Review of Licence to Kill (1989) by Matthew D — 04 Jun 2017

Starts with a powerful set-up for a more personal Bond tale, but is ultimately subsumed into a standard Bond formula that often forces the humour, romance and action beats where they don't fit. What we get is nonetheless entertaining, it has perhaps too many moving parts and doesn't always focus on the more interesting of them.

What elevates proceedings is that Dalton makes a great Bond. The story does allow him to show many sides of the character and the set-up is paid off in his scenes with the villain; his confrontations with what would otherwise be a fairly unmemorable foe, at least by the flamboyant standards of the series, become electric due the personal stakes and the acting by both Dalton and Davi.

A missed opportunity to explore a 007 who is truly off the radar and off the rails is ultimately recused by being solid Bond, just as long as you weren't expecting more.