License to Kill: Is it Dalton's Worst?

[@oswintaylor2905]

Licence to Kill is one of my favourites. Without Dalton there would be no Craig. He was two decades too early for the audiences to fully accept his style.

[@darrensmith6999]

Totally Agree!! well said.

[@smoothsaint8917]

Here, here 👍🏻

[@audiochemical69]

Well said.

[@Slider6294]

Absolutely concur. Dalton brought a gravitas and less camp at a time when action movies were also dominating in the box office. Craig went darker yet in an era of Jason Bourne and they accelerated the action and eliminated the humor and, well, joy (for me, anyhow) to some extent. Dalton is finally getting legit love as Bond years after the fact, and I'm glad he is as he's worthy of it.

[@klaudiagrob]

I like how Dalton did it though.

[@DS-ff6ze]

Dalton has no worst. He has 2 good films.

[@KalEl290]

He has two pretty goods, both of which are held back by his lack of charm. Not humour, but charm - he’s just not enjoyable to watch, even though the films around him are good; and he’s got no chemistry with any of his Bond girls.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

The Living Daylights is middle of the road. Licence To Kill is decent and definitely marred by it's low rent production value. I am a fan of Dalton himself but neither Bond film is my favorite.

[@cwilliams6762]

I’m a big fan of LTK not gonna lie; Sanchez is one of the best villains in the series and the story is exceptional: I understand the misgivings about the overall look and cheapness of the film but it never personally bothered me

[@dereklewis4321]

Sanchez and his goones are some of the best villians. Even the sleazy religious dude is great. "God bless your heart"

[@scoobers90]

I SO wish Dalton had gotten to do more movies. This movie shows just how much intensity he can bring, he's like an animal bashing against the bars of its cage. I like the revenge plot, and think Dalton's run has aged better than some of Sir Roger's films.

[@philsmith3261]

It is a pity. Famously only wanted to do one, signed a contract to do three, but decided not to after such a long wait between LTK and Goldeneye. It worked to Pierce Brosnan's advantage in the end.

[@Mr11thDoctor]

Really love this one. For me, it's Dalton's best. Then again, choosing the best from his duology is like choosing Michael Keaton's best Batman movie - it just comes down to personal preference.

[@williamavitt8264]

Case in point: I would say Batman Returns. Most people wouldn't agree, but I really appreciate how Tim Burton Returns is. Tim Burton and Batman are a wonderful marriage

[@KaosNova2]

I found the two Bond Girl dynamic in Licence to Kill a bit more interesting Good-Girl/Bad Girl. Plus the truck chase at the end…

[@joseprendes3056]

Dalton is amazing. I love both the films. I always thought people hated Dalton and I was the only one who cared... then I come to find out that he has a A LOT of fans!

[@davidporter7095]

Can’t knock LTK, here’s why: 1.it’s setting is exotic from a British perspective. 2. Bond is playing a dark role, he is seeking vengeance for one of his closest allies & friend, who was fed to a shark on his honeymoon. 3. He is able to go undercover and infiltrate bc he is in a area HMSS has no ties to. 4. Excellent non- Fleming, yet Fleming like story. Re watching & growing up in FL, this excellently represents the locations & time period

[@pjosepha]

Come on. Preach it friend 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@reservoirfrog1]

LTK is one of the best Bond films PERIOD. He’s one step ahead of the villain the whole time. It’s a stripped down revenge film and the film QoS was trying to be but failed.

[@christhornycroft3686]

The problem with License To Kill wasn't Dalton or the tone. It was the Reaganesque War on Drugs theme. The movie wanted to be an 80s American action film where the bad guy is a drug dealer who does terrible things because he's a drug dealer, so don't do drugs, kids. Well, not those kind of drugs. Do our kind - the prescribed kind that can actually kill you. But Dalton is terrific as usual, even if his haircut screams "we don't know what to do with this kind of character, even though he's been described a bunch of times in Ian Fleming novellas." The problem with Bond films overall since Connery is that rather than being trend setters and being ahead of the curve in terms of what's going on culturally, they're basically just copycats. Wedge Bond into a story we've seen before because that's what's cool today to 13 year old boys. That's how we got the entire Brosnan era and Quantum of Solace. The late 90s looked like a bad Michael Bay impression, parts of the Craig era looked like Jason Bourne with some Roger Moore thrown in if you have a problem with tonal consistency, the Dalton era succumbed to 80s American action movies and the Roger Moore era with few exceptions was a goofy period where people wanted the equivalent of a Bugs Bunny and Tweety cartoon where nobody really gets hurts and reality isn't a thing. License To Kill should have been a tremendous, original movie with Bond going rogue, but between a badly casted and developed Felix Leiter, tonal inconsistencies, Wayne Newton, Q for comic relief, and bad 80s drug cliches, it's kind of a mess. And honestly, if you're making a bad-ass James Bond movie, don't write a theme that sounds like a late 80s-early 90s pop/love ballad. Bond is angry. There should be some of that in the song.

[@cadejust6777]

3. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNo

[@jebiniv]

Some of the crew of the film has come out years later saying they have ZERO apologies for this movie. They truly felt it was one of their best works. And I agree, it's a groundbreaking hardcore bond that audiences used to more than ten years of Moore's Bond just weren't ready for. It makes more sense after seeing Craig era movies, but honestly I loved this movie even before the Craig's outing.

[@gelchert]

Apparently, it was John Glen’s favorite of all the ones he directed.

[@grantcurran9279]

It’s not Timothy think the film let him down, dalton still delivered a brilliant performance as bond, action seens were excellent, agree Living daylights is much better and in fact is my favourite bond film

[@jmcajr1978]

My two cents on the subject. Dalton has no bad movies.

[@EthanKnight97]

LTK is definitely Dalton's best, it may not the prettiest but what makes it great is it's story and Dalton's performance. Unlike The Living Daylights which I wouldn't say is a bad film but suffers from a convoluted story and some of the weakest and unmemorable villains in the series. With License to Kill the villain that was relevant to the time with the drug baraons (although it has been already done to death by other movies but a first for Bond) But the film was not about drugs, it's about revenge and loyalty, a villain who's three dimensional and intimidating, and both Davi and Dalton and the movie went back to Fleming, which I really appreciate With Bond going rougue was a radical change at the time and does it far better then whenever Daniel Craig's Bond does it, which is something I'm now tired of seeing The stunts, especially the tanker climax is fantastic and felt satisfying. Some issues with it such as performances of the henchmen and while Cary Lowell is great, Tulisa Soto, not so. Also the film does suffer for its cheap look. Other than that, LTK is in my opinion the most underrated Bond film and Dalton is my second favourite Bond.

[@TCFan30]

Yes the 'rogue' Craig aspect has worn very thin, even before he finished QofS. He plays the rogue part a bit too seamlessly without any real believable underlying emotion. You could see Dalton was pushed to the limits and was on the verge of cracking before pulling himself back together. Craig just didn't seem to convey the personal struggles he was facing as well, and made him feel one dimensional! I mean we get the Vesper revenge motive BS, but ultimately she betrayed him and the bitch is dead. Her death didn't garner any sympathy or emotions from me at all, and watching her die felt rather theatrical like something from a Romeo and Juliet play. In fact I felt a bit more emotional when he had to dump his friend Mathis after he was killed.

[@kurtcobain7886]

Who is your favourite

[@EthanKnight97]

@@kurtcobain7886 Connery of course

[@kurtcobain7886]

@@EthanKnight97 fair enough personally Brosnan is my favourite and dalton is second

[@CDubya.82]

“Chasing the trends of the time” has been a bond movie trait for many many years.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

This one really is obvious. In some ways it works. In others it’s distracting and feels less uniquely Bond.

[@DieHardAlien]

@@Gamingnstuff131 *cough* QOS *cough*

[@dashtoroya2838]

Yeah Roger Moore's bond started it

[@matthewpayne6122]

I know people want to criticize this movie because the main villain is a drug dealer . But to those people I would say have you seen Live and Let Die that Bond movie also had a villain that was a drug dealer and that whole scene where Felix Lighter had his legs chewed off by a shark was from the Live and Let Die novel.

[@Edax_Royeaux]

In Goldeneye, 006 is nothing more than a bank robber.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

Matthew Payne I have no issue with that. I actually enjoyed how they did a much better adaptation of LALD than the daft Roger Moore one. I did see where they were going with a nightmare grounded in reality approach. I know I’m in relatively smaller group when I say this but I actually enjoyed QOS. They did a pretty good job with a nightmare grounded in reality approach while also touching on subjects like childhood trauma, revenge and it’s consequences and it furthered Craig’s character arc along where he becomes more of a refined blunt instrument and less of a reckless agent. Both these movies do a much better job than TND that also tried to do a nightmare grounded in reality approach but failed and came across more like a winking self parody of the series and a satire of Rupert Murdoch. The issue i had with LTK was with the tone not being consistent enough and the writing being spotty in areas. I feel for the first half of the movie they did a pretty good job with the tone and keeping the plot moving and more engaging. It wasn’t perfect but no movie in this series or any series is. It was pretty good in general. It’s the second half that drags more than it needed to and the questionable choices kicked in, like Q and his daft gadgets going against the more dark tone and a kitschy televangelist with a daft meditation institute. They also crammed a lot of traditional Bond tropes in whether they worked or not. The secondary characters key to the plot felt generally under written and there some really plot convenient moments like having Dario absent for a long period until they needed him to show up to finger Bond as a spy. If the tone were kept more consistent and the pacing were better with better direction writing and production values this movie could’ve been much better. As it stands, at it’s core is a great movie with enough entertainment value but it’s lacking in a more consistent execution that holds it back.

[@eazye619]

License to Kill is a great Bond movie and Dalton is a great Bond

[@thisiswhereweare9006]

Licence to Kill is the best EVER Bond IMO! What's not to like? 1. Great pre-title sequence. 2. Darker plot which is hyper-realistic. 3. Q's finest outing. 4. 2 amazing Bond girls 5. Brilliant villains with Robert Davi and Benecio del Toro. 6. Great action sequences with the underwater-waterski-plane hijack one of the finest of the series. 7. Dalton gives a great performance. Totally hard and believable. 8. Enemy HQ destroyed at the end, Tanker chase is sublime. 9. Locations are bright and beautiful. 10. Michael Kamen's sublime soundtrack. 11. Bond back in a casino. 12. He disagreed with something that ate him. 13. Bless your heart...

[@kurtcobain7886]

I agree but in my opinion it’s my second favourite bond film

[@pr-tj5by]

Tbh It's one of my least favorites

[@charleroi66]

Im SO glad you picked out the bizarre happy ending to this movie. Everytime i hear someone says this film is gritty and dark i point out that out to them.

[@CRITTERBUSTERS]

IMO LTK is the superior dalton film period. TLD has a nicer production, but if you want weak villains you can’t get any weaker than Koskov and Whittaker, no threat and not enough screen time to care for them. The Plot to TLD starts off good, but ultimately makes little sense in the second half. Licence to Kill aimed to be serious and got it right 90% of the time, Sanchez is a great villain, Dario is a creepy henchman, the story is simple and straightforward and never gets you lost. Michael Kamens soundtrack suits the grim tone and Q is awesome. The film has its flaws, some of the supporting cast isn’t the best, some of the direction is sloppy in some parts, the production design I think is uneven, the art direction at Sanchez’s mansion and the finale with the trucks is incredible, but the stuff on the ship is pretty TV Movie looking. But overall this is Daltons Best, and I love the song by Gladys knight

[@seanstoutgamer]

I LOVE THIS BOND FILM!!!!!!!!

[@herculepoirot1916]

Licence To Kill is an incredible action thriller. Its raw and realistic. I think it would've worked better had it been less awkwardly edited and with more Bondian flavour to it. Dalton would've done well with a little more Bond theme score playing while he performed those incredible stunts and fight scenes. Love the movie. But I agree they couldve done a better job with the concept of a revenge drama.

[@billa107]

I think Dalton’s movies were ahead of their time. Thinking back, it was TWELVE years of Moore. Of camp, of tongue-in-cheek humor, of fantastical plots and exotic locals. Dalton’s movies were grounded and serious spy thrillers immediately after Moore’s departure. I’ve always felt that if there was a wait or short pause before Timothy Dalton took over, we would’ve had more films and a better acceptance of his films at that time.

[@johnrigs6540]

This is one of those Bonds that ,while it has lots of cool moments,is just too “1980s”! It often feels like a big budget Miami Vice with Bond battling a watered down Tony Montana and a bunch of drug dealers. However,the action sequences are exciting,Sanchez is still an excellent villain and Dalton is just great as 007. Overall though,I think the film is definitely weaker than TLD but strangely enough,Daltons performance and that “going rogue” element has been a much bigger influence on the Craig era than any others.... Maybe that’s why we are all hoping for a return in Bond 25 to more of a “Classic” James Bond adventure...maybe even with some gadgets and humor!

[@markwatson8051]

Robert Davi's Sanchez ranks as one of the most chilling villains in the Bond franchise. Underrated.

[@jdizzlepizzle1]

Definitely not his worst. Dalton was a brilliant Bond, way ahead of his time. I think had he been given a couple more movies he would be held in higher regard. The rating is what damaged LTK at the box office. It's a solid action movie that took a grittier stance and more believable villain and grounded itself with a straightforward revenge story. The little touches of sound design and action set pieces throughout make this a good entry in the Bond universe and one of my favourites. Long live T Dalt!

[@donaldmcauliffe7653]

This was a very good james bond movie he played james bond the way the books do. I give the movie three stars

[@Psydrre]

Oh my gosh, David's "This isn't a country club, 007" 😅 I love it.

[@liquidgeorge]

LTK is a brilliant film! But it is not as good as TLD so I supposed it has to be classed as the worst!

[@yourkingreturns]

The way Sanchez dies is like, half of why I like this movie so much, but maybe that's why I like the Craig era so much. This movie is very much their predecessors

[@matthewpayne6122]

Is this movie perfect no but compared to Sean Connery’s last official Bond movie Diamonds are Forever , Rodger Moore’s last Bond movie A view to a Kill and Pierce Brosnan’s last Bond movie Die Another Day it’s a lot better than those movies.

[@TCFan30]

@@4gegtyreeyuyeddffvyt The lack of likes on your end tells a different story

[@Gamingnstuff131]

It’s a decent entry. Like TLD, it’s held back in certain ways that prevent it from being in most people’s top ten Bond movies. Some rank LTK as bad but I disagree. It’s again average. If they went more in on the darker tone they were aiming for with better production values and better casting it could’ve worked extremely well.

[@pr-tj5by]

@@TCFan30 I agree, it's poor, probably my least fav alongside DAF

[@infinitemania8195]

The gadgets from Q where very smart, Q had to look like he was on holiday when taking them through customs so disguising them as items you would generally pack on holiday was very smart in my opinion

[@thisiswhereweare9006]

The laser camera (which X-rayed photos!) was a bit silly though. Still, I can forgive this film anything.

[@alanstein3394]

“You earned it, you keep it, old buddy!” Dalton’s best moment as Bond.

[@Chopperwocky]

Love LTK but you guys are right about Felix at the end, he looks really cheerful for a guy who just lost his wife.

[@chrisjohnson8033]

I too have found Licence To Kill has grown on me over the years. It was not well received by critics or audiences back in 89. It didn't help that it came out the same summer as Tim Burton's Batman & Last Crusade (Indiana Jones). Bond just seemed less relevant that summer. There was not much of a buzz around this film. It's certainly grown in popularity since & regarded as one of the best in some circles. While the film has certainly grown on me over the years in no way have I ever considered it anywhere near the quality of The Living Daylights. One of my favourite Bond films ever. I think it's the best Bond film from the 80s followed by For Your Eyes Only.

[@housequakeb6866]

I always felt that LTK had a great plot but it was just executed very badly. I agree the TLD is an underrated film.

[@darrensmith6999]

To me Timothy Dalton was the best and my favourite Bond . My personal reason for this is because he is most like the Bond in the Fleming novels , when i read a James Bond novel i see Timothy Dalton. On getting the part of 007 Dalton immediately read all of Ian Flemings books and based his characterisation on the man in the books. A friend and i were having a discussion about this some years ago and he put it this way , " Timothy Dalton is the best Bond but had some of the worst movies" and i probably agree with that, to ad credence to my point imagine if Dalton had made On her majesty s secret service or You only live twice i think he would have been amazing with his acting depth. As to whether Licence to kill is worse than Living Daylights i cant make a judgement they are both totally different. TLD s is kinda like a Roger Moore movie adapted for Dalton LTK is a new harder direction that would be i think a kinda prototype movie and would lead eventually to the Craig era of harder edged movies. LTK dose not have the polish of its predecessor i probably think that this was due to the fact it was made at Churubusco studios in Mexico and not Pinewood Britain, for me the clunky est part of the film in terms of poor editing is were Bond jumps into the Tractor unit of a tanker then there is an editing jump and it drives off owtch!!! I do agree with you guys on most of the things you said great work keep it up. Darren.

[@randallrutherford1384]

What is your opinion of Daniel Craig in regards to being close to the characterization of Bond from the novels?

[@darrensmith6999]

@@randallrutherford1384 I think Daniel Craig is excellent in the roll, tough resourceful blunt instrument of government as Fleming once described him. I dont suppose it matters but he dose not quite fit the description of Bond , Black hair and green eyes but you cant have everything. I dont think craig has Daltons acting range but he I certainly better in the action scenes. I only wish that during his tenure the had given him a stand alone movie instead of the spectre ark that they all have its getting a bit boring now. But hey that's only my opinion. Darren.

[@randallrutherford1384]

@@darrensmith6999 Thanks so much for your response! Good stuff 😃

[@pr-tj5by]

@@darrensmith6999 Yeah I have a real problem connecting with Dalton and Craig as Bond

[@pr-tj5by]

@@randallrutherford1384 Both actors to me portray the Bond of the novels, it's just not my type of Bond

[@anthonycusack9289]

I really like elements from both Dalton films, but I do find TLD the more enjoyable of the two.

[@FullSpecs]

Outside of the Craig films the Dalton ones are my favorite. Thought he epitomized the Flemming model. Nope wasn't as much fun but felt he brought real world depth to the character. License to Kill also happens to be my favorite of the pre-Craig films. (Exception would be to lump SPECTRE in with OHMSS)

[@joseprendes3056]

FullSpecs He was very Fleming-esque! Loved him.

[@pr-tj5by]

FullSpecs, I'll take the Classic Bonds of Brosnan and Moore all day long, I prefer the Iconic Bond over the Bond of the books

[@tommythunder99]

Funny how we all have our own opinions on these movies. I just love Licence to kill and it’s gotta be in my top 3. Dalton was an amazing Bond and it’s a shame he did only two movies.

[@Goldmember1208]

I prefer the Living Daylights over LTK but I like this movie too, the one where the deaths are the most awful probably . Bond going rogue BUT also he infiltrates the organisation and takes it apart, for once he's being a spy and doesn't blow his cover on purpose after 3 minutes . It's true Sanchez is not a big threat compared to the classic Bond vilain even if he's scary. But I think like for Live and Let Die, if you had shot one or two scenes explaining the disaster of the drugs in the streets (insecurity, health problem, money problem etc.) it could have added some stakes to Bond's mission.

[@elliotness11]

This movie came at the wrong time, underrated

[@vincentlim348]

LTK was an underrated gem imo... It was ahead of its time. This film paved way for Craig's tenure for years to come...

[@dtuk22]

I'm already geared up for the "Die Another Day" review. I always liked LTK, Its certainly one of the more original and better films in the series, sure its not perfect but neither is OHMSS( Another great JB movie) Its a shame LTK wasn't celebrated this year for its 30th anniversary.

[@joseprendes3056]

DT uk the originality is what I loved!

[@Gamingnstuff131]

DT uk LTK may not be as good in general as the Craig movies or TLD but it’s better than the bulk of the Pierce Brosnan Bond movies and better objectively than most of the Roger Moore Bond movies. OHMSS was actually a great movie worthy of being in the top 10 Bond movies but yes it isn’t perfect and is more toward the bottom of top 10 mainly because they didn’t do much with the plot element of Tracy’s death as they should’ve being they went years without acknowledging it and couldn’t do anything directly involving Blofeld or Spectre. Irma Bundt was tied to Spectre so they couldn’t even do anything with her. That Kevin McLory legal stuff was such a thorn in the series’s side for so many years in more ways than Blofeld and Spectre rights. The best they did with tying up the plot element of Tracy’s death was that daft RC helicopter bit at the beginning of FYEO with not Blofeld and the occasional mention of Tracy.

[@dtuk22]

@@Gamingnstuff131 Yeah the Brosnan Movies are strange. There like luke warm water. Neither good nor bad. kinda bland but still watchable. & imo Brosnan isn't the reason he puts in a fine performance. In DAD he's playing it straight & all the other cast are hamming it up! A good performance in a poor movie. I wonder how the Dalton era would have progressed with same level of production and media attention as the movies before & after he's time. The Craig movies are so well polished & produced...but he's Bond has always been a 'rogue' agent its a bit repetitive.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

DT uk well put! I’m sure the Dalton movies would have gotten better. However he wouldn’t have been in them too much longer. He was only interested in sticking with the series for max 3 movies. He even signed a 3 film contract that was valid until 1994. He quit because it expired. Like Craig, he feared type casting and felt it wasn’t too challenging for him compared to other roles that demanded more effort like Shakesphere would. A shame because he was really great in it. So even if Property Of A Lady were made it would’ve been his last. Although from what I’ve read about it, it was better than TLD and definitely better than LTK. It was more of a blend of what worked from both movies like most third movies in the series do. That’s why they’re usually fan favorites, with the exception of TWINE because many fans aren’t big on that one. POAL later became Goldeneye due to the long hiatus and how back then people were accustomed to these movies being cranked out so often. Now 5-6 years isn’t that unheard of. It’s probably why it’s typically considered Pierce’s best. Dalton chose to pass the role to Pierce because he would’ve had to be in several more movies and he was nearing 50 at the time. He also stated he didn’t want to follow the mistake Roger Moore made of starring in Bond movies well into his 50s. Smart man. For me personally, I see how much more tailored it’s more personal story was tailored to Dalton than Brosnan. The more formulaic elements and silliness were added to suit Brosnan better as he’s not as intense an actor. Probably why tonally it’s the most consistent of the Brosnan films. The rest weren’t as tonally consistent and brought back many of the worst elements of the Roger Moore movies without anywhere near the charm or originality, DAD being the worst in regard to this. It took itself a little more seriously than it’s daft screenplay could permit. It was trying to be more Dalton like in areas with more of Connery’s suaveness but also trying to emulate the daft Roger Moore stuff. It didn’t mix well. His third movie had potential but much like TND and DAD it followed formula too religiously to feel original and pandered too much to expectations and both took priority over a better written screenplay and better execution of it’s plot.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

DT uk the agent gone rogue stuff in Craig’s movies has been done to death. His movies also took too much Tim Burton influence later with the melodramatic family drama stuff. Same with him retiring. 1-2 times was the most they could have him retire before it got old. After that it becomes predictable and cliche. Hopefully they’ll get away from constantly doing personally motivated plots and add variety in the plots in the next movies. Like having more plots like TLD where it has more to do with other agents being killed and Bond investigating why or Bond stopping techno terrorists and megalomaniacal business men who are planning to kill millions to profit off something like platinum or a certain stock that aren’t personally motivated. Now that they have the rights to Spectre back they can do plots where Bond has to foil their nefarious schemes that isnt a master plan years in the making to make his life miserable. More a plan like holding governments hostage to pardon war crimes or hold a WMD hostage for a huge payout or stopping a hostile takeover of a government facility being carried out by a terrorist organization. Something more on those terms. We don’t need more daddy issues or anything like that.

[@Craigmt12]

Great debate as always. I love this film and it’s darker tones. One of the last older Bond films I got round to watching. I think it’s a nice change for the series, obviously the box office figures don’t agree.

[@Plally06]

This is great, the ‘Between Two Cardigans’ series of Bond reviews! Love the discussion on LTK. While never a favourite of mine, I still like it.

[@Beingjamesbond]

I LOVE THIS! Hahah!

[@jasonhebedead1710]

LTK is not just Dalton's best it's his best by far. Daylights is good enough. But it still feels kinda like a hold over Roger Moore era film to me.

[@taylorcostello4129]

19:48 David, I believe that the weird edits of Sanchez's death scene is result of the censors. The British censors initially gave LTK essentially an R rating with all the violence. There's a lot of minor details that are lingered on, like Milton Krest's head exploding in the compression tank and Sanchez withering about while on fire, which were excised in the final edit to achieve the PG-13 rating.

[@kb9072]

Dalton made 2 really good movies. Loved his serious take on Bond. I wish the script was even more serious. The lazer cutting the Police car and the winterisation of the Aston is nonsense I could have done without. After the silliness of Moore's films it was a breath of fresh air to have a hard, moody, tough Bond. As for The Living Daylights you can't have a revenge story without the darker tone to the film. Only Dalton could pull this film off. Just imagine Moore doing this script.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

I personally have trouble deciding which of the Dalton Bond movies was best. They both are equally matched in their positives and negatives. It’s much easier with the other actors aside from Lazenby because they have a variety of movies to make a better judgement with.

[@pmgodfrey5203]

I read somewhere that Tim thought that his (putative) third film should take the best elements of both and combine them. If so, the result SHOULD have been the best Bond ever. What might have been... I don't know whether to be more sad that we never got it, or pleased for him that, unlike most of the others, he never outstayed his welcome.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

pm godfrey I imagine based on the plot description it was more similar to what they did with Skyfall only more similar to the basic plot of Goldeneye. That would’ve been stellar. But he never got an outright terrible film as his swansong so that’s always good.

[@anthonyguiness9]

The ending of LTK had so many different cuts because of age ratings, etc. The long/ uncut ending is much better than the short one.

[@youdontknowjack6682]

I’ve been binging this channel lately - Bond was my 2 A levels essays, BA dissertation which was published, then MA dissertation. You give me new ideas to mull over.

[@jjrj8568]

Dalton doesn't have a "worst" Bond film; he made just two Bond films in the late '80s that were better than any Bond film of the 1971-1985 era; simple as that

[@renekauts8323]

Well, 1971& 1973&1974 were really weak movies, I agree. But 1977& 1979 were great movies! Of courrse, hugely fantastical but very-very entertaining and gorgeous looking movies! Egypt/Italy in TSWLM and Italy/Brazil in Moonraker: PURE EYE CANDY!!! I love Roger Moore! *** Now... Timothy Dalton was a great Bond! There is no doubt about it! TLD(1987) is the best James Bond film ever! LTK(1989) is a good revenge movie, however not so great as TLD to me. Maybe because it feels like "Miami Vice: The Movie"? It is too American... TLD feels and looks better, it's more glamorous and it's a true classic Cold War James Bond!

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I love Dalton but there's NO WAY that either of his Bonds are superior to the fine The Spy Who Loved Me.

[@tyleredwards1449]

this was my first Dalton movie, and i enjoyed it a great deal, i eventually saw Living Daylights about a year or so ago and i found that lacking to License to Kill.

[@shaney7346]

I enjoy both of Daltons films and like how there are very different from each other, still think hes totally unappreciated as Bond especially today as Lazenby and OHMSS seem to get love now when i still rate him as the worst. One thing im happy im not the only one that thinks the Bond Della smooching it a bit errrrr whats going on!

[@TCFan30]

Shame they didn't talk about the rather cringey and campy ending where he jumps into the pool wearing his tuxedo and pulls Pam into the water followed by the stupid blinking fish eye statue...Other than that I standby the LTK supporters on this one. It didn't bore the Living Daylights out of me one bit.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

That was an odd way to end such a generally serious movie. Bond even gets rehired no problem despite going rogue, abandoning his country and for unsanctioned killing. Oh no. M may have a job for him. M should in reality be sending a team of commandos to capture him for betraying MI6 and the British government. Oh and they forgot to mention that Bond ends up foiling the Hong Kong narcotics devision’s plan to bring down Sanchez. A plan they were meticulously planning for years and one they almost succeeded with. They end up being killed so Bond could have his revenge spree. That was actually disheartening and it puts Bond into an extremely negative light more than it should have. I get that Bond is supposed to be morally ambiguous and primarily in Her Majersties Secret Service as a way to distract from his inner demons but this was too much. Also why would he quit MI6 if he needs it to distract from his inner demons? Why risk his coping strategy being jeopardized to avenge the death of such a minor character? This is a betrayal of the character Dalton is supposed to be depicting. Felix didn’t even die. He’s practically over Della’s death within a few days. Bond is too. It makes the vendetta angle not hold up as well as it should’ve. Quantum Of Solace gets lots of criticism but it executes a vendetta plot extremely well with a more realistic ending for one. No neat bow or winking fish statues. I felt more for Bond in that movie upon recently rewatching it than I do for Bond in LTK. Craig certainly does a much better job with the take on Bond Dalton got started.

[@pmgodfrey5203]

@@Gamingnstuff131 Yes, when you analyse it there are some serious moral ambiguities throughout this film, culminating in the flippant ending and, given Della's death, the callous presentation of Leiter. But I don't think Bond is unaffected. In one of the deleted scenes, watching TV in his hotel room he is holding both the lighter and Della's garter which he is clearly keeping as a momento of a friend, in spite of having been reminded of his own wife when Della gave it to him. It reinforces the vengeance motive at this point and the scene is one of those 'character moments' that were lost when certain scenes were deleted. From the dramatic point of view, the savagery he is involved in gives TD/Bond great opportunities to reflect on what he's done. Two instances: after he attacks Pam in the bedroom for what he thinks SHE's done and is put straight by her, he realises how he's messed up; and the wonderfully expressive passage immediately after he kills Sanchez. Acting at the highest level. I am prepared to turn a blind eye to moral ambiguities to get drama of this standard (and how many people notice the problem in the course of the film?). After all, it's only a story.

[@Gamingnstuff131]

pm godfrey they should’ve honestly left those scenes in. They are so pivotal to the story. Ditching them makes it harder for most to understand the characters motivations. I get they wanted it to run a little shorter but these are important to the plot which is such a focus of the movie. There were extraneous things in other areas that could’ve been shortened like the initial stuff on Krest’s ship between when he got on the boat and when he got into the bedroom, the lead up to the roof top across from Sanchez’s windows could’ve been condensed and they could’ve omitted the throw away gags for the average cut like the explosive alarm clock. Things like these could’ve made the deleted scenes as they weren’t too crucial to the story. The cut most people see is the theatrical cut. Honestly, they should release the directors cuts of all the movies with the deleted scenes intact. As for it being a story, I get what you’re saying. However it’s such a story heavy movie that it needs to be done well for it too all work. The ending seemed to not work regardless. John Glen got too carried away with explosions in the desert and a high speed truck chase he must’ve forgot to make sure he ended the movie right. The moral code stuff that wasn’t well written like the Hong Kong narcotics members dying and having their long time in the making plan to bring down Sanchez because Bond had to have his revenge is hard to defend. Especially when he has no consequences for it.

[@pmgodfrey5203]

@@Gamingnstuff131 The more I watch this film, the more I think the deleted scenes should be in. We definitely need a director's cut. I remember how, when I first saw the d.c. of Milos Forman's Amadeus, I suddenly understood for the first time the motivation of Mozart's wife behind her hatred and distrust of Salieri. (I presume it was cut in the first place because of the sexual element.) If people understand what a d.c. is, I don't even think it's necessary to make other cuts to save time. To return to the morality issue, I think we can find extenuating circumstances for Bond himself. He did not know about, or intend to jeopardise, the Hong Kong operation or Pam's arrangement with the stingers. One can assume that, had he known, he would have acted differently; and we would have had a different story. We know from his reaction to Pam's information that he is appalled by what has happened. Likewise, although he (and Pam and Q!) must know that they are setting up Krest to be killed, he could not have foreseen the brutal way in which it was done and, again, his reaction makes his thoughts clear. He may not suffer any professional consequences (however illogical that may be), but I wouldn't like to have his conscience. I have just found this new(ish) review of LTK, which hasn't had many views yet. I liked it because it goes against some commonly held opinions on some matters; also reminded me about the Cary Edwards book which I had heard of, but since forgotten about. I shall order it forthwith. The link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4DXZGmHmcZkeNE

[@thisiswhereweare9006]

@@pmgodfrey5203 Good point about Amadeus' wife. I think they were right to cut it though as it really wasn't necessary. Salieri walking over Mozart's originals was enough.

[@robertadamcik9179]

I have a very hard time being objective on this film because it came out in what was, for me, the amazing summer of '89. I graduated from college, received my USN commission, bought my first car, and shared an apartment with three great guys as we went though our initial Navy training at Surface Warfare Officer School in the summer tourist town of Newport, RI. Add a Bond film with my number one Bond girl Carey Lowell (especially with the short hair cut!), and it made for a great time for me.

[@thisiswhereweare9006]

Me too. Summer of '89 was my coming of age. I don't think that's the main reason LTK is my favourite ever Bond film though. It's a vastly underrated superb thriller with all the Bond ingredients included. My wife loves it as does my daughter.

[@radenxo]

I was honestly a big fan of License to kill. I can say its not necessarily a good bond film but i still enjoyed it and Timothy Dalton was an underated bond for sure

[@Robman0908]

Licence to Kill is one of my favorite of the series. Great film

[@mancal5829]

I like both of TD's films. If anyone is overrated, it's Brosnan. Blandest Bond ever.

[@randallrutherford1384]

Love Brosnan!

[@pr-tj5by]

@@randallrutherford1384 Best Bond ever Brosnan!

[@pr-tj5by]

Mancal, Brosnan was in another league IMO

[@mancal5829]

@@pr-tj5by I understand, he acts well. It may just be that I don't find his films, generally, as standouts in the series.

[@pr-tj5by]

@@mancal5829 it just depends how you look at Bond and it's really interesting how people look at him differently but I'll give you my personal opinion Pierce Brosnan.... Cool and Panache Opportunistic Womanizer Suave Sophisticated Charismatic Charming Playboy Spy Outstanding 1 liner delivery Ticked every box..... Can turn on a dime into the most ruthless killing machine of them all with more individual kills per move than any other Bond including Daniel Craig, just like Timothy Dalton I never felt like Craig's movies were Bond movies though they were good action movies Brosnan managed to do all that despite questionable directors He was The Total Package.....

[@markymark2819]

The Living daylights always felt a bit dated, even at the time, with the KGB defection and so forth already a well worn idea movie wise by 87. Plus TLD tried to show Bond as being a New Man and it was just a bit too Mills & Boon for my liking and the Afganistan scenes in a modern context are very dated. LTK had an edge, a reality that was missing for a long time and Sanchez is a memorable, tough villain devoid of the campy elements of Gert Frobe, Donald Pleasance or Charles Grey. It had some poor moments and some of the characters were miscast but overall I prefer this to TLD. Good theme tune too!

[@Petrospect]

Licence To Kill is Dalton's best by a cocaine fuelled mile

[@TheAdam159]

I love LTK. But I love TLD too. I can't choose between these two

[@pmgodfrey5203]

I like them both the most, depending on what mood I'm in.

[@DanielGarcia-ds4nr]

license to kill is okay .it dosent feel like a bond flim. it feels like a made for miami vice meets scarface tv movie. can't wait for you guys to review Die another day.

[@rocky-o]

i gotta tell ya'...i love the conversation, and some valid points indeed, but 'licence to kill' is my favorite bond movie....i think some part of it has to do with the fact that i hated the silliness of the roger moore movies, so to have a tougher bond show up with a brilliant actor portraying him worked so well for me...it brought back what i loved so much about connery...and 'the living daylights', while good, still had some roger moore aspects to it, since they thought he might reprise his role again...so 'licence to kill' is the one for me....

[@thisiswhereweare9006]

Moore was 58 when he did AVTAK in 1985, his last film. There was no way they could squeeze another film out of him. Moore even joked about it when he visited later Bond sets.

[@denniswhite1317]

LtK was enjoyable and had some great moments and concepts to it, but I never find myself re-watching it very often, whereas I can watch the Living Daylights 24/7. My biggest problem with LtK was the casting. Way too many noticeable actors.& actresses that you had seen a hundred times on tv. It didn't feel fresh. Parts of it felt like a made for tv movie, whereas other parts were brilliant film.

[@WhatsUpFella]

Every Bond film is of its time. Live & Let Die is blaxploitation, Moonraker is chasing that Star Wars hype, Quantum is a post Bourne action film, Spectre is doing Marvel universe building stuff, and even the early Conner films are a product of the spy thriller craze of the 60’s. Even when they’re not lifting a bit from a specific type of film form the time they mostly all feel off their time from music to fashion to general aesthetics. License To Kill to me is one of the best and it’s hard for me to think it’s influences are making it any less of a worthy true Bond entry than the rest of the series.

[@johnwells5414]

I really liked this one. I recently rewatched both License to Kill and The Living Daylights, and I gotta say I think I liked License to Kill better

[@bonddude7]

I love how you guys disagree on so many things. True Bond fandom! My thoughts: I love Sanchez and Benicio. I love the ending as it's well-paced and gritty for the time. The look of Dalton at the end with the bloodied face is classic. I like how Dalton attempts to harden Bond similar to what Craig ends up doing. I completely agree the look and music are too reminiscent of 80s action movies. I do like the music of the gun barrel though. I agree that Hedison's performance is lame. Why would they not get someone better when Leiter's role was so much bigger than usual? I also did not like the the Isthmus City thing. I know they could not film in Panama for some reason but it just felt phoney.

[@Slider6294]

I always wondered why they didn't do it in Panama City, but I think it could have something to do with budget or, maybe, permissions and cooperation from the government. After all, the portrayal of Isthmus City is that it's a haven or shelter for drug tycoons. Not a good look. So maybe they went fictitious deliberately in that case. Just a thought.

[@alexanderwyllie9909]

Apparently John Barry was seriously ill at that time so couldn't compose the score for LTK . So Kamen was asked to do it , especially as he was successful with the 80s action movies Die Hard , Lethal Weapon etc .

[@christiansfortruth5953]

Timothy Dalton couldn't act his way out of a paper bag.

[@rowley555]

I love Timothy Dalton as Bond. If he had taken on the role earlier, he would have owned the 80s. IMHO. I wish he did "View to A Kill".

[@cadejust6777]

4. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNp

[@mitchmitchell40]

I have a theory with 007 movies. Their last movies are intentionally goofy. They just throw everything they wanted to do and see what sticks to the wall: DaF where Blofeld is Howard Hughes, AVtaK with Zorin, DaD with the invisible car... why not have 007 lose his status!

[@hvitekristesdod]

I like LTD but in my opinion LTK blows it out of the water in just about every regard

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

LTK is boring and has cheesy villains. Feels like a basic 80’s revenge flick instead of a Bond film.

[@MickeyLeeBukowski]

Licence to Kill is really great, but you can tell it was one revision away from a perfect script. Maibaum having to depart early due to the writer's strike is sorely felt here, but it's still a great time. Just not up to The Living Daylights.

[@simongvs]

Best part of this video? Cordinating the two gray cardigans!

[@markgiacoletto5952]

Great review guys, look like I'm going to have to watch it again.

[@creativecat2763]

License to kill? I don’t remember that being a bond film...

[@pSaiko_Red]

I think budget constraints, the Writer’s Guild strike, and John Barry’s illness contributed to the lower-than-usual quality look and sound of the film. Still my favorite Bond film all thanks to Timothy Dalton’s portrayal. Though his receding hairline did bother me in a lot of the close-ups. He looked more Bond-esque in TLD, here not so much. On my first viewing I had a hard time believing this dude is James Bond until he wore the tux in the Casino scene.

[@Beerman111980]

License to Kill led to the reintroduction of Bond as a grittier, more realistic Bond. Really paved the way for the Daniel Craig movies. One of my favorite Bond movies (especially with the guy who played Felix Leiter in Live and Let Die returning to the role). And how can you say all the henchmen sucked when you've got a psychotic young Benicio Del Toro as one of them.

[@iangrant3615]

I think it has some fantastic elements. It's not perfect, but honestly, which Bond movie is? The theme tune is awesome, I love that it explores something different - the idea of Bond going rogue and losing the very thing that protects him (his license to kill) and it has some great action sequences and for once we see Bond getting worn down and broken, bloodied and his suit all torn by the end. For me, it humanizes him rather then the usual idea of an immortal, perfect, wise-cracking guy who never gets a hair out of place. Yes, I get that it has a different tone, but it's a nice reset from the unrealistic baddie who is after global domination from his space station or underground lair. I like the Living Daylights too and I feel it has a more conventional Bond spy / Cold War feel to it. But I think LTK deserves some props for trying something bold and being partly successful. You certainly can't call it formulaic :)

[@iangrant3615]

Oh and as for the henchpeople being bland, I think it makes sense - drug traffickers didn't tend to have distinctive henchmen like Oddjob or Jaws with distinguishing features - it kind of draws attention to them when they're trying to keep their operation (relatively) under wraps lol.

[@cadejust6777]

@@iangrant3615 15. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNk

[@michaelkirkpatrick7483]

Daniel Craig owes Dalton, who set the table for how Bond could and should be played. Movie was more violent than I expected, but that's the harsh reality of the times. We needed Dalton badly, after a series of films with Moore embarrassing himself. Seems the weak US box office sales was what did Dalton in. But...Tim Burton's Batman was released the same year. Dalton should have been given a 3rd film. Instead, we got Brosnan... ugh...

[@cadejust6777]

12. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNo5

[@AlmightyBruce]

I love License to Kill I don’t know why people like The Living Daylights

[@danlugo4365]

Is this available as a podcast?

[@Beingjamesbond]

traffic.libsyn.com/beingjamesbond/LTK_FINAL_Podcast.mp3

[@drklynoon]

I'm super biased. Licence to Kill is my first theater Bond movie. Moonraker on TV was my first I remember and I may have seen Living Daylights in the theater but I don't really remember it. I agree that this movie has unbelievable potential that it doesn't necessarily live up to. Sanchez is top 5 villain, Bouvier is top 5 Bond girl (for me), and Dalton is top three potential Bond's. Unfortunately, its a little too convoluted and has some big dud moments but its still much higher than many other Bond's ig most of Brosnons' a few of Moore's and Diamonds.

[@shaney7346]

Snap my first Cinema Bond think thats why i have a soft spot for it!

[@FleetoCleve]

I think LTK is a good, 80s action movie, but not a good Bond movie.

[@pr-tj5by]

Agreed!

[@yappity]

The editing of the showdown always seemed weird. The close-up on the lighter definitely is an insert from earlier in the film when it's first introduced. As if they forgot to shoot it in the proper context for this scene. Which I found out pausing and rewinding my VHS tape back in the olden days. ;-)

[@SB992REBORN]

Dont know why youre hating on the ending chase cause that truck chase scene is AMAZING AND EPIC AND AWESOME TO WATCH AND ITS AMONG THE TOP TIER BOND FIGHT/CHASE SCENES IN THE FRANCHISE! AND THE PRODUCTION IS ACTUALLY GREAT IN THIS ONE FILM!

[@RenePeraza]

Note: this movie marks the 2nd time that Mexico and Mexico City play a part in the film, albeit they call it Isthmus and Isthmus City in this film.

[@davidsidney7457]

Still my fave Bond film, set the standard for the Craig era. It was ahead of it's time, people were just too used to the goofey Moore style.

[@cadejust6777]

1. Plank Second 2. Nanosecond 3. Microsecond 4. Millisecond 5. Second 6. Minute 7. Hour 8. Day 9. Week 10. Weekend 11. Fortnight 12. Month 13. Term 14. Trimester 15. Semester 16. Year 17. A Leap Year 18. Decade 19. Century 20. Millennium

[@cadejust6777]

2. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNm

[@JayTemple]

As a standalone film, it's really good. I don't like it as an entry in the Bond series, for the simple reason that Bond is not on her majesty's service.

[@andrewwebster2598]

I think Licence is good although different from a lot of the usual Bond fare. It’s a bit more Lethal Weapon like and stripped down, but I suppose it is what it is, and maybe might be right to accept it as just another layer of the Bond canon. Robert Davi was fine and very menacing as the main villain.

[@klaudiagrob]

Licence to Kill is not the worst Dalton's movie. Actually I love it far more than Craig's movies. For me Dalton and Brosnan did a correct balance of emotions. For me it works. But with Craig's Bond that his Bond was always sulking. Dalton did it so well. He was angry vengeful and upset about Della's death along with Felix's injuries. But he carried on with his job.

[@cadejust6777]

5. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNq

[@pr-tj5by]

Klaudia Grobl. Brosnan in particular had everything IMO the perfect and best Bond

[@theandrewkchannel34]

Sure there are some faults to this film, but it is my favourite Bond film. It really builds on how strong Bond's and Felix's friendship is. Sandchez is one of the best Bond Villians in the franchise and it was just as much his film as it was Bond's. What would have made it even better is if Felix and Bond teamed up against Sandchez. Regardless, yes tonally Dalton can be a bit awkward as Bond, but I think he is more human than Roger in this franchise. Roger is more of a comic cook superhero, where Dalton is a real life Bond. I never thought of it til now that you pointed out Felix was coming off as a little too chummy after his wife's death, and if I could defend that scene, I would say that Felix was merely using humour with Bond to distract himself from the grave trauma he experienced. The Ending too was rushed and a bit awkward. I can understand that such a large departure from the Bond we know has ruffled a lot of feathers in the Bond fandom, but honestly I thought it was a refreshing take. A matter a fact, for part of Die Another Day, Bond does the exact same thing and goes rogue. License to Kill has its issues, but I personally love the film and have no problem defending it.

[@SB992REBORN]

Kamen also did X-Men guys!! His last and best Score.

[@cadejust6777]

14. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrM

[@There_Will_Be_Bond]

Has anyone checked out the Licence to Kill/Fallout trailer. It’s badass. Great review guys. I think this is the most ‘of its time’ Bond film to date,, but that is not a sleight. After visiting many of the locations it has gone up several bars for me. Can’t believe you’re not onboard with q in the field of Wayne Newton. Outrage, umbrage and more outrage ! Pb

[@philsmith3261]

I do still really like the Tim Dalton Bond films. I think Sanchez is also a great villain, so much better than wooden Brad Whitaker. Sadly his henchmen and Lope, are pretty terrible. It has some editing faults, the water skiing without skis is spoiled by jumping to an angel where he's miles away from the plane to grabbing onto it in the next second. The guy he pulls underwater when he gets into the underwater entrance of the wavekrest. One minute he gets out of the water and the guy is no where to be seen, next second he's resting upright next to the ladder unconscious in a convenient place to be picked up. The bit on the speed boat where one minute it's dark then it suddenly gets really light. The guy who he throwns out of the plane, well the dummy, starts shouting when he was knocked unconscious. The part where he's just set Sanchez a light and is dragging himself away all injured, next minute he gets into the tanker truck normally with Pam. Just loads of gripes from what is a good film. It doesn't feel like a Bond film, Bond on Holiday, Bond on revenge, the scenes with the shark and the depressurizing chamber are still great, still an entertaining film.

[@airsoft1238]

I gotta disagree with you guys on this one, I’m a huge fan, easily one of my top 3 favorites of the series. Bond doesn’t seem cold to me, he seems so layered mostly thanks to Dalton’s nuisance in his performance. Finally love that we got a personal story for once with Bond as well and again Dalton sells it

[@cadejust6777]

11. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNl00

[@Swolegang]

I love license to kill. The Miami vice meets James Bond is nice

[@cadejust6777]

8. kzbin.info/www/bejne/inWvfoisftB-hrNm5