Fast, efficient and unusually gruesome Bond. The tone is sombre, the action is ingenious and in Dalton the series finds the only actor to take 007 seriously.
Comment
10/13/08
Licence to Kill (1989)
71
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:24
Rotten:10
Average Rating:5.9/10
Runtime: 2 hrs 14 mins
Genre: Action/Adventure
Synopsis: James Bond (Timothy Dalton) returns with a vengeance in LICENCE TO KILL. Having just witnessed his best friend's wedding, Bond is shocked when he learns that ruthless drug runner Franz Sanchez... [More]
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Anthony Zerbe
Director: John Glen
Reviews for Licence to Kill
Top CriticIt's all very pacy, with the overly straightforward plotting dimmed but not obscured by the hi-tech effects.
02/09/06
Top CriticGlen is clearly out of ideas, only managing to present a level of violence so out of character for the series, it surely contributed to the modest (by Bond standards) box office returns.
09/11/01
Top CriticIt's a strained, sexless, and overcooked film...Dalton's game, but the film is inert, perhaps unprepared to work with the new Irish Kiss direction of the series.
08/26/09
A well-produced slick high-octane action thriller that remains escapist and as entertaining as possible throughout.
02/16/09
...it often feels more like a typical '80s actioner than a bona fide James Bond adventure...
10/25/08
The Bond women are pallid mannequins, and so is the misused Dalton -- a moving target in a Savile Row suit. For every plausible reason, he looks as bored in his second Bond film as Sean Connery did in his sixth.
10/13/08
Top CriticHardcore Bond fans may be dismayed by some of the changes, but no one can deny that the action scenes staged by director John Glen are some of the most spectacular of the entire series and well worth the price of admission.
10/13/08
Top CriticThe thrills-and-spills chases are superbly orchestrated as pic spins at breakneck speed through its South Florida and Central American locations.
10/13/08
Top CriticDespite some shaky narrative continuity and muddled motivations, this manages to move pretty briskly, and the action sequences are generally well handled, especially at the climax.
10/13/08
Even weak James Bond is better than the norm action flicks, and this one qualifies.
03/20/08
Very hardcore for Bond
02/10/08
No review available.
09/06/07
A cameo by Wayne Newton pushes the film into full-on kitsch, and many feared the series was dead after Licence's poor showing.
02/15/07
No review available.
12/26/06
No review available.
11/04/05
Both the toughest Bond movie ever and the most entertaining Bond movie ever. A rare entry in the series where the danger seems real.
10/14/05
No review available.
07/03/05
Dalton is just a little TOO serious as Bond.
01/08/05
No review available.
07/01/04
Latest News for Licence to Kill
November 07, 2008:
Bonding with Bond, Day 18: Licence to Kill
Community Manager RT-Ryan has never seen a single James Bond film, except for 2006's Casino Royale. To rectify the situation, he decides to watch every Bond film and write... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube 
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds