Licence to Kill

Timothy Dalton received an undeservedly bad rap after taking over the role of James Bond as the series attempted to return to the tough, lean action style of the initial Bond films. In his second and final appearance as 007, Dalton's Bond goes rogue after his old friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison, who also appeared as Leiter in Live and Let Die) is murdered and Bond vows revenge on the drug lord (Robert Davi) who killed him. Released in 1989, Licence to Kill eschews the gadgetry and glamour of the increasingly extravagant and self-parodying Roger Moore years in favor of a harder, grittier kind of film, with Dalton the toughest Bond to come down the pike since Sean Connery's original portrayal (remaining so until Daniel Craig took over the part). Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto play the Bond women, Wayne Newton is a villain (!), and watch for Benicio Del Toro in an early role as a ruthless assassin. Licence to Kill is a contentious entry among Bond devotees: many are unhappy with the film's darker elements, but a number of fans count it among the best of the whole series. Bowing on Blu-ray with a new high-def transfer that improves on the earlier DVD version but is less impressive than other Blu-ray Bonds, this disc imports all of the supplements from the previous DVD release, including two audio commentaries, featurettes, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)