Oh yeah, Licence To Kill is hilarious. It does show a lot of gore and violence but something about the score in the film does not make it as dark. It's definitely not a bad thing, it's just worth pointing out. Maybe it's just me, but The Living Daylights was a far more serious film.
IMO one of the best Bond films out there, and it's such a shame that the public weren't ready for this kind of Bond movie. Sanchez the drug baron with scenes similar to Largo when it comes to "his pleasures". Sanchez uses the whip, and Largo used a cigar and ice.
I absolutely loved this film when it was released and I loved it even more on the new blu ray I have just purchased. It looks amazing.
So in the mid to late 80's what was the biggest threat to society? Well the drug cartels in South America would be high on the list thats for sure.
So the basis of the plot is set in the reality of those times.
The whole Leiter torture scence is out of Live and Let Die (the novel) if my memory is correct.
I love how Bond, although having his license revoked infiltrates Sanchez's gang, with the sting in the tail that he compromises and causes the deaths of fellow law enforcement agents also trying to bring Sanchez down. All this through his personal vendetta, and all so true to life.
How many times do we hear about "Blue on Blue" contacts, to me it just made the film more realistic and even darker.
We have some great gadgets, and some are introduced with a little bit of humour, like the laser camera.
The stunts are fantastic, and we get a DAFesk truck stunt on two wheels.
Another high point is the villains meet some gory ends, and I love Dario's end very reminiscent of SPECTRE goons in OHMSS.
For me, one of the only Cons is maybe the realism and the violence.
I say this for no other reason than I was allowed to see my first Bond movie in the mid 60's and they were classified A.
I was lucky I had an older brother to take me, however I wouldn't have been able to go and watch this movie if I was that age which maybe was the reason the World wasn't ready for Daltons Bond.
Maybe in future now that we have more violent Bond movies, the producers should release two versions of the film. One that suits a younger audience and another that suits an audience of 18+, a harder cut if you like. I believe some of the Taken movies did just that.
I can't praise this film enough and for me it's a great Bond movie and can stand shoulder to shoulder with FRWL and CR. It's that good on blu ray I'm going to watch it again tomorrow, so Golden Eye on blu ray will have to wait another 24 hours I'm afraid. By the way I own 10 of the Bond movies on Blu Ray and I am enjoying them very much in that format.
I'll quote my own cons from an earlier post - if it didn't have these (which I consider quite big ones) then I'd rate it, and consider it to be a better film...
- The first 40-50 minutes. From PTS to Bond's resignation feels like they're from a TV movie. They're cheap, sometimes poorly acted and at times darker than what eventuates in the film - they also feel more like an American production than a British one. I hate the slow-mo scene in the PTS, the over-dubbed voices and sound-effects in Sanchez's arrest and Killifer belongs on Miami Vice. I find the start of the movie gets worse each time I watch it.
- David Hedison as Leiter. Nice that they brought him back from LALD, but I don't like the way this guy acts.
- The gadgets look dated.
- While it contributes well the fooling Sanchez further, the Hong Kong Narcotics reveal and the "rogue-agent" guy feels like the TV movie parts again.
- M.
- Is Sanchez sucked in by Bond a little too easily? I would've thought he'd be far more suspicious.
LTK could also have put Bond in more appropriates clothes for the character.
Agreed. I'm a Tim Fanboy, but even I thought the clothes were terrible and the Dracula hair a major mistake. I like the film a lot but think it looks cheap and T.V.Movie of the week like in places.
Of that of which we cannot speak we must pass over in silence- Ludwig Wittgenstein.
Stefano ricci is more pricey than Tom Ford. But he does make some lovely items. The cut of his suits has never seemed typically Italian to me like Brioni. You'll find his stuff in Harrods, Neiman Marcus etc. Di Capric wore his stuff in Wolf of wall Street.
LTK is one of my favourite films in the franchise. Its up there with GF and OHMSS.
Dalton is at his best here, in the closest screen adaptation of the Fleming Bond from the novels. He certainly did his research with the character when taking on the Bond role, but boy does it show here. Humourless, violent, driven. This is Bond at his most badass. Forget what came later with Craig. This is the real deal, right here.
Even Maibaum and Wilson come up trumps here with the script also, in a storyline and scenes that Fleming himself would have been proud. The film unfolds and feels like a Fleming book, helped massively by scenes and characters taken directly from the books, but Maibaum knew his Fleming, and this feels as close to the novels as OHMSS or FRWL.
Glen's direction is not too flashy, workmanlike but serious and rather violent at times, which again helps drive the Fleming tone along, in the best of the films Glen directed. This would be his last one, but by now he had crafted and perfected his art for the benefit of the film.
Sanchez is one of the best villains in the series, and I heard a rumour he was based loosely on Scaramanga. They both share the same initials, and once Bond goes undercover as a kind of personal bodyguard to get close to his man, it definitely echoes the novel TMWTGG.
`You earned it, you keep it, old buddy!'.....`Don't you want to know why?' The dialogue is brilliant, sharp Flemingesque. This is still the closest we have seen to Fleming's Bond in all his glory on screen. It's a damn shame Dalton would never do any more.
Cons
There really aren't any. Some complain that Dalton's wardrobe isn't dressy enough. I love it. It definitely feels more like how Bond dresses from the novels. The only one element I would have welcomed would have been another John Barry score, but otherwise the film is fairly near 100% perfect for me.
I enjoy LTK a lot. It has a strong plot and Dalton is very Flemingesque. The directing is too safe and traditionally and the restrains of the budget shows sometimes. I would have liked to see Bond find Pam in Thailand or Burma instead of in Key West. That would make sense plotwise, set up the ninjas later in the story and it would give Dalton some globetrotting to do. Also make Pam funnier and Leiter less jolly in the end.
Finally I wish Ridley Scott directed it and U2 wrote and performed the title song (With or without you?).
I think this movie would have been one of the three best in the series.
There really aren't any. Some complain that Dalton's wardrobe isn't dressy enough. I love it. It definitely feels more like how Bond dresses from the novels. The only one element I would have welcomed would have been another John Barry score, but otherwise the film is fairly near 100% perfect for me.
In some ways the clothes are closer to Fleming and in some ways they are further. The casual shirts with pockets are similar to what Fleming wore himself. The simplicity of the outfits was very Flemingesque, as were the moccasins that Bond wears in the film.
The oversized fits of everything and the flashy Italian cuts of the suits are very far from what the literary Bond would have worn, and that's the big problem with the wardrobe. Fleming's Bond would not have been wearing clothes that could better fit a 100-kg man. The clothes were sourced in America, and that's not where Fleming's Bond would have purchased all of his clothes. Fleming's Bond was into luxurious shirts (whether formal or casual), and that's not reflected in Licence to Kill's wardrobe.
There really aren't any. Some complain that Dalton's wardrobe isn't dressy enough. I love it. It definitely feels more like how Bond dresses from the novels. The only one element I would have welcomed would have been another John Barry score, but otherwise the film is fairly near 100% perfect for me.
In some ways the clothes are closer to Fleming and in some ways they are further. The casual shirts with pockets are similar to what Fleming wore himself. The simplicity of the outfits was very Flemingesque, as were the moccasins that Bond wears in the film.
The oversized fits of everything and the flashy Italian cuts of the suits are very far from what the literary Bond would have worn, and that's the big problem with the wardrobe. Fleming's Bond would not have been wearing clothes that could better fit a 100-kg man. The clothes were sourced in America, and that's not where Fleming's Bond would have purchased all of his clothes. Fleming's Bond was into luxurious shirts (whether formal or casual), and that's not reflected in Licence to Kill's wardrobe.
I think that was probably more down to the fashion of the 80's at the time. Everything was baggy back then. I reckon some of those shirts that Daton wore were fairly luxurious though. I doubt they would have been shirts from Debenhams.
Comments
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Craig 5. Lazenby 6. Brosnan
IMO one of the best Bond films out there, and it's such a shame that the public weren't ready for this kind of Bond movie. Sanchez the drug baron with scenes similar to Largo when it comes to "his pleasures". Sanchez uses the whip, and Largo used a cigar and ice.
I absolutely loved this film when it was released and I loved it even more on the new blu ray I have just purchased. It looks amazing.
So in the mid to late 80's what was the biggest threat to society? Well the drug cartels in South America would be high on the list thats for sure.
So the basis of the plot is set in the reality of those times.
The whole Leiter torture scence is out of Live and Let Die (the novel) if my memory is correct.
I love how Bond, although having his license revoked infiltrates Sanchez's gang, with the sting in the tail that he compromises and causes the deaths of fellow law enforcement agents also trying to bring Sanchez down. All this through his personal vendetta, and all so true to life.
How many times do we hear about "Blue on Blue" contacts, to me it just made the film more realistic and even darker.
We have some great gadgets, and some are introduced with a little bit of humour, like the laser camera.
The stunts are fantastic, and we get a DAFesk truck stunt on two wheels.
Another high point is the villains meet some gory ends, and I love Dario's end very reminiscent of SPECTRE goons in OHMSS.
For me, one of the only Cons is maybe the realism and the violence.
I say this for no other reason than I was allowed to see my first Bond movie in the mid 60's and they were classified A.
I was lucky I had an older brother to take me, however I wouldn't have been able to go and watch this movie if I was that age which maybe was the reason the World wasn't ready for Daltons Bond.
Maybe in future now that we have more violent Bond movies, the producers should release two versions of the film. One that suits a younger audience and another that suits an audience of 18+, a harder cut if you like. I believe some of the Taken movies did just that.
I can't praise this film enough and for me it's a great Bond movie and can stand shoulder to shoulder with FRWL and CR. It's that good on blu ray I'm going to watch it again tomorrow, so Golden Eye on blu ray will have to wait another 24 hours I'm afraid. By the way I own 10 of the Bond movies on Blu Ray and I am enjoying them very much in that format.
"Do you expect me to talk? "No Mister Bond I expect you to die"
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Bond: Pierce Brosnan Villain: Hugo Drax Girl: Pam Bouvier
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
"Better make that two."
Agreed. I'm a Tim Fanboy, but even I thought the clothes were terrible and the Dracula hair a major mistake. I like the film a lot but think it looks cheap and T.V.Movie of the week like in places.
Though it was off the rack, it was not cheap clothing. Poor fit and outdated fashions certainly give that impression, though.
http://www.bondsuits.com/basted-bond-timothy-daltons-stefano-ricci-suits/
Bond: Pierce Brosnan Villain: Hugo Drax Girl: Pam Bouvier
It was filmed in North America where British brands weren't available. Unlike Moore, Dalton didn't have a tailor of his own to use.
"Better make that two."
LTK is one of my favourite films in the franchise. Its up there with GF and OHMSS.
Dalton is at his best here, in the closest screen adaptation of the Fleming Bond from the novels. He certainly did his research with the character when taking on the Bond role, but boy does it show here. Humourless, violent, driven. This is Bond at his most badass. Forget what came later with Craig. This is the real deal, right here.
Even Maibaum and Wilson come up trumps here with the script also, in a storyline and scenes that Fleming himself would have been proud. The film unfolds and feels like a Fleming book, helped massively by scenes and characters taken directly from the books, but Maibaum knew his Fleming, and this feels as close to the novels as OHMSS or FRWL.
Glen's direction is not too flashy, workmanlike but serious and rather violent at times, which again helps drive the Fleming tone along, in the best of the films Glen directed. This would be his last one, but by now he had crafted and perfected his art for the benefit of the film.
Sanchez is one of the best villains in the series, and I heard a rumour he was based loosely on Scaramanga. They both share the same initials, and once Bond goes undercover as a kind of personal bodyguard to get close to his man, it definitely echoes the novel TMWTGG.
`You earned it, you keep it, old buddy!'.....`Don't you want to know why?' The dialogue is brilliant, sharp Flemingesque. This is still the closest we have seen to Fleming's Bond in all his glory on screen. It's a damn shame Dalton would never do any more.
Cons
There really aren't any. Some complain that Dalton's wardrobe isn't dressy enough. I love it. It definitely feels more like how Bond dresses from the novels. The only one element I would have welcomed would have been another John Barry score, but otherwise the film is fairly near 100% perfect for me.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Finally I wish Ridley Scott directed it and U2 wrote and performed the title song (With or without you?).
I think this movie would have been one of the three best in the series.
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
In some ways the clothes are closer to Fleming and in some ways they are further. The casual shirts with pockets are similar to what Fleming wore himself. The simplicity of the outfits was very Flemingesque, as were the moccasins that Bond wears in the film.
The oversized fits of everything and the flashy Italian cuts of the suits are very far from what the literary Bond would have worn, and that's the big problem with the wardrobe. Fleming's Bond would not have been wearing clothes that could better fit a 100-kg man. The clothes were sourced in America, and that's not where Fleming's Bond would have purchased all of his clothes. Fleming's Bond was into luxurious shirts (whether formal or casual), and that's not reflected in Licence to Kill's wardrobe.
I think that was probably more down to the fashion of the 80's at the time. Everything was baggy back then. I reckon some of those shirts that Daton wore were fairly luxurious though. I doubt they would have been shirts from Debenhams.
I think LTK was in my top three before CR. FRWL, OHMSS and LTK.
You must have terrific taste.