Licence to Kill

After a close friend is viciously attacked, British agent James Bond (Timothy Dalton) resigns from MI6 and sets out for revenge on the Central American drug dealer (Robert Davi) responsible.

License to Kill, the sixteenth—and final for star Timothy Dalton—entry in the long-running James Bond franchise was a film ahead of its time. Nearly twenty years before Daniel Craig would star as a dark, driven Bond in the franchise reboot Casino Royale, Timothy Dalton did it here.

Unfortunately, audiences weren’t ready for it. Still used to the loveable rogue persona and soft comedy of the Roger Moore era, Dalton’s performance was a sharp turn that left many filmgoers cold. It’s a shame as he really comes into his own here; giving a take on Bond that fits him well.

That said, the film does have its flaws. Like the prior installment, The Living Daylights, this one goes on too long and fails to maintain a steady stream of tension. Further, for a film that tries to be gritty and realistic, the climactic sequence involving a tanker truck is just plain ridiculous. Though the film may try to break out of the established Bond formula, old habits die hard.

Thus, License to Kill is something of a tricky recommendation. Fans of the newer films will find this a good transition to the campier fare of Roger Moore and Sean Connery, but the fact remains that this type of Bond has now been done better by Craig.

Finally, watch for a very young Benicio Del Toro as one of Robert Davi’s henchmen. Who would have thought, watching him in this movie, that he’d go on to win an Oscar twelve years later?