, praising his depth, terming Licence to Kill a "violently enjoyable 007 detour".

Some critics, such as James Berardinelli, saw a fundamental weakness in the film: the "overemphasis on story may be a mistake, because there are times when Licence to Kill's narrative bogs down." Berardinelli gave the film three out of a possible four stars, adding "Licence to Kill may be taut and gripping, but it's not traditional Bond, and that, as much as any other reason, may explain the public's rejection of this reasonably well-constructed picture." Raymond Benson, the author of nine Bond novels, said of the film: "It boggles my mind that Licence to Kill is so controversial. There's really more of a true Ian Fleming story in that script than in most of the post-60s Bond movies." John Glen has said Licence to Kill "is among my best Bond films, if not the best"

Company Credits[]

Production Companies[]

Distributors[]

Technical Specs[]

Runtime[]

  • 133 mins

Color[]

  • Color

Sound Mix[]

  • Dolby SR
  • Dolby Surround 7.1

Aspect Ratio[]

  • 2.39:1
  • 4:3 (Pan & scan prints, along with the opening and closing credits in proper scope aspect ratio with black bars)

Trivia[]

  • The story of Felix Leiter's shark attack was originally in the book Live and Let Die, although in the book Leiter, in addition to losing a leg, loses an arm. The possible loss of an arm is alluded to in the film, but not confirmed. The tactic Sanchez uses for smuggling drugs into the United States also comes from Live and Let Die.
  • Tracy Bond is referenced when Della gives James her garter. (It is stated that it was a long time ago.)
  • The film was due to be shown on ITV in the UK on March 13, 1996, but was cancelled after the Dunblane Massacre occurred that day.
  • James Bond is never shown in the film wearing a necktie, although he does wear a bow tie for a brief period.
  • The film featured a real, identifiable brand of cigarettes during one key sequence, which led to the studio requiring the addition of the United States Surgeon General warning regarding cigarette smoking to the closing credits. Smoking occurs in many Bond films, however this is the only film which featured the warning. The cigarette manufacturer in question paid a fee to have its brand featured, which sparked debate over the appropriateness of product placement in motion pictures.
  • The twisting roads in Mexico where the tanker scenes were shot, Rumorosa, were said to be haunted from frequent traffic deaths that had occurred there. The film crew experienced many unexplained accidents and ghostly phenomenon while there, such as trucks driving off by themselves in the night or sightings of ghosts. The final scare came when the still photographer was capturing images of the last tanker explosion. In one picture, a distinct fiery hand is seen coming out of the fireball. The hand was not seen on any of the rushes from the other cameras which further added to its ghastly nature. The making-of documentary on the 1999 DVD talks more about these strange happenings in Mexico.
  • Benicio del Toro is the second Academy Award-winning actor to play a Bond villain (after Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill), although did not win his Oscar until 11 years after Licence to Kill with Traffic.
  • References are made to Ernest Hemingway twice: the use of his home in the Florida Keys and when Bond hands in his resignation, he says "It's a Farewell to Arms."
  • The movie title and the alternate title is said by M when Bond is handing in his resignation: "Your License to Kill is revoked."
  • It is so far the only film to have the main Bond girl (Pam Bouvier) and the supporting Bond girl (Lupe Lamora) to survive in the film, appearing in the end.
  • This is the last James Bond film to feature the airline logo "Pan Am" as the airline went bankrupt 2 years later. The logo can be seen when Bond is about to check in for a flight behind the receptionist.
  • This is the first Bond film to be rated PG-13 by the MPAA in North America due its darker and edger tone.
  • This was the last Bond movie to release in the summer. After intense competition that year, all future Bond films since open in either autumn or winter.
  • Last James Bond film for six years. In August 1990, after the box-office failure of this film in the United States, director John Glen left EON Productions. Thirteen-time Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum died on January 4, 1991. Some called this a "bloodless coup". Legal wrangling over the ownership of the James Bond character, coupled by these departures, delayed the release of the next film. In the interim, producer Albert R. Broccoli retired, and Timothy Dalton decided not to play the role a third time.
  • Budget restraints were imposed, as the producers were still paying interest on the overspending of Moonraker (1979).
  • Making their final appearances with the James Bond franchise: Richard Maibaum (writer), John Glen (director), Maurice Binder (title design), Robert Brown as M, Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny, and Timothy Dalton as James Bond.
  • Last Bond movie directed by John Glen.
  • The closing credits song "If You Asked Me To", sung by Patti LaBelle, was featured on the B-side of the main title song's 45 rpm single, and became an unexpected minor hit. The LaBelle song charted in a Rhythm and Blues Top Ten, and was later sung in a cover version by Céline Dion, where it became an even bigger hit.
  • This is the third James Bond movie to use story elements from Ian Fleming's James Bond novel "Live And Let Die" (1954), the others being "Live and Let Die (1973)" and "For Your Eyes Only (1981)."
  • Gladys Knight's title song is the longest of all the Bond songs. In the UK, it peaked at the number six position on the charts. As a Christian soul singer, Knight apparently objected to having to sing a song with the word "kill" in it, but eventually, she conceded. The song is apparently based on the "horn line" from the Goldfinger (1964) title song and consequently royalty payments were allegedly made to relevant personnel. The music video of this song was directed by Daniel Kleinman, who succeeded Maurice Binder as title designer on GoldenEye (1995).
  • First James Bond movie to include tobacco warnings in its closing credits. This was in the form of a United States Surgeon General warning. Smoking of tobacco, cigarettes, and cigars occurs in numerous Bond movies, and this is the only one of them to include a health warning. The film featured product placement of the Philip Morris Company's Lark cigarettes.
  • This is the only James Bond film not to mention the name of the song or its artist in the opening credits sequence.
  • John Rhys-Davies was offered a cameo role as General Pushkin, but declined the offer, as he was filming Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
  • Re-united Robert Davi and Grand L. Bush, one year after they played FBI Agents Big Johnson and Little Johnson, respectively, in Die Hard (1988). As well as for composer Michael Kamen, who scored Die Hard (1988) and this movie.
  • David Hedison became the first actor to play the role of Felix Leiter for a second time, having previously played the part in Live and Let Die (1973). Jeffrey Wright made multiple appearances as Felix in the Daniel Craig James Bond movies.
  • Pam's pistol of choice is a .25 caliber Beretta. This was James Bond's favored gun in the books, until "Doctor No", where it's replaced with the Walther PPK. In Dr. No (1962), his Beretta was criticized as a lady's gun.
  • The only time to date that James Bond orders a Budweiser (with a lime, at the Barrelhead)
  • The mini sub seen in this film is an updated version of the one used in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), called the Shark Hunter II.
  • The MI6/Universal Exports building exterior, used in this film, Octopussy (1983), A View to a Kill (1985), and The Living Daylights (1987), is the old War Offices near Westminster. It is close to other Bond filming locations, including the College of Arms (used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)), Westminster tube station exit (used in Skyfall (2012)), and Westminster Bridge (used in The World is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002), and Spectre (2015)).
  • Live and Let Die (1973) was the first James Bond movie to feature the word "die", or a variation of it, in the movie's title. Later films in the official film franchise would be called Die Another Day (2002) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997). The theme song for Quantum of Solace (2008), by Alicia Keys and Jack White, was called "Another Way To Die", and Licence to Kill (1989) referenced death, as did Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill" (1960). Many of the post-Fleming James Bond novels have had titles that have referenced fatality. These include "Win, Lose, or Die" (1989), "High Time to Kill" (1999), "The Facts of Death" (1998), "Trigger Mortis" (2015), "Nobody Lives for Ever" (1986), and "Never Dream of Dying" (2001). Moreover, "Double or Die" (2007) and "A Hard Man to Kill" (2009) are the names of a Young James Bond novel and short story, respectively.
  • First Bond film since The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) not to have Geoffrey Keen (as Defence Minister Frederick Gray) or Walter Gotell (as General Gogol).
  • Diane Hsu's debut.
  • This was Robert Brown's final film before his death on November 11, 2003, at the age of eighty-two.
  • At one point, Lea Thompson was considered for the role of Pam Bouiver, but she turned down in order to allow her to star in Back to the Future Part II (1989) and Back to the Future Part III (1990).
  • This film would have been the first of two movies with Timothy Dalton and Frank McRae had Dalton been kept on as Benedict in Last Action Hero (1993). However, the role went to Charles Dance.
  • In Robert Davi's earlier film, The Goonies (1985), Data (Jonathan Ke Quan) had "007" inscribed on his belt.

Connections[]

Follows[]

Followed by[]

References[]

  • Dr. No (1962) - When Bond and Pam Bouvier escape in a boat, the gas tank is punctured, leading to Bouvier saying "Out of Gas. I haven't heard that one in a long time." At the end of the first EON Bond film, Dr. No, Bond and Honey Rider escape in a boat, but, as Bond remarks, they run out of gas.
  • On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - In 'Licence to Kill', Felix Leiter mentions James Bond being married once. This is a reference to Bond's brief marriage to Teresa di Vicenzo (Tracy) in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'.
  • The Godfather (1972) - As Sanchez feeds Leiter to the shark, he says, "This is nothing personal. It's purely business."
  • The Living Daylights (1987) - Both movies have a similar shot of James Bond looking through a sniper scope and opening the eye that is not behind the scope in surprise as he recognises someone.

Referenced in[]

  • Gladys Knight: Licence to Kill (1989) (Music Video) - Title song music video for this James Bond movie.
  • Patti LaBelle: If You Asked Me To (1989) (Music Video) - Closing titles song music video for this James Bond movie.
  • Cheers: License to Hill (1992) (TV Episode) - title reference
  • Last Action Hero (1993) - Danny's Mom tells him his "licence to kill" has expired.
  • True Lies (1994)
  • Meet the Parents (2000)
  • Spy Kids (2001)
  • The Transporter (2002) - The finale involving dropping a man from a plane onto a tanker truck to stop a shipment of illegal goods directly references the Bond film Licence to Kill (1989)
  • Die Another Day (2002) - The plot idea of Bond going renegade, although this time it is less through choice. M rescinds Bond's licence to kill. Bond uses a rifle as a sniper. When Bond disarms the Chinese "masseuse", she has her weapon concealed in exactly the same fashion as Pam Bouvier. A projectile misses Bond's car when it passes underneath. The hanging yellow laser controller in Kil's lab is the same as the one that operates the trap door over the shark tank in Krest's warehouse. Bond puts the Alvarez Clinic ticket inside his right jacket pocket, and later pulls it out of the left one. In 'Licence to Kill' (1989), Bond puts his airplane ticket first into his inner left jacket pocket, only to inexplicably remove it later on from his inner right jacket pocket.
  • Agent Cody Banks (2003)
  • Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003) - Timothy Dalton as a 007-esque spy
  • Hot Fuzz (2007) - Edgar Wright's unofficial tradition of casting actors from the James Bond films in key roles - Timothy Dalton.
  • Skyfall (2012) - The palm-print signature Walther PPK that Q issues to Bond is a throwback to the Signature Rifle Bond uses in Licence to Kill.
  • The Lego Movie (2014) - Uses a variation of the line "It's nothing personal, it's purely business."
  • Spectre (2015) - James Bond acting as a rogue agent; Mexico location; James Bond is suspended from duty; James Bond and Estrella in 'Spectre' (2015) ride in the very same elevator as James Bond and Pam Bouvier did in the same hotel (the Gran Hotel de la Ciudad de Mexico) in 'Licence to Kill'.
  • No Time to Die (2021) - A portrait of the former M played by Robert Brown hangs in the MI6 office. The Felix Leiter character dies or is killed. In 'Licence to Kill' (1989), Della Churchill (Priscilla Barnes) married Felix Leiter (David Hedison), then soon after, Della Leiter was murdered by Sanchez (Robert Davi).

Featured in[]

  • Top of the Pops: Episode dated 6 July 1989 (1989) (TV Episode) - Gladys Knight's music video, featuring movie clips, is shown.

Spoofed in[]

  • Team America: World Police (2004) - Bad guy feeds the good guy to his pet shark.

Crazy Credits[]

  • The Surgeon General's warning appears at the end credits, due to the characters' use of tobacco products.
  • At the tail end of the credits: "James Bond Will Return"
  • One credit reads "Jewellery by Sheila Goldfinger". This is quite a fitting credit for a James Bond picture, as "Goldfinger" was the title of the third Bond film, the surname of its main villain, and the title of the Ian Fleming novel that inspired it.
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