Licence to Kill (1989)

User Review

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  Barneyonmovies

  8 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Timothy Dalton did a great job as the gritty, determined Bond in 'The Living Daylights,' only there his motivations weren't always a match for his resolve. In his second and final film 'License to Kill,' though, they couldn't be stronger, as the plot is basically a simple and highly effective revenge story.
  
  That represents a straying from the usual series formula that was rather unpopular at the time, as the film finds Bond on a surprisingly personal mission to track down the drug lord who killed his friend Felix Leiter's wife after being stripped of his licence to kill. We see him enjoy a mission with Felix and attend his wedding, and then watch Bond realise their death in a scene where Dalton really sells the personal tragedy and anger. He immediately goes off on the trail to take down the gang who did it, and Dalton's gritted teeth and unwavering conviction really sell how much getting revenge means to him.
  The gang in question is also brilliantly realised - a group of Spanish gangsters who seem to be a genuine family of loyal people rather than a lone wolf with a robotic army - and that makes Bond's quest all the more compelling as what he's fighting feels tangible. The particular highlight is the despicable yet respectable boss Sanchez (played masterfully by Robert Davi), and there's also his muscle Dario (a breakout performance from Benicio Del Toro) and Anthony Zerbe's brilliantly slimy assistant that Bond gets his teeth into first. The way he then infiltrates their organisation and eventually comes face to face with Sanchez to gain and utilise his trust is highly gripping, and it ultimately makes for one of the most engaging Bond movies of all - especially when it's paired with some of the series' best action sequences.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It does have to be said that as the third act approaches and Bond becomes concerned with uncovering Sanchez's scheme as well as avenging the death of his friend, a little of the gritty motivation is lost.
  
  VERDICT: A film that strays from the series formula to send Bond on a simple revenge mission against a brilliant gang of villains, 'Licence to Kill,' gives Dalton the motivation he needs to sell the determination, and the result is one of the finest Bond films of all.

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