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Watching Licence to Kill as a kid...

ELL1P515ELL1P515
in Bond Movies Posts: 4
I haven't seen LTK in ages, but I sure as hell can remember watching it as a kid...

We all have those movies that 'traumatise' you as a kid. Usually it's an action film with really intense violence. In my case, one of those 'traumatising' movies was LTK.

I remember watching LTK with my dad. It was my first full viewing of the film, and I must've been only 9 or 10 years old. Of course, at that age , I didn't understand the plot of the film, but I still watched it.

During the Milton Krest death scene, I asked my dad, 'What's happening?'. My father, sitting calmy in his chair, simply said, 'He's going to blow his brains out.'

And don't even get me started on the shark attacks and that grinder...

If I watched LTK today, I wouldn't be as bothered by the violence, although my childhood memories of it enhance the gruesomeness of the film.

Was anyone else 'traumatised' by LTK when they were a child?

Comments

  • Ed83Ed83
    Posts: 1,181
    Welcome aboard. I'm not for sure if there is a thread that might be suited for this discussion already, but I'll add a post.

    I hate to admit it, but I remember my brother and I laughing about the pressure chamber scene. It just seemed goofy looking to us I guess. I'm a huge fan of LTK and Dalton, but its not perfect. I guess the fact that Milton Krest seems like a slimey drunk didn't help his case much either.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I wouldn't say I was traumatised but I did have a similar experience to seeing LTK at a young age. It was the reason why I didn't like Dalton for a long time until I rewatched it back in 2012. It's now my #2 favorite Bond film.
  • Klaus_GSectionKlaus_GSection
    Posts: 104
    Never been traumatised by a James Bond film. The violence in Licence To Kill is possibly the strongest we've seen in the series. But not as bad as some films.
    Like Birdleson, I wasn't a child when I first saw the movie though.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited May 2015 Posts: 11,189
    I first saw LTK on television when I was on holiday. I was about 9 or 10 and remember quite enjoying it. Yes it was violent but I don't remember being "traumatised" by anything, although the main bit that I do I remember somewhat surprising me was the nature of Sanchez's death.
  • ELL1P515ELL1P515
    Posts: 4
    Murdock wrote: »
    I wouldn't say I was traumatised

    Well, I wasn't actually traumatised, although at that age, the violence was really intense for me, and it stayed with me for a while. I remember, on my second viewing of the film , when I was only around the same age (9 or 10), I left the room during the shark attack scenes, and I turned the TV off during the Milton Krest death scene.

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited May 2015 Posts: 11,189
    LTK is pretty violent but I wouldn't put it on the same level as the original Robocop (a film quite a few kids seem to know about). I remember once seeing the opening on TV where the presenter emphasised it was an ADULT film that contained violence/swearing etc.

    In relation to Bond I'd actually argue that the torture scene in CR is more uncomfortable (and potentially traumatising for children) than much of the stuff in LTK.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I did wince at the shark attack on leiter, but most of the other violence I quite enjoyed
    As it was Bond getting revenge. I loved Bond throwing the money at Killifer saying
    " you earned it, you keep it. Old Buddy !". :D
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    Welcome to the forums @ELL1P515
    As with several members, I wasn't a child the first time I viewed LTK, so it never really bothered me. However as there are different edits for this film because of the violence it contains, I wonder what country you saw it in?
    For example the British version for many years was much tamer than the Australian version. This could play some part in the overall effect that it had on you.
  • ELL1P515ELL1P515
    Posts: 4
    Benny wrote: »
    Welcome to the forums @ELL1P515
    As with several members, I wasn't a child the first time I viewed LTK, so it never really bothered me. However as there are different edits for this film because of the violence it contains, I wonder what country you saw it in?
    For example the British version for many years was much tamer than the Australian version. This could play some part in the overall effect that it had on you.
    I watched this film for the first time on on Australian television.
  • ThomasCrown76ThomasCrown76 Augusta, ks
    Posts: 757
    Saw license to kill in 89 when I was 12. No big deal. Krest looked like a cabbage patch doll just before he had a blow out
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    LTK as a KID?
    Ha ha, no, DAF as a kid, LTK as an adult.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited May 2015 Posts: 15,718
    The first time I saw LTK was on TV when I was about 11 years old and still discovering the Bond world. I wasn't shocked, or traumatised, but I remember being mesmerised by Dalton's acting (this was my first Bond film without Brosnan in it. It was weird at first, but Dalton won me over very rapidly, and by the end of the film I was craving for more Daltonator badassery). 13 years later, whenever I see a picture, footage of Timothy Dalton, or I hear/read his name, I get a big grin on my face. Dalton is an uber legend and I would give anything for him to make more movies.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    I used to hate the idea of the guard being eaten by the maggots. Until a mate
    Pointed out maggots only east dead flesh. ;) so unless he had a heart attack
    He should have been fine, but traumatised I'd guess. :D
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    I was never really upset by LTK, merely a little bit angry that

    *beware of child logic*
    - Barry hadn't done the score
    - Bond went rogue
    - we hardly got a MP scene of some particular value
    - Leiter was handled so brutally
    - ...

    Bottom line, being a bit too young in my case had little to do with explosive heads and such but more with the fact that LTK tried a few too many 'new' things.

    Nowadays, however, I consider it one of my favorites.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    It for me wasn't so much as LTK, but the pre-title sequence of Octopussy. That, and when Drax plays foxhunt with Connie Dufour.
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    I remember LTK as being the first movie I had ever seen people leave the theater, including one of then my best mates. They did not like Dalton and the movie.
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