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Licence to Kill - Is it really that "underrated"?

BAIN123BAIN123
edited August 2011 in Bond Movies Posts: 11,189
It's weird, I'd always thought LTK was one of the better films of the series - until recently. In my "Bondathon" I watched OHMSS and LTK virtually back-to-back and couldn't help but feel a little disappointed by the latter so soon after watching the former. Where OHMSS felt imaginative, glossy and very English (a.l.a. Fleming), Kill had a very "hard" quality to it. The tone of the film is basically "Bond's mad and he's going to get even" and the setting of the Florida Keys, the cigar chomping FBI agents and the out-of-place dialogue ("I don't like it, you can finger me") don't strike me as appearing in a Fleming book.

Here is an interesting review I found of Kill which isn't so much critical of Dalton as the producers and writing:
http://n007.thegoldeneye.com/ltk-review.html
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Comments

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Personally i like the film,i find it much easier to watch than TLD and Dalton's performance is much much better ,and i'm sure he would have nailed it if he got to do GE.

    I think it is under-rated in that,because of it's 15 cert it wasn't shown on UK TV for a while or if it was it was cut to pieces,this has improved 'slightly' now.
    So i think it has been overlooked as a Bond film,also adding that it rarely uses the Bond theme tune,the same goes for QoS,which doesnt help.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I do like Kill (a lot more than Quantum) but there's something about it that doesn't feel right.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,257
    I don't think LTK is a bad film. It holds up quite well even when watched immediately after TLD. But hey, it's a matter of opinion. I know this film is heavily criticized but for what it's worth, I think it's one of the better Bonds.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I do like LTK and always have but there's just something that seemed a bit off about it the last time I saw it.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited August 2011 Posts: 15,723
    Sorry barryt, but I prefer TLD over LTK by a fair margin. LTK is very good, though. I really love Q's and Bond's relationship in the film... probably the most friendly and 'real' relationship in the entire franchise... And of course the amazing Hemingway House scene... And plenty more as well.
  • nalliacnalliac
    Posts: 5
    I never really liked the way Bond has to come back to his hotel room and have a repeated conversation with Pam telling her to go home before she resists by being so sassy. Also, the climax kind of bothers me when an entire complex is destroyed by Bond creating a small fire in a single room.

    It's a good movie, but the tone and certain plot points don't always quite sit right.
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,348
    For me LTK just isn't a Bond movie, it just feels like any regular thriller.
    I also did not like the fact that some of the sets in "isthmus City" looked particularly fake. And I never warmed to the truck action sequence, which is so un-Bondish because too many movies had already featured "truck action" before.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,723
    And I never warmed to the truck action sequence, which is so un-Bondish because too many movies had already featured "truck action" before.
    @-) That was one of the greatest stunt in the franchise... And a prime example of Bond bad-assery !!
  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    Agreed,thats a great sequence and fantastic stuntwork,also involving the car driving off the cliff and just missing the plane - classic.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,257
    And I never warmed to the truck action sequence, which is so un-Bondish because too many movies had already featured "truck action" before.
    @-) That was one of the greatest stunt in the franchise... And a prime example of Bond bad-assery !!
    I have but one thing to say about this:
    http://www.motifake.com/image/demotivational-poster/0905/timothy-dalton-james-bond-timothy-dalton-daniel-craig-badass-demotivational-poster-1242459332.jpg
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,348
    Oh well, but 2 questions may be allowed:
    1. Can one really do a wheely with a truck that has two rear axes? Seems physically impossible (like an invisible car).
    2. If a bazooka is aimed at your truck and you are approaching it at high speed, do you really have enough time between firing of the missile and dipping onto 2 wheels? (Btw, a slight adjustment to the aiming would have compensated for the first indication of where the truck might go)
    While the action was fun, I found it entirely unbelievable in these 2 scenes for anyone older than 13.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,723
    1. Can one really do a wheely with a truck that has two rear axes? Seems physically impossible (like an invisible car).
    The stunt was done for real in the film...
  • do_me_nicelydo_me_nicely Banned
    Posts: 106
    LTK sucks . Just be my opinien , thanks for all a support men :-h
    Timathy has the bad hair , is this Bond ?? (hobo)
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,723
    LTK sucks . Just be my opinien , thanks for all a support men :-h
    Timathy has the bad hair , is this Bond ?? (hobo)
    LTK sucks because Dalton has bad hair ?? I thought people hated when someone said CR sucks because Craig is blond...
  • do_me_nicelydo_me_nicely Banned
    edited August 2011 Posts: 106
    He isnt Blonde down-stairs !! (watch by his other movies )
    is Timathy a hobo ? Hard telling :-D
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited August 2011 Posts: 15,723
    is Timathy a hobo ? Hard telling :-D
    That's just rude.

  • barryt007barryt007
    Posts: 19,339
    He isnt Blonde down-stairs !! (watch by his other movies )
    is Timathy a hobo ? Hard telling :-D
    Do we really have to talk about Craig's fluff !!
    I hope you are female 'do me nicely'...

  • do_me_nicelydo_me_nicely Banned
    edited August 2011 Posts: 106
    Is a joke men \m/ \:D/
    LTK is worse then Craig , and for hair I dont care .
    there be many other Problems , too (slow slow slow) .
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    So LTK was bad because Dalton has bad hair and the film was slow?
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    LTK is a decent thriller but I think there is something uneven about it.

    There's much darker action then...all of a sudden...Q turns up :-S

    I dunno.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,257
    He isnt Blonde down-stairs !! (watch by his other movies )
    is Timathy a hobo ? Hard telling :-D
    This constant spamming of yours is getting on everybody's nerves. Stop it.

  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited August 2011 Posts: 15,723
    He isnt Blonde down-stairs !! (watch by his other movies )
    is Timathy a hobo ? Hard telling :-D
    This constant spamming of yours is getting on everybody's nerves. Stop it.

    Some of his posts baffle me... Has M_Balje found his match ??

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    Yeah, it's quite confusing at times, especially asking us users which Bond we would prefer to have sex with. I mean, really?
  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,348
    Is a joke men \m/ \:D/
    LTK is worse then Craig , and for hair I dont care .
    there be many other Problems , too (slow slow slow) .
    Please just don't comment on his comments, otherwise this thread dies soon.
  • 007JamesBond007JamesBond
    edited August 2011 Posts: 321
    Well, his/her username really shouldn't fill you with hope. I mean come on, do_me_nicely? A sex question had to come into it somewhere.

    As for LTK, I actually really enjoy it, from Della's death, Felix being sharkbait etc etc, I think it's a really good and maybe typical 80's thriller. But I think maybe it would be better received if it had been a standalone thriller as opposed to a Bond movie? (Hope that makes sense).
  • forgotmyusernameforgotmyusername
    Posts: 2,782
    Pah - both of TD'S outings should be seen as Bond classics. Tough, real and the right balance of tongue in cheek escapism to keep this Bond fan happy happy joy joy.

    Love 'em.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited August 2011 Posts: 11,189
    I agree with @007JamesBond. Kill probably works best as a standalone action film. The best Bond films always had something very British about them. Most of this isn't there in Kill.
    Pah - both of TD'S outings should be seen as Bond classics. Tough, real and the right balance of tongue in cheek escapism to keep this Bond fan happy happy joy joy.

    Love 'em.
    That's the issue though, kill doesn't really have any "Tongue in cheek escapism".
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited August 2011 Posts: 15,723
    I agree with @007JamesBond. Kill probably works best as a standalone action film. The best Bond films always had something very British about them. Most of this isn't there in Kill.
    Pah - both of TD'S outings should be seen as Bond classics. Tough, real and the right balance of tongue in cheek escapism to keep this Bond fan happy happy joy joy.

    Love 'em.
    That's the issue though, kill doesn't really have any "Tongue in cheek escapism".
    Truck wheelie not cool enough for you ? Nor water-skating behind a plane ??
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    They are good scenes but feel a bit "shoe-horned" in.

  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    I love License to Kill, it is just simply awesome! I don't really mind the dark, hard-edged qualities, because they worked out well for the movie. A lot of people think that it's very un-Bond, but I disagree. The movie didn't follow the Bond formula because of the plot. Bond is out for vengeance on Franz Sanchez for what he did to Felix and Della. Thus, the plot couldn't really follow the usual pattern of things, especially since it wasn't an authorized MI6 mission. The revenge plot to me was brilliant, because it shows that for one, Bond didn't forget about what happened to Tracy, which was mirrored in Della's death. Secondly, he hasn't forgotten his friendship with Felix, which obviously means a great deal to him.
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