--- title: "Licence to Kill: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/licence-to-kill/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/licence-to-kill" critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Licence to Kill (1989): what the critics said Critics' score 66 from 13 reviews: 9 positive, 2 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics come down in favour, and the praise gathers in two places. The first is Timothy Dalton, whose lean, brooding, physical Bond is widely seen as a deliberate break from the Moore years and a good fit for a plot built on personal revenge against a drug baron. The second is the stunt work, with the closing tanker-truck chase named again and again as the film’s high point. Several later reviews add that its grittier tone and heavier violence look ahead of their time, anticipating the direction the series took with Casino Royale. The spread is wide. The mixed notices find the film still a little too conventional under its updates, and less witty than The Living Daylights. The Hollywood Reporter calls it a noble misfire, too grim for the audience it was made for. The sharpest dissent comes from Empire, which finds the whole thing dull and Dalton wooden. Critics revisiting it decades on are, on the whole, kinder than those who saw it first. ## Los Angeles Times — Michael Wilmington Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1989. The critic calls it one of the five or six best Bond films, noting a darker, more somber tone and Dalton's desperate one-man vendetta against a cocaine czar. The elaborate, gag-filled stunt sequences, especially the truck chase, are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-07-14-ca-3849-story.html) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1989. The critic finds the film one of the best recent Bonds, with Dalton delivering a lean, tough contemporary Bond who favors action. The standout element praised is the exhilarating closing stunt sequence involving gasoline trucks, a helicopter, and a light aircraft. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/licence-to-kill-1989) ## The Telegraph Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 10 June 2019. Licence to Kill pushed Bond into darker territory with Dalton's intense performance, a revenge plot against a ruthless drug lord, and groundbreaking violence and stunts like the truck chase. It was subversive and ahead of its time but underperformed at the box office. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/bond-broke-bad-drug-crazed-cold-blooded-licence-kill-pushed/) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1988. The review praises the high-octane action, spectacle, and drama, crediting Dalton's vigorous, physical performance for revitalizing the series. The superbly orchestrated thrills-and-spills chases through South Florida and Central American locations are highlighted. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1988/film/reviews/licence-to-kill-1200427927/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 February 2001. Timothy Dalton's two Bond films directed by John Glen are underrated and now on DVD with extras. Licence to Kill features a ferocious foe in a Latin-American drug baron and is the first Bond to get a 15 certificate for violence. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2001/feb/25/dvdreviews.reviews) ## Time Out — CM Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The review notes it is not as witty as The Living Daylights but delivers on effects, gadgetry, locations, and a feisty Bond girl. It praises the pacy plot and hi-tech elements despite straightforward plotting. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/licence-to-kill) ## Radio Times — Jeremy Aspinall Rating 3/5. The critic finds Dalton's second Bond outing a tougher, grittier affair well suited to his brooding style, more aligned with visceral 80s action films than Moore-era silliness. It is a watchable adventure with impressive action sequences and a fiery climax, though Dalton deserved another chance. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-qwslvl/licence-to-kill/) ## The New York Times — Caryn James Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 14 July 1989. The review notes Dalton remains the element of surprise in the series and praises the mix of villains, women, and effects, but concludes the film is still a bit too conventional despite clever updates and stylish action. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1989/07/14/movies/review-film-dalton-as-a-brooding-bond-in-license-to-kill.html) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Phil Pirrello Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 13 July 2019. The critic calls the film a noble misfire that was too gritty and serious for 1989 audiences, who preferred escapist fare, and notes it led to a six-year Bond hiatus amid studio issues. They single out its grounded revenge plot and Dalton's brooding, violent 007 as ahead of its time and influential on later entries like Casino Royale. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/how-licence-kill-almost-killed-james-bond-franchise-1224180/) ## Empire — Tom Hibbert Fi1m's normalised score 10/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 1989. The critic finds the film dull and outdated, criticizing the watered-down villains and especially Timothy Dalton's wooden performance as Bond, calling him an utter bore. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/licence-kill-review/) ## Den of Geek — Ryan Britt Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 13 June 2024. The critic views Licence to Kill as a solid, ahead-of-its-time Bond entry whose gritty revenge plot and realism prefigured later films in the series and the spy genre. They single out its close adherence to Ian Fleming’s source material and character spirit, including deep cuts to the books and film lore, for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/license-to-kill-grittiest-james-bond-movie-that-changed-series-forever/) ## Collider — Reid Goldberg Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 2 November 2022. The critic praises Licence to Kill for bringing gritty realism and increased violence to the Bond series, highlighting Timothy Dalton's intense portrayal and the film's departure from formula as a revenge story that foreshadowed later entries like Casino Royale. [Read the review](https://collider.com/licence-to-kill-timothy-dalton-james-bond/) ## Film Stories — Mark Harrison Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 28 July 2022. The critic calls Licence to Kill a terrific film and the best of director John Glen’s five Bond outings for its spectacle, suspense and satisfaction. It stands out as one of the flat-out best action movies in the series because it takes place beyond the usual rules of Bond films. [Read the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/licence-to-kill-and-james-bonds-special-relationship-with-america/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/licence-to-kill.md