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Movies / Upcoming / Licence to Kill
Licence to Kill

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Licence to Kill (1989)

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71 %
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Reviews Counted:34

Fresh:24

Rotten:10

Average Rating:5.9/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: James Bond (Timothy Dalton) returns with a vengeance in LICENCE TO KILL. Having just witnessed his best friend's wedding, Bond is shocked when he learns that ruthless drug runner Franz Sanchez... James Bond (Timothy Dalton) returns with a vengeance in LICENCE TO KILL. Having just witnessed his best friend's wedding, Bond is shocked when he learns that ruthless drug runner Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) has assaulted the couple on their honeymoon, killing the bride. Assisted by the twiggy Drug Enforcement Agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and the gadget wizard Q (Patrick Llewelyn), Bond resigns from Her Majesty's Secret Service and pursues justice on his own. Perhaps the darkest of the 007 films, LICENCE TO KILL, exhibits a previously unseen side of James Bond. Maniacal at times, ex-agent 007 detonates everything in his way on the road to avenging his friend's bride. The 16th installment of the James Bond series, LICENCE TO KILL, veers away from the pick-up artistry and light interlocution of former 007 films. Instead, director John Glen, gives the audience a crystal clear view of the man behind the martini glass. [More]

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Anthony Zerbe

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Anthony Zerbe, Talisa Soto, Wayne Newton

Director: John Glen

Director: John Glen
Story: Richard Maibaum
Screenwriter: Michael G. Wilson
Composer: Michael Kamen

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Licence to Kill

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It's a strained, sexless, and overcooked film...Dalton's game, but the film is inert, perhaps unprepared to work with the new Irish Kiss direction of the series.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
08/26/09
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

A well-produced slick high-octane action thriller that remains escapist and as entertaining as possible throughout.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/16/09
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

...it often feels more like a typical '80s actioner than a bona fide James Bond adventure...

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
10/25/08
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

The Bond women are pallid mannequins, and so is the misused Dalton -- a moving target in a Savile Row suit. For every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in his sixth.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
10/13/08
Richard Corliss
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine

Fast, efficient and unusually gruesome Bond. The tone is sombre, the action is ingenious and in Dalton the series finds the only actor to take 007 seriously.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
10/13/08
Channel 4 Film

Hardcore Bond fans may be dismayed by some of the changes, but no one can deny that the action scenes staged by director John Glen are some of the most spectacular of the entire series and well worth the price of admission.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/13/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The thrills-and-spills chases are superbly orchestrated as pic spins at breakneck speed through its South Florida and Central American locations.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
10/13/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite some shaky narrative continuity and muddled motivations, this manages to move pretty briskly, and the action sequences are generally well handled, especially at the climax.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
10/13/08
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

Even weak James Bond is better than the norm action flicks, and this one qualifies.

comment Comment
03/20/08
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Video-Reviewmaster.com

Very hardcore for Bond

Full Review Source: sbs.is | comment Comment
02/10/08
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is

No review available.

comment Comment
09/06/07
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

A cameo by Wayne Newton pushes the film into full-on kitsch, and many feared the series was dead after Licence's poor showing.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
02/15/07
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

No review available.

comment Comment
12/26/06
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
www.susangranger.com

It's all very pacy, with the overly straightforward plotting dimmed but not obscured by the hi-tech effects.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
11/04/05
Michael Szymanski
Michael Szymanski
Zap2it.com

Both the toughest Bond movie ever and the most entertaining Bond movie ever. A rare entry in the series where the danger seems real.

comment Comment
10/14/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily

No review available.

comment Comment
07/03/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Dalton is just a little TOO serious as Bond.

comment Comment
01/08/05
Michael A. Smith
Michael A. Smith
Nolan's Pop Culture Review

No review available.

comment Comment
07/01/04
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

No review available.

comment Comment
05/14/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 >> >|
all

Latest News for Licence to Kill

November 07, 2008: Bonding with Bond, Day 18: Licence to Kill
Community Manager RT-Ryan has never seen a single James Bond film, except for 2006's Casino Royale. To rectify the situation, he decides to watch every Bond film and write... More...

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