A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.A vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.
- Awards
- 1 nomination
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.
- President Hector Lopez
- (as Pedro Armendariz)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaTimothy Dalton stated in an interview about why his Bond was a much darker, grittier incarnation. It was because he wanted to go back to the Ian Fleming novels, and capture the essence and the spirit of the character Ian Fleming created.
- GoofsWhen the air hose on a truck's braking system is severed, the brakes lock on, they do not release as shown.
- Quotes
[Sanchez is about to kill James]
Franz Sanchez: You could have had everything.
James Bond: Don't you want to know why?
[Shows Sanchez Felix's lighter, then sets Sanchez on fire]
- Crazy creditsThe Surgeon General's warning appears at the end credits, due to the characters' use of tobacco products.
- Alternate versionsOn pan and scan VHS prints issued since 1990, the opening title credits have been slightly altered to fit the screen. Some credits that took one line in the widescreen version were altered to fit two lines in the pan and scan version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Folgers Coffee 'Licence to Kill' Television Commercial (1989)
Featured review
Dalton's best run in the role
The worst-performing movie in the Bond movie in terms of grosses, it probably failed because it wasn't really a Bond at all. True, it is the character Fleming created, and Q is in there, but this extremely violent thriller with its strong female characterisation (Carey Lowell, perhaps the only Bond girl with `balls') is not a neat fit with the others.
The only one of the franchise created especially with star Timothy Dalton in mind (perhaps the sexiest Bond of them all?) it is a tale of loyalty, drug cartels, sharks, and 007 losing his licence and setting off as a vigilante. Lowell plays agent Pam Bouvier, who shines in a bar fight and gives 007 as good as he gets. And boy, do these two have chemistry together!
The only problem with this movie is that it gets so truncated on its TV showings that it loses a lot of its point (and in the worst edit I saw, its sense). There is perhaps too much going on - the abused Latino bimbo, the crooked evangelist, the Japanese businessmen touring the factory, the casino
Not at all as bad as many commentators at the time and since have suggested. What a pity the series stagnated after this before its big budget Pierce Bronson revival. Dalton should have had the chance to show us more of the character he portrays in `Licence to Kill'. And what a great theme tune from Gladys Knight.
The only one of the franchise created especially with star Timothy Dalton in mind (perhaps the sexiest Bond of them all?) it is a tale of loyalty, drug cartels, sharks, and 007 losing his licence and setting off as a vigilante. Lowell plays agent Pam Bouvier, who shines in a bar fight and gives 007 as good as he gets. And boy, do these two have chemistry together!
The only problem with this movie is that it gets so truncated on its TV showings that it loses a lot of its point (and in the worst edit I saw, its sense). There is perhaps too much going on - the abused Latino bimbo, the crooked evangelist, the Japanese businessmen touring the factory, the casino
Not at all as bad as many commentators at the time and since have suggested. What a pity the series stagnated after this before its big budget Pierce Bronson revival. Dalton should have had the chance to show us more of the character he portrays in `Licence to Kill'. And what a great theme tune from Gladys Knight.
helpful•9845
- didi-5
- Aug 16, 2003
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- James Bond 007 - Lizenz zum Töten
- Filming locations
- Otomi Ceremonial Center, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico(Olympiatec Meditation Institute and drug laboratory)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $32,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $34,667,015
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,774,776
- Jul 16, 1989
- Gross worldwide
- $156,167,015
- Runtime2 hours 13 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1
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