History YMMV / LicenceToKill

* HarsherInHindsight: [[spoiler:Bond's quest to avenge Felix Leiter is repeated in ''Film/NoTimeToDie'', only Felix is KilledOffForReal]].

** Dario's "We gave her a nice ''honeymooooooon!''" is pretty silly, but the line's still pretty chilling due to [[PostRapeTaunt the implications.]]

* SpecialEffectsFailure:

* WTHCastingAgency: The casting of Wayne Newton as Professor Joe Butcher still confuses some fans.

** The film's backdrop instead is focused on UsefulNotes/TheWarOnDrugs which was under full swing under the Bush administration, with Bond teaming up with the DEA to fight TheCartel. Nowadays, the War on Drugs is largely seen as a policy failure with lots of exaggerated stereotypes, which only served to empower drug cartels and punish users, the large majority of which are poor people of color.

** Dario. Largely due to the EvilIsSexy trope. He's a monstrous PsychoKnifeNut GigglingVillain with a SlasherSmile who is also implied to be a serial rapist....Played by a very young (the youngest Bond villain to date at then-aged-21) and very gorgeous Creator/BenicioDelToro. He's a handsome fellow, and if it wasn't for his near constant {{SlasherSmile}}s, you'd almost forget that he murdered and probably raped Felix's wife.
** Joe Butcher to a lesser degree. He's so AffablyEvil [[spoiler: that he even survived the film]].
* EvilIsSexy: Dario, by virtue of being played by Creator/BenicioDelToro (who was 21 at the time and remains the youngest Bond villain in the series). He's not as sexualized as Necros from ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'', but still has a... killer smile.
* FanPreferredCutContent: One of Creator/TimothyDalton's best scenes as Bond ended up in the cutting room floor. A dishevelled Bond is in a hotel room watching Sanchez on television and silently studying his target, while loading his gun, lighting a cigarette and having a drink. It's straight out of the Creator/IanFleming books.

** [[Film/TheHunted2003 Benicio del Toro]] is a bit of a PsychoKnifeNut. He's also working as a Film/{{sicario}} for the BigBad. Plus, he used be in the [[Film/{{Che}} Contras]].

** Creator/BenicioDelToro as Dario. He was twenty-one at the time, making him the youngest actor to play a Bond villain to this day.

** As Bond is riding the conveyor belt to the cocaine grinder after beign exposed by Dario, Bond still manages to convince Sanchez that Truman-Lodge and Heller are traitors to Sanchez. Truman-Lodge was trying to run off with the money in his satchel, but Sanchez stopped him and offered him a ride in the car and when Truman-Lodge decides to bring up the quip about an $80 million write-off, Sanchez offs him and takes back the satchel. Heller, on the other hand, was getting ready to take off with the stinger missiles to give to the CIA in exchange for immunity and Sanchez caught Heller in the act and had Heller subsequently impaled on a forklift.

** The film openly suggests that all of Bond's actions are to avenge Leiter, [[spoiler: however, that's clearly only a part of it. The film takes the time to include the garter scene and remind the audience that this incarnation of Bond (Like Moore and Lazenby) was still married to Tracy who was killed on Bond's wedding day in OHMSS. While it's not made specifically clear in the film itself, it's pretty likely that Bond's single-minded plan to destroy Sanchez is heavily due to the fact that Leiter's wedding night attack opened up all the old scars Bond had from the events of his own wedding day. With that in mind, it brings a whole new meaning to the confrontation scene when M tells Bond that Leiter knew the risks, and Bond snaps back, "And his WIFE?" M even briefly pauses and pursues a different track trying to reign Bond in. Director John Glenn was quoted as saying Tracy was one of Bond's motivators as well.]]

** As Bond is riding the conveyor belt to the cocaine grinder after beign exposed by Dario, Bond still manages to convince Sanchez that Truman-Lodge and Heller are traitors to Sanchez. Truman-Lodge was trying to run off with the money in his satchel, but Sanchez stopped him and offered him a ride in the car and when Truman-Lodge decides to bring up the quip about an $80 million write-off, Sanchez offs him and takes back the satchel. Heller, on the other hand, was getting ready to take off with the stinger missiles to give to the CIA in exchange for immunity and Sanchez caught Heler in the act and had Heller subsequently impaled on a forklift.

** Speaking of copycats, Creator/RobertDavi plays a ''[[FilmScarface1983 Tony Montana]]''-esque ''BigBad'' in this film. In ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'', he ends up going against the real deal by voicing the main villain Sosa.

** Speaking of copycats, Creator/RobertDavi plays a ''[[FilmScarface1983 Tony Montana''-esque]] ''BigBad'' in this film. In ''VideoGame/ScarfaceTheWorldIsYours'', he ends up going against the real deal by voicing the main villain Sosa.

** Dalton has compared this film to ''{{Film/Yojimbo}}''. You mean, "[[{{Film/Goldeneye}} Yo! Jimbo!]]"

** The film openly suggests that all of Bond's actions are to avenge Leiter, [[spoiler: however, that's clearly only a part of it. The film takes the time to include the garter scene and remind the audience that this incarnation of Bond (Like Moore and Lazenby) was still married to Tracy who was killed on Bond's wedding day in OHMSS. While it's not made specifically clear in the film itself, it's pretty likely that Bond's single-minded plan to destroy Sanchez is heavily due to the fact that Leiter's wedding night attack opened up all the old scars Bond had from the events of his own wedding day. With that in mind, it brings a whole new meaning to the confrontation scene when M tells Bond that Leiter knew the risks, and Bond snaps back, "Did his WIFE?" M even briefly pauses and pursues a different track trying to reign Bond in. Director John Glenn was quoted as saying Tracy was one of Bond's motivators as well.]]

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: This is classic example of a very '80s genre, the "[[CowboyCop lone cop out for revenge who doesn't play by the rules]]" movie. It's just that here, the lone cop is Film/JamesBond. It could have been worse, though; Bond fights a South American drug empire specifically because the filmmakers weren't sure that the Soviet Union would stay around for very long, and therefore decided to play it safe. History proved the filmmakers right two years later, although they still felt the UsefulNotes/ColdWar needed a proper sendoff in the Bond films, which wound up being achieved with ''Film/GoldenEye''.
** Could have been even more of a period piece, as the costume department initially wanted to dress Bond in pastels due to the popularity of "Miami Vice." Creator/Timothy Dalton fought for a more understated wardrobe for Bond and won the battle.
* ValuesDissonance: While this film makes liberal use of the word "oriental", it has been the case since at least 2021, when the Home Office formally banned the use of the word among its departments, that UK government departments and academia have been removing all use of the word from their literature and employee discourse on the grounds that it is "outdated and potentially offensive.

* ValuesDissonance: While not outright ''offensive'', it's not very culturally sensitive to refer to Chinese and Japanese people as "Orientals" any more, as everyone does in this movie.

** It's more clearly defined in the novelization that M actually decides to help Bond. In the scene with Moneypenny, as is in the film, M says, "He has to be stopped." The novelization adds the line, "Or helped," from M. Also, the novelization makes it clear that the memo we see M hand Moneypenny in the film is an order for Q to go on leave and travel to Ithsmus City to help Bond. This is only vaguely hinted at in the film, but after M hands her the note, Moneypenny does immediately pick up the phone and ask to be transferred to Q Branch. He doesn't pull Fallon off of Bond however, though this may be due to the fact that he's trying to cover his arse within government channels. Also, he knows what Bond is capable of, and may believe there's no chance for Fallon to stop Bond. It almost backfires on M spectacularly, as Fallon seems to have formed an uneasy alliance with the Hong Kong narcotics agents, who end up delivering Bond to Fallon.

* ContestedSequel: Is it a brave change of formula and works well with Dalton's serious take on Bond, or is it a generic '80s action movie with Bond shoehorned in? While it has gone under revaluation (see Vindicated by History), whether it's one of the better films of the franchise or a misfire is still hotly debated, but at least the hate is far from universal.

* VindicatedByHistory: At the time it came out, it was initially considered a disappointment, partly from competition with ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' and ''Film/Batman1989'' but especially from comparisons to the Bond films that had preceded it, mainly due to Creator/RogerMoore's soft take on he role. This, combined with legal issues over the franchise, ensured that another Bond film would not be made for six years, and that Creator/TimothyDalton would not return to the lead role. ''Licence to Kill'' has since been re-evaluated by a number of Bond fans, who prefer its unique and grittier atmosphere, as well as praising it's action scenes and enjoying its villains; nowadays, there are many who consider it one of their favourite movies in the Bond franchise.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: ''Was'' M truly against Bond's whole vendetta, or was he just putting on a show while covertly sending Bond as much help (via Q and his gadgets) as he could get away with? This, admittedly, suggests that Kwang and his unit were acting wholly independent of his orders (or even knowledge); on the other hand, it would explain why Bond seems so EasilyForgiven at the end ("M called... I think he may have a job for you."), and M's done [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService a similar ploy]] at least once before.

* Dalton has compared this film to ''{{Film/Yojimbo}}''. You mean, "[[{{Film/Goldeneye}} Yo! Jimbo!]]"

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: With Creator/DanielCraig's portrayal of Bond, it's difficult to appreciate Creator/TimothyDalton's DarkerAndEdgier portrayal of Bond here and in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights''.

** The maggots in Krest's marine lab are obviously white rubber fishing lures, complete with long flat tails.

** When Bond tests out his new lighter at the wedding, the viewer can see a tube running up Timothy Dalton's arm, likely leading to a gas tank.

* VindicatedByHistory: At the time it came out, it was initially considered a disappointment, partly from competition with ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' and ''Film/Batman1989'' but especially from comparisons to the Bond films that had preceded it, mainly due to Creator/RogerMoore's soft take on he role. This, combined with legal issues over the franchise, ensured that another Bond film would not be made for six years, and that Creator/TimothyDalton would not return to the lead role. ''Licence to Kill'' has since been re-evaluated by a number of Bond fans, who prefer its unique and grittier atmosphere.

* When Bond tests out his new lighter at the wedding, the viewer can see a tube running up Timothy Dalton's arm, likely leading to a gas tank.

* ContestedSequel: Is it a brave change of formula and works well with Dalton's serious take on Bond, or is it a generic '80s action movie with Bond shoehorned in? While it has gone under revaluation see Vindicated by History Whether it's one of the better films of the franchise or a misfire is still hotly debated, but at least the hate is far from universal.

* ContestedSequel: Is it a brave change of formula and works well with Dalton's serious take on Bond, or is it a generic '80s action movie with Bond shoehorned in?

** Dario. Largely due to the EvilIsSexy trope. He's a monstrous psychopathic KnifeNut GigglingVillain with a SlasherSmile who is also implied to be a serial rapist....Played by a very young (the youngest Bond villain to date at then-aged-21) and very gorgeous Creator/BenicioDelToro. He's a handsome fellow, and if it wasn't for his near constant {{SlasherSmile}}s, you'd almost forget that he murdered and probably raped Felix's wife.

** [[Film/TheHunted2003 Benicio del Toro]] is a bit of a KnifeNut. He's also working as a Film/{{sicario}} for the BigBad. Plus, he used be in the [[Film/{{Che}} Contras]].

* UncannyValley: On the surface, Dario is this [[https://image.ibb.co/gXz3Sn/cutedario6.jpg gorgeous youth]]....yet he [[https://image.ibb.co/fXvMDS/creepydario2.jpg often looks]] a bit "off"....Then comes [[https://image.ibb.co/c58xnn/creepydario3.png the creepy]] SlasherSmile.

* AngstWhatAngst: Felix Leiter turns up at the end of the film, and is remarkably chipper for a man who lost his wife to a murderer and his leg to a shark. Then again, he has just learned that his friend killed every single person involved, and ''[[KillItWithFire set fire]]'' to the man ultimately responsible with his wedding gift. Grief will probably catch up to him again soon, but for now he can feel a little better.

** Felix being a friend is one thing, but a newlywed bride being murdered on her wedding day is almost PTSD for Bond, making him even more vindictive and brutal than he would have been. The fact that Bond being once married is referenced by Felix to Della only reinforces this.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: Felix Leiter mauled horrifically by a tiger shark. Also, Milton Krest's head explodes, and Dario is ground up in a rock crusher. Sanchez has one of his henchmen cut Lupe's lover's heart out and whips her while she begs him not to (in the opening 5 minutes of the movie, no less!);

* VindicatedByHistory: At the time it came out, it was initially considered a disappointment, partly from competition with ''Film/LethalWeapon2'' and ''Film/Batman1989'' but especially from comparisons to the Bond films that had preceded it, mainly due to Creator/RogerMoore's soft take on he role. This, combined with legal issues over the franchise, ensured that another Bond film would not be made for six years, and that Creator/TimothyDalton would not return to the lead role. ''Licence to Kill'' has since been re-evaluated by a number of Bond fans, who prefer its unique atmosphere. Whether it's one of the better films of the franchise or a misfire is still hotly debated, but at least the hate is far from universal.