20 Things You Didn't Know About Licence To Kill (1989)

2. The Hidden James Bond Theme

Famed action film composer, Michael Kamen took over from regular Bond musician, John Barry to score Licence to Kill owing to Barry's unavailability. The film contains one of the most inventive renditions of Monty Norman’s The James Bond Theme and relies upon the strangest of instruments.

At the start of the climactic tanker chase, Pam Bouvier drops James Bond onto the rear tanker of Sanchez's convoy from her Piper PA-18 Super Cub crop-duster. Sanchez witnesses this from his car and opens fire on the disavowed secret agent with a submachine gun. Timothy Dalton’s Bond then athletically scrambles underneath the tanker that he is on to avoid the drug lord’s gunfire.

If viewers listen carefully, the sound of the bullets ricocheting off of the tanker play the opening bars of The James Bond Theme.

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I started writing for WhatCulture in July 2020. I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I have contributed to several short story competitions and I have occasionally been fortunate enough to have my work published. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I also started reviewing films on my Facebook page. Numerous friends and contacts suggested that I should start my own website for reviewing films, but I wanted something a bit more diverse - and so here I am! My interests focus on film and television mainly, but I also occasionally produce articles that venture into other areas as well. In particular, I am a fan of the under appreciated sequel (of which there are many), but I also like the classics and the mainstream too.