Other elements that make this a very enjoyable, memorable Bond film to watch are the location work, great special effects, and great stunts. It was also nice to see David Hedison return to play Felix Leiter (he previously played Leiter in "Live and Let Die"). He certainly deserved it and rose to the challenge admirably. Also, it was nice to see Q, played by the late Desmond Llewelyn, get more to do than his usual brief cameo or two. Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Zerbe are well cast and well-acted as Sanchez's henchmen. The central villain, Sanchez, is very strong and well acted - and also a nice change away from villains who want to destroy the world. Carey Lowell makes a very capable Bond woman as it nice to see a tough woman pairing up with Bond. The contrast is important because of Roger Moore's 12-year tenure as Bond, which spread over seven films. Dalton did the right thing by changing the Bond to a darker persona. This change between actors is important, otherwise comparisons are made, and usually it is the incumbent who loses (in the minds of the general audience). As a side note, Dalton needed to make a change in the approach from Roger Moore, just as Moore needed to make a change from Connery. Dalton did a superb job and this is a key factor to the success of the film. Dalton is a great, capable actor, and he is perfect for the movie and its concept. The only real weak points of this movie would be the occasional weak acting from Talisa Soto (Sanchez's girlfriend), and a little bit more swearing than some of the other bond films, but many other elements more than make up for these two minor shortcomings. The other problem is that he is now a rogue agent, having his license to kill revoked by the British government. Bond will have to have to be careful in infiltrating Sanchez. One problem for Bond is that Sanchez is well guarded and has numerous contacts. James Bond (Timothy Dalton), determined to take Sanchez down, enlistes Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) to help him. Sanchez escapes and commits a brutal act of revenge before returning to Isthmus City. Following the arrest, Felix gets married. Essentially, the plot goes as follows: A renown drug dealer Sanchez (Robert Davi) is arrested in Miami with help of the DEA and Felix Leiter (Bond's CIA contact and good friend). The concept of Bond as a rogue was a refreshing change, and one of the best concepts in any of the Bond films. "I have seen where a few critics have down-graded this movie and that is a shame as "License to Kill" has a lot going for it. But if you haven't, you've got a treat ahead of you." Probably all Bond fans out there have already seen it. But when I want to watch a non-Connery Bond film, this is the one I pick most often. (And by the time they tried with Roger Moore - in the excellent _For Your Eyes Only_ - it was far too late.) But for some reason, the screenwriters don't want to make him gritty enough. I like Pierce Brosnan in the role, and I'd like him better if he got better movies to do _Goldeneye_ has probably been his best so far. (He died not long after this film was produced.) If I'm not mistaken (and I don't think I am), this is also the last script to which longtime Bond screenwriter Richard Maibaum contributed. And the plot - lifted at least partly from Fleming's _Live and Let Die_ (which is the source for the bad thing that happens to Felix Leiter early in the film) - gives Dalton's Bond an excuse to seethe with volcanic fury and go off seeking vengeance. Carey Lowell, though mostly effective, is a little underwhelming in the acting department. Robert Davi is one of the best villains since Goldfinger, and surely one of the most realistic in the entire series. The rest of the movie is extremely well done. He's as tough and lean as Connery ever was, and he brings something of Connery's lupine charm to the role. Timothy Dalton's steely Bond is arguably the closest to date to Fleming's original vision for the MI6 secret agent (not 'spy', please). Although it's not based on any of Ian Fleming's original stories, it captures their feel better than anything since _From Russia With Love_. "If you enjoyed the first few James Bond films with Sean Connery (before the franchise turned into a campy parody of itself), then you'll like this one.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |