5 Reasons Why Licence To Kill Was Actually A Great Bond Film

2. A Believable Villain

And then there was Franz Sanchez, brought to life so effectively by the great Robert Davi. Finally, the Bond films had more than just a one dimensional villain, not simply hell bent on world domination. Too often you only hear the names Blofeld, Goldfinger, Dr. No, and Stromberg as quintessential Bond villains. But in reality, Davi's role as Sanchez should without question be included in this conversation of top Bond villains from here on out. He was nothing short of brilliant in this picture. In the case of Sanchez, you had a character who was multi-layered, charismatic, commanding and only wanted to conquer the drug dealing landscape of the world. This went along with the more believable aspect of Licence to Kill. Here was a villain audiences could connect to their own reality of the times. After all, the late 80s represented a period where drug cartel violence made the news on a daily basis. In turn, Sanchez's character was a very contemporary choice for 1989. So what else made him memorable? He didn't just kill for show. If someone truly undermined their loyalty to him, then and only then would he get rid of them. Additionally, Davi brought this character to life with the delivery of many choice one liners one would expect from the lead heavy in a Bond film. In many ways Sanchez was a Bond villain you could root for, if even just a little. He practiced what he preached, and once his empire comes crumbling down from the inside job 007 puts on him and his associates, you almost feel bad for the guy. Almost.