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Comments
I was a huge fan of Dalton and had no problems with his charm and delivery of one-liners in TLD. In LTK, however, he seemed a little stiff and uncomfortable in some of the scenes. The flirting with and kissing of Pam in the "out of gas" scene came out of nowhere and is one of the Bond scenes when something happens because...well, because the script says that it does (Brosnan's Bond and Natalya kissing after the train explodes in GE is another good example of this). Perhaps a different actress would have helped; I understand why some people like Pam but I thought she was just okay. To be fair once they "glammed her up" she looked a lot better (her bangs and longer hair look in the beginning of the film made her look like a suburban soccer mom who shops at Walmart) but I found the actress didn't have the presence or conviction to portray a CIA agent. Talisa Soto is one of the loveliest Bond girls ever IMHO but I can understand why her shallow, immature character is off-putting to many (although I put it down to the writing and directing, not the actress).
But when it comes to other elements of the film - the recurring themes of loyalty both within Sanchez's operation but also within Bond's circle of "friends" - it's fantastic. Sanchez is a chilling villain and Davi and Dalton were well matched. Great to see Bond use his brain to defeat his enemy and the way he does it is very satisfying. Some great action (the waterskiing bit and the tanker chase were incredible on the big screen) and it was a welcome change to see Bond actually get scuffed up in a fight. Dalton sitting on the rock, all bloody and exhausted at the end of the climax, is one of my favourite Bond moments. I can't think of another time when Bond had so clearly earned his victory or came to the end of a journey.
Interestingly, a friend of mine who hated Bond films because they were "beneath him" (oh, those actors!) came along at the last minute and really liked the film. He hadn't seen a Bond film since watching a couple of Moore ones on TV when he was a kid. After the lights came up he said "Okay, if this is the way they make Bond films now I'll start seeing them in the theatre!". If only he could have known what was going to happen to the franchise...
Bond 5 After his great debut in TLD Dalton was able to showcase his "dark" side and he passed with flying colors. We see a Bond anguished (after seeing what happened to Della and Felix) and after all is said and done he looks battered, bruised, bloody and tired. This gritty realism was totally lqcking in Moore's efforts and it was a welcome relief to see this in a Bond film. Bond having to rely on his wits and fists to get out of jams and overcome the bad guy instead of pushing some handy button. Not since OHMSS have we seen this from our hero. He played Sanchez like a fine violin as he undermined and outsmarts him.
Women 5 I really liked Pam after they cut her hair and spiffied her up. Carey Lowell is hot and smoking. That body, those legs, that face. her wit. She's great. Talisha Soto despite her lack of acting experience and her lame line (I love James so much) was kinda over the top but for the most part she delivers. She has the exotic beauty and comes out well.
Villains 5 Robert Davi is a supreb villain. He is also physically able to take Bond in a fight and that is always a good thing. His moral code and rewarding loyalty is in dark contrast to his brutality. This is as real as any Bond villain comes to the real world. Drug lords tend to have these traits and Davi delivers. His henchmen are an interesting lot. The casting department did a good job in having Sanchez surrounded by men who he rewards based on loyalty. gone is the big blond hulking henchman. In his place are little, geeky sadists. Benicio Del Toro's Dario with his creepy smile and boyish charm is great. Truman Lodge, Colonel Heller characters are all spot on.
Humor 3 there was no place for it in this film and it is rare. Pam's "bullshit" comment is okay but I liked Shakey's "what a waste..." Q's bag of tricks in Bond's hotel suite is a fun scene.
Action 5 this film has good action sequences. The underwater battle is the best since TB and the trucker chase is well edited and staged. Not to mention Bond's battle Royale with Sanchez.
Sadism 5 this film is loaded with body counts. Many a good guy "bites the dust" in this one and the villains all die horribly. Most violence in Bond films is done very tastefully but LTK pulls out all the stops. Kang;'s death, Della's rape and murder are done off screen but the implication is very very strong. Leiter's mixing up with the shark is quite twisted. The most brutal deaths go to Krest, Dario and finally Sanchez. this movie WAS NOT FOOLING AROUND.
Music 3 the theme song is good and the "If you Asked me to" by Patty LaBelle always brings back fond memories. The rest of the soundtrack is ho hum. Where are you John Barry???
Locations 4 The film lacks the exotic locations we had grown accoustomed to but the drab and so so locales are well utilized.
Gadget 5 The signature gun is the only real gadget we see and I like this. Minimal and it adds to the narrative.
Supporting Cast 5 Like I said earlier, the casting department did a great job and earned their pay on this film. You probably recall Priscella Barnes from Three's Company. Sharkey is well portrayed and Robert Brown and Desmond and the Caroline Bliss are up to the task.
Overall score Strong 45 or 4.5
I rank this as being in my top three among the Bond films. I wish the mi6 survey had placed it higher. I like my Bonds that veer away from the formula and it is always good to see a film like this. The gritty realism, the meticulous casting, Dalton in top form. After I heard of the films pending release in the spring of 1989 I was in anticipation and this one did not disappoint. For those critics who claimed that the films were too juvenile under Moore and then felt that Dalton was too serious should go piss up a rope. I could not get enough of Dalton and was waiting to see Dalts strap up again. It would end up being 6 years before seeing a new Bond picture and I never would have guessed it at the time but this was Dalton's final appearance as 007.
I'm glad to see so much love for this film, when I originally saw there was little love out there for this one or Dalton, I have always thought it a cracking adventure and I just wished they had kept the Licence Revoked title. Still one of my favourites and most viewed Bonds.
Style is a funny thing. I'm old enough that when I was a kid all the other guys made fun of how stupid Connery looked with his "loser" clothes and greased hair. They thought that Moore's longer, hairsprayed hair and his clothes were so much cooler...and now those opinions are reversed!
As strange as it seems to younger fans Dalton's slicked back hairstyle was all the rage at the time (even more conservatively styled stars like Harrison Ford had it) and Lowell's shorter haircut was both elegant and exotic (and a little ahead of its time; it wasn't until the early 90s that all the fashionable women I knew had similar haircuts).
I was really surprised that most of the "general public" (i.e. friends, co-workers) did not like LTK at all. Maybe it was different outside of North America but here it wasn't that LTK was up against huge box-office competition (Batman, Indiana Jones) that lowered the box-office, it was that almost everyone I knew (short of die-hard Bond fans - as opposed to casual - and some of my theatre friends) really didn't like Dalton or the style of the film.
Thanks bro. It seems OHMSS agrees with your assessment of Pam's makeover. I guess it's me, but in my experience younger women with these type of haircuts are usually the butch type and I just feel after the wig removal there was a real lack of femininity coupled with Pam being naturally tough to begin with, just too tomboyish for a leading Bond girl. Aside from that I love her character and, well, I've got Talisa for my eye candy often enough that it provides a nice contrast.
@ BAIN- If you read my humor review closely, I didn't say all the humor was unforced. I agree with your sentiments, it was not as natural as it was in TLD and just an average effort yet it does have a few moments where it is also very good.
@ LFH- Your third paragraph is insightful and one I completely agree with. Loyalty is a big theme for both Bond and Sanchez and plays a big part in their motivations. But I still must say I prefer soccer mom Pam to a hairstyle reminiscent more of my childhood dog after returning from a clip.
@ Chris- Thank you! Like some of my fellow originals have stated as well, we grew up with a kick ass Bond in Connery and it's no surprise to me thus far that we relate to Dalton's Bond better than Moore and judging from various snippets in other threads, Brosnan's as well.
@OHMSS- 45 points, eh? What can a fellow Daltonite and fellow LTK lover who also thinks it top 3 say to that except...bravoooooooo =D>
License to Kill 1989
Bond: Given that Dalton had such a great debut as Bond in the previous film, I expected him to be as good in LTK, but to my surprise he was even better. I can't think of a line or expression that was off. Dalton is a master of "seething beneath the surface". 5
Women: Precilla Barnes was strange casting as Felix's Wife, seeing as Three's Company was her claim to fame, but she did well enough. Talisa Soto strangely came off very well IMO, her inability to act gave her character a very natural feel to me. And of course she's easy on the eyes. Carey Lowell was a bit awkward out of the gate IMO, but once she came back from shopping she was sparking (I think that was the idea though). 4.5
Villains: Who's creepier than Anthony Zerbe? Only Christopher Walken, but he wasn't in this one, so My hat's off to Zerbe for this performance. And Davi, of course, for possibly the most intense & believable bad guy ever in a Bond flick. 5
Humor: Pam got off a couple of lines/looks that made me smile, but mainly not a very funny movie, in keeping with the subject matter. 3
Action: Rough & explosive. 5
Sadism: OMG, feeding Felix to a shark? Grinding down Benicio? Pulling an Outland on Zerbe? 5.5
Music: Sorely missed Barry here *snif*, but Kamen's score has grown on me a bit anyway, and the song was another good one. 4
Locations: Mostly Florida & Mexico made it a limited movie in terms of the exotic, but what they had was used & photographed well. Plus, what's this? A hidden LAIR to BLOW UP! EXCELLENT! 4
Gadgets: This was basic Bond, his wits were his gadgets in this one. Q helped a bit, but this movie had just what it needed & no more. 4
Supporting Cast: My favourite Felix returns! But my favourite Miss Moneypenny is short shrifted. Still, some Bliss is better than none... 4
Overall score: 44
This is in my top 5 Bonds of all time, and I feel it's a VERY good Bondian version of Kurosawa's Yojimbo (why does that title always make me think of Jack Wade?). :O
*feel like I gotta add that I still love Bros, and Craig's fine.
"James!!"
(Just watched this film after many years of intentional neglect; I had some pleasant surprises.)
BOND - 3 out of 5 Roger still looks like Roger and does surprisingly look great in more scenes than I thought possible. Yet he is too long in that saddle and pairing him with a much younger fluff of a woman (she of the annoying voice and little brain, more on her soon ...) did hurt the film, I think. I found him still to be a star, still a charming Bond, and I simply cannot give him less than a 3. But he should have stepped down with Octopussy and gone out on a high note.
WOMEN- 2.5 out of 5 And really kudos to Fiona Fullerton as the Russian spy Pola -sharply played, nice chemistry with Roger, a delightful sexy diversion for Bond. I liked the two of them together and rather wish she clashed/sparred with him more throughout the film. She saves this category from getting a 1.5. My least favorite main Bond girl (although the upcoming Denise Richards may be a close second), played by Tanya Roberts, who has incredibly beautiful eyes and no clue as to acting or anything else. She brings eye candy but a glaring age difference, with the brains and bleating voice of a sheep (sorry, sheep, for that slur). I liked nothing about her character, to be honest. Thugs invade her home, Bond is nearly killed defending her, and she happily gets into her slinky teddy for bed and goes to sleep without a care in the world, like Goldilocks. (I think I probably snorted at this scene in the theatre.) May Day is included in this category only because she bedded Zorin and Bond. In a word: yuk. What were the producers/director, casting agent thinking? I wish I'd been spared seeing her tussling with Roger in bed; could have done without that, yes. Rest of assorted women, most with bad haircuts, nothing memorable.
VILLAINS - 5 out of 5 I have always enjoyed Christopher Walken and he is truly the best thing about this movie. We don't have to learn that the Nazi medical experiment produced all psychos - we just watch Zorin and realize early on that he clearly screams "psychopath" without even saying a word. In his mannerisms, barely contained laugh, glee at sadistic killing - it all seems to twitch out of him like he is barely holding it together. Even his final laugh at seeing the doctor holding the dynamite seconds away from exploding: pure sick psycho, as he then falls to his death. A very memorable villain! Then we come to May Day (shudder) and at least she fits the role of henchwoman. Yes she does. She happily kills right and left at Zorin's bidding, she is without doubt scary looking and strange. Scarpine, Zorin's other henchman, has no qualms about machine gunning the mine crew either, happily joining in with his twisted insane boss in mowing them down. Nasty, nasty crew of villains this time around!
HUMOR- 2 out of 5 Bond and Tibbet: such good chemistry and fun interplay; Bond and Pola, sexy fun and nice wordplay; Q nicely played; and ... well, that's about it. I didn't enjoy many of the so called cute lines, the "California Girls" ruined that part of an exciting and gorgeously photographed PTS; the keystone Frisco cops, no thanks - and WHY did Bond climb out of the firetruck onto the ladder in the first place? I have no good answer for this. So much of the humor misfired or was stale for me.
ACTION- 2.5 out of 5 There is a good deal of action in this movie but I didn't feel very engaged, suspenseful, or excited about most of it. I think the best were the Eiffel Tower chase and jump, the elevator on fire, and then the mine at the end. Most of the bridge action wasn't great for me, except finally Zorin's fall. I didn't care for the Frisco chase. Such obvious double work in this film. The story and action were not compelling for me.
SADISM - 4 out of 5 Oh these villains, especially Zorin of course, were solidly sadistic. Not happy to just shoot someone (how boring), they poisoned, hacked and sliced and set fire and pushed a man out of an airship and fed another one to a whirling underwater blade and tried to drown Bond ... you name it.
MUSIC- 4 out of 5 I will just concur with other reviewers' accolades that yes, John Barry was a genius. Very good theme song, it rocked - and then Barry turned it around and expanded it and dusted magic onto it to make it haunting, soft, romantic. Lovely use of a variety of instruments; the overall music in this movie is very good indeed. Really Walken and the music are special in this film.
LOCATIONS - 3 out of 5 The locations in France were gorgeous and impressive, nicely photographed; the PTs was so very good until the aforementioned song cut blaringly into a good action scene; and yes San Francisco, but honestly I wasn't wowed by the city. Just wasn't. Stacy's house seemed bland to me. So the locations - other than France - were not special for me in this one.
GADGETS - 2 out of 5 A sub that looks like a fake (really fake) iceberg), a butterfly puppet on a string that turns out to have a poisonous jab, and a silly robot that scoots along to scope out things, especially at the end of the movie. Like that would be such a great spy tool - nothing too obvious about it at all. I'm sure I wouldn't notice it crawling around my house, would you?
SUPPORTING CAST- 3 out of 5 Stretching to get it to a 3 but I feel that Patrick McNee's Sir Tibbett and Fiona's Russian spy Pola, make it a low water mark 3. Include May Day in that and yes a 3 is where it stands for me. I enjoyed Q, M was fine; I felt Moneypenny was not looking her best in her horse race outfit and also not given much to do in this one. A rather bland CIA agent, an amusing French inspector, Gogol around for the last time was brief but okay; others around but not making much of an impression; overall not a great supporting cast.
OVERALL - Well, this is probably my least liked Bond movie (Moonraker is close for me) and I was pleasantly surprised watching it today. Roger was better than I remembered, still looked great much of the time, a few of the scenes had zing (with Tibbett, with Pola), France was gorgeous, and I didn't dislike it as intently as I remembered.
I think my feelings when I saw this movie in the theatre were mainly disappointment and lack of excitement. It was so average in many ways for me, not exciting; and I love Roger, but he should have stepped down sooner. I especially did not like them pairing him with Tanya Roberts. Switch her with Fiona and you would immediately have a more likeable, enjoyable film in my opinion. But then the Stacy character would need to be better written, too. My movie quote (at the very top of my review near the title) for this Bond film is simply Tanya's grating bleating voice saying "James!". Not the way I like to remember a Bond movie, but there it is.
This movie seemed like a messy, half hearted attempt to do many things that had worked in the past (humor, set ups) - but I do remember thinking Walken was terrific, the theme song was great, and Patrick McNee was a delight. But it was a bit embarrassing as a Bond fan simply because this felt so "after the expiration date." I left the theatre with sort of a "stale cookie" aftertaste.
But I knew a new Bond was coming - I didn't know who, but I was ready and waiting. Oh yes, Mr. Dalton, I was ready for your close-up. ;)
BOND
Here he is a sort of gallant knight, saving a hopelessly lost young girl and gently helping her understand the situation she finds herself in. On the flip side he seems like a man haunted by the ghosts of people he has killed, never settled, never trusting. Gone is the self confidence of Connery and the impish humour of Moore. Bond is now a man who hates his job but realises someone has to do it.
It’s a fair debut by Dalton even though he doesn’t command the screen as well as his predecessors. He ticks the boxes but when he has to deliver some of the staple Bond-isms such as the one-liners, he fails. He also looks stiff and awkward in a dinner jacket. Minor points but very important to the overall impression we are given. Dalton creates his own Bond, but whether he wholly succeeds in dazzling us as so many great screen actors have done..well we all have our opinions 3.5/5
WOMEN
Kara is the Russian cellist, played by Maryam d’Abo who shows the character’s vulnerability in a brilliantly understated and sweet performance, and shows other actresses (yes you Tanya Roberts!) how to be vulnerable without being empty headed.
There’s a girl on a yatch, a couple of Felix’s friends who pick Bond up and erm…Julie T Wallace.
Despite this d’Abo has the right sort of chemistry with Dalton, and although there simply isn’t enough of the old glamour we were used to in a Bond film, what we get is rather sweet and lovely. 4/5
VILLAINS
Apparent Russian defector Koskov is a villain hiding behind a personality akin to Boris Johnson, Brad Whittaker, an arms dealer in cahoots with Koskov, Necros the hitman. In a film where Russians and the Mujahidin turn out to be good guys when we expect them to be bad guys we are given some rather ambiguous situations. Plenty of rich and interesting characters, well drawn and giving the film plenty of layers.
4.5/5
HUMOUR
Despite an unfunny Q scene, and some duff one liners TLD is actually quite humorous in parts. The Mujahidin scenes provide some laughs, as do Koskov, Saunders and Rosika. Not obvious, in your face jokes, but humour that arises from situations and characters. Quite refreshing really 4/5
ACTION
From the pre title sequence on Gibraltar, through to the incredible mid air battle as Bond and Necros hang from the plane’s netting, the action in TLD works on every level. Thrilling, exciting and entertaining, this is all difficult to fault 5/5
SADISM
Not a sadistic film at all. There are a few minor points but nothing to compare with what is to come 2/5
MUSIC
To the untrained ear all I am left with is a gut reaction, and the a-ha song was and is a major disappointment. Updating the Bond sound somewhat and ditching the melodic blockbusters of the past we have a pop song that doesn’t even match up to a-ha’s first few pre-Bond singles. Where Has Everybody Gone by The Pretenders fairs much better, and some of the incidental music is really good and memorable 4/5
LOCATIONS
A neat bit of globe hopping for Bond but where the likes of MR built the film around the gorgeous locations here we have relevant locations that enhance and drive the plot forward. Grim in places but I suppose that’s the point 4/5
GADGETS
There isn’t much outside of Q’s lab that seems necessary apart from the rather crumby exploding key ring. So we are left with the Aston Martin which simply feels a little out of place in this film. 3/5
SUPPORTING CAST
Despite a film which offers us the weakest ever M, the weakest ever Moneypenny and the weakest ever Leiter, we are still given a group of decent secondary characters. Saunders who clashes with Bond only to win the latter’s respect, Rosika, who helps Bond smuggle Koskov out of the East in a way only someone like Rosika can! Kamran Shah the leader of the rebels who helps Bond towards the end of the film. And General Pushkin, another one time enemy who sees the benefits in helping Bond.
Despite my misgivings for the usual crew (although it’s nice to see Gogol make a brief appearance) the richness of the cast, as well as the villains, makes this a surprisingly top notch entry in the series. 5/5
39/50
OVERALL RECOLLECTIONS
When I watched TLD for the first time I was unfamiliar with Dalton although I had seen some early films he featured in. I was pleased with him overall but had a sneaky worry that he was simply riding on the goodwill factor, as we were all relieved that Roger Moore had finally called it a day – not because he was disliked, far from it – but he needed to step down.
TLD ‘s greatest strength was that it was never dull, there were no parts that dragged. It was in my top 5 Bonds for many years and although this has paled it still remains the best Bond film of the 80s. And that is despite Timothy Dalton, not because of him.
John Glen was the most pedestrian of directors, yet he managed to fashion a fast paced, exciting and rather romantic film.
So I'm getting close!
When we get around to GoldenEye I'll be all over this thread \:D/
Anyone can participate here. But if you're not an original fan willing to do review all 22 films, your reviews won't count towards the ratings. Feel free to give your opinion at any time. It's won't be until January that the GE reviews will begin.
Welcome to the Machine
Bond: Timothy Dalton gave himself a tough act to follow after TLD. Darned if he didn't outdo himself in TLD. Dalton broke into uncharted territory for Bond in going rogue and on a revenge mission. You know how DAF should have been a revenge mission? Well we finally got it 18 years later. Dalton is in revenge mode. His on screen intensity comes across loud and clear in LTK. This is the time that Bond truly has to rely on his wits. Those wits come through in working with Sharkey and contacting Pam, which led to Bond's meeting with Sanchez and thus the infiltration. Dalton brilliantly showed the intense and resourceful side of Bond. (5)
Women: Another precedent was set in LTK. We actually have some decent American Bond girls. Carey Lowell portrays Pam Bouvier. In my Bond Girl Tournament, Pam surprisingly finished in the Final Four. As time has gone by, it's becoming less and less of a surprise. Pam is your ordinary gun for hire. She is a very useful ally for Bond. Pam gets Bond into Dirty Sanchez territory, can fly, can fight, and can pretend to be a secretary. I'm normally a fan of longer hair on women, but in this case the short hair look works better. Like Maryam D'Abo, Dalton and Lowell have a great synergy together. Talisa Soto portrays Lupe, who is, let's say Sanchez's girlfriend. While Talisa's acting skills aren't up to Carey's level, she still pulls off being effective in her role as the young, yet wise to the world abused victim gold digger. Priscilla Barnes from Three's Company fame portrays the ill-fated Della Leiter and effectively shows both sides of joy and tragedy. The only thing that bothered me about the LTK women is the teenage drama of "I love James so much" and Pam's petty jealousy of Lupe. Otherwise a worthy trio of women to the franchise. (4)
Villians: I will go on record and say that the rogues gallery of FRWL fame has been bested. LTK is loaded with great villians. If a single category for a single film warranted a 6, it would be the LTK villians. Sanchez was the most ruthless main villian in the Bond universe. Cuts a guys heart out, whips Lupe, coldly watches Leiter become legless and Krest become headless and orders brutal murders of other, all while running a major drug empire. Kudos to Robert Davi for a masterpiece of a performance. Benicio Del Toro plays the equally ruthless Dario. Dario is Sanchez, Jr. I still cant tell with Del Toro's eyes if he was psychotic or drugged up, or both. Krest is another slimy bugger. That dude even creeped me out, and by then I was a young man. Truman-Lodge is a bit annoying, but in an entertaining way. Killifer pulled off a great switch to the dark side. Heller almost pulled off being the double agent. A magnificent ensemble of bad guys. (5)
Humor: You would think that a dark and violent film wouldn't have much humor. Not so with LTK. The humor is darker in tone, but it's still there. I'll confess to having a darker sense of humor than the average person though. Sanchez, the really violent drug lord, does actually have a sense of comic timing. I still chuckle that he tells his staff to launder the money after Krest loses his head. He is also very witty with the international brotherhood of drug dealers. I also still chuckle at Dario's "honeymooooooooon" line. Told you I had a dark sense of humor. The majority of the remaining humor comes from Uncle Q. I love the irony where Q in the past wants his equipment back in pristine condition, but in serving in the field he chucks his radio broom in the bushes. (4)
Action: Like TLD, LTK had some great action throughout. Starting with the Sanchez chase with Bond bravely tying up Sanchez's plane in his best wedding garb. The bait and switch with Krebb's money is underated. The Hong Kong Narcotics Squad interupted a golden assassanation attempt, and still led to a good action sequence which set up Sanchez's trust in Bond. All good action scenes, but they pale in comparison to the climatic tanker chase. Bond sets the meditation center on fire, escapes becoming the main course at a Dallas Cowboys post victory celebration party, watches the other baddies get their comeuppance in a non G-rated way, destroys 4 tankers and sends Sanchez blazing to hell. The tanker chase is well set up and executed and may very well be the best chase scene of them all. (5)
Sadism: Would you rather (and you have to pick one):
a) get raped then murdered
b) have your legs chewed off by a shark, but survive
c) watch the reflection of your head exploding
d) get impaled by a forklift
e) be grounded up by a machine and then have your remains snorted by Charlie Sheen
f) watch your empire collapse and then be set ablaze
Not an easy decision is it. (5)
Music: John Barry's absence is clearly missed. Gladys Knight was OK with her main theme plus with "If You Asked Me To". The score was servicable, but not memorable. (3)
Locations: Nothing exciting here. The Florida keys and a fictional country, with filming in Mexico. (3)
Gadgets: LTK looked like it may be gadget free until Uncle Q showed up. The hotel Q lab came up with the palm reading gun, the explosive alarm clock and toothpaste, plus the fun little X-ray camera and the radio broom. Gadgets were only used to attempt to kill Sanchez. Otherwise it was pure wits and brains for Bond. (4)
Supporting Cast: Say goodbye to Brown and Bliss. Not really contributors. But David Hedison and Desmon Lleweyn were. David Hedison reprises his role as Felix Leiter from LALD. Speaking of LALD, the genuine Felix Leiter played to the novel. One of the best portrayals of Felix. Nice to see you out of the casinos Wayne Newton. Desmond had his finest hour as Q. I liked Sharkey. If there was any doubt about Q's and Bond's relationship, it was removed in LTK. Q stuck by Bond throughout the mission even when Timmy told him to go home. LTK solidified the relationship between the Q, which even carried over to the next era. Desmond and David carry the supporting cast. (5)
Overview: (43) With the imminent collapse of communism, the franchise needed to go a different route. LTK expanded on the drug problem of the 80s. LTK explored the darker and more violent tone of films of the late 80s. The only mistake that LTK made was being at the wrong place at the wrong time with its release. LTK went up against 1989 classics Batman and Indy's Final Crusade for the next 19 years. Despite LTK being a great film, the mainstream hadn't quite embraced Dalton thus costing LTK at the box office. Critics can dismiss Dalton and compare LTK to Miami Vice all they want, but LTK is still a damn good Bond film. LTK was a bold gamble that went against the grain of the formulatic Bond films, but it captured its time and the happenings of major league drug dealers brilliantly.
Like the timeline between LTK and GE, we're going on hiatus. I've really enjoyed doing these reviews and looking back at all the films. See you all again next year as I praise GE, CR and hopefully SF and send DAF and TMWTGG some well needed company.
MVP: Robert Davi (Franz Sanchez)
Running Rankings:
1. From Russia With Love (45, MVP: Pedro Armedariz)
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (45, MVP: Diana Rigg)
3. License To Kill (43: MVP: Robert Davi)
4. Thunderball (42, MVP: Luciana Paluzzi)
5. The Living Daylights (41, MVP: Timothy Dalton)
6. Octopussy (40, MVP: Steven Berkoff)
7. Dr No (38, MVP: Sean Connery)
8. For Your Eyes Only (37, MVP, Topol)
9. Live And Let Die (37, MVP: Yaphet Kotto)
10. You Only Live Twice (37, MVP: Tetsura Tambo)
11. Goldfinger (36, MVP: Harold Sakata)
12. The Spy Who Love Me (36, MVP, Roger Moore)
13. A View To A Kill (33, MVP, Christopher Walken)
14. Moonraker (33, MVP: Bernard Lee)
15. Diamonds Are Forever (32, Co-MVP's Bruce Glover and Putter Smith)
16. The Man With The Golden Gun (31, MVP: Christopher Lee)
BOND
If any film in the series can be considered a proper stand alone film then this is it. Peter Hunt was new in the director’s chair, and with him a new Bond. A Bond every bit as sophisticated as the other fella (he knows his caviar, and he knows exactly what to do to help a damsel in distress), this Bond is sporty (the golf clubs are back), agile (great with his fists), romantic (and with so many options) and a lepidopterist to boot!
Lazenby lacks Connery’s assured, subtle and all too calculated charm but his Bond is every bit a man of the world. Very good effort 4/5
WOMEN
Tracy the suicidal daughter of a drugs baron. She becomes the first proper Mrs Bond and as such has to die. Bond has a bevy of lovely ladies from around the globe, most notably Ruby the Lancashire lass who delights in seeing exactly what is under Sir Hilary’s kilt. Sadly Bond only gets to pull two of them before Irma Bunt intervenes.
Still, for sheer number and overall quality, a resounding 5/5
VILLAINS
Blofeld is back with a new face (no scar) and some impeccably realised manners – he is cultured in the arts, respectful of women, and has the most intriguing way of holding a cigarette. He has none of the last Blofeld’s spiteful, sadistic and down right uncouth characteristics.
Irma Bunt, his butch sidekick who organises and controls the girls.
No one else apart from some minor goons makes an impact. Intriguingly Tracy’s dad who is clearly the sort who Bond would oppose normally, comes across as a caring, generous, and loving man.
However Blofeld and Bunt make up for everything else.
4/5
HUMOUR
Enjoyable on many levels, including the humour. Mainly supplied by the Angels of Death, a group of outrageously flirtatious young women. Also, Bond’s growing relationship with Tracy is perfectly sweet and charming, and out of that comes a few amusing moments.
Lazenby struggles more than Connery ever did with the classic one liners (although not as much as Timothy Dalton). 3.5/5
ACTION
Although the middle third loses out, the action in the climatic scenes is simply breath taking. Skis, bob sleigh, helicopters, gunfire, explosions. Triffic, simply traffic. And of course Bond has a few superb punch ups 5/5
SADISM
Plenty of nasty deaths including a memorable moment when a villain skis into the path of a snow plough. Is this all sadistic or simply the unfortunate dispatching of a few fringe characters?
All the girls are treated well, including Tracy.
3/5
MUSIC
Beautiful score by John Barry including the thrilling OHMSS theme, and the timeless We Have All The Time In The World. The whole thing works and enhances an already beautiful looking film. Even when Barry has to capture Christmas in Switzerland he can produce a lovely, sing-a-long piece ‘Do you Know How Christmas Trees Are Grown’. A master at the top of his game. 5/5
LOCATIONS
Lisbon in Portugal, Piz Gloria and other Swiss locations perfectly captured and beautifully photographed. 5/5
GADGETS
Apart from a nifty (if slow) safe cracking gadget, Bond uses his brains and his trouser snake to get him through this adventure. 3/5
SUPPORTING CAST
Draco, Bond’s future father in law offers Bond a deal regarding letting him know where Blofeld is ‘I might tell my future son in law’ he says.
Does that mean Bond only woos and wins Tracy to repay a debt? I’m not convinced Bond’s love is real, but it’s nice to believe so.
Elsewhere we have Sir Hilary Bray the expert on family lines who Bond impersonates at Piz Gloria.
Campbell, Bond’s ally who meets a rather nasty death atop Piz Gloria.
Plus our usual team of M, Q and Moneypenny. Some lovely closing scenes after Bond’s wedding.
The whole film is well cast and to Lazenby’s credit he doesn’t appear overwhelmed with the quality of those around him. 4.5/5
OVERALL RECOLLECTIONS AND SCORE 42/50
I saw this in a double bill with LALD during the 70s sometime, and I recall preferring this film to the more child friendly other adventure. Meaty, tough, romantic, lush, call it what you like, the film works on so many levels and it’s simply a shame that the marking system can not accommodate the overall look or the direction of a film (Peter Hunt’s best film by a mile). This is as good as any Bond film before or since and I only mark YOLT higher because it ticks the boxes we have a little better.
And how many times since 1969 have we heard the phrase ‘The best Bond since OHMSS’. Tells you something.
;)
Thanks bud, hope you are doing better by the day.
Nic and Lancaster will be around, most of us will be back in mid-November and I'm sure Skyfall will be hot topic amongst us until the reviews resume. Alas, we only have one chapette in 4Ever. She brings a different point of view that is refreshing and insightful and I wish we had more female originals.
Licence Rovoked
BOND- 5. Bond's on a mission, and you'd better not forget it. With all the brooding intensity of a Heathcliffe (a role he had already played) Tim Dalton's Bond is a man not to be messed with. Dalton simmers at times and delivers a brilliant performance of classic Bond. Whenever I read the Fleming novels (which I am currently doing again) it is Dalton's Bond that comes to mind. Having returned Bond to us in TLD he took it one step further in Licence - I was so looking forward to his next adventure…
WOMEN- 5.Now the two main women are some of the best, certainly since the 'classic' era of Bond. Carey Lowell is great in the role as a pilot/CIA helper and love interest for Bond. She has great presence and is fit. Not normally a lover of short hair on women I think she looks best after her transformation, stunning. And Talisa Soto although not as an experienced actor as Lowell she is drop-dead gorgeous and needed to be to convince that the ruthless Sanchez would risk his liberty to get her back. Top totty.
VILLAINS- 5. Well what can I say that hasn't already been said. Sanchez's villain ripped from the headlines of the papers was as good a post-cold war villain as you could get, brilliantly portrayed by the great Robert Davi, who collects around him a group of people you would not to meet in a dark ally! A very young Benicio Del Toro is great as Dario, a nasty piece of work and who could forget the explosive performance from Anthony Zebre a great American actor who co-stars in one of my favourite films, The Dead Zone as a completely different character. A stonking cast of villains, and one of my favourite minor character is Prof Joe 'Bless Your Heart' Butcher who makes me laugh. Being a Brit I had never heard of him before but I liked his character and performance.
HUMOR- 4. A dark, brooding, bloody film with humour of the darkest type. One of my favourite lines from any Bond film is delivered by Davi - 'Launder it!', made me laugh then and still does! I like Dalton's deliver of lines in this and TLD, there was a lot made at the time (and still) about his not being able to deliver a line like old Roger - that's because he's not Roger, or Sean but I think his playing of the part is spot on.
ACTION-5. Well, it never lets up. From the brilliant PTS, right through to the tanker chase there is action aplenty and it doesn't seem to be there just for an action beat, but is there a part of and to drive the narrative along. One of the best bits of action is the escape from the WaveKrest including the awesome barefoot skiing. Brilliant.
SADISM- 5. A violent, bloody (Bond bleeds!) shocking film. Certainly the most sadistic film in the Bond canon and one of the best for it. Nice to see more elements lifted from the Live and Let Die novel, and incorporating bits from the Hildebrand Variety short story, although Sanchez is given Milton Krest's stingray tail whip for his sadistic punishment of Lupe. Various killings and maiming give this film the highest sadism rating.
MUSIC-4. Not Barry, but still a good score, certainly doesn't grate like Bill Conti's score does at times, or Eric Serra god-awful effort!
LOCATIONS-4. Only two main locations (I don't mind that, sometimes the globe-trotting seems forced, QoS being a case in point) but used well.
GADGETS- 4. Few gadgets, but what is there (apart from the laser firing camera) is used to further the plot and of course we get the signature gun - a variation of which appears in Skyfall - and Q's casual disregard for his own gadgets is a funny and cherished moment.
SUPPORTING CAST- 5. Robert Brown's gives another solid performance as M, he only became M for me in the Dalton films, Bliss's Moneypenny is little used but that's no bad thing. But the rest of the supporting cast is top drawer, most of them being villains, the only downer for me really is that fact that John Terry wasn't used as Felix who would have been more believable as being closer to Dalton's age. I know people like David Hedison, but he's more like Dalton's dad than a similar aged friend, he gives a fine performance but I would have like some consistency with the Felix character.
OVERALL SCORE AND RECOLLECTIONS- 46 or 4.6. One of the best Bond films since the sixties heyday of Bond. My favourite actor as Bond and a tough uncompromising film. I loved it. I actually won tickets to a charity showing of the film in Torquay through a competition run by the Today newspaper which also ran an serialisation of the story in it pages. While watching this film I actually had sweaty palms - when did that last happen while watching a Bond? Our hero really could get hurt, maybe even killed, a film you could really invest in. There seemed to be a lot a bad press and feeling about this film. I seem to remember bits in the press about how they missed the days of the megalomanic with plans to take over the word! Which seemed a bit odd as during the last days of Sir Roger the same people were complaining about the unreal megalomaniac with designs on taking over the world! You just can't please some people!
My biggest complaint about this film is that the title was changed from Licence Revoked to the not quite right Licence To Kill, which is odd as Bond has his licence revoked! Apparently this was because most American's wouldn't know what revoked meant! Can that really be true? It is a shame that the producers felt they had to change the title, to me it will always be Licence Revoked - or for our American cousins, License Revoked!
@Lancaster- I agree with your thoughts on the title. The way I understand it, it wasn't that Americans don't know the meaning of the word revoked. We do. It's the word license (that's how we were taught to spell it of course) in combination. The studio people thought the general public moviegoer with no attachment to the series would equate the title to a driver's license being revoked, which is how the authorities would term that situation. I thought it was a unnecessary change myself and I'm sure everyone here would understand as to what license was being referenced, but even the general moviegoer knows "007, licensed to kill" and that's what they went with.
"Don't you want to know why?"
BOND - 4 out of 5 Timothy Dalton is Bond. A very good Bond indeed. He shines in this movie as a Bond who is driven, serious, still touched by Tracy's death, haunted and determined. He looks wonderful, and to me I still see some elegance, but the plot is mired in sadness and sadism. The movie is such a downer for me, which is shame. He sparks a bit with Pam, and that is like the only real light in the movie. I can't fault Dalton at all in this one.
WOMEN - 4 out of 5 And that's entirely thanks to Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier - a sharp, strong, talented, lovely main Bond girl. She is extremely capable, tough, but still has a romantic streak. She more than holds her own and helps Bond throughout this story. Yes, her haircut looked extremely stupid and I hate it to this day - it looked better the second or third day because at least she had some bangs then. But slicked back it was so annoying it took away from her looks and was a distraction. Yuk.
There were only 2 women in this film, really, and Talisa Soto - although I can see from others' opinions that she wowed them as a gorgeous, hot woman they'd love to spend personal time with - falls flat for me. Not a good actress, and her character annoys and disappoints me. From the moment we meet her, I had a bad feeling about her, and it did give a negative feeling to the film for me.
VILLAINS - 4 out of 5 First let me say that Davi can act. That is the only reason this is a 4 and not a 3.5. He is strong enough in his rather quietly menacing way and is a disgusting main villain; believable and totally reprehensible. Sanchez is a sadistic, murdering, calculating piece of scum. In other words: a drug lord.
Well, here I go with my honest opinion - in spite of Davi, this character had little appeal for me. I was disappointed. It felt like a big letdown: Oh, a drug lord who is a twisted, sadistic, nasty piece of scum; one who murders on any whim, and is abusive towards women. How very much ... the same. As in other movies, other stories. It felt like this movie put James Bond into a rather typical drug cartel world scenario. But do I want my Bond movie in that framework, with that kind of main story and villain? No I don't.
Other villains: good supporting actors here, Dario was a psycho and del Toro barely held it togeher, he seemed pretty unhinged (I think he even hurt Dalton by accident during filming, if I remember correctly); Anthony Zerbe as Krest had the entire look of a scamming used car salesman down to a pat including his awful hair; Wayne Newton was amusing. The actors were really okay; the storyline dragged this movie down several notches for me (more than just a little).
HUMOR - 2.5 out of 5 Some dark humor, not much humor, and you could see it was hard to place some one-liners in this one. My favorite was: "I hope you don't smoke, Q!" Dalton was appropriately snappishly frustrated.
ACTION - 4 out of 5 Tons of action. After all, Bond is hellbent on revenge and that drives him to get to Davi, close enough to kill him, throughout the entire movie. My favorites scenes were the escape underwater from Krest and the very ending with the tanker chase. I absolutely love Dalton in action in this film (in spite of the depressing undercurrent of the whole thing) and the ending was especially well done indeed. Tanker chase: great action, realistic and thrilling, by both Davi and Dalton - and the line, "Don't you want to know why?" was great.
SADISM - 5 out of 5 The sadism in this one is shown more and is more a part of the story than any other Bond film for sure. And the list is long, as so many of you have written. So it scores high, but note that I do not enjoy sadism in a movie.
MUSIC - 3 out of 5 I didn't like the theme song much, but it did suit the overall depressing and downer tone of the movie. The closing song was very popular but again, not one I like a whole lot (even though I like Patti's voice in many songs). So the music was serviceable (someone else used that word; it seems appropriate). Not really memorable for me. The Bond theme was evident, even right in the early scenes, to remind me this was a Bond movie after all. That is not a complaint; I like my Bond theme throughout (M. Norman's), especially at certain action parts.
LOCATIONS - 2.5 out of 5 Probably lovely, interesting and riveting for some viewers but overall rather dull for me. I grew up in Florida. So it was rather like having Bond in my neighborhood (or next door in Mexico); not much for me to enjoy really.
GADGETS - 3 out of 5 Some nice gadgets, none too silly, including the well done and interesting signature gun.
SUPPORTING CAST- 4 out of 5 There is a fine array of supporting actors and that helps this film a WHOLE lot. Hedison was fine as Leiter for the most part (though a tad too old) and the only wrong note was the final shot of him being cheerful in the hospital. That didn't even fit in with the movie, honestly. That scene and the winking fish at the very end were glaringly out of place in this one. Q's role was delicious (Q as field agent!) and his chemistry with Dalton was very nice. The supporting crew, including likeable Frank McRae as Sharkey, were solid.
OVERALL - Mixed feelings about this one. But my negative feelings, and disappointment, are not about Timothy Dalton. I had just come off my thrilling ride with Dalton in The Living Daylights, feeling that he really was Bond, and please give me more. I love Timothy Dalton as Bond, but this movie is a downer for me. I didn't enjoy it in the theatre and I hardly ever watch it. I was so excited to see Dalton's second Bond movie. But from near start to finish it had an overiding depressing, sad, distressing tone that did not sit well with me.
I remember clearly watching Sanchez take that whip to Lupe and feeling rather sick. And angry inside. I watched this movie in the theatre with that churning in my guts the whole time and it was not a pleasant experience. I was extremely annoyed with her character ("It was my fault ..."), I didn't enjoy seeing yet another (how many movies and tv shows had done this?) drug lord terrorize and torture others, and I found the main storyline boring, frankly.
Indeed the biggest problem I have with this movie was not the acting (other than Talisa's) but the story. So no, I wasn't impressed. I didn't care for the whole drug cartel storyline at all. It was a turn-off and not interesting. Revenge plot, yes, but please not a drug lord as the villain. Geez, that's been done to death. That was the first thing we talked about (my friend and I ) as we left the threatre. Both not happy with the movie. So it was too depressing overall and a letdown for me as a Bond fan.
I'm really sorry that Dalton never had a third Bond movie. It would have been interesting to see what they would have come up with after LTK. And I would have been first in line again.
A few years back Ted Turner's cable station used to do weekly films they entitled "Movies for guys who like movies". Usually fun, violent films that most men enjoy like Bloodsport, Hard To Kill, Enter The Dragon, Road House, etc. And this would be one of those. So Nic, since you're a guy and our lady 4Ever just gave a film she doesn't much like a 36, I'm sure you will recognize where the film is strong and give it proper consideration for the categories where it should score highly :D