Licence to Kill

Tags

007, 1980's, Anthony Zerbe, Benicio Del Toro, Carey Lowell, Caroline Bliss, David Hedison, Desmond Llewelyn, Everett McGill, Frank McRae, James Bond, John Glen, Licence to Kill, Robert Brown, Robert Davi, Spy, Talisa Soto, Timothy Dalton

Film Title

Licence to Kill

Director

John Glen

Starring

• Timothy Dalton as James Bond
• Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier
• Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez
• Talisa Soto as Lupe Lamora
• Anthony Zerbe as Milton Krest
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• David Hedison as Felix Leiter
• Frank McRae as Sharkey
• Everett McGill as Ed Killifer
• Benicio Del Toro as Dario
• Robert Brown as M
• Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny

After his excellent turn as 007 in The Living Daylights, Timothy Dalton returned for what was to be his last outing as the agent. With Licence to Kill, the mood is much more serious than your average Bond fare and the results are dark and very brutal. Yet this change brings something new to the series and there is much to praise in this polarizing entry into the franchise.

In the beginning of the movie, Bond aids old CIA friend Felix Leiter in his search with the DEA for the powerful drugs lord Franz Sanchez. After the successful capture of the fleeing Sanchez, Felix marries a new bride by the name of Della and all seems to be going well. Their wedded bliss is cut tragically short after people on the inside and working for Sanchez, help the psychopath to escape and he has Felix’s bride murdered and Felix horribly mutilated by a shark. Severely angered and filled with a large sense of loyalty to his friend, Bond takes it upon himself to track down Sanchez and get revenge for what he did to Felix. This attitude for personal revenge has him stripped of his licence to kill by MI6 so Bond goes rogue in his vendetta against Sanchez. Recruiting tough-talking CIA agent and skilled pilot Pam Bouvier and helped by a vacationing Q, 007 goes from Florida to Mexico in his search for Sanchez and cunningly enters his inner circle, hoping it will bring him face to face with the violent drugs baron. Lets just say the results are going to be explosive and very tense to say the least.

In comparison to other Bond movies, Licence to Kill is by far the most adult of the series. With realistic violence and aggression a plenty, it is something of a departure from the adventurous nature of other Bond flicks. John Glen, in his last outing as Bond director, gives the film a welcome dose of savagery as Bond severs ties with restrictions of Government and goes at it alone. Violence is at its highest in Licence to Kill as people are maimed by sharks, Lupe, the caged girlfriend of Sanchez, is savagely whipped by him using a stingray tail and one character has his head stretched and blown up in sadistically, grisly fashion. Admittedly, some of this change may not all be effective, but it’s interesting to see the formula be twisted into something harsher and darker than before. There is a sense of brutality that hangs over Licence to Kill that marks it as a Bond movie with a different purpose than most. Even the whole main villain is not a mastermind trying to destroy the world which is usually the case, he is a powerful drugs baron with a hidden business. In this movie it brings the threats posed by him more profound as they are very believable in nature and the menace it provides is chilling. Michael Kamen provides the accented score, that gets to the heart of the revenge theme and fashions it into Latin rhythms and slinking drums. Soul diva Gladys Knight belts out the title track with power and finesse, giving the song passion and drama to boot.

Even though his tenure as 007 was too short, Dalton gave it his all. This really shows in Licence to Kill as we see Bond for the first time on a personal mission that only he can end. Dalton excellently shows the anger and hate Bond has for Sanchez and how he cunningly begins to infiltrate the drugs baron’s impenetrable system. Up until this point we hadn’t seen Bond at the end of his tether and bruised, but Dalton pulls this side of him off with grit and determination. Ably supporting him is Carey Lowell, who brings a sultry yet tough quality to the part of CIA agent Pam. This is a Bond girl who can fight her own battles, use her sexual prowess to get what she wants, match Bond in terms of intellect and is more than resilient in terms of resources. Exuding brooding menace and burning paranoia is Robert Davi as the antagonist Sanchez. Davi genuinely gives the role a darkness and he truly makes Sanchez a chilling adversary for 007. It is really interesting watching the dynamic between Bond and Sanchez and how Bond plants seeds of doubt in the head of Sanchez that cause him to doubt the loyalty of those around him. Talisa Soto exhibits vulnerability and the need for escape as Lupe, the girlfriend of Sanchez who has had enough of his cruelty. Anthony Zerbe is cunning as one Sanchez’s many workers, while there is a happy extended turn from Desmond Llewelyn as Q. In this entry, Q loyally aids Bond on his vendetta and this film really shows how valuable Q is as 007 comes up against enemies. David Hedison returns as Felix Leiter after portraying the character in Live and Let Die, and gives Felix a tragedy as his fate is what sets in motion Bond’s revenge mission. Frank McRae is a likable ally for Bond and Everett McGill is supremely slimy as the man who betrayed Felix because of Sanchez. In an early role, Benicio Del Toro is sinister and unhinged as Dario, a young henchman for Sanchez who is skilled with a switch blade and relishes the chance to dispatch those in his way. Robert Brown is strong and gruff in his last outing as M, yet Caroline Bliss this time around is not given enough to do as Moneypenny.

Brutal and unflinching, Licence to Kill may divide opinion but it does have an impact as we see the DNA of the series morph into something darker than normal.

 

The Living Daylights

Tags

007, 1980's, Andreas Wisniewski, Art Malik, Caroline Bliss, Desmond Llewelyn, James Bond, Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker, John Glen, John Rhys-Davies, Maryam d'Abo, Robert Brown, Spy, The Living Daylights, Thomas Wheatley, Timothy Dalton

Film Title

The Living Daylights

Director

John Glen

Starring

• Timothy Dalton as James Bond
• Maryam d’Abo as Kara Milovy
• Jeroen Krabbé as General Georgi Koskov
• Joe Don Baker as Brad Whitaker
• John Rhys-Davies as General Pushkin
• Art Malik as Kamran Shah
• Andreas Wisniewski as Necros
• Thomas Wheatley as Saunders
• Robert Brown as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Caroline Bliss as Moneypenny

After Roger Moore signed off with the underwhelming A View to a Kill, the Bond producers went on the lookout for a new actor to step into the shoes of 007. The eventual casting choice was Timothy Dalton, who brought to the role a gritty quality that was more in tune with the hero of Ian Fleming’s novels. The Living Daylights is a refreshingly grounded spy thriller that brought the series back to its roots and generally succeeded in bringing the franchise into the realms of believable espionage.

Bond is sent to aid the defection of KGB officer General Georgi Koskov along with the by the book Saunders. Koskov believes he has been marked for death and that a sniper will eliminate him if he attempts to defect during a concert in Bratislava. Bond helps him and manages to avert the sniper, who is a beautiful woman that Bond thinks is not in on the plot. Koskov informs MI6 that the man behind all of this is the KGB chief General Pushkin. Yet there is something about the accusation that alarms Bond and arouses his suspicions. After aiding Koskov, the defector is snatched back by Necros, a menacing assassin. While MI6 begins panicking about the repercussions of this, Bond has already smelt a rat. He deduces that Koskov cunningly faked his defection, tried to implicate Pushkin and is in league with a maniacal arms dealer named Brad Whitaker. Travelling back to Bratislava, 007 comes into contact with the girl with the sniper, Kara Milovy. She is in fact the naive, cello playing girlfriend of Koskov, who has no idea about the sinister plans surrounding her and believed she was helping Koskov. It is now up to Bond to stop Koskov and Whitaker from a scheme involving diamonds, opium and arms dealing. From Vienna to Tangier and finally Afghanistan for one hell of a showdown, Bond must use all his wits if he is to stop this plot from falling into motion. With the confused but willing Kara in tow and assistance from Kamran Shah, an Afghan freedom fighter, 007 enters the international game of cat and mouse.

After the humour of the Moore era, it was refreshing to bring a seriousness to the Bond series. The Living Daylights more than does this by giving us an atmosphere of intense intrigue, that has shadows of Cold War thrillers with defections, double crosses and death at every corner. John Glen is back to his best in this effort, directing with a grit and globe-trotting appeal. Unlike the last film, which had an emphasis on comedy, Glen manages to control the humour to splashes of quick wit and sophistication. Only at certain times does the complex plot become a little too complicated for its own good, yet The Living Daylights still remains enthralling. The action is high and excellently choreographed, the attack on a Russian air base in Afghanistan is an exciting battle that has the hairs on your neck standing up. John Barry signs off with panache by contributing an enthralling and intriguing score that ranks as some of his best work. The title song by A-Ha is a catchy track that incorporates synths and orchestra to compliment the modern elements and the tradition of the Bond series.

Timothy Dalton gives the character of Bond a serious edge and exudes some real intensity as he investigates this complex state of affairs. He may not have the wit for the part, but Dalton makes the role his own with his darker take on the character. Maryam d’Abo is suitably winsome and naive as Kara, who is thrust into these extraordinary situations. d’Abo brings a certain charm and benevolent innocence to the part of Kara, and this proves to be interesting as we watch this ordinary woman fall into these circumstances and into the arms of Bond. Unusually for a Bond movie, he isn’t that much of a womanizer and Kara is the only Bond girl. This makes the relationship between him and Kara natural and strangely effective. Jeroen Krabbé may nail the smarmy personality of the double-crossing Koskov, but at times he appears a little to phony to be believable and as a villain, he doesn’t quite have the intimidation needed. Joe Don Baker has the right qualities for a maniacal villain in the form of Whitaker, but he comes off as more than a little cartoonish. John Rhys-Davies is on fine form as the newest KGB chief Pushkin, he gives him a humour and sagacity that aids Bond in uncovering deception. Art Malik is resourceful and witty as Kamran Shah, the freedom fighter who is freed from prison by Bond and repays the favor. By far the most menacing of the trio of villains, Andreas Wisniewski utilities his height and athletic appearance to great effect as master assassin Necros. Thomas Wheatley has fun as the strict and rule abiding agent Saunders, flabbergasted by Bond’s methods who later comes to respect him. Robert Brown as MI6 boss M and Desmond Llewelyn give their usual expertise to their roles, but the new Moneypenny, in the form of Caroline Bliss, is not a patch on Lois Maxwell.

An exciting, serious and down to earth spy thriller, The Living Daylights gives the series a real jolt and makes the ride extremely enjoyable announcing Timothy Dalton as a different kind of 007.