LICENSE TO KILL (1989) // James Bond Review and Whisky Pairing
"License To Kill" Plot
Bond (Timothy Dalton) goes rogue and seeks revenge for his friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison).
Whiskey Lore Review
This is a very unusual Bond. Instead of saving the world, he's bent on revenge. I guess he missed Roger Moore's advice in For Your Eyes Only - when plotting revenge, first dig two graves.
This film is interesting in that it borrows the shark scene from the book Live and Let Die, and then No Time To Die uses the Felix being double crossed narrative in its story-line. The problem with this film is that it isn't a James Bond film. In fact, when I first saw it, I said it was a Miami Vice episode made into a movie. To really mess things up, they put a Shakespearean actor in a role that was better suited for Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson. Timothy Dalton looks like a fish out of water for the whole first half of this film. It is an 80s action film cliche - it even has a corrupt preacher in it. Why, I don't know.
For a long time I defended Timothy Dalton, mostly because I think he actually was good in The Living Daylights and I applaud him for getting back to the grittiness of the books. But that was a better script and better suited to some of his skills as an actor.
Best of the movie: Funny how when a movie is not up to snuff, the music seems to save it. I'm a big fan of Gladys Knight, so I appreciate her song, even if it is dated. Die Hard and Lethal Weapon's Michael Kamen came in to take over scoring the movie. I think he is a huge reason why this feels like an 80s action movie more than a Bond movie. Also, I thank Timothy Dalton for bringing beautiful watches into the series, the Rolex Submariner Ref. 16610 - best since Lazenby's Rolex in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Memorable: The tanker trucks titling on two wheels was pretty silly, but there is at least a payoff at the end of this movie. It's the last moment when Sanchez is covered in gasoline and Bond reveals why he was so bent on destroying Sanchez, by showing him the lighter Felix Leiter gave him as a gift. Also got to see Hemingway's 6 toed cats at the Key West Hemingway House.
Where it goes wrong: Thanks to Timothy Dalton for bringing an edge back to Bond and taking the franchise away from excessive humor. But a little humor is necessary to break up the tension and give it more impact. This movie is absolutely humorless.
Paired Whisky: Teeling Blackpitts Peated Irish Single Malt Whiskey
Why did I pair Teeling Blackpitts with this? Not because the movie is the pits ? Instead, I needed something with some tropical tendencies with a dose of smoke for the action scenes.
Whiskey Lore Rank: #22 (Score 5.06) > Next Movie
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