Say what you want about the rarely mentioned Bond film Licence to Kill, but it was destined to be labeled a failure in the eyes of film audiences, and critics (except Roger Ebert) before its release in the summer of 1989. This was due to a poorly conceived marketing campaign, along with the fact it was released during one of the most competitive summers on record for tentpole films. In turn, it bombed at the US box office, only taking in roughly $30 million in ticket sales, and from there, years of financial litigation plagued United Artists and EON Productions, preventing another Bond film from getting off the ground until 1994. In the end, Licence to Kill was never given its due credit or respect. That, my friends, is about to change - with this article, at least. One must first give praise to the producers at the time for being willing to blow up the formula established in the Roger Moore era of Bond films. That's right: Licence to Kill had a completely different tone and feel to that of its predecessors when it was released in the late 80s. It was dark, brooding, extremely fast-paced and dared to take chances previous Bond adventures never took, even garnering a PG-13 rating in the US due to the higher level of violence throughout the picture. And even with the darker tone, this film still managed to be very funny at just the right moments... due in part to Q getting the most screen time he's ever had in a 007 film. Make no mistake about it, this was a groundbreaking 007 film, and not the disappointment many fans and critics have branded it over the last 23 years. That being said, it's high time to dive into 5 reasons why Licence to Kill was a great Bond film...
