Movies

Licence To Kill Was The Future Of The Bond Franchise However It Was Launched Too Quickly

July 20, 2025

Licence to Kill was a darkish and gritty James Bond journey that pointed the way in which for the way forward for the franchise, however it was launched approach too quickly. By the point Timothy Dalton stepped into the position as 007 in The Residing Daylights, Bond had been round on the large display for 25 years.

Moreover, three separate actors had stuffed the position earlier than Dalton, and it was clear that issues have been beginning to develop stale within the James Bond camp. Dalton’s first film, the aforementioned Residing Daylights, was a median and serviceable Bond outing that did a good job of introducing Dalton as the brand new 007.

Although the film carried out fairly properly, the franchise was in a rut. Due to this fact, 1989’s Licence to Kill would attempt to set itself aside from the 15 motion pictures that got here earlier than. It did so by eschewing the enjoyable and tacky tone of its predecessors, and as an alternative opted for a darkish and violent method to the beloved superspy.

Change within the Bond franchise is nearly all the time divisive, and an enormous tone shift was sure to rub some the incorrect approach. Licence to Kill was Timothy Dalton’s final movie as 007, and it has largely light into the background in a wash of different lesser Bond movies. Nonetheless, it deserves credit score for blazing the path for the franchise’s future.

Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosna's versions of James Bond

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Pierce Brosnan Vs. Timothy Dalton: Which Former James Bond Actor Ought to Do An “Older 007” Film?

Though Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan may each play James Bond once more in an older 007 film, solely one of many stars is completely suited to this.

Licence To Kill Was Bond’s First Darkish & Gritty Film

James Bond Like He Was By no means Seen Earlier than

After 15 motion pictures, James Bond had saved the world numerous instances, and he often vanquished the villain with a intelligent wink and nod to the viewers. Nonetheless, Licence to Kill served up a brand-new facet of 007, one which was thirsty for revenge after the vicious assault of Felix Leiter and the homicide of Leiter’s new bride.

Getting straight to the purpose, the film opens with a surprising violent scene, and issues solely get bloodier because the movie goes on. Bond resigns from his fee with a purpose to pursue his path of revenge, and it is one of many solely instances within the franchise so far that 007 acts emotionally.

Dalton’s efficiency actually helps to promote the pure hatred inside Bond, and he goes on a bloody rampage as he tears by Sanchez’ drug empire. The small scale of the journey is in stark distinction to the worldwide penalties of earlier Bond adventures, however it nonetheless feels simply as intense and necessary.

The small scale of the journey is in stark distinction to the worldwide penalties of earlier Bond adventures, however it nonetheless feels simply as intense and necessary.

Although there are parts of Licence to Kill which have a few of that basic Bond cheese, the story is grounded. There’s loads of violence within the James Bond motion pictures, however not a lot gore. Licence to Kill modifications all that with a variety of blood, and extra influence in every gunshot, punch, or encounter with a chunk of heavy equipment.

The Pierce Brosnan Period Returned To The Lighter Facet

The New 007 Ignored Licence To Kill’s Tone Change

Pierce Brosnan looks up intensely in a scene from Goldeneye — Picture by way of MGM

After Licence to Kill, Timothy Dalton left the position and was finally changed by Pierce Brosnan. GoldenEye was launched in 1995, after the longest hiatus within the franchise’s historical past as much as that time. The Brosnan period kicked off with a bang, and the superspy’s return was a triumphant homage to the fast-paced thrills and light-hearted tone of earlier motion pictures.

Fully reversing the dour and gritty expertise of its predecessor, GoldenEye returned Bond to his suave and humorous self, and Brosnan was good for spouting intelligent one-liners. It additionally proved to be a welcome change with followers, and GoldenEye grossed over $350 million (by way of Field Workplace Mojo), a marked enchancment over the 2 Dalton movies.

Daniel Craig as James Bond in No Time to Die

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Regardless of the success of GoldenEye, the Pierce Brosnan period would go right into a tailspin after the primary movie, with the remaining three sequels getting poor evaluations. The reliance on basic Bond tropes stored the Brosnan period from doing something distinctive, and every film obtained cheesier and cheesier as different motion movies started to shift towards a extra grounded tone.

Lastly, Die One other Day was the final nail within the coffin of the Pierce Brosnan period, and it accomplished a three-movie streak by which the Bond movies could not earn a Rotten Tomatoes rating above 60%. Budgets have been inflated, and casts have been expanded, however Bond had develop into a bloated dinosaur that wasn’t maintaining with the instances.

Pierce Brosnan Bond Movie	Launch 12 months	Rotten Tomatoes Rating	Field Workplace
GoldenEye	1995	80%	$352 million
Tomorrow By no means Dies	1997	57%	$333 million
The World is Not Sufficient	1999	51%	$360 million
Die One other Day	2002	56%	$430 million

On line casino Royale Proved That Licence To Kill Was The Future Of Bond

Licence To Kill Was Vindicated Nearly 20 Years Later

Daniel Craig plays James Bond in Casino Royale's torture scene.

Following Die One other Day, the Bond franchise was given a tough reset with a brand new actor within the lead position. Daniel Craig stepped in as 007 in On line casino Royale, and it was the starkest change the franchise had ever seen. Sticking nearer to Ian Fleming’s unique novel, Craig’s Bond was indignant, cynical, and nowhere close to as humorous as his predecessors.

Skyfall is the highest-grossing Bond movie of all time, incomes $1.1 billion worldwide (by way of Field Workplace Mojo).

The film’s violence was introduced as much as trendy requirements, and Bond was a fully-realized character with complicated feelings. This allowed for the deepest storytelling of any Bond period, and Craig’s Bond went on an emotional journey throughout his five-film arc. Although the brand new period was wholly unique, it owes a debt of gratitude to Licence to Kill.

The second Timothy Dalton Bond movie may have simply develop into considered one of Craig’s adventures, they usually share the same tone. Had Licence to Kill been launched later, it is likely to be thought to be top-of-the-line within the franchise. On the very least, the 1989 thriller proved that James Bond was able to altering to go well with a brand new period.