Review of Licence To Kill: Special Edition (James Bond)

Introduction

It seems to be very well known that this film was originally to be called "Licence Revoked", but the title was changed because too many Americans didn`t understand the meaning of the word! It would have made the title song a bit more difficult to write too!

But it ended up as "Licence to Kill", and unfortunately marked the departure of Timothy Dalton as James Bond. Despite only being around for 2 films, Dalton had already become a favourite with many Bond fans, and was welcome relief for those who had suffered the end of the Roger Moore era. Dalton seemed to play Bond closer to Fleming`s vision of Bond, and this was most evident in Licence to Kill.

It`s a shame that he left, as it would have been interesting to see the direction that the Bond franchise would have taken with him in the hotseat. We`ll never know the answer to that one, but we do know that he went out on a high, with one of the best Bond films ever made. We even get to see the late, great Desmond Llewellyn given an expanded role as Q.

This film features a number of firsts and lasts, which I`ll highlight along the way. For example, this was the last screenplay to feature Richard Mailbaum on writing duties.

Video

A very good 2.35:1 anamorphic transfer is presented, although with some grain evident during certain scenes, and a little bit of softness now and again. Detail levels are high and colours all look good, although there are some flecks and scratches on the print.

Some great stunts (a fantastic chase scene at the end of the film), some great sets, some great action set-pieces and some good effects all combine to give a very visually pleasing Bond.

Audio

A DD5.1 soundtrack is presented, and is very good indeed. Plenty of action for your ears to soak up, with sounds flying in all directions (look out for aircraft). There`s plenty of gunfire and lots of explosions to bring you plenty of bass, whilst dialogue remains clear and audible throughout.

The main title song is performed by Gladys Knight, a change in direction from the previous 2 films, which used "trendy" bands of the time (Duran Duran and A-Ha). The song is more of a classic Bond, and reminds you of the great early Bond songs, such as "Goldfinger". There`s a change in scoring duties too, with Michael Kamen taking over here (for the first and last time).

Features

Another Bond disc brimming with quality extras.

There are two commentary tracks, one featuring director John Glen (directing Bond for the sixth and final time) and various actors (not Dalton notably), and the other featuring writer and producer Michael G. Wilson (who wrote for the final time, but is still producing Bond today) and various crew members. The tracks don`t always relate to the action on-screen, and are interrupted by a narrator, who can be a bit annoying. Definitely worth a listen though.

There`s also the usual Patrick MacNee narrated documentary, "Inside Licence to Kill". This is another excellent Bond documentary, and shares some of the weirder stories from on set and on location. There`s also a mini production featurette, which is just really promotional fluff.

And there`s yet another documentary, this time focusing on the truck sequence at the end of the film. This goes into some of the stunt work and some of the mechanical changes required to get the trucks to behave as they wanted them to on screen.

You`ll find two music videos here, one for the aforementioned opening title song, and one by Pattie La Belle, which is used over the credits. Nothing too exciting but good to see them collected together here.

To wrap up we have two trailers, production notes and a stills gallery (including stills of promotional material for "Licence Revoked" which never saw the light of day).

A very well rounded set of extras.

Conclusion

One of the finest Bond films ever made, presented in an excellent DVD package. Dalton plays a brilliant Bond, and it really is a shame that he didn`t go on to make more Bond. This film is really what Bond is all about. If you grew tired of Roger Moore in the 1980s then this film should restore your faith in Bond. This paragraph probably contains too many Bonds...

A very good DVD - great picture, great sound and loads of extras make this a must buy for Bond fans, and a must see for anyone else.