Adventure,Action,Thriller
United Kingdom,United States of America
Licence to Kill is the sixteenth installment in the James Bond film series and was released in 1989. Timothy Dalton reprises his role as 007 — James Bond, who goes rogue to avenge his friend Felix Leiter, played by David Hedison. Leiter's wife is also murdered, and their house is burned down. Bond is furious as Sanchez and his associates are responsible for these tragic events.
Bond resigns from MI6 and decides to track down Sanchez in his own way. He follows him to his home country and infiltrates his drug trade. Along the way, Bond teams up with a beautiful pilot, Pam Bouvier, played by Carey Lowell, and Sanchez's mistress, Lupe Lamora, played by Talisa Soto. Alvarez, one of Sanchez's henchmen (played by Benicio del Toro in one of his early roles), is suspicious of Bond's intentions and tries to stop him.
Bond's quest for revenge leads to several action-packed sequences, including a stunning chase scene involving planes and a narrow escape from a shark tank. Bond ultimately succeeds in destroying Sanchez's entire drug operation and apprehending him. In a final showdown, Bond confronts Sanchez in the middle of a parade, ultimately defeating him and obtaining justice for his friend.
Despite being a box office success, Licence to Kill received mixed reviews from critics. It has since gained a reputation as one of the franchise's darkest and grittiest entries, with Timothy Dalton's performance being highly praised. The film's memorable theme song, "Licence to Kill," was performed by Gladys Knight.
