Licence to Kill – Blu-ray Disc Review

Tags: 007, Anthony Starke, Anthony Zerbe, Benicio Del Toro, Carey Lowell, David Hedison, Desmond Llewelyn, Frank McRae, James Bond, John Glen, MGM, Robert Brown, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, Timothy Dalton, Wayne Newton

has an average rating of 6.5 on IMDb
1080p in AVC MPEG-4 on a 50gb disc
DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio
are pretty decent & partially in Hi-Def
–
– 1989
– 106 minutes
– MGM
–
This uses 30.0GB for the movie out of 41.0GB total.
Street Date: May 12th, 2009

Overall Verdict – Bond Fans Will Be Pleased

Buy it for $22.99 @ Amazon.com

— Review by: Justin Sluss & James Segars —

It seems like a happy coincidence that the film released alongside The Man With The Golden Gun, is yet another director’s swan song. Much like Hamilton, John Glen had a longstanding relationship with the James Bond character, but Glen alone holds the record for directing the most Bond films, in addition to directing the most consecutive Bond films. He worked his way up the ranks, until he was bestowed the honor of directing his first Bond picture back in 1981, For Your Eyes Only. From there, he saw through the end of Roger Moore’s tour of duty as 007, and he did the same with Timothy Dalton in 1989’s, Licence to Kill.

So taking Glen’s intimate knowledge of the character, and experience with the production of a Bond picture into consideration, how does his exit film compare to the rest of the lot, and was it an appropriate end note?

The answers to those questions are quite complex. Personally I don’t find it to be as cut and dry as others make it out to be. The reason being that James Bond is — and will forever be — a character in a state of change. He will never be static. Both through marketing concerns, and the evolution of the political/espionage climate, his chances for stasis are slim to none. Therefore — given his contemporary limitations/structure, he will always be a product of his time period — for better or worse.

We’re seeing the same sort of backlash now with Quantum of Solace that fell upon License to Kill. There were people that felt that Dalton didn’t have that certain something that made the other Bonds tick, that he didn’t possess the charisma or the likability of his predecessors. Many simply thought he was too vengeful. Too cold.

Beyond the issues with Dalton, fans and audiences alike also felt that the Bond’s missions had taken a turn for the worse, that the stories were too grim and gritty. Many of which cried out for a change, a return to form. They would see their wishes come true, but it would be a long six years — due to legal disputes over the ownership of the franchise — before James Bond returned to the silver screen in Goldeneye. So, in a roundabout way, the critics of Dalton got their wish.

I belong to the school of thought that Timothy Dalton was dealt a poor hand. I also believe that Dalton made for an exceptional James Bond — and that there would be no framework for Craig to weave his magic if it weren’t for Dalton’s work years prior. He was a very stoic Bond, but I think it was appropriate given the time period, and the narrative territory that the films were exploring. If anything is at fault, it would be the grittier subject matter, as the villains of Dalton’s time moved away from diabolical world domination plots in favor of real-world, contemporary issues: illegal arms dealing, and drug trafficking. Still though, one could argue that trafficking and arms dealing have always been at home in the Bond franchise, and they’d be right, but I think for critics, it was less about the subject matter than it was the execution and the framing of the story. They simply thought it didn’t fit quite right.

While I understand their objections, I don’t think it takes away from the quality of the film, and I feel much the same way about Quantum of Solace. The films are a departure from tradition, but their vengeful cores make them so much more intense and compelling than the more casual entries throughout the Bond history. I mean, after all is said and done, this guy is supposed to be ruthless, isn’t he? And his thirst for vengeance is a real character flaw that allows him to be more human than superhuman. Both Licence and Quantum got that right, but oddly enough, they remain as two of the more controversial Bond films for the same reason — they bring Bond down to our level. And as we’ve seen then in 1989 and now twenty years later, the writers effectively polarized the viewership with their decision to showcase a truly aggressive Bond, with little to no reserve.

Still though, no matter what the creative forces do, there will always be fans, and there will always be critics, for no two Bond fans are ever alike, and few fans are as critical as a Bond fans.

That being said, I love this film.

Video Quality on this release is in full 1080p using the AVC MPEG-4 codec on a BD-50 (50 gigabyte dual-layered Blu-ray Disc) in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio.

This release comes to us in a “Pristine Digital Restoration” done by Lowry Digital Images (A DTS company). First thing you will notice here is that for a 1989 film shot on Panavision cameras and lenses this holds a pretty impressive amount of detail and solid black level. The color palette found here is extremely vibrant (refer to screenshots picturing an airplane) and fleshtones are extremely accurate throughout. The amount of film noise and grain is very low and we really do get a pristine video presentation. No signs of any compression flaws here but there does seem to be a tad bit use of Digital Noise Reduction (DNR) and some Edge Enhancement (EE) as well. This isn’t really worth complaining about, just worth pointing out. The amount of action served up here and bright beautiful scenery is enough to keep the visuals pleasing but there are a few weaker points in dim lighting conditions. Refer to a scene in the first half of the film where “Bond” is diving and happens to be under the dark hull of a ship trying to board it from the bottom. I found there to be some signs of block noise or something here for about 5 seconds but nothing worth totally demoting the overall video quality score for. Play close attention to detail in close-ups where you can see hairs, pores of skin and so forth that never were this apparent on DVD or previous releases. Overall this earns a very solid “4 Star Rating” for video quality and is sure to leave “Bond” fans pleased.

Audio Quality on this release is presented in DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio. This comes from a Dolby SR Surround source according to the film’s IMDb listing and makes for one hell of a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio remix, along with the original Dolby SR Surround mix using Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo 224kbps. First thing you will notice is the amazingly well-balanced mix of 5.1 use for the film’s Score with the classic “Bond” theme, the sounds of gunshots using the entire 360 degree soundscape to sound as if they are coming at you in angles and the sound of airplane engine roaring or helicopter blades spinning through in the skies. The ambient background noises are pretty realistic and have nice environment effects such as the explosions which are loud and thunderous. Dialogue is delivered absolutely perfectly primarily through the front center channel and never misses a beat (so-to-speak), requiring no volume adjustments at all. The great new 5.1 lossless mix we receive here just keeps getting better as you watch the film and is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the viewing / listening experience. This mix is intense with awesome bass presence through the sub. MGM has really done a nice job here on this “Bond” title and earns a “demo material” “5 Star Rating” for overall audio quality, that is sure to impress all.

Bonus Materials on this release are presented in both High Definition (HD) video using the AVC MPEG-4 codec and Standard Definition (SD) video. Audio is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo @224kbps throughout almost all bonus materials, unless otherwise noted.

• MI6 Commentary – We’re given re-purposed interviews, spread throughout two separate commentaries.
Commentary by Director John Glen and members of the cast: This another assembly of audio clips/interviews assembled and hosted by a narrator. By now, we’re all too familiar with this “commentary” process, and while Glen and others provide insight, it feels artificial. I would have loved to hear John Glen speak about his final Bond film in a dedicated commentary. Still though, this should satisfy most fans.
Commentary by Michael G. Wilson and members of the crew: Still another assembly, and unlike For Your Eyes Only, I think this one is equal to the one listed above. As with John Glen, I would have much preferred that Wilson do a dedicated commentary track. I know Wilson has a lot to say, and so this method doesn’t seem entirely appropriate. Sure, full length commentaries are a lot of work for the commentator, but they serve the material — and fans — much better, I think.
• “Declassified: MI6 Vault” contains deleted scenes, a few featurettes and disc production credits.
Deleted Scenes with Introductions by John Glen HD/SD – (11 minutes) – We get nine deleted scenes in total. The deleted scenes are a nice inclusion, with one in particular (“Bond In Hotel Room”) that probably should have been included, but like the rest, it was cut for one reason or another, and John Glen explains/defends his choices.
Bond ‘89 SD – (12 minutes) – A collection of interviews about the film from 1989. Most of it is good filler, but I found Dalton’s thoughts on the James Bond character were priceless. He had a very clear vision James Bond, and while some fault him for his portrayal, you can’t argue with his determination and understanding of the character.
On Set With John Glen SD – (9 minutes) – A nice, but fairly brief behind the scenes feature narrated by the film’s director, John Glen. He provides a bit of insight, but you will likely get more out of his commentary than you’ll find here.
On Set With Peter Lamont SD – (5 minutes) – An assembly of footage shot/narrated by the film’s production designer, Peter Lamont. He speaks briefly about shooting in Mexico, living in the area, and the spectacular estate, Arabesque.
Ground Check with Corky Farnoff SD – (5 minutes) – We’re given a brief behind-the-scenes look at select special effects pertinent to the aerial stunts, hosted by the film’s aerial coordinator, Corky Farnoff.
Credits SD – (1 minute) – Production credits for this disc release.
• “007 Mission Control” presents the viewer with indexed scenes/segments relevant to James Bond’s mission at hand. While this is an interesting feature, I can’t help but think that people will opt for the Mission Select (Scene Selection) over this, or simply grow confused over the functionality of this feature.
• “Mission Dossier” explores the making-of Licence to Kill through five featurettes.
Inside Licence to Kill – A Documentary HD/SD – (32 minutes) – A mixture of film elements and talking heads, I came away from this feature having a far greater respect, and understanding for the production challenges and action sequences. Still though, I think this documentary could have easily been twice as long given the film’s controversial nature.
Production Featurette – Behind the Scenes SD – (5 minutes) – An aged feature that doesn’t have enough room to showcase anything worthwhile.
Kenworth Truck Stunt Film SD – (10 minutes) – This feature has a very “corporate” feel to it, but despite the cold/sterile tone, there is still a decent amount of information to be found here about the various trucks that were modified for the film’s action-filled climax.
“Licence to Kill” Music Video Performed by Gladys Knight SD – (4 minutes) – An SD version of the title track, as performed by Gladys Knight, without any titling (credits) overlay.
“If You Asked Me To” Music Video Performed by Patti Labelle SD – (4 minutes) – An SD music video of one of the songs used in the film. Never been a fan of this song. As far back as I can remember, my brother and I have made fun of this song.
• “Ministry of Propaganda” presents the original marketing tools for the film.
Theatrical Archive HD – (3 minutes) – contains a pair of theatrical trailers for the film: “How many times can one man leave you breathless?” and “Purely… business.”
• “Image Database” contains a good amount of still production and behind-the-scenes photos from the film.

Overall the the bonus materials are quite good, but a bit lighter than most of the releases before it. Personally, I was expecting a lot more given the film’s unique approach to the character, and its relatively young age compared to the rest of the Bond movies. Still, MGM has provided ample supplements here that should satisfy all but the most ardent fans.

Blu-ray Disc packaging:

Screenshots:

NOTE: The full-sized 1920×1080 files are in a .PNG file format and uncompressed. Bare with the slow loading times, keep in mind these files are at least 1MB (1 megabyte) in size each.

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