Licence to Kill (1989)

Bond #16 is Timothy Dalton's second and final appearance in the title role, and you know I wish he'd done more of these, he brings a seriousness and internal life to the character that is fascinating to watch. This film may be the least Bond like of the Bond movies, at least in the first two thirds where it's a little bit revenge thriller, a little bit Miami Vice, though toward the end when the bad guy's secret base is falling apart it classic Bond with 80's flavoring. It' probably closet thematically to the arc that spans On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds Are Forever involving the death of Bond's wife and his quest for revenge against Blofield. Here Bond is also taking things personally, after a drug lord (played by Robert Davi, who is also the villain in Goonies of all things) kills Felix Leiter's (David Hedison) new wife (Priscilla Barnes) and has a shark bit one of his friends legs off. As a result Bond goes rouge, loses his 'license to kill', but still benefits from the rare filed assistance of Q (Desmond Llewelyn) who gets the most screen time in any of his 17 Bond pictures. Exotic locations include the Florida keys and the fictitious Caribbean nation of Isthmus (shads of Panama, but filmed in Mexico). Future Mrs. Richard Gere Carey Lowell is the principle Bond girl, Everett McGill and Bencio del Toro have supporting roles. Wayne Newton is in this as a sort-of televangelist, while Gladys Knight sings the theme song, though the end credits number "If You Ask Me Too" performed by Pattie Label is better known. ***1/2