Licence to Kill
Directed by John GlenVlak na een belangrijke drugs-inval trouwt de CIA-agent Felix Leiter. Wanneer de gearresteerde drugsbaron ontsnapt vermoordt hij diens vrouw en laat hij Leiter voor dood achter. Zijn oude vriend, Brits geheim agent James Bond, is uit op wraak. Wanneer MI6 aan Bond het bevel geeft om de zaak te laten rusten maakt Bond zich los van de geheime dienst, en gaat op een persoonlijke tocht om wraak te nemen. Hierbij krijgt hij de hulp van Pam Bouvier - een vriendin van Felix Leiter. Zal Bond in staat zijn om zijn identiteit geheim te houden, of zal Sanchez de ware bedoelingen van Bond zien?
Licence to Kill Ratings & Reviews
- ርልዪረ28 januari 2025¯¯̿̿¯̿̿’̿̿̿̿̿̿̿’̿̿’̿̿̿̿̿’̿̿̿)͇̿̿)̿̿̿̿ ‘̿̿̿̿̿̿\̵͇̿̿\=(•̪̀●́)=o/̵͇̿̿/’̿̿ ̿ ̿̿ Timothy Dalton takes on the role of James Bond for his second and final time. Which is a bit upsetting really because Timothy Dalton seems to be just getting settled into the role. If given more films to further mold his version of the character I believe he would have created a Bond similar to the one Daniel Craig portrays in the most recent 007 films. License to Kill has James Bond go rogue after his friend is brutally tortured by Franz Sanchez: a powerful drug lord. We see a darker, more vengeful side to Bond that was never seen in the films that came before it. Along for the ride is Pam Bouvier who in my opinion is one of the best Bond girls in the series. She isn’t an annoying damsel in distress but a former Army pilot who can take care of herself. She saves Bonds life more times than he saves hers. Q is also there to supply gadgets for Bond. Unlike his roles in other Bond films where he just appears for one scene to give 007 his gadgets, Q actually takes part in Bonds mission. It was fun to watch Q be part of the action. Speaking of action, the film ends with an amazing chase sequence involving large tanker trucks. You will no doubt have to suspend you disbelief as many of the stunts performed during the chase are very highly improbable, even for a James Bond film, but they are just way too cool to not enjoy. However, the film does have some draw backs. For starters, Franz Sanchez isn’t really a memorable Bond villain. I don’t even think he’s that big of a threat. Compared to other Bond villains who tried launching nukes and taking over the world, drug trafficking doesn’t seem all that bad. Also, there’s a bit of confusion about why Sanchez doesn’t recognize James Bond. At the beginning of the movie, Bond helps chase him down. You think Sanchez would have caught at least a glimpse of Bond’s face. But this is really a minor complaint and it’s really just for the sake of letting 007 pretend to be a hit man to get close to Sanchez. Overall, I think that this is one of the better Bond films. Dalton plays a great vengeful Bond, he has a great Bond girl to help him, Q has more of a role, and the ending chase sequence is worth enough alone to see the film.
- LivewireAdmin3 februari 2026Licence to Kill feels like the moment Timothy Dalton finally got the version of Bond he was born to play. The intensity that flickered through The Living Daylights fully ignites here—this is a colder, more dangerous, more emotionally charged 007, and Dalton steps into that space with total commitment. For a franchise that had spent nearly two decades drifting between quips and camp, this sharp left turn into vengeance, betrayal, and moral ambiguity lands with surprising power. I swear audiences weren't ready for the tonal whiplash of Dalton after Moore's run. Bond going rogue, personal stakes superseding political ones, and a more bruised, human perspective on violence are all ideas the franchise would revisit years later in another one of my favorites, Quantum of Solace. The villain helps tremendously. Robert Davi's Franz Sanchez might be one of the most memorable antagonists in the series since Scaramanga—equal parts charismatic and terrifying, with just enough humanity to make his brutality unsettling. That blend gives the film a grounded edge the series rarely touched in the ’80s. And unlike the previous entry, Licence to Kill boasts two genuinely strong Bond women. Both Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto) come with defined personalities, agency, and great on-screen chemistry with Dalton. They feel like real characters rather than accessories, which makes the emotional stakes sharper. Even Q gets a standout moment here, appearing in the field to help Bond despite MI6 disowning him. It’s a small but affectionate payoff to decades of their rapport—and one of the warmest touches in an otherwise brutal film. Speaking of brutal: this was easily the most violent Bond film released up to that point. From maulings to burnings to a man’s head exploding in a pressure chamber (yes, really shown onscreen), the graphic intensity pushed the series into territory that many longtime fans weren’t prepared for. Audiences and critics at the time responded with mixed feelings—some admired the seriousness and grit, but many felt the darkness strayed too far from the escapist charm that defined Bond’s earlier identity. Box office returns reflected that ambivalence, making it one of the franchise’s more polarizing releases. Looking back on Dalton’s brief run, it’s hard not to feel a sense of what could have been. Across just two films, he carved out a version of 007 that finally aligned with Ian Fleming’s colder, steelier vision—a Bond driven by conscience as much as skill, willing to bleed, brood, and break the rules when the mission demanded it. He stripped away the excesses of the Moore era and pointed the series toward a grittier, more psychological direction that audiences wouldn’t fully embrace until the 2000s. Licence to Kill becomes an even more fitting finale in that context: a fierce, uncompromising sendoff for a Bond who arrived ahead of his time and left before he could truly redefine the franchise.
- Zokkiie10 januari 2026This one’s a darker, rougher Bond and Timothy Dalton really goes for it. Less gadgets and tuxedos, more punching people and blowing stuff up — which is fun, even if it sometimes just feels like a straight-up ’80s action movie with Bond in it. The bad guy is properly nasty, the stunts are cool, and the serious tone is a nice change, but it does lose some of the classic Bond charm. Not a favorite, but definitely a solid and kinda underrated one.
- Mister Arn23 mei 2025"Licence to Kill" doesn't fully move from camp to serious and languishes between styles.
- Dan S Turpin7 januari 2026An unusual Bond, full of vengeance. A misunderstood film that was mistreated on release and left to battle in THE most competitive summer in history. Although not a huge hit, it was the first Bond film in a generation that didnt make a huge profit. The aftermath sent Bond in hibernation for 6 years, Dalton quit. Brosnan was in for GOLDENEYE. Dalton is compelling and convincing as a pissed off Bond. Terrific title tune.
- GBWest14 september 2025He was married once, it was a long time ago. This is a tale of vengeance, not a typical 007 outing, instead it is one that comes full circle. At the end of On Her Magesty's Secret Service agent James Bond got married, Felix Lighter was his best man and shortly after Bond's new bride was killed. Roll credits. In the beginning of License To Kill it is James Bond's turn to be best man at Felix Lighter's wedding. When Bond finds Felix badly mauled and his wife murdered it brings him back to the tragic death of his own wife. 007 springs into action and Timothy Dalton officially cements himself as the original gritty Bond who isn't afraid to quit MI6 and go it alone as he chases down the drug lord that attacked his friends. This film led to a number of drafts for the next film and ultimately a first draft of GoldenEye that is much more ambitious with more stunts than what we got on the big screen. I really enjoy this film, it doesn't have the unique sounds of either Living Daylights or GoldenEye, the movies that book end this one. It makes up for a lack of unique music with a strong actor, big bold story, gritty over the top action, and so many explosions...and a unique take on the Bond Theme as bullets ricochet off of a speeding oil tanker in the familiar theme. If you like story, action, explosions and humor you should take a look at License To Kill. And, if you like interconnected stories then you should look up all the 007's that are directly interconnected to this one.
- Nobody000711 oktober 2025Disappointing movie with a absurd plot, 2 stars given for Carey Lowell
- Rick Masters21 mei 2025This particular outing from Bond is one of the best yet, from its unique opening, its intriguing narrative to its decent bad guy… I thoroughly enjoyed this one. The climax especially is a lorry load of fun. And that draws a close on my 2 year Bond marathon! EVERY BOND FILM WATCHED 🥵
Licence to Kill Trivia
Licence to Kill was released on 22 juni 1989.
Licence to Kill was directed by John Glen.
Licence to Kill has a runtime of 2 u, 13 m.
Licence to Kill was produced by Michael G. Wilson, Albert R. Broccoli.
Vlak na een belangrijke drugs-inval trouwt de CIA-agent Felix Leiter. Wanneer de gearresteerde drugsbaron ontsnapt vermoordt hij diens vrouw en laat hij Leiter voor dood achter. Zijn oude vriend, Brits geheim agent James Bond, is uit op wraak. Wanneer MI6 aan Bond het bevel geeft om de zaak te laten rusten maakt Bond zich los van de geheime dienst, en gaat op een persoonlijke tocht om wraak te nemen. Hierbij krijgt hij de hulp van Pam Bouvier - een vriendin van Felix Leiter. Zal Bond in staat zijn om zijn identiteit geheim te houden, of zal Sanchez de ware bedoelingen van Bond zien?
The key characters in Licence to Kill are James Bond (Timothy Dalton), Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi).
Licence to Kill is rated 12.
Licence to Kill is an Action, Adventure, Thriller film.
Licence to Kill has an audience rating of 6.2 out of 10.
Licence to Kill had a budget of US$ 32 mln..
Licence to Kill has made US$ 156,2 mln. at the box office.