Comments on: Licence to Kill http://rentmovie.com/licence-to-kill-movie-review.html Rent Movie Review Reviews Movies Online Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:01:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.5 by: Joshua Miller "Josh" http://rentmovie.com/licence-to-kill-movie-review.html#comment-64 Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:34:27 +0000 http://rentmovie.com/licence-to-kill-movie-review.html#comment-64 "Licence to Kill" is the 2nd and final outing of Timothy Dalton as James Bond. It's better than his first turn as Bond "The Living Daylights" and has some great action sequences, beautiful women, and even some drama. In the opening of the film, Bond's friend Felix (David Fedison) is getting married to Della (Priscilla Barnes). Right before the ceremony, Bond and Felix hear that drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi, an actor you'll recognize from many films. Even though, I can't remember which ones) is nearby and they manage to arrest him; The scene ends with Felix arriving at the chapel, to his overjoyed bride. Problem is, Sanchez has a lot of money and is able to bribe one of the officers to help him in escaping. He exacts his revenge by attacking Felix and Della; With Della dead and Felix in the hospital, Bond resigns from the British Secret Service and goes after Sanchez with a personal vendetta. Aiding him is a beautiful pilot named Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto, wife of Benjamin Bratt). A very young Benicio Del Toro turns up as one of Sanchez's henchmen; It was weird seeing Del Toro, because he looks different and his voice is a lot higher compared to his now-raspy voice. A lot of people complain about Dalton's interpretation of Bond, which is a far cry from Connery's (I haven't seen any Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan outings yet, so I have only Connery to compare to). I agree that Connery is the best Bond, but it's not so much in the acting; But the character. Connery's Bond is almost inhuman. He shows almost no real emotion. He loves women, but he's never seen in love with a woman. He's pretty much immortal, always winning in the end. He seems to have no real friends, except Q...But that's just the guy that makes his weapons. In his outings, Dalton makes Bond human. Everything Bond does in this film is for personal satisfaction, he has friends, he shows emotion. A lot of people don't like this, they like Bond to be what they want to be. But, I have to respect Dalton for what he did. If you like the James Bond series, then you'll probably like this film. It's a pretty strong entry in the series. “Licence to Kill” is the 2nd and final outing of Timothy Dalton as James Bond. It’s better than his first turn as Bond “The Living Daylights” and has some great action sequences, beautiful women, and even some drama. In the opening of the film, Bond’s friend Felix (David Fedison) is getting married to Della (Priscilla Barnes). Right before the ceremony, Bond and Felix hear that drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi, an actor you’ll recognize from many films. Even though, I can’t remember which ones) is nearby and they manage to arrest him; The scene ends with Felix arriving at the chapel, to his overjoyed bride. Problem is, Sanchez has a lot of money and is able to bribe one of the officers to help him in escaping. He exacts his revenge by attacking Felix and Della; With Della dead and Felix in the hospital, Bond resigns from the British Secret Service and goes after Sanchez with a personal vendetta. Aiding him is a beautiful pilot named Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez’s girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto, wife of Benjamin Bratt). A very young Benicio Del Toro turns up as one of Sanchez’s henchmen; It was weird seeing Del Toro, because he looks different and his voice is a lot higher compared to his now-raspy voice. A lot of people complain about Dalton’s interpretation of Bond, which is a far cry from Connery’s (I haven’t seen any Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan outings yet, so I have only Connery to compare to). I agree that Connery is the best Bond, but it’s not so much in the acting; But the character. Connery’s Bond is almost inhuman. He shows almost no real emotion. He loves women, but he’s never seen in love with a woman. He’s pretty much immortal, always winning in the end. He seems to have no real friends, except Q…But that’s just the guy that makes his weapons. In his outings, Dalton makes Bond human. Everything Bond does in this film is for personal satisfaction, he has friends, he shows emotion. A lot of people don’t like this, they like Bond to be what they want to be. But, I have to respect Dalton for what he did. If you like the James Bond series, then you’ll probably like this film. It’s a pretty strong entry in the series.

]]> by: John S. Ryan "Scott Ryan" http://rentmovie.com/licence-to-kill-movie-review.html#comment-63 Sun, 31 Dec 2006 22:33:31 +0000 http://rentmovie.com/licence-to-kill-movie-review.html#comment-63 If you enjoyed the first few James Bond films with Sean Connery (before the franchise turned into a campy parody of itself), then you'll like this one. Although it's not based on any of Ian Fleming's original stories, it captures their feel better than anything since _From Russia With Love_. Timothy Dalton's steely Bond is arguably the closest to date to Fleming's original vision for the MI6 secret agent (not 'spy', please). He's as tough and lean as Connery ever was, and he brings something of Connery's lupine charm to the role. The rest of the movie is extremely well done. Robert Davi is one of the best villains since Goldfinger, and surely one of the most realistic in the entire series. Carey Lowell, though mostly effective, is a little underwhelming in the acting department. And the plot -- lifted at least partly from Fleming's _Live and Let Die_ (which is the source for the bad thing that happens to Felix Leiter early in the film) -- gives Dalton's Bond an excuse to seethe with volcanic fury and go off seeking vengeance. If I'm not mistaken (and I don't think I am), this is also the last script to which longtime Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum contributed. (He died not long after this film was produced.) I like Pierce Brosnan in the role, and I'd like him better if he got better movies to do; _Goldeneye_ has probably been his best so far. But for some reason, the screenwriters don't want to make him gritty enough. (And by the time they tried with Roger Moore -- in the excellent _For Your Eyes Only_ -- it was far too late.) I also like _The Living Daylights_. But when I want to watch a non-Connery Bond film, this is the one I pick most often. Probably all Bond fans out there have already seen it. But if you haven't, you've got a treat ahead of you. If you enjoyed the first few James Bond films with Sean Connery (before the franchise turned into a campy parody of itself), then you’ll like this one. Although it’s not based on any of Ian Fleming’s original stories, it captures their feel better than anything since _From Russia With Love_.

Timothy Dalton’s steely Bond is arguably the closest to date to Fleming’s original vision for the MI6 secret agent (not ’spy’, please). He’s as tough and lean as Connery ever was, and he brings something of Connery’s lupine charm to the role.

The rest of the movie is extremely well done. Robert Davi is one of the best villains since Goldfinger, and surely one of the most realistic in the entire series. Carey Lowell, though mostly effective, is a little underwhelming in the acting department. And the plot — lifted at least partly from Fleming’s _Live and Let Die_ (which is the source for the bad thing that happens to Felix Leiter early in the film) — gives Dalton’s Bond an excuse to seethe with volcanic fury and go off seeking vengeance.

If I’m not mistaken (and I don’t think I am), this is also the last script to which longtime Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum contributed. (He died not long after this film was produced.)

I like Pierce Brosnan in the role, and I’d like him better if he got better movies to do; _Goldeneye_ has probably been his best so far. But for some reason, the screenwriters don’t want to make him gritty enough. (And by the time they tried with Roger Moore — in the excellent _For Your Eyes Only_ — it was far too late.)

I also like _The Living Daylights_. But when I want to watch a non-Connery Bond film, this is the one I pick most often.

Probably all Bond fans out there have already seen it. But if you haven’t, you’ve got a treat ahead of you.

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