The Battle for 'Licence to Kill' | A Fan Debate
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- Опубликовано: 5 июн 2021
- Extreme violence? Dodgy haircuts? Random ninjas? We discuss all that and more in our fan debate for and against Timothy Dalton's final Bond outing!
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People forget that Timothy Dalton was a classically trained actor, walking the boards in Shakespeare plays, etc. He brought a bad-ass element to Bond that had been missing for years. A pity about the legal problems and the six-year lag that eventually saw Brosnan's reign. I would've loved to see another Dalton outing to se how he would've developed the role.
My brother had a cool little bit as an extra. Early in the film he was a soldier in Key West jumping from a transport truck in the escape scene.
It’s not that big a deal since he was an extra , but he was in a shot full in the frame by himself taking entire screen for a split-second. The editor obviously thought that my brother was the best of the soldiers jumping from the truck, so that’s something cool.
I love both of Daltons bond movies. He was seriously underrated.
His bond was a work of art, oh if only we got a third film even if it was going to have Bond go up against robots in Hong Kong! It would have been more Dalton!
He is a great actor but to me he isent Bond.
I think he was above the films he appeared in.
Agree. Just imagine if he did Goldeneye going up against Sean Bean !!! Brosnan was great but Dalton carrying on his Bond, just imagine that.
The Living Daylights would be in top 5.
I've said it before and I'll say it again! Timothy Dalton's Bond is like a caged animal. He acts so well through the eyes. There is just pure dangerous intent in his eyes throughout this movie. Dalton brought that animal intensity to the role that not even Sean had.
Well said! These are the reasons why I like Timothy Dalton's take on James Bond so much.
A perfect encapsulation of your point is the scene in Living Daylights when Necros kills Saunders and Dalton grabs the balloon with "Smyert Spionem" written on it. The rage in his face as he squeezes the balloon is epic.
@@scottcarroll9201 He kinda reminds me of Bruce Lee in that scene , the anger lol
One complaint of Dalton as bond was that he might be TOO intense for the role.
Not to mention that he played Bond as a very competent man who always took every situation seriously whether it was dangerous or not. I'm sure that was Fleming's intention.
Ah, back when Bond “going rogue” was a fresh novelty. Siiiigh I miss those days 😁
I agree. It has gotten to repetitive
@@spaceodds1985 Bond 26: This time... it's not personal. He's just a professional doing a job.
I wonder if that's a part of the Mission impossible films [where 'going rouge' happens in films 1, 3 &5 and he's 'off the books' in 4] that has bled into the bond films?
It was a dumb gimmick from day one. This is a franchise film.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Has Craig's Bond ever really been employed by the MI6? 😅
My favourite Bond movie and possibly my favourite Bond girl
One of my favourites for sure.
Which Bond girl are you referring to, Pam Bouvier, or Lupe?
One of mine too. Love Robert Davi as Sanchez. Sanchez could have been president, in a fictional US
Along with Natalya, Pam Bouvier is one of the most underrated Bond leading ladies
Which one ?
Lupe
Or pam?
Davi is amazing, Sanchez and Bond are mirror images and Davi pushes this even further with his respect and admiration he has for Bond. Dalton and Davi are brilliant in their scenes, and in the end when he says “You could have had everything” the anger and the hurt he has in his voice is sensational. Perfect performance for a perfect villain.
I quite agree. I severly underestimated his performance in the past, he's really top tier Bond villain!
Davi was in 'Raw Deal' with Arnold Schwarzenegger which had a similar 'bringing the organisation down from the inside' plot. In that film, Davi was Arnie's rival in the organisation who tries to bring him down when he finds out he's a fraud despite his bosses trusting Arnie.
@@calvindyson Originally the film was called Licence Revoked, but they changed it to "kill" at the last minute so thats why the trailers looked so bad for this
@@calvindyson also hearing you say "i think she has alot of spunk" is funny I also live in England and to Americans this world means cool I think but to us people living in England or anywhere in UK it means something diffrent like we assonate it cum as in sperm Ha hahaha
Yeah, I agree too. Sanchez genuinely thinks of Bond as an equal. A friend, even. So, when he finds out he's been against him all this time, he takes it very personally.
One thing about the John Gardner novelization of this--the scene with Felix on the phone plays totally differently. Instead of Felix joking with Bond as if nothing has happened, he expresses his sorrow, and Bond tells him, "I know. I've been there."
Interesting. Suggests either Gardner changed it himself or the joking Felix was a directors choice.
@@jamesatkinsonja was probably the director’s choice as novelisations of movies usually work off an earlier version of the script
Licence is Very 80's, no question. But all the Bond films were affected by there time frame. Moonraker was a take off on Star Wars, Casino Royal had a Lot of Bourne Identity in it. Licence was still AMAZING!1
You've also got Blaxploitation with Live and let die, Enter the Dragon with Golden Gun. I don't mind that, it's keeps keep Bond relevant.
@@jamesatkinsonja Live and Let Die was also one of my favs. Not the kind of film that would ever get made today
XXX also effected Die Another Day....unfortunately
As long as the Bond formula is still there then I’ll enjoy it and Licence is no exception.
Especially the more topical Bond movies were products of their time. Nothing bad about it.
Is license to kill perhaps too much of a typical “80s action movie?” Maybe so. But since Bond films have always kind of represented the time in which they were made, this aspect never bothered me. One is my favorites, and also proof that Benicio Del Toro has always had those massive bags under his eyes.
And the reason why Del Toro never smiled on camera again🤣
It's Licence
I thought the Truck stunts at the end were too much . They seem like "Can we do these cool stunts" instead of "How will Bond deal with Sanchez ?" . They took me out of the film .
Too bad a young Del Toro never had a run at playing Batman's Joker.
@@treadstone1970 License/Licence One spelling is American, one is British.
Dalton has three of the all time best Bond kills ever in this movie.
1. When he throws the brief case of money on the crooked DEA agent and causes him to fall in the shark tank.
2.When he Spear guns the hench man who killed Sharkey.
3. When he sets Sanchez on fire with the lighter.
And when he drags Dario into the cocaine shredder on LTK
Concur. Even so, the whole is arguably LESS THAN the sum of its memorable parts.
Timothy Dalton Hand Was Slashed With Fighting Del Toro In Schredder.
One of my top 5 Bond films and it cemented Dalton as my favourite 007 actor.
Same with me
Me too
@@lukesmale24 He just never felt like Bond to me, no fun or escapism
Remember when Calvin hated this movie back in the day? 😂
I watched that early review back in 2016 or so-always liked him but he's defo come on a long way in quality since those reviews and it's interesting how his opinions have altered over time
Weird that David says he likes colorful villains with a quirk, but he defends "Quantum of Solace" that has, in my opinion, the most flat, boring baddie of any Bond movie. Seriously, he was just a generic businessman in a suit. The villains in Licence to Kill blow those of Quantum right out of the water.
I like Dominique Greene. Better than the over the top dude from Skyfall
@@niels25chr1 Greene was boring. He was just a nerd.
He defended QOS, but I don’t remember him defending Greene. Even most QOS fans, like myself, admit that Greene is a weak link in it.
He was better than the stereotype In Skyfall honestly
Javier bardem was great in skyfall though. Only thing over the top for me was his hair lol. Sad we went from a performance like that to the very flat BROfeld that they gave christoph waltz to work with
El Presidente is played by Pedro Armendariz Jr. the son of the actor who was Ali Karim Bey in "From Russia with Love."
It's a great movie. I think it works better than Living Daylights (which drags a bit in places).
It's basically like if Stallone made a Bond film.
Yes. Both were a little underappreciated. They played it pretty straight as typical 80s action movies. Like spy thrillers Cannon might have made if they could afford better acting, writing, and polish. More visceral than most Bond films.
The Living Daylights is my 5th favourite. not sure where the haters are coming from. there is a difference between slow and dragging. i suppose only die hard western fans can really tell the difference, but there is one. in this one it's slow with tension.
Agree 100%, I like license to kill but the living daylights is the most under appreciated bond movie ever made
@@Jordothecat98 easily true. The World is not Enough is incredibly underrated too.
The Living Daylights feels like an 80s Roger Moore film with a different actor.
Licence to Kill feels more like Dalton's film with his own personal stamp on it. That's why I prefer it to The Living Daylights. Even though TLD is quite good as well.
I love Wayne Newton’s appearance here. “Bless your heart!”
He was awesome, playing basically himself. He once accepted 20 million for his house which they wanted to turn into a museum. He happily took the money and apparently never moved out.
A lot of people don't like the theme but I think its a great Bondian string heavy nostalgia buzz. Strong chords in the chorus and good brass to accompany that.
It's awesome, I don't know why people don't like it. It's like an 80s version of the Goldfinger theme
Wait... people don't like it ? First i've heard of that.
I think it's weird that they got in trouble for using the Goldfinger riff. Surely they'd have the rights to that
@@JoaoPessoa86 I never knew that!
Listening to both I'm guessing the main two chords from each song?
@@harryherman5371 I think it's one of the very best of all Bond themes, I just hate the movie and Dalton's Bond, too much like Craig's and I can't stand his Bond neither but the theme was brilliant!
Underrated, fresh, invigorating and years ahead of its time.
Both of the Dalton movies are underrated. He was so good in that part and it's such a shame he never got to do more.
Could not agree more.
LTK completely broke the mould in terms of the formula and when it wasn't as successful they went back to safer ground with Brosnan (Goldeneye being his best, the other three had good moments but were not classics).
Dalton is extremely underrated and way ahead of his time. I'm glad his portrayal of Bond has been appreciated after all this time.
@@PianoMan4Life1982 I Highly Agree!
I love it when Dalton's Midland/ Derby Accent kicks in when he says "your just in time, things were about to turn nasty" :)
Same!
Being from the midlands myself it was exhilarating having a Bond with a touch of my own accent.
@@conorsmith8551 awww thats great man :)
@@abigailslade3824 aww. i went to high school in Mansfield but I'm from north wales, though it was always great to pick out the phonetic sounds from people around me at the time in the early 2000's and know why Dalton sounded the way he did in that movie :) thank you
@@DafyddBrooks Im from Ireland but I love a nice English accent 😀
Dalton only gets "the1700s Dracula hairdo" when he dresses up to go to the Casino. Afterwards at Sanchez's house he reverts to the non swept back style he retains for the rest of the movie.
Yeah, I find it weird how everyone complains about his hairstyle in this film that he has for the least amount of time!
@@bretvyon2336 It looks dreadful, his tux even looks a little too big, not suave
It's a well made film and Dalton gives a powerhouse performance, but I did prefer his more romantic, witty-sardonic characterisation in 'The Living Daylights'. I guess I'm in a minority but I honestly think Dalton could be very funny in a dry and dark sort of way.
I completely agree! TLD still showed a new side of Bond while still retaining some connective tissue to the rest of the series, but LTK was just a pander to action films of the time, and it just felt mean.
Since he was written by Fleming as Being very British it would make sense to give him a more dry and grim sense of humour. What Roger did was great in the 70s but it so did not work in the 80s.
@@nebularain3338the man works in a very dirty and violent business. LTK gives you a glimpse of what he actually does for a living so no I wouldn’t say it’s too mean. Is it too much of an action movie of the times? Yes but then again the franchise always included elements of genres that were popular at the time that a bond film was released. The old saying “if it’s not broken then don’t fix it.” Might be true sometimes but it couldn’t be more wrong in the 80s for the franchise. Besides Daniel Craig did what Dalton did first and he got praised for it while dalton the real Fleming’s bond got the short end of the stick even though he respected what the others did before him
FYI: I don’t know if this has been mentioned but Pam Bouvier’s alias is Ms Kennedy. Jackie Kennedy’s maiden name was Bouvier.
Similar to how 'cousin' is apparently what British and American intelligence agencies call each other. Hence 'Miss Kennedy, my cousin'!
Nice. I didn't know that.
That's cool you picked up on that.
Marge Simpson's maiden name too lol
@@subtledemisefox that was 100% a Kennedy reference knowing the Simpsons writers
Bond also never goes to London in You Only Live Twice. He starts out in Hong Kong and only ever goes to Japan.
Ahh yes, great spot! You're totally right of course
I'm not sure he goes to London in The Spy Who Loved Me, either? This is off the top of my head though.
@@andrewchapman4267 Hmm, you may be right. Is he in England when meeting the secretary of defense and all the generals?
@@nikolaiquack8548 he meets some top level naval people but I think that is, or is meant to be, in Scotland.
@@andrewchapman4267 yep , Scotland
The Q scene in the hotel is hilarious on a rewatch. The way the scene where he's in the lobby is shot, the tense music, the look of murder that says "this is going to be a bloodbath." All of that while the viewer is aware it's just good ol' Desmond sitting in a chair. Every time I watch it, I can't help but laugh.
This is a very underated film. Considering what has come since with the Daniel Craig movies, looking at it now it actually seems quite ahead of its time.
Dalton and Craig's portrayals aren't that similar.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Agreed. There both more down to earth bonds but went there only way on it. Also Licence isn't really like any Craig movie either for me personally.
The Dalton films are actually entertaining as well as true to Fleming, the Craig films only managed to pull that off once.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Dalton's Bond is dark and serious whereas Craig's Bond is just a ruthless brute.
People always say, "Dalton did gritty Bond before Craig". Sure. But the fact is Dalton did gritty Bond boringly, Craig did it and it was completely enjoyable.
This movie deserves all the love it can get! Certainly one of my favourites.
My favorite non-Connery Bond movie. I met Pricilla Barnes a few years ago and we agreed what an underrated Bond Dalton was.
I thought she died?
@@maxipazz8214 you’re probably thinking of Tonya Roberts
I really hate it when David makes me see the bad in LtK, which really has grown to be a top tier Bond film for me. Yes, there are a lot of weak elements in it, but whenever I think of LtK, I never, ever think of the ninjas or Leiter feeling jolly good in the end. I think of the tanker chase and Leiter-Lighter-Leitmotif. I never think of Talisa Soto’s less-than-stellar acting, I think of shakespearean Dalton and Davi discussing problem solving business.
For me, the highs are higher than the lows, by far.
They’re all nit picks, every Bond film has those. I’m sure I could pick just as many holes in David’s favourite Bond films.
@@sebastianfitzptraick7395 I didn’t mean to sound harsh on them, because on the other hand I love listening them nitpicking :-D I just wouldn’t want to admit some of the quite valid points.
That being said, I also can’t help but think that with little better writing License to Kill could have been even greater film, that I wouldn’t have liked as a 8-year old kid I was when I first saw LtK.
@@Rhhe82 "jolly good" , i doubt it , its more like Felix feels bloody lucky to even be alive considering what hed been thru , imo
Thanks for the word “Shakespearean.” Dalton’s Macbeth to Davi’s Iago.
@@Rhhe82 Not my type of Bond or Bond movie
Great debate. Saw this in the movie theater and it was hit and miss for a number of reasons you mentioned. Tanker chase is awesome. Ninjas--WHY?! I was surprised Dave didn't mention the warehouse sequence is straight of the novel Live & Let Die. Trivia: "Felix" and "Della" combine to make "Fedelio"--loyalty.
This movie was the first to have a non Ian Fleming title. Nevertheless, it has some elements lifted directly from Bond novels and stories. Leiter's shark attack (and the note about it) are from "Live and Let Die." Milton Krest, the "Wavecrest" and a woman being whipped as punishment for her alleged misbehavious are from "the Hildebrand rarity" from "for Your Eyes Only." The stories' Krest also meets a suitably horrible death, but not as gory as the film.
Not as gory as the film? Um are you kidding? I would much rather prefer having my head blowing up rather than having the fish in the short story being stuck in my throat and I have to tear it to shreds to get it out
Probably my favourite Bond villain, “Loyalty is more important than money, you’ve got to know who to trust.”
This was an awesome debate!
License to Kill came out when I was born so it's a year of cinema that I've always been interested in. I know the reason LtK looks the way it does is because Eon had no access to the Pinewood 007 stage because Tim Burton was using it for Batman. As a result, all of the main set work was done at a studio in Mexico City in hope of boosting the Mexican film scene. Combine that with it being a year in cinema that consisted of the provided us the previously mentioned Batman, Ghostbusters 2, The Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2, Major League, Back to the Future Part 2, and more, License to Kill had practically no chance with American audiences. I'm happy that this film is getting the love that it has been getting over that last little bit!
Great work as always, Calvin and David! Can't wait for the next one!
Thanks very much! I'm also a 1989 baby! Very good point about the lack of access to Pinewood. Always thought there was something a little 'off' about the look of Moneypenny's office when we see it for that one scene in the film... I guess they didn't have access to the usual sets and stages they'd been filming these things on for nearly 30 years!
1989 baby here. That is all.
I 100% agree
It's Licence.
Well, yeah
One of my favorite bonds. I loved the physicality, the villain, and Dalton only getting two bonds was a damn travesty
Top 3 for me
First saw this a week before Goldeneye was released. I was 10 and nothing couldn’t dampen my excitement for Goldeneye, but then I went to my friend’s house and I was treated to the Dalton double bill on Laserdisc. Five hours later... Wow! These quickly became my favourite Bond films and they pushed me to actually start reading the Fleming novels and actually take my appreciation for Bond to fan levels. Dalton is amazing, The scenes of vengeance he takes are sensational, I also like how he has moments of levity, the way he eyes up Pam, on two occasions... IMO it works. Davi’s Sanchez is IMO the best villain, Carey Lowell, like Natalya, is one of the unappreciated leading ladies. The stunts overall, the ski chase scene, the tanker chase, are phenomenal. Yes, it has its problems, it does looks like a TV film, the song is dreadful as is the title sequence, the ending is meh... but I’d choose it over most Bond films any day.
Personally I think it’s the best ending of any 007 movie. It’s the perfect culmination of the journey Bond has taken. If the series had ended there, I think it would have been a beautiful farewell. Bond passing up the exotic girl you might’ve expected him to have a fling with in the past, to stay with the one he had formed a deeper attachment to throughout the movie. Finally someone he truly loves and can ride off into the sunset with. I couldn’t have written it any better.
@@tommyl.dayandtherunaways820 Just like Craig he never felt like Bond to me
Fun fact: Desmond Llewellyn's character Q gets more screen time in Licence To Kill than in all of his other Bond movie appearances put together.
I think I like License to Kill so much because he has a much larger role in this. I didn’t realize his role was that much larger though.
He is in Octopussy quite a bit
His appearance in this film is a total cop out on the film's part. They want to make this dark, down to earth Bond but Q, who is totally out of character, shows up out of pure convenience.
@@ricardocantoral7672 So true~
I think they had to put a lot of Q in there to remind the audience that they are still watching a Bond movie.
Cool point I didn’t first catch, the scene with M is at the Hemingway house in Key West, and in the scene Bond says something along the lines of “then I guess it’s a farewell to arms.” A farewell to arms is also one of Hemingway’s more prominent works.
Dalton's best moment in the film is when he meets Sanchez in his office. The confidence and smoothness of Dalton is perfect and the subtle jab at Franz's men was brilliant. I wish there was a lot more moments like that in the film which is basically a fairly entertaining, Cannon Films knock off a Bond movie.
Bloody adore both Dalton Bond films they're soooooo underrated but if I had to pick which is his best it would be Daylights . They both come really high in my ranking
"He disagreed with something that ate him." is a great line particularly when one realises that it isn't referring to the shark.
Written by Fleming himself in the "live and Let Die" novel.
Isn't it? I'm probably being dense but please explain!
@@andrewchapman4267 Felix "disagreed" with Sanchez and his organisation, so they "ate" him by killing his wife and permanently maiming him.
@@Padraig91 interesting interpretation, I like it!
It's defo referring to the shark
The best and most underrated bit of License to Kill was when Bond is wearing the mask amongst the business and Del Toro is suspicious to whether he has seen him before. Such an intense scene which is topped off with the best headbutt in movie history!
Goldeneye was the first Bond I saw on my own. Growing up, my dad had a few Connery and Moore films taped. I never saw any Dalton films, or Lazenby's. About four years ago, I caught OHMSS on tv, and loved it. It got me back into Bond, and got me to watch Dalton's films for the first time. I loved both of his films. I don't prefer either performance, I see them as different sides of the same Bond.
License to kill is slowly becoming an elite Bond film I’ve noticed from the fandom. It’s my favourite so I’m so happy more and more people love it, and surprised that after all these years that Calvin would be defending it. One of the best villains, interesting and realistic but also a little crazy. Love Pam and thinks she’s one of the best. Dalton could’ve been a all time great Bond actor, he’s brilliant. I love the set up with Felix, immediately gets us on Bond’s side and the whole corrupt country where Sanchez controls everything and everyone. Very realistic, but they play it for laughs which is great. Love Krest, Sharky and Dario. Love the Bond song. My favourite Bond film, but let’s hope No Time To Die might be all our favourite soon
It's Licence.
Not to me
It has its problems, the TV movie look, Bond’s attire, Lupe, the Bond song, the title and the ending with the winking fish... Despite all this, I still consider this to be my favourite Bond film to date.
I get that
What's wrong with the song?
@@electricboogaloo5645 I find the lyrics repetitive
@@spaceodds1985 I think so too
@@spaceodds1985 OK. Since majority of lyrics in popular music are more or less repetitive, I've probably just ignored that. I like the song mostly because of Gladys Knight's voice.
Q’s finest hour in this film. I love the scene just before Bond goes on his first attempt to kill Sanchez, Bond respects Q and he appreciates his efforts. Also when the MI6 man in Isthmus tries to know who gave Bond the signature gun, Bond tersely replies “P**s Off” Bond grassing on Q?! Sacrilege!
Completely agree, it's Desmond's finest hour as Q and I love that they started giving him much more to do in the Dalton films.
@@calvindyson Mind you he does treat him like a lackey when Bond comes back from Sanchez’s estate. Telling him to pack his bags, then telling him to bring the Rolls to the front of the hotel... I mean Q should voice his displeasure “You can’t treat me like this!”😆
@@spaceodds1985 No, not really. Q knows that Bond isn't being mean to him.
Don't use the flash!
FINALLY a new episode! Awesome. I can't get enough of these videos. I love the Dalton bonds and Goldeneye would have been great with him in the role as well. I saw this as a teen when it was on VHS, it looked horrible, I turned it off and went skateboarding but I love it now with an adult perspective.
I think that Licence To Kill is the most atypical Bond film... I find it kind of refreshing tbh
I love these videos. I'm always waiting for David to start showing off his prop replicas! Seriously cool.
There are so many grim deaths in this film........ And I love it.
My all time favourite bond film.
This is the one I've been waiting for. One of my absolute favourites.
Lots of fun! I'm in awe of M. Zaritzky's memorabilia collection. Glad you've come around to this one, Calvin - this is one of my favorites.
I love these conversations. Really good points made. Great to hear both perspectives!
David talks about not being able to buy into the tragedy of what happens to Felix and puts it down to the acting; but could part of the reason actually be down to the constantly changing casting of Felix and the fact he seems a completely different character in every incarnation? If we had had one actor play him over several films, giving him a more definite and consistent character that we as the audience had grown to love, understand and root for, then I think we would have felt his tragedy more deeply.
Yeah I agree. It wasn’t even until License to Kill that an actor played Felix more than once.
They tried to sign Jack Lord but his fee was too high. They signed Rik Van Nutter to a multi picture deal starting with Thunderball, and then after that couldn't find a place for Felix.
I agree. Compare it to Judi Dench's demise in Skyfall-the end of a character played by the same actress in 7 films-much bigger impact.
@@jamesatkinsonja Exactly.
It’s my favourite without a doubt. Bond meets 80s cop thrillers, too much awesome.
I feel it’s Daniel Craig that can’t do the one liners, I don’t know why they always fall flat to me. But Dalton does it better imo.
I think Craig does a good job in Casino Royale but not after.
@@qwertymanor I agree. Craig did a great job in Casino. But all the ones after, honestly he doesn’t seem like he’s into the role. I recently revisited Skyfall, and I think it’s a pretty bad movie and his attempts at one lines fall completely flat. I don’t get all the love for Skyfall, it’s such a bad and boring story. Recycled plot elements from previous Bond films and a lot of plot holes too.
Totally agree. Craig seems absolutely stilted when he's forced to deliver a quip. Dalton often chose to do it with a hint of menace & it worked better.
"License to Kill" was seen as a dangerous film at the time of its release. At least in Sweden, where I'm from.
Not in the sense that there were protests or bans or anything like that, but whenever it was mentioned in the media,
it was always with hushed words and grave faces. Hell, even our schoolteacher warned us about the ULTRA VIOLENCE
shown in the film and urged us to not see it, or at least be extremely careful if we did!
I think I saw it on TV in 1990. I was 13, and my head was filled with expectations. After months of promised gore, this was going to be good!
I stayed over at a friend's house and nobody knew what we were watching. And so it came to pass that Timothy Dalton's steely face entertained
us for a couple of hours completely uninterrupted; a time, during which, we saw all the gruesome scenes we'd been told to avoid:
the sharks, the trucks, the fire explosion, the boobs.(probably). And it all seemed so.....dull. We were expecting to go into septic shock or worse, and nothing happened!
What was immediately apparent was that this was a more serious Bond. Grownup, if you will. No one-liners. No gadgets. No fun. The hell?
Instead, we witnessed Bond running around on his constipation-fueled one-man revenge against Mexico and it just seemed like there was nothing to enjoy about any of it.
Fortunately, it didn't stay boring for long. I re-watched it a few years later, and really got to appreciate its stark beauty.
Is it a mature film? No. Is it EVIL? Not even close by today's standards. But what it IS, is a decent depiction of the lengths some of us will go to when we've been wronged
and someone we care for deeply has been hurt. Not to say that that's a rare theme in fiction (or in real life), but it IS rather rare for Bond to show any emotions at all,
so the fact that an entire film should be dedicated to his pursuit of the man responsible for pissing him off, somehow makes the Bond character that much more human.
One-liners and gadgets would feel out of place in a film like this. Even boobs. And once I realized that, it quickly became a clear favourite.
Dalton's "serious" Bond is much more enjoyable to me than Craig's is. He just oozes intense pissed-off-edness in a way that Craig could never do, regardless of his paycheck.
I saw this three times in theatres and loved it. It's still my second favourite (after Casino Royale, 2007), and Dalton is still my favourite Bond. This was also my first widescreen Bond in my home theater on laserdisc. The marketing was very uninspired, basically re-treading what they did for The Living Daylights), and it didn't succeed in the marketplace crowded with films like Batman, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Star Trek V, Ghostbusters II, and so many more.
It’s a great Bond film.
Dalton is a great Bond.
Sanchez is one of the best Bond Villains. Ruthless and intimidating, but also charming and even funny at times.
Pam Bouvier is a great Bond Girl.
Cool action.
Etc.
I…
Honestly hate it
I preferred the living daylights, but license is still a solid movie.
Yeah I agree. I liked The Living Daylights more but that’s not to say that I thought License to Kill was a bad film in fact on my ranking TLD is number 11 while LtK is number 13.
Elements of both combined could’ve made a top 5 Bond film, instead they both have their faults and sit on the lower end of my top 10. Both great films in their own right though.
@@robertdenton3617 I honestly believe that the hybrid would have been Goldeneye.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Loved this video!!!
I hope to see more of these debates, i really enjoyed the 'From russia with love' debate too!
Great editing at the start too man! 👍👍👍👍👍👍
Great intro!!
Brilliant debate - as usual.
So funny to see you fiercely defending License to kill,Calvin
after - as you pointed out -disliking it for many many years lol!!
In response to your question to David about the reaction to the tonal change -
I saw this in ‘89 with my girlfriend - now my wife - who just HATED it.
(And still does - lol)
She LOVED the light fun of Roger Moore’s Bond and the switch here to to the serious drama and violence was too harsh for her - and, I think -audiences of the time.
It’s obvious now that Timothy Dalton was well ahead of his time -and in recent years
his take on James Bond has really influenced not only Daniel Craig - but heroes in action films in general!
This one is not really one of my favorites simply because it is so different from the others
but it is still unquestionably a very good film that really does capture the spirit of Flemings Bond - probably better than most films in the series.
(And as always - a great part of the debate is your reaction to David’s prop reveals!)
Genuinely shocked at the set up for this debate lol. I honestly thought “oh darn, Calvin made a mistake, he’s listed as the defender while David is the challenger in the intro”
Just a fantastic discussion gentlemen! You guys hit all the key points. ❤️ from Montréal!
Intelligent, gritty, exciting, one of the very best!! Simple scenes of two people talking to each other become riveting and nuanced. It even turns what could have been a throwaway subplot about stinger missiles into something important and engaging
Lol. Your bit on Felix had me rolling lol!
I don’t know why but this film used to bother me that it wasn’t an actual official mission he was on
I like it for that reason, the fact that it’s unique compared to the films before it. Since then, Brosnan and Craig love going off mission.
I think it may bother you, and others, because there is little reason for him not be on a mission. The whole Leiter vengance motivation only dictates the scenes in Florida. By the time Bond and Pam head to Isthmus City, almost nothing about the film indicates that James is a rogue agent out to avenge a close friend.
Thanks for the great debate and insight from two true fans.
God i want so many more of these, sad to see you guys haven't done every single bond film but hopefully something that gets done in the future!
Just love these debates between you two. I just love how semi-amiable they are for the most part and two "mates" in good fun, how you do not fit neat categories of the "serious" or "campy" Bond fans every time (David attacks a campier jokey Bond which Calvin will love, then next Calvin will prefer a dark serious Bond and David won't). These are so fun even if I know the general recipe (like a Bond film? ;D): Calvin is always "That's interesting... but lol, no, still think the same!" and David is "Calvin!..., Calvin!... come on... yadda yadda yadda... Surprise prop cameo!". Can't wait for the next of these it there's one.
This is the only Bond film I saw in the cinema. I worked in the intelligence community at the time. Less than a year after I saw the film, they had me in school where they told us that we would be shifting gears from the 'cold war' to the 'war on drugs'. So maybe Bond was ahead of his time.
Ismus City is a stand-in for Panama City and Sanchez/Hector Lopez for Manuel Noriega. And of course America invaded Panama. Dario is a former Communist Contra who left that to work in the Drug Trade.
That David guy is Bond obsessed, right down to the last T! I saw his appearance on This Morning, ahead of the No Time To Die premiere!
Having a replica (I don't know if it's real) of the blood stained note left on Felix Leighter's body, that is fandom right there!
This is great. Thanks fellas
Licence to Kill is one of the greatest Bond films ever. Dalton was the perfect Bond and the film perfectly encapsulates a film about revenge. Fleming would have been proud. I don't understand how David can be such a fan boy of Daniel Craig (the man literally melts when you mention his name) and yet although this film that was the template for the Craig era, he hates it! Drives me mad. Also, a couple of points. Licence to Kill tested better with preview audiences then ANY OTHER Bond film. The only reason the film bombed is that it was released at the same time as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and Lethal Weapon 2. At any other time the film would have been a success.
He prefers Die Another Day more than LTK?!
The summer of 1989 really was rather brutal with the amount of big hitting summer blockbusters released at the same time.
It was conceivable some would fail at the box office considering the amount of touch competition, unfortunately Licence to Kill didn't find an audience coming too soon after the much lighter campy jokes and sight gags Moore era.
Licence to kill movie flopped at the US box office but became a hit worldwide.
The world doesn't revolve around America LOL
@@randomhuman97 It actually does when it comes to international profits.
@@ben8447 Like it or not, it DOES. Another example is Flash Gordon (1980), which was at least a modest hit in most of Europe (and a big hit in Italy and the UK) but because it turned out to be a dud in the US a planned trilogy was scuppered.
The only good one liner dalton ever delivered was "he got the boot" and that was still pretty dry humour
Bond doesnt need one liners.
I always liked "salt corrosion"
Compliments of sharkey
@@niels25chr1 I agree. I like dalton
@@niels25chr1 Yes he does, that's why I don't rate him among other reasons
One of my favourites ( top 10 ). It has it's shortcomings, but I like the vibe of the movie. Before I saw LTK in the cinema in 1989 I read all the Fleming novels and got a kick out of the use of story elements from the books. And the truckchase and explosions are a highlight of the series. Looking very dangerous and immersive.
The only other Bond film where Bond is never present in London is YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE.. almost the entirety of the movie is in Japan - and the M office briefing is on a submarine.
As a kid, I used to not be fan of either Timothy Dalton Bond films. However, after many repeat viewings and maturity, I've appreciated them for taking a more straight faced and grounded direction. I would loved a 3rd Dalton Bond movie. Also, the song "Dirty Love" by Tim Feehan played within the bar room fight scene is a terrific and fun listen.
You two should have a debate on "Diamonds Are Forever" next. Would be appropriate with the movie turning 50 this year.
Why both of them love that garbage of a film.
@@greatwuta on one hand it's hard to follow up something epic like OHMSS, but Blofeld in drag was the tipping point for me. Stupid movie
@@subtledemisefox Diamonds Are Forever is a garbage ass film period. It could come after A View To A Kill and it's still trash
Diamonds is hilarious. The film was never meant to be a thriller, it's a Vegas show and it works !
@@ricardocantoral7672 If you accept that its similar to Adam West Batman then it can be enjoyed , Wint/Kidd are still a bit spooky with their stalking around , the moon buggy scene is silly but i enjoy it and elevator scene is pretty good
I loved this movie when I saw it in the theater because I like my Bond Fleming-esque. Here's trivia about the soundtrack. Some time after seeing the film when I heard a hit by Celine Dion called, "If You Asked me To" I wondered why it sounded familiar. Years later I watched this again and it hit me: the song plays over the closing credits, sung by Patti LaBelle. Since you mentioned the soundtrack at some length I thought you'd find this interesting. Thanks for these videos. They're excellent.
My favourite Bond film. As a kid, I grew up watching Roger, so when this came out it blew my mind in terms of how tough and brutal it was. And since then I've also come to appreciate how Bond doesn't just kill Sanchez (a great villain) but takes the time to dismantle his whole world from within.
Licence to Kill is Dalton’s best and one of the best bond films of the series. Those saying it’s too much like an 80s action film have an invalid argument, all the bond films have been influenced by the trends and moods of their time. Live and Let Die by Blaxploitation films, Golden Gun was influenced by Kung fu movies Moonraker was influenced by Star Wars etc. Licence to Kill was influenced by Lethal Weapon and Miami Vice. I think Dalton’s performance really worked for the films tone and Sanchez is a perfect villain for his bond. The only issue I have with it is some of the production design, Dalton’s wardrobe and a couple of head scratching moments.
People dump on it for being a chintzy rip off of those movies. At least the Miami sequences.
@@ricardocantoral7672
I can definitley see the Miami Vice influence in the first half, but as the movie goes on it starts to look more like a traditional bond film.
I find ironic those who love casino....yes David we mean you..who complain about this one....
It isn't perfect but it is so....good, great bad guy, wonderful bond girls, and a reality that few bond films have matched.....
Casino also has plot holes. Like the Mathis question, it dodged that bullet and sent it to quantum but qos also doesn't make much .
Also, casino royale book explains why lechiffre needed to lose a poker game to be arrested, but post cold war, the same reasoning doesn't hold up in the movie.
I picked these up after repeated viewings so it shows I like this movie so much.
My top 1 ATM , with LTK a close 2nd
I really enjoy these videos. I´m a Bond-Fan for 37 years now and Dalton was always one of my favorite Bonds. It´s a shame he only did two movies. Especially "License to Kill" is really high in my personal ranking list.
Thank you, David Zaritsky and Calvin Dyson for these informing and entertaining debates.
Great video….I’ve just been catching up on your debates. I love the ninjas, as David said the amount of ninja films that came out was crazy. Just noticed when the female ninja gets shot twice, the guys gun shooting her goes off with a flash the first time. However the second shot, the guns cycles but no flash, even though she gets hit with a second bullet. So funny
I used to think that the money guy was played by Michael J. Fox
License to Kill was the first James Bond film ever to be rated PG-13, and the last to star Timothy Dalton as James Bond.
It's Licence.
@@treadstone1970 It's License in the US & Licence in the UK. Welcome to youtube.com where people might come from a different country to you.
@@saintjimmy456 totally irrelevant.
It's Licence on the poster. Same in the opening titles.
License to Kill is a 1984 Denzel Washington movie.
Licence to Kill is a 1989 James Bond film.
Big difference.
The only Bond to have a 15 Certificate in the UK
Loved the debate 👌.
Nice to see you and David teaming up again. Would love you to do a 'world is not enough' one
11:40 It's definetely not the only Bond film where Bond doesn't go to London, but it is the most recent one. Before that there was The Spy Who Loved Me, we first meet him in Austria before we follow him across the sea to Egypt, then to Sardegna and then to the Atlantic Ocean. And before that there was You Only Live Twice, where we first meet Bond in Hong Kong before we follow him to Japan. But those 3 are the only ones out of 24, so that's definitely rare.
It feels a bit lumpy and uneven, but is has a great finale, a good performance by Robert Davi, one of the better Bond girls in Carey Lowell, and a good supporting cast. I always liked Dalton, but maybe the characterisation this time is too narrowly focused. There are several plot issues (e.g. how Bond can just waltz into town with millions to bank and equally just withdraw it all again.....without drawing the attention of anyone working for the man who runs the city.....just try that in the real world!). Kamen's music isn't in any way bad, but it sounds a bit 'loose' in terms of the overall franchise music. Ultimately, the inferior production design matches the feeling that 'L.T.K.' is like watching a movie with the image just a bit out of focus. And I like this movie. I think it's one of John Glenn's best.
John GLEN has stated #16 is his personal favourite - at least of the ones he helmed.
BECAUSE SANCHEZ OWNS THE TOWN. That's why bond can waltz in with the money and leave promptly because it all happened in a short time.
Sanchez really didn't care about the bank withdrawals because he got his money from within crest pun intended
The biggest issue I have is Dalton successfully manages to infiltrate Sanchez's organization because a major character conveniently disappears.
I love how often Calvin uses the Nightfire soundtrack. It is a banger!
I think this bond is like a weird hybrid of being criminally underrated but yet at the same time beloved by bond fans like myself and I actually think allot of that has to do with perfectly matching the film with the bond actor and Timothy dalton really excels in this film because he is the perfect bond for this particular film
The fact that Licence to Kill is so very different from the previous Bond films is why I like it so much. The Bond formula is very cool, but once in a while I do like it when the writers take a chance and take the character in an unexpected direction. Whatever faults the film has (and it does have some) they are minimal compared to what the film does so well. Dalton is in top form here, and is perhaps my favorite performance of the James Bond character in the entire series.
That's why from russia with love is my favourite 007 film because of how different it was and still is compared to the other films 🎥😀
I honestly feel the risk taking isn't there. This was not formula Bond but just like Moonraker, it was an attempt to cash in on a hot fad.
@@ricardocantoral7672 well the world doesn't revolve around America LOL.
This is my top 3. I don't think many outside the USA remember lethal weapon 2 and Miami vice so it shouldn't bother .
@@randomhuman97 It's your right to be ignorant. I am not saying it isn't. Secondly, genius, these films are produced by AMERICANS, distributed by AMERICANS, so these films are very much AMERICAN. I swear, you sound like one those stupid Tarantino fanboys who don't care that lifts left and right from better films.
I'd say any Bond film works best when the main actor plays his own brand of Bond. Sometimes it takes more than one movie for the actor to grow into the role.
This should be a good one. LTK is my 2nd fav 007 movie. Pam Bouvier and all the villains are super cool. Violent as hell by Bond Standards and a hell of an 80s action movie.
I'm not sure how you get a truck to wheelie, but the point of it was to shield Bond from the flames when he went through the fire...
Yes I’ve been looking forward to this
11:39-He Never went to London in You only Live Twice and Quantum of Solace
He does go in Quantum (MI6 and scenes in Mitchell's appartment) but you're totally right on YOLT! Completely slipped my mind
Oh But I don’t think he was in London in Die another day and maybe casino Royale and Live and let die
11-Octopussy
10-Tomorrow Never dies
9-Live and Let Die
8-License To Kill
7-On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Don’t you think the Living Daylights Felix should’ve been Bill Tanner
@@Jacobmovietalk it's Licence.
This didn't have me at hello as a small boy - my ideal Bond movies then had to have big sets, rockets and missiles to be in my top tier. Since then it's climbed way up to my top 5!
It's definitely a more "adult" Bond.
I really wish they would do a full blown R rated bond movie.
Someone you didn't discuss, "Well, bless your heart"
This also had one of the best Bond lines when he meets Sanchez who quips about Bond being a "problem solver" and Bond replies darkly "more of a problem eliminator".
I love when he takes Bond's gun and says "You don't need this, it's a very safe city". Yeah, for Sanchez it is! I love Franz's knowing sense of humour.