1987’s The Living Daylights did far better than 1985’s A View To A Kill at the box office so it is no wonder we got another Timothy Dalton James Bond movie so quickly. However, there was a steep decline at the box office for 1989’s Licence to Kill and this would see the James Bond franchise lay dormant until Pierce Brosnan would revive it with 1995’s GoldenEye. However, the movie did do pretty well with movie critics.
How to Download Licence to Kill
Licence to Kill was released on 10 July 1989. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review
The behind the scenes stuff with Licence to Kill is truly fascinating stuff and this movie really was the end of an era. This would be the second and last time Timothy Dalton would play the role of Bond. As well as this, John Glen would be behind the camera for the fifth and final time. Plus, Robert Brown would make this his last appearance as M and Caroline Bliss would have her last appearance as Miss Moneypenny here too.
A Darker, Grittier James Bond
Much like The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill is a darker and more serious kind of Bond movie, and the main theme here is revenge! Bond is out for blood when a big-time drug lord called Franz Sanchez kills his friend and his wife just after they have gotten married. Franz Sanchez is a ruthless killer and will do anything to keep his drug empire alive.
The thing is, Bond and his murdered friend, Felix were very close so Bond will stop at nothing to make Franz pay. Bond even quits the MI6 and goes this one alone, making him more dangerous and ruthless than he ever has been before. Licence to Kill is just a really fun and badass action movie from start to end.
Action-Packed From Start to Finish
It has one of the most over the top opening scenes of all time! We see Bond and Felix stop Franz as they are on the way to the wedding, they kick ass and then parachute into the wedding without skipping a beat. This is so much fun and the movie manages to keep this pretty relentless pace throughout. You know, I would actually say that I do see some similarities here with the classic TV series, Miami Vice if that makes sense as they to me have a similar kind of action.
The Darkest Bond Film Yet
The previous movie did away with the Roger Moore era of having some humor and that is double true for Licence to Kill, I would say that this was probably the darkest Bond movie that we had up to this point. We do have a couple of great Bond girls here though, you could say that Carey Lowell’s Pam is the main one, but my favorite is the stunning Lupe Lamora who is played by Talisa Soto, who you may know better as Kitana from the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie.
Is Licence to Kill Better Than The Living Daylights?
Of course, the big question here is if Licence to Kill is better than The Living Daylights and while I liked The Living Daylights, if I had to pick one of the Timothy Dalton Bond movies to watch, it would be this one. I liked these two more serious and darker James Bond movies, but I do also think it was the right move for the studio to move on after this as the darker tone may not have worked a third time around.
