License to Kill (1989)

Director: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi, Carey Lowell

Synopsis:
James Bond goes rogue to seek revenge on a drug lord, enlisting the help of a CIA asset and the drug lord's own lover.

Impressions:
This is the second and last foray of Timothy Dalton as 007 and it's a pretty good film. If you like a more serious take on Bond, much like the more recent Daniel Craig films, this is a good movie for that. If you like the goofier Roger Moore Bond films, though, you won't find much humor to be had.

More than most Bond films, this one has a particular "ripped from the headlines" feel dealing with the War on Drugs and all. Dalton is a fairly understated Bond, but it's probably the most realistic take on the character. Robert Davi makes a good villain as the drug lord Sanchez. You've also got Benicio del Toro in one of his earlier roles as the henchman Dario. The Bond girls, Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto, aren't particularly great actresses, but acting ability isn't usually the priority for these roles. The general idea of Lowell's character is a good one but isn't quite as well executed as I'd like. There's a great cameo by Wayne Newton as the televangelist headlining a front group for Sanchez and Anthony Starke was pretty good as Sanchez's yuppie business manager.

The action is so-so and the plot has some nice twists to it. Gadgets are mostly understated, which is fine given the tone of the film. All in all, I enjoyed it well enough and recommend giving it a watch.

Rating:
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