Editing Licence to Kill

{{short description|1989 James Bond film directed by John Glen}}
{{About|the 1989 James Bond film}}
{{good article}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Licence to Kill
| image          = Licence to Kill - UK cinema poster.jpg
| alt            = In the left of the picture stands a man dressed in black pointing a pistol upwards. An inset picture shows two women looking out of the poster above another man and a few images depicting vehicles and explosions. The name '007' appears in the top right whilst in the centre at the bottom are the words "LICENCE TO KILL"
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by Robin Behling
| director       = [[John Glen (director)|John Glen]]
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Michael G. Wilson]]
* [[Richard Maibaum]]
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|[[James Bond (literary character)|James Bond]]|[[Ian Fleming]]}}
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Albert R. Broccoli]]
* Michael G. Wilson
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Timothy Dalton]]
* [[Carey Lowell]]
* [[Robert Davi]]
* [[Talisa Soto]]
* [[Anthony Zerbe]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Alec Mills (cinematographer)|Alec Mills]]
| editing        = John Grover
| music          = [[Michael Kamen]]
| studio         = [[Eon Productions]]<br />[[United Artists]]
| distributor    = [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM/UA Communications Co.]] (United States)<br />[[United International Pictures]] (International)
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1989|6|13|London|1989|7|10|United Kingdom|1989|7|14|United States}}
| runtime        = 133 minutes
| country        = United Kingdom<ref>{{cite web |title=Licence to Kill |website=[[Lumiere (database)|Lumiere]] |publisher=[[European Audiovisual Observatory]] |url=http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=13617 |access-date=9 October 2020 |archive-date=12 October 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201012145320/http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=13617 |url-status=live }}</ref><br>United States<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58171|title=AFI&#124;Catalog|access-date=23 May 2021|archive-date=23 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210523182935/http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/58171|url-status=live}}</ref>
| language       = English
| budget         = $32&nbsp;million
| gross          = $156.1&nbsp;million
}}

'''''Licence to Kill''''' is a 1989 [[spy film]], the sixteenth in the [[List of James Bond films|''James Bond'' series]] produced by [[Eon Productions]], and the second and final film to star [[Timothy Dalton]] as the [[MI6]] agent [[James Bond (literary character)|James Bond]]. In the film, Bond resigns from MI6 in order to take [[revenge]] against the [[drug lord]] Franz Sanchez who ordered an attack against Bond's friend and [[CIA]] agent [[Felix Leiter]] and the murder of Felix's wife after their [[wedding]].

''Licence to Kill'' was the fifth and final Bond film directed by [[John Glen (director)|John Glen]] and the last to feature [[Robert Brown (British actor)|Robert Brown]] as [[M (James Bond)|M]] and [[Caroline Bliss]] as [[Miss Moneypenny]]. It was also the last to feature the work of screenwriter [[Richard Maibaum]], title designer [[Maurice Binder]] and producer [[Albert R. Broccoli]], who all died in the following years.

''Licence to Kill'' was the first Bond film to ''not'' use the title of an [[Ian Fleming]] story. Originally titled ''Licence Revoked'', the name was changed during post-production due to American [[test audience]]s associating the term with [[driver's licence|driving licence]]. Although the plot is largely original, it contains elements of the Fleming novel ''[[Live and Let Die (novel)|Live and Let Die]]'' and the short story "[[For Your Eyes Only (short story collection)#The Hildebrand Rarity|The Hildebrand Rarity]]", interwoven with a sabotage premise influenced by [[Akira Kurosawa]]'s film ''[[Yojimbo]]''.

For budget reasons, ''Licence to Kill'' became the first Bond film shot entirely outside the United Kingdom: [[principal photography]] took place on location in Mexico and the US, while interiors were filmed at [[Estudios Churubusco]] instead of [[Pinewood Studios]]. The film earned over $156&nbsp;million worldwide and received generally positive reviews but criticism for the darker tone. 

''Licence to Kill'' was followed by ''[[GoldenEye]]'' in 1995, with [[Pierce Brosnan]] replacing Dalton as Bond.

==Plot==
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[[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] agents collect [[MI6]] agent [[James Bond]] and his friend, [[CIA]] agent [[Felix Leiter]], on their way to Leiter's wedding in [[Key West]], to have them assist in capturing [[drug lord]] Franz Sanchez. Bond and Leiter capture Sanchez by attaching a hook and cord to Sanchez's plane and pulling it out of the air with a [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] helicopter. Afterwards, Bond and Leiter parachute down to the church in time for the ceremony.

Sanchez bribes DEA agent Ed Killifer and escapes while he is being transported. Meanwhile, Sanchez's henchman Dario and his crew ambush Leiter and his wife Della (murdering her in the process) and take Leiter to an aquarium owned by one of Sanchez's accomplices, Milton Krest. Sanchez has Leiter lowered into a tank holding a [[Great White Shark|great white shark]]. When Bond learns that Sanchez has escaped, he returns to Leiter's house to find that Leiter has been tortured and that Della has been murdered.{{sfn|Black|2005|p=152}}{{sfn|Chapman|2007|p=206}} Bond, with Leiter's friend Sharkey, start their own investigation. They discover a marine research centre run by Krest, where Sanchez has hidden [[cocaine]] and a submarine for smuggling.

After Bond kills Killifer using the same shark tank used for Leiter, [[M (James Bond)|M]] meets Bond in Key West's [[Ernest Hemingway House|Hemingway House]] and orders him to an assignment in [[Istanbul]]. Bond resigns after turning down the assignment, but M suspends Bond instead and revokes his [[Licence to kill (concept)|licence to kill]]. Bond becomes a [[wikt:rogue|rogue]] agent, although he later receives unauthorised assistance from [[Q (James Bond)|Q]].

Bond boards Krest's ship ''Wavekrest'' and stops Sanchez's latest drug shipment, stealing five million dollars in the process. He discovers that Sharkey has been killed by Sanchez's henchmen. Bond meets and teams up with Pam Bouvier, a pilot and DEA informant, at a [[Bimini]] bar,<ref>{{cite web |title=Licence To Kill film locations |year=2014 |publisher=Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations |url=http://www.movie-locations.com/movies/l/LicenceToKill.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100131140344/http://movie-locations.com/movies/l/LicenceToKill.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=31 January 2010 |access-date=26 July 2015 }}</ref> and journeys with her to the Republic of Isthmus. He seeks Sanchez's employment by acting as an assassin for hire. Two [[Hong Kong Police Force|Hong Kong Narcotics Bureau]] officers, who were hoping to discover Sanchez's drug manufacturing and distribution plant, prevent Bond's attempt to assassinate Sanchez and take him to an abandoned warehouse. Sanchez's men rescue him and kill the officers, believing them to be the assassins. Later, with the aid of Bouvier, Q, and Sanchez's girlfriend Lupe Lamora, Bond [[frameup|frames]] Krest by planting the $5&nbsp;million in ''Wavekrest''. Sanchez locks Krest in a [[Diving chamber|decompression chamber]] and cuts the oxygen supply, causing Krest's head to [[Uncontrolled decompression|explode]]. Bond is then admitted into the inner circle.

Sanchez takes Bond to his base of operations, which is disguised as the headquarters of a religious cult. Bond learns that Sanchez's scientists dissolve cocaine in [[gasoline|petrol]] and sell it disguised as fuel to Asian drug dealers. The [[televangelist]] Joe Butcher serves as middleman, working under Sanchez's business manager Truman-Lodge, who uses Butcher's TV broadcasts to communicate with Sanchez's customers in the [[United States]]. During Sanchez's presentation to potential Asian customers, Dario enters the room and recognises Bond. Bond starts a fire in the laboratory but is captured again and placed on the conveyor belt that drops the cocaine bricks into a large industrial grinder. Bouvier arrives and shoots Dario, allowing Bond to kill Dario by pulling him into the grinder.

Sanchez and most of the others flee as fire destroys the base, taking with him four tankers full of the cocaine and petrol mixture. Bond pursues them by plane, with Bouvier at the controls. During a chase through the desert, Bond destroys three of the tankers and kills several of Sanchez's men. Sanchez attacks Bond with a [[machete]] aboard the fourth tanker, which crashes down a hillside. A petrol-soaked Sanchez attempts to kill Bond with his machete. Bond then reveals his cigarette lighter—his best man gift from Felix and Della—and sets Sanchez on fire. Sanchez staggers to the wrecked tanker, causing an explosion and killing himself. Bouvier arrives shortly afterward and picks up Bond.

Later, a party is held at Sanchez's former residence. Bond receives a call from Leiter telling him that M has congratulated him for his work and offers him his job back. He then rejects Lupe's advances and romances Bouvier instead.

==Cast==
* [[Timothy Dalton]] as [[Portrayal of James Bond in film|James Bond]], an [[Secret Intelligence Service|MI6]] agent who resigns to take his revenge on drug lord Franz Sanchez.
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* [[Carey Lowell]] as Pam Bouvier, an ex-[[United States Army|Army]] pilot, and [[DEA]] informant.
* [[Robert Davi]] as Franz Sanchez, the most powerful drug lord in Latin America, mentioned as having been wanted by the [[Drug Enforcement Administration|DEA]] for years.
* [[Talisa Soto]] as Lupe Lamora, Sanchez's girlfriend who has romantic feelings for Bond.
* [[Anthony Zerbe]] as Milton Krest, Sanchez's henchman who operates Wavekrest Marine Research, and whom Bond sets up to turn Sanchez against him
* [[Everett McGill]] as Ed Killifer, a corrupt DEA agent who frees Sanchez from custody.
* [[Frank McRae]] as Sharkey, a friend of Felix Leiter who owns a boat charter business.
* [[Desmond Llewelyn]] as [[Q (James Bond)|Q]], Bond's ally who supplies Bond with various gadgets and helps him in the field.
* [[Robert Brown (British actor)|Robert Brown]] as [[M (James Bond)|M]], the head of MI6 and Bond's superior who revokes Bond's licence to kill.
* [[Caroline Bliss]] as [[Miss Moneypenny]], M's personal secretary.
* [[Anthony Starke]] as Truman-Lodge, Sanchez's financial advisor.
* [[Grand L. Bush]] as Hawkins, a DEA operative who opposes Bond's vendetta.
* [[Benicio del Toro]] as Dario, Sanchez's personal henchman.
* [[Alejandro Bracho]] as Perez, one of Sanchez's henchmen.
* [[Guy De Saint Cyr]] as Braun, one of Sanchez's henchmen.
* [[Diana Lee|Diana Lee-Hsu]] as Loti, a female Hong Kong narcotics agent working with Kwang.
* [[Rafer Johnson]] as Mullens, a DEA operative.
* [[David Hedison]] as [[Felix Leiter]], a former CIA agent now with DEA and a close friend of James Bond.
* [[Don Stroud]] as Colonel Heller, Sanchez's head of security.
* [[Priscilla Barnes]] as Della Churchill, Felix Leiter's wife.
* [[Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa]] as Kwang, a Hong Kong Police narcotics agent sent to infiltrate Sanchez's heart of operations.
* [[Pedro Armendáriz Jr.|Pedro Armendariz]] as President Hector Lopez, the president of Isthmus.
* [[Wayne Newton]] as Professor Joe Butcher, Sanchez's middleman and TV evangelist for Olimpatec Meditation Institute.
* [[Christopher Neame]] as Fallon, an MI6 agent sent by M to arrest Bond, dead or alive
* [[Roger Cudney]] as Wavekrest Captain
* Jeannine Bisignano as Stripper, working in the Barrelhead bar.
* [[Claudio Brook]] as Montelongo, the manager of the Banco de Isthmus and legitimate front for Sanchez.
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==Production==
Shortly after ''[[The Living Daylights]]'' was released, producer [[Albert R. Broccoli]] and writers [[Michael G. Wilson]] and Richard Maibaum started discussing the sequel. The film would retain a realistic style, as well as showing the "darker edge" of the Bond character. For the primary location, the producers wanted a place where the series had not yet visited.<ref name=documentary/> [[China]] was visited after an invitation by the government, but the idea fell through partly because the 1987 film ''[[The Last Emperor]]'' had removed some of the novelty of filming in China.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} By this stage the writers had already talked about a chase sequence along the [[Great Wall of China|Great Wall]], as well as a fight scene amongst the [[Terracotta Army]].{{sfn|Cork|Stutz|2007|p=300}} Wilson also wrote two plot outlines about a drug lord in the [[Golden Triangle (Southeast Asia)|Golden Triangle]] before the plans fell through because of Broccoli's concerns that the [[Government of China|Chinese government]] would [[Censorship in China|censor]] the script.{{sfn|Cork|Stutz|2007|p=300}}<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Field|first=Matthew|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/930556527|title=Some kind of hero : 007 : the remarkable story of the James Bond films|date=2015|others=Ajay Chowdhury|isbn=978-0-7509-6421-0|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|oclc=930556527|access-date=8 September 2021|archive-date=28 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128234516/https://www.worldcat.org/title/some-kind-of-hero-007-the-remarkable-story-of-the-james-bond-films/oclc/930556527|url-status=live}}</ref> The writers eventually decided on a setting in a tropical country while Broccoli negotiated to film in Mexico,<ref name=documentary/> at the [[Estudios Churubusco]] in Mexico City.{{sfn|Cork|Stutz|2007|p=300}} In 1985, the Films Act was passed, removing the [[Eady Levy]], resulting in foreign artists being taxed more heavily.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} The associated rising costs to Eon Productions meant no part of ''Licence to Kill'' was filmed in the UK,{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=239}} the first Bond film not to do so.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} [[Pinewood Studios]], used in every previous ''Bond'' film, undertook only the post-production and sound re-recording.<ref name=glen/>

===Writing and themes===
The initial outline of what would become ''Licence to Kill'' was drawn up by Wilson and Maibaum.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} Before the pair could develop the script, the [[Writers Guild of America]] (WGA) [[1988 Writers Guild of America strike|went on strike]] and Maibaum was unable to continue writing, leaving Wilson to work on the script on his own.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=234}} Although both the main plot and title of ''Licence to Kill'' owe nothing to any of the Fleming novels, there are elements from the books that are used in the storyline, including a number of aspects of the short story "[[For Your Eyes Only (short story collection)#The Hildebrand Rarity|The Hildebrand Rarity]]", such as the character Milton Krest.<ref name=documentary/><ref name=comm/> Felix Leiter's mauling by a shark was based on the novel ''[[Live and Let Die (novel)|Live and Let Die]]'',{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} whilst the [[Live and Let Die (film)|film version of the book]] provided the close similarity between the main villain, Mr. Big, and ''Licence to Kill''{{'}}s main villain Sanchez.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=235}} The screenplay was not ready by the time casting had begun, with [[Carey Lowell]] being auditioned with lines from ''[[A View to a Kill]]''.<ref name=documentary/>

The script—initially called ''Licence Revoked''—was written with Dalton's characterisation of Bond in mind,{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=176}} and the obsession with which Bond pursues Sanchez on behalf of Leiter and his dead wife is seen as being because "of his own brutally cut-short marriage".{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=225}} Dalton's darker portrayal of Bond led to the violence being increased and becoming more graphic.<ref name=comm>{{cite video |year=1999 |title=[[Audio commentary]] |location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition |medium=DVD |publisher=MGM |people=John Cork}}</ref> Wilson compared the script to [[Akira Kurosawa]]'s ''[[Yojimbo (film)|Yojimbo]]'', where a samurai "without any attacking of the villain or its cohorts, only sowing the seeds of distrust, he manages to have the villain bring himself down".<ref name=documentary/> Wilson freely admitted that the idea of the destruction-from-within aspect of the plot came more from ''Yojimbo'' and [[Sergio Leone]]'s remake of that film, ''[[A Fistful of Dollars]]'', than from Fleming's use of that plot device from ''[[The Man with the Golden Gun (novel)|The Man with the Golden Gun]]''.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=235}}

For the location Wilson created the Republic of Isthmus, a [[banana republic]] based on Panama, with the pock-marked Sanchez bearing similarities to General [[Manuel Noriega]].{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=235}} The parallels between the two figures were based on Noriega's political use of drug trafficking and [[money laundering]] to provide revenues for Panama.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=236}} Robert Davi suggested the line "loyalty is more important than money", which he felt was fitting to the character of Franz Sanchez, whose actions were noticed by Davi to be concerned with betrayal and retaliation.<ref name="glen"/>

The United Artists press kits referred to the film's background as being "Torn straight from the headlines of today's newspapers"<ref>{{cite news|last=Harmetz|first=Aljean|title=Creating a Thriller, Their Words Are Their Bond|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=9 July 1989}}</ref> and the backdrop of Panama was connected to "the [[Medellín Cartel]] in Colombia and corruption of government officials in Mexico thrown in for good measure."<ref>{{cite news|last=Johnston|first=Sheila|title=A cleaner, harder 007|newspaper=[[The Independent]]|date=16 June 1989}}</ref> This use of the cocaine-smuggling backdrop put ''Licence to Kill'' alongside other cinema blockbusters, such as the 1987 films ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'', ''[[Beverly Hills Cop II]]'' and ''[[RoboCop]],'' and Bond was seen to be "poaching on their turf" with the drug-related revenge story.{{sfn|Smith|2002|pp=236–7}}

===Casting===
After Carey Lowell was chosen to play Pam Bouvier, she watched many of the films in the series for inspiration. Lowell had described becoming a [[Bond girl]] as "huge shoes to fill", as she did not see herself as a "glamour girl", even coming to audition in jeans and a leather jacket. While Lowell wore a wig for the scenes set in the United States, a scene where Bouvier is given money and told by Bond to go and buy some new clothes (and, going off and doing so, also has her hair cut) was added so that Lowell's own short hair style could be used.<ref>{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Audio commentary|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | people=Carey Lowell }}</ref>

Robert Davi was cast following a suggestion by Broccoli's daughter Tina,<ref name="documentary"/> and screenwriter Richard Maibaum, who had seen Davi in the television film ''Terrorist on Trial: The United States vs. Salim Ajami''.{{sfn| Paul |2007|p=58}} To portray Sanchez, Davi researched the [[Illegal drug trade in Colombia|Colombian drug cartels]] and how to do a Colombian accent,<ref name="glen">{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Audio commentary|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | people=Robert Davi }}</ref> and since he was [[method acting]], he would stay in character off-set. After Davi read ''[[Casino Royale (novel)|Casino Royale]]'' for preparation, he decided to turn Sanchez into a "mirror image" of James Bond, based on Ian Fleming's descriptions of [[Le Chiffre]].<ref name="documentary"/> The actor also learned [[scuba diving]] for the scene where Sanchez is rescued from the sunken armoured car.<ref name="glen"/>

Davi later helped with the casting of Sanchez's mistress Lupe Lamora, by playing Bond in the audition.{{sfn|Cork|Stutz|2007|p=300}} [[Talisa Soto]] was picked from twelve candidates because Davi said he "would kill for her".<ref name=documentary/> [[David Hedison]] returned to play Felix Leiter, sixteen years after playing the character in ''[[Live and Let Die (film)|Live and Let Die]]''. Hedison did not expect to return to the role, saying "I was sure that [''Live and Let Die''] would be my first – and last"<ref name=hedison>{{cite web |url=http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/interview_david_hedison.php3?t=lald&s=lald |title=David Hedison Interview |date=24 June 2005 |publisher=[[Mi6-HQ.com]] |access-date=28 August 2011 |archive-date=10 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010114500/http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/interview_david_hedison.php3?t=lald&s=lald |url-status=live }}</ref> and Glen was reluctant to cast the 61-year-old actor, since the role included a scene parachuting.

Up-and-coming actor [[Benicio del Toro]] was chosen to play Sanchez's henchman, Dario, for being "laid back while menacing in a quirky sort of way", according to Glen.<ref name="documentary"/> Davi warmed to the actor: "Benicio called me his mentor during 'Licence'".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Robert Davi - Interview |url=https://pennyblackmusic.co.uk/Home/Details?Id=27938 |access-date=8 January 2025 |website=Penny Black Music|language=en-US}}</ref>[[Wayne Newton]] got the role of Professor Joe Butcher after sending a letter to the producers expressing interest in a cameo because he always wanted to be in a Bond film.{{sfn|Cork|Stutz|2007|p=300}} The President of Isthmus was played by Pedro Armendáriz Jr., the son of [[Pedro Armendáriz]], who played [[List of James Bond allies in From Russia with Love#Ali Kerim Bey|Ali Kerim Bey]] in ''[[From Russia with Love (film)|From Russia with Love]]''.<ref>{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Inside From Russia with Love|location=''From Russia with Love'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | author = Cork, John }}</ref>

[[John Rhys-Davies]] claimed he was asked to reprise his role from the previous film as General Pushkin in a cameo appearance, but declined since he felt the character was not necessary to the plot.<ref name=":1" />

===Filming===
[[File:Otomi cultural center 006 by mexikids.jpg|thumb|500px|right|''Centro Ceremonial Otomi'', designed as a place for the [[Otomi people]] to congregate and celebrate their culture, was used to represent the "Olympatec Meditation Institute".|alt=A large stone building with a forest in the background.]]
[[Principal photography]] ran from 18 July to 18 November 1988. Shooting began in the [[Estudios Churubusco]] in Mexico, which mostly doubled for the fictional Republic of Isthmus:<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Licence to Kill|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58171-LICENCE-TOKILL?sid=4314a62c-7242-4293-9559-fa0f03007a91&sr=13.578258&cp=1&pos=0|access-date=2021-06-09|website=catalog.afi.com|archive-date=9 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210609155040/https://catalog.afi.com/Film/58171-LICENCE-TOKILL?sid=4314a62c-7242-4293-9559-fa0f03007a91&sr=13.578258&cp=1&pos=0|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="documentary">{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Inside Licence to Kill|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | author = Cork, John }}</ref> locations in Mexico City included the Biblioteca del Banco de Mexico for the exterior of ''El Presidente Hotel'' and the Casino Español for the interior of ''Casino de Isthmus'' whilst the Teatro de la Ciudad was used for its exterior. Villa Arabesque in [[Acapulco]] was used for Sanchez's lavish villa, and the La Rumorosa Mountain Pass in [[Tecate]] was used as the filming site for the tanker chase during the climax of the film. Sanchez's Olympiatec Meditation Institute was shot at the Otomi Ceremonial Center in [[Temoaya]].<ref name=locations>{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Exotic Locations|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | author = Cork, John }}</ref> Other underwater sequences were shot at the [[Isla Mujeres]] near [[Cancún]].{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=185}}

In August 1988, production moved to the [[Florida Keys]], notably [[Key West]].<ref name="documentary"/> [[Seven Mile Bridge]] towards [[Pigeon Key]] was used for the sequence in which the armoured truck transporting Sanchez, following his arrest, is driven off the edge. Other locations there included [[Ernest Hemingway House]], [[Key West International Airport]], [[Mallory Square]], [[Basilica of St. Mary Star of the Sea (Key West, Florida)|St. Mary's Star of the Sea Church]] for Leiter's wedding and Stephano's House 707 South Street for his house and patio. The [[United States Coast Guard|U.S. Coast Guard]] pier was used to film Isthmus City harbour.<ref name=locations/> As production moved back to Mexico City, Broccoli became ill, marking the first time during the James Bond film series where he was not present during filming.<ref name=documentary/>

[[File:Seven Mile Bridge, part of the Overseas Highway.jpg|thumb|left|[[Seven Mile Bridge]]|alt=A view of a long bridge over water: a number of cars are visible in the left hand lane]]
The scene where Sanchez's plane is hijacked was filmed on location in Florida, with stuntman Jake Lombard jumping from a helicopter to a plane and Dalton himself tying Sanchez's plane with a cable. The plane towed by the helicopter was a life-sized model created by special effects supervisor John Richardson. After filming wide shots of David Hedison and Dalton parachuting, closer shots were made near the church location.<ref name=documentary/> During one of the takes, a malfunction of the harness equipment caused Hedison to fall on the pavement. The injury made him limp for the remainder of filming.<ref name=hedison/> The aquatic battle between Bond and the henchmen required two separate units, a surface one led by Arthur Wooster which used Dalton himself, and an underwater one which involved experienced divers. The [[Barefoot skiing|barefoot waterskiing]] was done by world champion Dave Reinhart, with some close-ups using Dalton on a special rig.<ref name=documentary/> Milton Krest's death used a prosthetic head which was created by John Richardson's team based on a mould of Anthony Zerbe's face.<ref>{{cite video |year=1999 | title = Audio commentary|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | people=John Richardson}}</ref> The result was so gruesome that it was shortened and toned down to avoid censorship problems.<ref name=comm/>

For the climactic [[tank truck|tanker]] chase, the producers used an entire section of [[Mexican Federal Highway 2D]] in [[La Rumorosa]], [[Baja California]], which had been closed for safety reasons.<ref name=":0" /> Sixteen [[Semi-trailer truck|eighteen-wheeler]] tankers were used,<ref name=documentary/> some with modifications made by manufacturer [[Kenworth]] at the request of driving stunts arranger [[Rémy Julienne]]. Most were given improvements to their engines to run faster, while one model had an extra steering wheel on the back of the cabin so a hidden stuntman could drive while Carey Lowell was in the front and another received extra [[suspension (vehicle)|suspension]] on its back so it could lift its front wheels.<ref name=documentary/><ref>{{cite video |year=2006| title = Kenworth Stunt Trucks|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | author = Cork, John }}</ref> Although a rig was constructed to help a rig tilt onto its side, it was not necessary as Julienne was able to pull off the stunt without the aid of camera trickery.<ref name=documentary/><ref>{{cite video |year=2006| title = On Set with John Glen|location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition | medium = DVD | publisher = MGM | author = Cork, John }}</ref>

===Music===
{{main|Licence to Kill (soundtrack)}}
Initially [[Vic Flick]], who had played lead guitar on [[Monty Norman]]'s [[James Bond Theme|original 007 theme]], and [[Eric Clapton]] were asked to write and perform the theme song to ''Licence to Kill'' and they produced a theme to match Dalton's gritty performance, but the producers turned it down<ref name="Rogers (2008)">{{cite news|last=Rogers|first=Jude| author-link = Jude Rogers |title=Film & Music: Music: For your ears only|newspaper=[[The Guardian]]|date=31 October 2008}}</ref> and instead [[Gladys Knight]]'s song and performance was chosen. The song was based on the "horn line" from "[[Goldfinger (Shirley Bassey song)|Goldfinger]]", seen as an homage to [[Goldfinger (film)|the film of the same name]],<ref name="Rogers (2008)"/> which required royalty payments to the original writers.<ref name="UKC4TV">{{cite video | people =Walden, Narada Michael |year=2006 | title =James Bond's Greatest Hits | medium =Television | location =UK | publisher =North One Television}}</ref> The song gave Knight her first British top-ten hit since 1977.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=179}} The end credits feature the Top 10 R&B hit "[[If You Asked Me To]]", sung by [[Patti LaBelle]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Dingwall|first=John|title=DVD Reviews|newspaper=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|Daily Record]]|date=12 July 2002}}</ref>

[[John Barry (composer)|John Barry]] was originally intended to score but was not available at the time due to throat surgery after suffering a [[Boerhaave syndrome|rupture of the esophagus]] in 1988 and it was considered unsafe to fly him from his home in [[New York (state)|New York]] to [[London]] to complete the score, post-production was extended to allow Barry time to recover.<ref name=":1" /> The soundtrack's score was composed and conducted by [[Michael Kamen]], who was known for scoring many action films at the time, such as ''[[Lethal Weapon]]'' and ''[[Die Hard]]''.{{sfn|Smith|2002|pp=231–2}} Glen said he picked Kamen, feeling he could give "the closest thing to John Barry."<ref name="glen"/>

==Release==
[[Film rating]]s organisations had objections to the excessive and realistic violence, with both the [[Motion Picture Association of America]] (MPAA) and the [[British Board of Film Classification]] requesting content adaptations,{{sfn| Chapman|2007|p=245}} with the BBFC in particular demanding the cut of 36 seconds.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=185}} ''Licence to Kill'' became the first Bond film to receive a PG-13 rating from the MPAA's [[Motion Picture Association film rating system|ratings board]], a rating that has been applied to every Bond film since. The 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD of ''Licence to Kill'' marked the first release of the film without cuts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/ltk_uncut.php3?t=&s=ltk&id=01172 |title=Licence To Kill Uncut |date=16 May 2006 |publisher=[[Mi6-HQ.com]] |access-date=28 August 2011 |archive-date=10 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010162626/http://www.mi6-hq.com/sections/articles/ltk_uncut.php3?t=&s=ltk&id=01172 |url-status=live }}</ref> It remains the only Bond movie to be originally rated 15 by the BBFC.<ref>{{cite web |title=License to Kill |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/licence-to-kill-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmtc2nty |website=BBFC |access-date=19 October 2024}}</ref> But for the subsequent cuts, the original examiners had been considering an 18 rating.<ref>{{cite web |title=BBFC Podcast Episode 08 - Bond |url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/about-us/podcasts/bbfc-podcast-episode-08-bond |website=BBFC |access-date=19 October 2024 |date=2012}}</ref>

''Licence to Kill'' premiered at the [[Odeon Leicester Square]] in London on {{nowrap|13 June 1989}},<ref name="Leask (1989)">{{cite news |last=Leask |first=Annie |title=Bond's night on the town |newspaper=[[Daily Express]] |date=14 June 1989}}</ref> raising £200,000 (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|200000|1989}}}} in {{CURRENTYEAR}} pounds{{inflation-fn|UK}}) for [[The Prince's Trust]] on the night.<ref name="Leask (1989)"/>

There were also issues with the promotion of the film: promotional material in the form of teaser posters created by [[Bob Peak]], based on the ''Licence Revoked'' title and commissioned by Albert Broccoli, had been produced, but MGM decided against using them{{sfn|Pfeiffer|Worrall|1998|p=167}} after American test screenings showed 'Licence Revoked' to be a common American phrase for the withdrawal of a driving licence.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=239}} The delayed, updated advertising by [[Steven Chorney]], in the traditional style, limited the film's pre-release screenings.<ref name="documentary"/> MGM also discarded a campaign created by advertising executive Don Smolen, who had worked in the publicity campaign for eight previous Bond films, emphasising the rougher content of the film.<ref>{{cite journal |first=Stephen|last=Rebello|title=Selling Bond |url=http://ianfleming.org/mkkbb/magazine/posters3.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410235517/http://ianfleming.org/mkkbb/magazine/posters3.shtml |archive-date=10 April 2005 |page=126 |journal=[[Cinefantastique]] |volume=19 |issue=5 |date=July 1989}}</ref><ref>{{cite video |year=1999 |title=Audio commentary |location=''Licence to Kill'': Ultimate Edition |medium=DVD |publisher=MGM |people=Don Smolen}}</ref>

==Reception==

=== Box office ===
At the [[box office]], ''Licence to Kill'' grossed $156.2 million ($373.3 million in 2022 dollars) on its budget of $32 million ($78.9 million in 2022 dollars), grossing an inflation-adjusted profit of $287.2 million, making it the twelfth biggest box-office draw of the year.<ref>{{cite web|title=1989 Yearly Box office result|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1989&p=.htm|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=29 August 2011|archive-date=2 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190902143040/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/yearly/chart/?view2=worldwide&yr=1989&p=.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Licence to Kill |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097742/credits/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=Box Office Mojo |archive-date=5 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220805171837/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097742/credits/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Inflation Calculator {{!}} Find US Dollar's Value from 1913-2022 |url=https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |access-date=2022-08-05 |website=www.usinflationcalculator.com |language=en-US |archive-date=23 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723111922/https://www.usinflationcalculator.com/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The film grossed a total of £7.5&nbsp;million (£{{formatnum:{{Inflation|UK|7.5|1989}}}} million in {{CURRENTYEAR}} pounds{{inflation-fn|UK}}) in the United Kingdom,{{sfn|Wickham|Mettler|2005|p=25}} making it the seventh-most successful film of the year,<ref>{{cite web |title=1989 Rank |url=http://www.25thframe.co.uk/pagetemplate.php?source=charts%2Fyear_chart&chart=charts%2F1989&title=Top+grossing+UK+films+1989&x=78&y=56keyword= |work=British Film Institute |publisher=the25thframe |access-date=29 August 2011 |archive-date=31 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120331095348/http://www.25thframe.co.uk/pagetemplate.php?source=charts%2Fyear_chart&chart=charts%2F1989&title=Top+grossing+UK+films+1989&x=78&y=56keyword= |url-status=live }}</ref> despite the [[15 (British Board of Film Classification)|15 certificate]] which cut down audience numbers.{{sfn|Smith|2002|p=238}} In the US and Canada, it grossed $34.6&nbsp;million,<ref name=numbers>{{cite web|title=Licence to Kill|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1989/0LTOK.php|work=The Numbers|publisher=Nash Information Services, LLC.|access-date=24 August 2011|archive-date=13 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120313014413/http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/1989/0LTOK.php|url-status=live}}</ref> making ''Licence to Kill'' the least financially successful James Bond film in the US, when accounting for inflation.<ref>{{cite web|title=Franchises: James Bond|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=jamesbond.htm|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[Internet Movie Database|IMDb.com, Inc]]|access-date=4 April 2012|archive-date=12 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512231036/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=jamesbond.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> A factor suggested for the poor takings was fierce competition at the cinema, with ''Licence to Kill'' released alongside ''[[Lethal Weapon 2]]'', ''[[Ghostbusters II]]'', ''[[Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade]]'' (starring former Bond [[Sean Connery]]), and ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]''.{{sfn|Barnes|Hearn|2001|p=179}}
Other large international grosses include $14.2 million in Germany, $12.4 million in France, $8.8 million in Japan, $8.7 million in the Netherlands and $8.6 million in Sweden.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Estimated gross of the last five Bond films in 15 selected international territories|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=5 December 1997|page=22}}</ref>

Despite grossing more than 4.3 times its budget, ''Licence to Kill'' has made the lowest inflation-adjusted box-office return—as well as having the lowest profit margin—out of all 25 of the official ''Bond'' films as of 2022. The only other ''Bond'' movie with "Kill" in the title—''[[A View to a Kill]]'', which was also directed by John Glen—has the ''second''-lowest inflation-adjusted return of any ''Bond'' movie. However, ''Licence to Kill''<nowiki/>'s return ratio of 4.3 ranks it 18th out of the 25 official film entries from the series.{{Citation needed|date=October 2024}}

=== Contemporary reviews ===
[[Derek Malcolm]] in ''[[The Guardian]]'' was broadly approving of ''Licence to Kill'', liking the "harder edge of the earlier Bonds" that the film emulated, but wishing that "it was written and directed with a bit more flair."<ref name="Malcolm (1989)" /> Malcolm praised the way the film attempted "to tell a story rather than use one for the decorative purposes of endless spectacular tropes."<ref name="Malcolm (1989)">{{cite news |last=Malcolm |first=Derek |authorlink=Derek Malcolm|title=James the Sixteenth: Bond is back. |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=15 June 1989}}</ref> Writing in ''The Guardian''{{'}}s sister paper, ''[[The Observer]]'', [[Philip French]] noted that "despite the playful sparkle in his eyes, Timothy Dalton's Bond is&nbsp;... serious here."<ref name="French (1989)">{{cite news |last=French |first=Philip |title=Bond number comes up: CINEMA |newspaper=[[The Observer]] |date=18 June 1989}}</ref> Overall French called ''Licence to Kill'' "an entertaining, untaxing film".<ref name="French (1989)" /> [[Ian Christie (film scholar)|Ian Christie]] in the ''[[Daily Express]]'' excoriated the film, saying that the plot was "absurd but fundamentally dull",<ref name="Christie (1981)">{{cite news |last=Christie |first=Ian |authorlink=Ian Christie (film scholar)|title=Grim Tim is just no joke as James |newspaper=[[Daily Express]] |date=14 June 1989}}</ref> a further problem being that as "there isn't a coherent storyline to link [the stunts], they eventually become tiresome."<ref name="Christie (1981)" />

[[Hilary Mantel]] in ''[[The Spectator]]'' dismissed the film:

{{cquote|It is a very noisy film. There is a weary and repetitive note to the frenzy. ... The sex is low key and off-screen but there is a smirking perverse undertow which makes the film more disagreeable than a [[slasher movie]].<ref name="Mantel (1989)">{{cite news |last=Mantel |first=Hilary |author-link=Hilary Mantel |title=Minimalist Bond |url=http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/1st-july-1989/33/cinema |newspaper=[[The Spectator]] |date=1 July 1989 |access-date=6 November 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013330/http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/1st-july-1989/33/cinema |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

[[David Robinson (film critic)|David Robinson]], writing in ''[[The Times]]'', observed that ''Licence to Kill'' "will probably neither disappoint nor surprise the great, faithful audience",<ref name="Robinson (1989)">{{cite news |last=Robinson |first=David |authorlink=David Robinson (film critic)|title=Business as usual; Cinema |newspaper=[[The Times]] |date=15 June 1989}}</ref> but bemoaned the fact that "over the years the plots have become less ambitious".<ref name="Robinson (1989)"/> Robinson thought that Dalton's Bond "has more class"<ref name="Robinson (1989)"/> than the previous Bonds and was "a warmer personality".<ref name="Robinson (1989)"/> Iain Johnstone of ''[[The Sunday Times]]'' pointed out that "any vestiges of the gentleman spy&nbsp;... by [[Ian Fleming]]" have now gone,<ref name="Johnstone (1989)">{{cite news|last=Johnstone|first=Iain|title=Bond flies in like a bat out of hell; Arts|newspaper=[[The Sunday Times]]|date=18 June 1989}}</ref> and in its place is a Bond that is "remarkably close both in deed and action to the [[Batman|eponymous hero]] of [[Batman (1989 film)|the ''Batman'' film]]"<ref name="Johnstone (1989)"/> that was released at the same time as ''Licence to Kill''.

[[Adam Mars-Jones]] of ''[[The Independent]]'' gave the film a mixed review, pointing out that it took out some of the more dated ideas from the Fleming novels, such as [[imperialism]]; he wrote that the writers were "trying in effect to reproduce the recipe while leaving out ingredients that would now seem distasteful".<ref name="Mars-Jones (1989)">{{cite news |last=Mars-Jones |first=Adam |authorlink=Adam Mars-Jones|title=Low-tar espionage: Licence to Kill |newspaper=[[The Independent]] |date=15 June 1989}}</ref> Overall Mars-Jones thought that:

{{cquote|James Bond is more like a low-tar cigarette than anything else{{emdash}}less stimulating than the throat-curdling gaspers of yesteryear, but still naggingly implicated in unhealthiness, a feeble bad habit without the kick of a vice.<ref name="Mars-Jones (1989)"/>
}}

For the Canadian newspaper ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', Rick Groen wrote that in ''Licence to Kill'' "they've excised Bond from the Bond flicks; they've turned James into Jimmy, strong and silent and (roll over, Britannia) downright American",<ref name="Groen (1989)">{{cite news|last=Groen|first=Rick|title=Licence to Kill|newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]|date=14 July 1989}}</ref> resulting in a Bond film that is "essentially Bond-less".<ref name="Groen (1989)"/> Summing up, Groen thought "Actually, that dialogue&nbsp;... ain't bad. The silence looks good on Timothy Dalton".<ref name="Groen (1989)"/>

Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Times]]'' wrote that a number of factors "fail to prevent the finished product from jamming and misfiring with disillusioning frequency".<ref name="Arnold (1989)">{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |title=Let Dalton play Bond as debonair but dangerous! |newspaper=[[The Washington Times]] |date=14 July 1989}}</ref> Arnold opined that "demanding that he [Dalton] play Bond's wrathfulness in a transparently seething and hotheaded manner"<ref name="Arnold (1989)"/> means that Dalton "seems to waste away on this second outing as Bond."<ref name="Arnold (1989)"/> Overall Arnold sees that there is a "failure to recognize that Bond productions are simply too extravagant to permit an uncompromised return to first principles."<ref name="Arnold (1989)"/> The critic for ''[[The New York Times]]'', Caryn James, thought Dalton was "the first James Bond with angst, a moody spy for the fin de siecle",<ref name="James (1989)">{{cite news |last=James |first=Caryn |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/14/movies/review-film-dalton-as-a-brooding-bond-in-license-to-kill.html |title=Dalton as a Brooding Bond In 'License to Kill' |access-date=26 September 2011 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=14 July 1989 |archive-date=30 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530024539/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/14/movies/review-film-dalton-as-a-brooding-bond-in-license-to-kill.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and that ''Licence to Kill'' "retains its familiar, effective mix of despicably powerful villains, suspiciously tantalizing women and ever-wilder special effects",<ref name="James (1989)"/> but was impressed that "Dalton's glowering presence adds a darker tone".<ref name="James (1989)"/> James concluded that "for all its clever updatings, stylish action and witty escapism, ''Licence to Kill''&nbsp;... is still a little too much by the book."<ref name="James (1989)"/>

[[Roger Ebert]] for the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film 3{{frac|1|2}} stars out of 4, saying "the stunts all look convincing, and the effect of the closing sequence is exhilarating&nbsp;... ''Licence to Kill'' is one of the best of the recent Bonds."<ref>{{cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |authorlink=Roger Ebert| title=Licence To Kill |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/licence-to-kill-1989 |access-date=24 August 2011 |newspaper=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] |date=14 July 1989 |archive-date=6 June 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606075323/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19890714%2FREVIEWS%2F907140301%2F1023 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Jack Kroll]], writing in ''[[Newsweek]]'', described ''Licence to Kill'' as "a pure, rousingly entertaining action movie".<ref name="Kroll (1989)">{{cite news |last=Kroll |first=Jack |title=Ka-boom, Ka-bam, Ka-Bond |newspaper=[[Newsweek]] |date=17 July 1989}}</ref> Kroll was mixed in his appraisal of Dalton, calling him "a fine actor who hasn't yet stamped Bond with his own personality",<ref name="Kroll (1989)"/> observing "Director John Glen is the [[Busby Berkeley]] of action flicks, and his chorus line is the legendary team of Bond stunt-persons who are at their death-defying best here".<ref name="Kroll (1989)"/> For ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine, [[Richard Corliss]] bemoaned that although the truck stunts were good, it was "a pity nobody – not writers Michael G. Wilson, and Richard Maibaum nor director John Glen – thought to give the humans anything very clever to do."<ref name="Corliss (1989)">{{cite magazine |last=Corliss |first=Richard |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958214,00.html |title=Cinema: We Don't Need Another Heroid |access-date=23 August 2011 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |date=24 July 1989 |archive-date=22 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111222014118/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958214,00.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Corliss found Dalton "misused" in the film, adding that "for every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in [[Diamonds Are Forever (film)|his sixth]]."<ref name="Corliss (1989)"/>

===Retrospective reviews===
Opinion on ''Licence to Kill'' has changed with the passing of time: some reviews are still mixed, though film review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]] lists the film with a positive 80% rating from 62 reviews with the consensus stating that "''Licence to Kill'' is darker than many of the other Bond entries, with Timothy Dalton playing the character with intensity, but it still has some solid chases and fight scenes."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/licence_to_kill/ |title=''Licence to Kill'' |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=30 October 2012 |archive-date=23 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121023113139/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/licence_to_kill/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Tom Hibbert]] of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' gives the film only two of a possible five stars, observing that "Dalton&nbsp;... is really quite hopeless".<ref name="Hibbert">{{cite web |url=https://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132179 |title=Licence to Kill |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |first=Tom |last=Hibbert |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=20 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020211212/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=132179 |url-status=live }}</ref> Hibbert concluded that "he may look the part, but Timothy Dalton fails the boots, the scuba gear, or the automobiles left him by [[Roger Moore|Moore]] and Connery."<ref name="Hibbert"/> In 2006, [[IGN]] ranked ''Licence to Kill'' fifteenth out of the then 21 Bond films, claiming it is "too grim and had strayed too far from the Bond formula."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/746/746573p1.html |title=James Bond's Top 20 |website=IGN |date=17 November 2006 |access-date=23 August 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090305105945/http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/746/746573p1.html |archive-date=5 March 2009}}</ref> Desmond Llewelyn himself said in his last interview in 1999, the movie "lost all its fantasy...[it]  was a very good film, it wasn't a Bond film."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.follyfoot-tv.co.uk/jott/des_inter/des_interveiw.htm |title=Llewelyn's last interview (with reference to ''Follyfoot'' and ''Live and Let Die'') |publisher=Follyfoot-tv.co.uk |date=19 December 1999 |access-date=19 November 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217053521/http://www.follyfoot-tv.co.uk/jott/des_inter/des_interveiw.htm |archive-date=17 February 2012 }}</ref>

Norman Wilner of [[MSN]] considered ''Licence to Kill'' the second worst Bond film, above only ''[[A View to a Kill]]'', but defended Dalton, saying he "got a raw deal. The actor who could have been the definitive 007&nbsp;... had the bad luck to inherit the role just as the series was at its weakest, struggling to cope with its general creative decline and the end of the [[Cold War]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://movies.sympatico.msn.ca/features/ArticleNormanWilner.aspx?cp-documentid=436189 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119210839/http://movies.sympatico.msn.ca/features/ArticleNormanWilner.aspx?cp-documentid=436189 |archive-date=19 January 2008 |title=Rating the Spy Game |publisher=[[MSN]] |author=Norman Wilner |access-date=23 August 2011}}</ref> In October 2008, ''[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]]'' re-issued a review of ''Licence to Kill'' and also thought that Dalton was unfortunate, saying: "one has to feel for Dalton, who was never given a fair shake by either of the films in which he appeared".<ref>{{cite web |last=Lee Davies |first=Adam |title=''Licence to Kill'' revisited |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/5997/licence-to-kill-revisited.html |work=[[Time Out (company)|Time Out]] |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=1 August 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110801101458/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/5997/licence-to-kill-revisited.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film, ''Esquire''{{'}}s Bob Sassone urged readers to give it a second look.<ref>{{cite magazine|first=Bob|last=Sassone|title=The Most Underrated Bond Movie|url=https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29387/license-to-kill-most-underrated-bond-movie/|magazine=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]]|date=July 14, 2014|access-date=18 January 2023|archive-date=18 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118012210/https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29387/license-to-kill-most-underrated-bond-movie/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''High-Def Digest'' awarded it four out of five stars when re-released on [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Joshua|last=Zyber|url=https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/8289/bond50_licencetokill.html|title=Bond 50: Licence To Kill|website=High-Def Digest|date=December 10, 2012|access-date=3 November 2021|archive-date=3 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103223505/https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/8289/bond50_licencetokill.html|url-status=live}}</ref> British ''[[GQ]]'' considered it the most underrated in the series, thinking the change in tone caused upset among fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Williams |first=David |date=2015-09-11 |title=The GQ Guide to James Bond: Licence to Kill |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/licence-to-kill-james-bond-guide |access-date=2022-09-22 |website=British [[GQ]] |language=en-GB |archive-date=22 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220922143025/https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/licence-to-kill-james-bond-guide |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Digital Spy]] called Dalton the best Bond of the six actors, praising his depth,<ref>Hugh Armitage and Morgan Jeffery, "James Bond actors ranked: Who wore the tux best?" [[Digital Spy]], 2017</ref> terming ''Licence to Kill'' a "violently enjoyable 007 detour".<ref>{{cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Which Bond movie is best? The definitive 007 film ranking – from awful to awesome |publisher=Digital Spy |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/g24653/bond-movies-films-007-ranked-worst-best/?slide=13 |date=27 October 2018 |access-date=22 August 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013331/https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/g24653/bond-movies-films-007-ranked-worst-best/?slide=13 |url-status=live }}</ref> Den of Geek writer Max Williams described the finished work as "..about as good as the series can get..", praising Dalton for delivering "his vision of Bond, perfectly.""<ref>{{cite news |last1=Williams |first1=Max |title=License to Kill: The Darkest James Bond Movie |url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/license-to-kill-the-darkest-james-bond-movie/ |work=[[Den of Geek]] |access-date=13 January 2025}}</ref>

Some critics, such as [[James Berardinelli]], saw a fundamental weakness in the film: the "overemphasis on story may be a mistake, because there are times when ''Licence to Kill''{{'}}s narrative bogs down."<ref name="Berardinelli">{{cite web |url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/l/licence.html |first=James |last=Berardinelli |author-link=James Berardinelli |title=''Licence to Kill'' |publisher=[[ReelViews]] |year=1996 |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013335/https://preview.reelviews.net/movies/l/licence.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Berardinelli gave the film three out of a possible four stars, adding "''Licence to Kill'' may be taut and gripping, but it's not traditional Bond, and that, as much as any other reason, may explain the public's rejection of this reasonably well-constructed picture."<ref name="Berardinelli"/> [[Raymond Benson]], the author of nine Bond novels, said of the film: "It boggles my mind that ''Licence to Kill'' is so controversial. There's really more of a true Ian Fleming story in that script than in most of the post-60s Bond movies."<ref>{{cite web |last=Cox |first=John |title=The Raymond Benson CBn Interview (Part I) |url=http://commanderbond.net/2312/the-raymond-benson-cbn-interview-part-i.html |work=The Raymond Benson CBn Interview |date=31 March 2004 |publisher=CommanderBond.net |access-date=23 August 2011 |archive-date=12 July 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120712073446/http://commanderbond.net/2312/the-raymond-benson-cbn-interview-part-i.html |url-status=live }}</ref> John Glen has said ''Licence to Kill'' "is among my best Bond films, if not the best".<ref name="documentary"/> "I call Timothy Dalton the father of Daniel Craig", Davi admitted years later. "The years of Roger Moore were delicious...But to take Bond into the era when action films were hard and real… Timothy brought that intensity and darkness as an actor...Like Fleming said, Bond’s not necessarily a good guy. Timothy gave Bond that edge.”<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/bond-broke-bad-drug-crazed-cold-blooded-licence-kill-pushed/|title = When Bond broke bad: how the drug-crazed, cold-blooded Licence To Kill pushed 007 too far|newspaper = [[The Daily Telegraph]]|date = 10 June 2019|last1 = Fordy|first1 = Tom}}</ref>

==Appearances in other media==
[[File:LicenceToKillNovel.jpg|right|thumb|160px|1989 British Coronet Books paperback edition|alt=A book cover showing a man holding a pistol. He is wearing a white dress shirt with untied bow tie. The words "JAMES BOND IS BACK" are in the top right hand corner. In the bottom right hand corner are the words "LICENCE TO KILL JOHN GARDNER".]]

The ''Licence to Kill'' screenplay was novelised by the then-novelist of the Bond series [[John Gardner (British writer)|John Gardner]]. It was the first Bond film novelisation since ''[[James Bond and Moonraker]]'' in 1979.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pukas |first=Anna |title=Writer who took on the Bond mission |newspaper=Daily Express |date=6 July 2002}}</ref>

''Licence to Kill'' was also adapted as a forty-four-page, colour [[graphic novel]], by writer and artist [[Mike Grell]] (also author of original-story Bond comic books), published by [[Eclipse Comics]] and ACME Press in hardcover and trade editions in 1989.{{sfn|Conroy|2004|p=293}} The adaptation closely follows the film story, although the ending is briefer, and James Bond is not drawn to resemble Timothy Dalton after Dalton refused to allow his likeness to be licensed.<ref>{{cite news |title=Bond Violence Gets Artistic 'Licence' |newspaper=[[The Palm Beach Post]] |date=28 July 1989}}</ref> [[Domark]] also published a video game adaptation, ''[[007: Licence to Kill]]'', to various personal computers.{{sfn| Lindner |2009|p=317}}

The 2012 video game ''[[007 Legends]]'' features a level based on ''Licence to Kill'' with [[Carey Lowell]] reprising her role by providing the voice for the Pam Bouvier character.

==Awards and nominations==
* 1990 [[Edgar Award|Edgar Allan Poe Award]] – Best Motion Picture – nomination for Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum<ref>{{cite web |author=Cozy-Mystery.Com |url=http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Edgar-Award-Best-Motion-Picture.html |title=Edgar Award: Best Motion Picture |publisher=Cozy-Mystery.Com |access-date=19 October 2013 |archive-date=19 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019231204/http://www.cozy-mystery.com/Edgar-Award-Best-Motion-Picture.html |url-status=live }}</ref> <!--- The official "Edgar" website http://www.theedgars.com/edgarsDB/index.php confirms this though it isn't readily linkable. Remember to click "Winners & Nominees". --->
* 1989 [[Motion Picture Sound Editors|MPSE Golden Reel]] – Outstanding Sound Mixing – nomination for [[Graham V. Hartstone|Graham Hartstone]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.amps.net/directory/retiredmembers/graham-hartstone/ |title=Directory: Graham V. Hartstone |publisher=The Association of Motion Picture Sound |access-date=19 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140815162556/http://www.amps.net/directory/retiredmembers/graham-hartstone/ |archive-date=15 August 2014}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Film|1980s}}
* [[List of drug films]]
* [[Outline of James Bond]]

== Citations ==
{{Reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin|colwidth=40em}}
* {{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Alan |last2=Hearn |first2=Marcus |year=2001 |title=Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion |publisher=[[Batsford Books]] |isbn=978-0-7134-8182-2 }}
* {{cite book |last=Black |first=Jeremy |author-link=Jeremy Black (historian) |title=The Politics of James Bond: From Fleming's Novel to the Big Screen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=g4-sFrU8Xw0C&q=Clarence%20Leiter&pg=PP1 |year=2005 |publisher=[[University of Nebraska Press]] |isbn=978-0-8032-6240-9 |access-date=1 November 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013331/https://books.google.com/books?id=g4-sFrU8Xw0C&q=Clarence+Leiter&pg=PP1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Chapman |first=James |title=Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films |publisher=I. B. Tauris |location=London; New York City |year=2007 |isbn=978-1-84511-515-9 }}
* {{cite book |last=Conroy |first=Mike |title=500 Great Comicbook Action Heroes |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t7XB6pkvISAC&pg=PA1 |year=2004 |publisher=[[Anova Books|Chrysalis Books Group]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-84411-004-9 |access-date=1 November 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013332/https://books.google.com/books?id=t7XB6pkvISAC&pg=PA1 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last1=Cork |first1=John |last2=Stutz |first2=Collin |title=James Bond Encyclopedia |year=2007 |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |location=London |isbn=978-1-4053-3427-3 }}
* {{cite book |last=Lindner |first=Christoph |title=The James Bond Phenomenon: A Critical Reader |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vbIrAQAAIAAJ |publisher=[[Manchester University Press]] |year=2009 |edition=2nd |isbn=978-0-7190-8095-1 |access-date=24 September 2016 |archive-date=31 March 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331022430/https://books.google.com/books?id=vbIrAQAAIAAJ |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last=Paul |first=Louis |title=Tales from the cult film trenches: interviews with 36 actors from horror, science fiction and exploitation cinema |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6NQ-Y8lbGAsC&q=9780786429943 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |location=Jefferson, NC |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7864-2994-3 |access-date=1 November 2020 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508013332/https://books.google.com/books?id=6NQ-Y8lbGAsC&q=9780786429943 |url-status=live }}
* {{cite book |last1=Pfeiffer |first1=Lee |last2= Worrall |first2=Dave |title=The Essential Bond |year=1998 |publisher=[[Macmillan Publishers|Boxtree Ltd]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-7522-2477-0 }}
* {{cite book |last=Smith |first=Jim |title=Bond Films |year=2002 |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-7535-0709-4 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/bondfilms0000smit }}
* {{cite book |last1=Wickham |first1=Phil |last2=Mettler |first2=Erinna |year=2005 |title=Back to the Future: The Fall and Rise of the British Film Industry in the 1980s |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-back-to-the-future-the-fall-and-rise-of-the-british-film-industry-in-the-1980s.pdf |location=London |publisher=BFI Information Services |isbn=1-84457-108-4 |access-date=15 August 2014 |archive-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912042419/http://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-back-to-the-future-the-fall-and-rise-of-the-british-film-industry-in-the-1980s.pdf |url-status=live }}
{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{official website|https://www.007.com/the-films/licence-to-kill/}}
* {{IMDb title|0097742}}
* {{Mojo title|licensetokill}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|licence_to_kill}}

{{Bond movies}}
{{John Glen}}
{{Licence to Kill}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Licence To Kill}}
[[Category:Licence to Kill]]
[[Category:1989 films]]
[[Category:1989 British novels]]
[[Category:1989 action thriller films]]
[[Category:1980s adventure films]]
[[Category:1980s spy films]]
[[Category:Films based on multiple works of a series]]
[[Category:British sequel films]]
[[Category:British thriller films]]
[[Category:Estudios Churubusco films]]
[[Category:Films about the illegal drug trade]]
[[Category:Films about cocaine]]
[[Category:British films about revenge]]
[[Category:American films about revenge]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Glen]]
[[Category:Films set in Florida]]
[[Category:Films shot in Florida]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mexico]]
[[Category:James Bond films]]
[[Category:Films scored by Michael Kamen]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Richard Maibaum]]
[[Category:Films produced by Albert R. Broccoli]]
[[Category:Films produced by Michael G. Wilson]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films]]
[[Category:United Artists films]]
[[Category:Eon Productions films]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Michael G. Wilson]]
[[Category:Films about the Drug Enforcement Administration]]
[[Category:Films about Latin American military dictatorships]]
[[Category:Films set in the Bahamas]]
[[Category:Films set in fictional countries]]
[[Category:Films shot in Mexico City]]
[[Category:1980s English-language films]]
[[Category:1980s American films]]
[[Category:1980s British films]]
[[Category:1989 in American cinema]]
[[Category:English-language action adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language action thriller films]]