Licence to Kill is not your typical Bond movie. There’s no globe-trotting to stop nuclear devices, no evil billionaires in volcano lairs, and no quips after every kill. Instead, this is a revenge-driven, blood-soaked story of betrayal, loss, and vengeance. And for the most part? It absolutely works.
This one’s a 4 out of 5 for me. I really liked it. It’s a brutal, stripped-down Bond film with a purpose. The tone is darker, the violence more visceral, and Dalton is at his best—cold, determined, and convincingly dangerous. It’s more Jason Bourne than Goldfinger, and for a series that needed a shot of adrenaline, this hits hard.
Vengeance Is the Mission
Bond’s longtime friend Felix Leiter is brutally maimed by a drug lord on his wedding day, and his bride is murdered. MI6 wants Bond back on standard duties, but 007 is having none of it. He resigns, steals equipment from Q Branch, and sets off to bring down the man responsible: Franz Sanchez, a ruthless cocaine kingpin who operates with the kind of quiet cruelty that makes you lean in and wince.
This isn’t about queen and country—this is personal. The usual spy-vs-supervillain structure is swapped for a focused, emotionally charged story about revenge. And honestly? The stakes feel more real than most Bond films because of it.
Timothy Dalton: The Bond with a Grudge
Dalton’s Bond is laser-focused, emotionally raw, and constantly simmering with rage. He’s not cracking jokes. He’s not flirting with every woman in the room. He’s out for blood, and he’s not pretending otherwise.
This is easily Dalton’s strongest performance. He gives Bond the edge and moral ambiguity that the role was always meant to have, even if it took until the late ’80s for the franchise to really explore it. You believe this Bond would kill you in cold blood if you crossed him—and maybe hate himself for it later.
Charismatic and Cruel
Robert Davi’s Franz Sanchez is one of the most underrated Bond villains. He’s not a megalomaniac with a moon base—he’s a drug lord, plain and simple. But he’s smart, patient, and terrifyingly composed. He doesn’t rant, he doesn’t monologue—he just does what needs to be done, and if that means feeding you to a shark, so be it.
What makes Sanchez work is his twisted sense of loyalty. He values trust above all else, which makes Bond’s manipulation of that trust even more satisfying. Their dynamic is built on deception and betrayal, and when it finally explodes, it’s glorious.
Competent and Cool
Carey Lowell’s Pam Bouvier is a former pilot and CIA informant who can hold her own in a fight and doesn’t put up with Bond’s nonsense. She’s not just along for the ride—she’s helping drive the story. And while the romance feels a little rushed, her presence is refreshingly grounded.
Talisa Soto as Lupe Lamora has less to do, but she brings a softness and vulnerability to a character trapped in Sanchez’s brutal world. Her arc isn’t revolutionary, but it works.
Q: The Unexpected MVP
Desmond Llewelyn’s Q usually pops in to hand over gadgets and then vanish—but here, he gets a full supporting role, and it’s delightful. He shows up uninvited to help Bond in the field, and the combination of Dalton’s dead-serious 007 and Q’s dry wit is a highlight of the film.
His gadgets are more practical this time around—cameras, explosives, and sniper rifles instead of jetpacks or laser watches. And that fits the tone perfectly.
Gritty, Explosive, and Unrelenting
The action in Licence to Kill doesn’t mess around. From the underwater heist of Sanchez’s drugs to the tanker truck finale that ends with a fiery explosion and Bond literally crawling through gasoline—this movie goes hard. The stunts are incredible, the violence is raw, and the pacing is relentless.
There are also some great set pieces, like the bar shootout in Bimini and the underwater assault on the cocaine lab. The tone is consistent throughout—this is Bond stripped to the bone.
The Franchise Grows Up
Licence to Kill is by far the darkest Bond film up to this point. It’s violent, brooding, and emotionally weighty. For some fans, especially those used to Moore’s more playful outings, this was a hard left turn. But it’s also a necessary evolution. Bond should be able to tell stories like this—personal, painful ones that aren’t just about gadgets and glamour.
It’s not flawless—the pacing drags in the second act, and the violence might be too much for some—but the commitment to tone makes it one of the most distinct entries in the franchise.
Bond Goes Rogue, and the Franchise Finds Its Edge
Licence to Kill might not be the most fun Bond movie, but it’s one of the most intense. Dalton gets to fully inhabit a version of Bond that feels closer to the books than ever before, and the story is tighter and more emotionally resonant because of it. It’s bold, brutal, and undeniably effective.
If this was Dalton’s final bow, he went out swinging.