License to Kill

Starring:Denzel Washington, Don Murray
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 (Special Edition)

Average customer rating:

oh sean,sean,where have you been?
Good...but not THAT good
James Bond Collection, Vol. 1
Great...more Bond...
Must Have Bond, James Bond

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 (Special Edition)
Starring: Sean Connery
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( J ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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The James Bond Collection, Vol. 2 (Special Edition)
The James Bond Collection, Vol. 3 (Special Edition)
Never Say Never Again
The James Bond Story (1999)
Diamonds are Forever

ASIN: B00006BH8G
Release Date: 2002-10-22

Amazon.com

The James Bond Collection, Vol. 1 collects the same feature-packed DVDs that appeared in previous Bond boxes, but in a new combination of titles, one with a decidedly golden gleam. In 1962 Sean Connery defined the cinematic James Bond as a tough, charming, and thoroughly professional cold war spy with a license to kill in the lean, hard-edged Dr. No. With Ursula Andress (as the original Bond girl Honeychile Ryder, who makes her entrance in a bikini), Bond battles a renegade supervillain with little more than his wits, his cunning, and his Walther PPK. In Goldfinger (1964) Connery's steely presence helped forge the formula of tongue-in-cheek wit, wondrous secret agent toys created by Q, and megalomaniac supervillains bent on world destruction.

Roger Moore brought a light tone and a suave assurance to the series, and in The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), he battles million-dollar assassin Christopher Lee, one of Bond's most magnetic adversaries. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), perhaps Moore's finest hour, is a return to the extravagant set pieces and cold war thrills of Connery's pictures and introduces Richard Kiel's steel-dentured Jaws to the series. Timothy Dalton made his second and final appearance as Bond in Licence to Kill (1989), the toughest of the Bond films since Connery's early efforts. Though not a fan favorite, it's a sleek, solid adventure with an edge missing from the Moore pictures.

Pierce Brosnan is the latest to take on the 007 mantle, combining the best of Connery's cool and Moore's humor. GoldenEye (1995) is a grand globetrotting adventure with lovely Bond girls and a tough new M (Judy Dench). Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) doesn't recapture that magic mix of action, gadgetry, and romance, but does feature the first Bond girl to match 007 blow for blow: Hong Kong action superstar Michelle Yeoh. The DVD editions of the films each feature audio commentary tracks by the director and key members of the crew, making-of documentaries, and a host of stills, TV spots, and trailers. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

oh sean,sean,where have you been?.......2006-12-26

i don't know if anybody mentioned this(ihaven't read all the reviews)but why is it these movies aren't released in box sets according to the indiviual actors who played the secret agent?you know,a sean connery set,a roger moore set,etc.for years i've been yelling for a connery set(whom i consider the best,though they're all good)but to no avail.as many times as they've released these,you'd think they would've done so.therefore i was dissapointed when these collections came out.please give us a chance to pick the bonds we like,without throwing them all together.

Good...but not THAT good.......2006-11-29

Ok, this is the best set in this collection in my opinion. The movies are some of my favorites in the series. You have 2 great Sean Connery movies in Dr. No and Goldfinger; probably the best Roger Moore movie in The Spy Who Loved Me, and a great Brosnan film in Goldeneye (How can you not like Sean Bean as a bad guy) The problem I have with this collection is the quality and the price. While watching these movies I noticed, especially on the older movies, the poor picture quality. I felt like I was watching a movie on 1960's film. I also had disk problems with this set. My copy of Goldfinger would skip as the menus came up. The only other physical problem with this set is that on my copy (and most copies) of Tomorrow Never Dies there was a little camera icon at the top for like half of the movie. Now, you can usually get rid of it by pushing clear, but it is still very annoying. My biggest problem with this set is the price. It costs about $100 for Volume 1 and the other 2 sets can be upwards of $160. That means to have all the bond movies in this set could cost you around $400. I would recommend the new Ultimate Edition (UE) James Bond collection to anyone looking at this set. The picture and disk quality of the (UE) are SOOOO much better, and you can buy all 4 sets for a little over $200.00 total. So to sum up this is a good set, but the UEs are a MUCH better value and the quality is considerable better. My advice spend your money on the Ultimate Editions.

James Bond Collection, Vol. 1.......2005-09-16

Although I'm not sure who's at fault, I ordered all three volumes of the James Bond Collections, from three different sellers. This seller failed to include the box for the set, which angered me. I was pretty sure that it did not say in his description that the box wasn't included! He is purchasing the movies individually and selling them as a box set (to command more money)and to me that is very misleading! I wanted to have all three box sets and ended up with 7 seperate Bond movies without the box! I won't ever buy from this seller again!

Great...more Bond..........2005-08-24

Great, they brought out more James Bond. As if the original Dr. No theme wasn't annoying enough before, now it sounds twice as good (or bad if you don't like the music). And if you dont want to spend more than $100.00 each set, watch Spike TV during Thanksgiving - they repeat all the James Bond movies so much it really gets on your nerves. Good stories, the movies weren't so good...

Must Have Bond, James Bond.......2005-08-12

This collection includes various Bond movies from four of the actors that have played James Bond in the "official" Bond movies, which excludes "Never Say Never Again." My only complaint about the three collections is that the movies are not in order. I have all three sets because I like Bond rather than wanting all the Bond movies by one of the three actors. However, you have to take them as you can get them sometimes.

Each of the movies in this collection is a "special edition," which is a fancy name for DVDs that include extras that range in value from high to low. I have been very fascinated with some of the commentaries (those by Terence Young were very fascinating) and some of the features just seemed like filler. However, what I found interesting other may not, and vice versa. Rather than listing all the extras, a list of which is available, I will discuss the movies briefly.

"Dr. No" launched the Bond franchise. Sean Connery set the tone for Bond, suave, debonair, and terminally cool. He drove nice cars and had a penchant for dry one-liners. Ursula Andress set the tone for future Bond women, and Dr. No was coolly ruthless. Ken Adam's sets were artistic and artfully filmed by Terence Young, who also provided the stylistic role model for Connery's Bond. In the extras you learn that Connery was mentored by Young and acquired expensive tastes and hobbies in the process.

Many people consider the second movie in this collection, 1964's "Goldfinger," to be the best Bond film ever. Bond's villains continued to be ruthless and megalomaniacs, and Connery has a close encounter with a laser. Shirley Bassey belts out the title song and sets the standard for future Bond music. James Bond also quips that drinking Dom Perignon above 38 degrees Fahrenheit is "...as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs." Fortunately, Paul McCartney did not take it personally as he recorded the title track to the 1973 Bond movie "Live and Let Die." Bond also got ever more gadgets from Q, played by Desmond Llewelyn, who went on to appear in more Bond movies than any other major actor.

The third movie in the collection is Roger Moore's second outing as Bond. "The Man with the Golden Gun" from 1974 is a mixed bag. Christopher Lee as Scaramanga and Herve Villechaize are two of the most bizarre and ruthless Bond villains ever. There are fewer gadgets than in some of the surrounding Bond movies, but Moore's performance is a bit wooden and Clifton James was a bit over-the-top as comic relief. The title song by singer Lulu is pretty good, but pales in comparison to many of the other title songs in the series.

The fourth movie in this collection attempted to put Bond back on track. The 1977 movie "The Spy Who Loved Me" had a very serious undertone. The gadgets are back, but effective. We meet Jaws (Richard Kiel) and Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens). We also meet incredible Bond women Caroline Munro and Barbara Bach. The stunts are awesome, the plot is incredible, the locations fantastic and the title song by Carly Simon pushed Bond music back into relevancy. This movie was one of Roger Moore's best as James Bond.

Timothy Dalton's second film, 1989's "License to Kill," is the weaker of the two Dalton Bond films. However, the supporting cast is excellent, including Carey Lowell of "Law and Order" fame, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto, and David Hedison as Felix Leiter in his last appearance in a Bond film. The location shots are very good, and the stunts are among the best of any Bond film. They actually had those semi-tractor trailers up on two wheels, according to the extras. The bad guy may have been a mere drug czar, but everyone was suitably evil. Gladys Knight takes the honors for the title song and Patti LaBelle sings the pop hit "If You Asked Me To" to close the movie.

The last two movies in this collection are Pierce Brosnan's first and second Bond movies. In 1995's "Goldeneye," Bond is more dynamic and a more traditional spy. This movie raised the location stakes by filming for the first time in Russia, along with a number of other exotic locations. The gadgets are better, and the women are nearly more than Bond can handle, especially Xenia Onatopp. This movie contains more plot twists than a typical Bond movie, so be prepared to think a little as things go boom. Tina Turner does the title song reasonably well, but her performance has powerful competition in many of the other recent Bond films.

The final film in this collection is 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies." The supporting cast this time is phenomenal, with the great actor Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver, Teri Hatcher as his wife Paris Carver, and Michelle Yeoh as Chinese agent Wei Lin, among numerous others. Jonathan Pryce steals nearly every scene he is in, reminiscent of some other great Bond villains. The locations are ever more incredible, digital effects abound, and the stunts are even more thrilling. That motorcycle jump was really performed! Cheryl Crow does a great job on the title song, and the excellent video is included.

Because of all the extras these DVDs require hours to watch. While the value of the extras varies, watching them gives a fan much more information about the difficulties of making each movie, and how many of the stunts were performed. I consider these movies to be among the gems of my DVD collection. I recommend this set very highly as long as you plan on collecting all the Bond films.

Average customer rating:

STIFF BUT EFFECTIVE
Can I give negative stars please???
False advertisement
Public Service
Quite possibly the WORST movie I have ever seen...

License to Kill
Starring: Jacqueline Brookes , James Farentino , Penny Fuller , George Martin , and Ari Meyers
Director: Jud Taylor
Manufacturer: Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000244GCC
Release Date: 2004-03-04

Product Description

A grieving family whose daughter was killed in a car crash with a drunken driver is outraged and frustrated as they encounter the inevitable bureaucratic delays in bringing the case to trial. Once in the courtroom, they are horror-stricken as the young, hard-pressed district attorney seems unable to overcome the technicalities and maneuverings that the driver's attorney uses to keep his client out of jail and still on the streets as a legal driver. When the judge is forced to rule time and again in favor of the defense, it appears that the driver might escape punishment altogether.

Customer Reviews:

STIFF BUT EFFECTIVE.......2007-01-20

This tv movie is hopelessly preachy and manipulative, but it does bring to the front the tragic issue of drunk driving. A talented and lively high school senior is killed by a drunk driver; her family tries to deal with the guilt and the father is determined to bring the driver to justice. The script is cliched, but it does try to look at both sides of the coin and focus on the alcoholic issue as well as vehicular manslaughter. Denzel Washington makes one of his earlier appearances as the prosecuting attorney but the writers don't give him much to do. James Farentino and Penny Fuller, along with Don Murray and Millie Perkins, do an okay job in showing the anguish of the victim and the perpetrator. Not a classic but not a dud either.

Can I give negative stars please???.......2006-12-05

The previous posters did a good job of describing everything that is wrong with this movie. If I hadn't paid for it, I would have never watched it. I would prefer staring at a blank TV screen.

False advertisement.......2006-11-23

The producers of this movie are geniuses. This movie is skillfully marketed as if Denzel is the lead actor when in fact he is only in the last half of the film (more like the last half hour of the film). I only bought it because I love Denzel. By the time he made it to the screen, I was already sleep. This movie is quite horrid. The story line drags, the actors are boring and the outcome is fairly predictable. The only satisfaction I received from the film is that he played a lawyer.

Public Service.......2006-07-05

This film seemed to be a public announcement regarding drunk driving. It takes you through the events of the accident to the verdict of the trial. Between this it presents the heartship both families suffer. Though it was slightly entertaining, it was not worthy of purchase.

Quite possibly the WORST movie I have ever seen..........2006-06-03

This movie is so bad that it is almost campy. The writing is beyond formulaic-- it's so awful that it's almost funny. The characters are so flawed that they are almost cartoonish. The camera work is so ridiculously amateur that it brings to mind the awful products of high school film classes-- in the 70s. It is so predictable in its plodding that the most interesting thing about it is the outdated hairstyles and fashions embraced by its cast members. The white-centered stereotyping in this movie is shockingly racist, and the characters are completely unbelievable. Even Denzel Washington cannot save this film in possibly his worst film role ever.

This film is part anti-drunk-driving docusaga, part movie of the week, and part low-budget white nuclear family period piece. Perhaps the only redeeming virtue it has is the possibility that it will one day become a cult film with people lip-synching the awful lines and camping it up a la Rocky Horror.

License To Kill - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition

Average customer rating:

great action!
Bond with a Vengeance
Back to His Cinematic Roots
After CASINO ROYALE this Film Disappoints

License To Kill - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition

Manufacturer: MGM
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

Ultimate Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
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The Living Daylights - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition
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Goldfinger - Ultimate Edition
Moonraker - 2-Disc Ultimate Edition

ASIN: B000LY5KFA

Customer Reviews:

great action!.......2007-05-23

As much in the vein of the Die Hard films of it's day as it is a terrific addition to the Bond Mythos. This is one of only three Bond films to directly evoke James' marriage to Tracy which is also central to the plot (unlike FYEO.) Cary Lowell glows as a Bond girl. Tim's face off with Benicio Del Toro is solid acting and the truck stunts are the kind of excitement sorely missed in these CGI days. I refuse to mention Wayne N-- oh forget it!

Bond with a Vengeance.......2007-03-13

Timothy Dalton returned two years after his successful debut as Bond in "The Living Daylights" with his second and final Bond film. Unfortunately for Dalton the producers decided that Bond's character in this movie was out of character by being out for vengeance rather than Queen and country, and Dalton's role as Bond was at an end. Unfortunately, it would be six years to the next Bond movie.

The movie begins with the capture of ruthless drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi). Shortly thereafter we see Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and Della Churchill (Priscilla Barnes) wed. However, Sanchez escapes from custody and returns to exact his own revenge on Leiter and his new wife. Bond is the first to discover what Sanchez has done and decides to take action on his own. It is during this portion of the movie that M (Robert Brown) revokes Bond's license to kill, and Bond is treated as a rogue agent for most of the rest of the movie.

Bond tracks Sanchez and attempts to kill him. When his attempt is unsuccessful, he inadvertently gains Sanchez's confidence, and continues to work toward finding a way to bring Sanchez to justice. During his various escapades Bond manages to have Sanchez eliminate one of his own men, steals millions of dollars, and destroys more millions in heroin.

The highlight of this movie is the final scenes involving a huge facility that is the headquarters for Sanchez and a group of escaping tractor-trailers. The tractor-trailers, provided by Kenworth, perform a series of stunts that I believe remain unique to this movie, including driving on one set of wheels and popping a wheelie.

This two disk set is loaded with extras, including videos, making of features, documentaries and much more. This particular disk is quite an improvement over previous releases for the extras.

As with most movies, this movie had a number of errors that I can generally forgive. However, when the air hose is cut on a tractor-trailer the brakes lock on, not fail as shown in the movie. I find that technical error to be glaring each time I watch this movie. There are other errors that I am sure were put in to spice up the action. Electric eels do not generate light when they shock someone, as happened when a guard fell into a tank of eels. You can barely see some laser beams, and many high-powered lasers are invisible, rather than the bright red beam shown when Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) fires a laser in a hotel room. Also, you might want to note how $2 million in twenty dollar bills fit into one brief case, which is impossible.

This Bond movie was different in flavor from previous Bond movies. The violence was elevated to achieve the first PG-13 rating for a Bond film. Bond shows a weakness not shown in any previous Bond movie. I was also a little disappointed that Bond was after a drug lord rather than a megalomaniac. Drug dealers have always seemed to me to be below Bond. However, I did not get to make that choice.

With all the weaknesses in Bond's character and in the film, I enjoy this movie. The pacing is steady and quick. A viewer can only spot most of the implausibilities by watching the movie multiple times. The end chase scene with the tanker trucks is a joy to watch again and again. I think it is unfortunate that Timothy Dalton was not permitted to appear in another Bond movie, because he brought a powerful and unique interpretation to Bond, making Bond his own.

Enjoy!

Back to His Cinematic Roots.......2007-02-28

This film ranks with DR. NO, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Not since those films, and now CASINIO ROYALE, has James Bond on screen come as close to Ian Fleming's character. What makes this film stand out is that it combines the best elements of the three films sited. DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE contained images to the grittiest side of James Bond. In DR. NO the execution style death of Professor Dent and the gruesome knife killing of the guard in the swamp were both disturbing demonstrating a cruel edge to our hero. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE the struggle between Bond and Grant aboard the Orient Express was filmed in a more realistic style, not so much for cinematic flair but for realism. Beginning to explore the personal side of James Bond ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE really gives us an in-depth study of an agent who is starting to take account of his life and what future that profession offers him. LICENCE TO KILL resurrects and combines the best elements of these three previous films.

Timothy Dalton totally revamps his first interpretation of James Bond for this film. In THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS we got a 1960's Bond but slightly more serious. In LICENCE TO KILL Dalton closes out the decade of the 90's with a more up to date Bond. Notions of fair play and "Queen and Country" were given up long ago and all that one is left with is a sense of loyalty only to those close to him. What we are left with is an agent "on the edge" who is willing to take the battle to the enemy with "an eye for an eye" and to hell with anybody who gets in his way. The script lets us down in this respect but through the brilliant subdued performance by Dalton the idea still comes across. Also, a great piece of casting of Benicio Del Toro as devoted henchman Dario gives the audience the push it needed to see that this bunch of despicable villains really get their comeuppance from Bond. Michael Kamen's downbeat score also adds to the grimness of this film and the dirty business that our hero deals in on a daily basis and the toll it has taken on his psyche. This is a very different kind of Bond movie, bold in many respects and somewhat disturbing. There have been many strong reactions to this film. You either like it or you don't. If you examine the four Brosnan films, they contain many elements, which explore and owe inspiration from LICENCE TO KILL.

LICENCE TO KILL demands your attention as James Bond returns to his cinematic roots based on the literary Bond. It is a precursor to the style of Daniel Craig's James Bond in CASINIO ROYALE.

After CASINO ROYALE this Film Disappoints.......2007-01-05

LICENCE TO KILL is an interesting follow-up to Timothy Dalton's version of James Bond in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. Though interesting there seems to be something offbeat and awry about it.

Dalton's Bond certainly possessed the drive that Connery had, but after seeing Daniel Craig in CASINO ROYALE I see his performance in a different light. Dalton does not posses the intensity or physical presence and that enigmatic quality of the lonely blunt instrument that Daniel Craig has demonstrated. These were qualities that Dalton openly wanted to put into his performance but this film tries to make Dalton a thinking man's superhero man of action. That is a real dichotomy and is a mismatch for the strong histrionic qualities that Dalton processes as an actor. If you compare Dalton's performance in Director Jim McBride's THE INFORMANT you will see a very convincing and brutally tough Dalton that is extremely realistic. What a performance he gave in that film. In LICENCE TO KILL the script is very weak leading Dalton in several directions and layers of vengeful emotions that don't seem consistent leaving his motivations muddily undefined. He seems to not be able to shed his polished veneer and let his raw energy take out the bad guys wiping them off the face of the earth.

James Bond resigns in this film, but it had nowhere near the impact as when he offered his resignation in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. The story is supposed to be about Bond's revenge for the mutilation of his friend, Felix Leiter and the death of Leiter's wife. Revenge is usually meant to inflict punishment for a wrong deed received. The wrong received was the emotional pain that Bond was supposed to have experienced at Leiter's misfortunes. Cinematically, there was no visual basis for Bond's emotional pain. We never see the camaraderie or friendship between Leiter and Bond that was supposed to have existed. Why should Bond loose his objectivity and his professionalism over this incident?

Dalton's Bond however, had little time for levity or diversion from the mission at hand. He was the dedicated civil servant. It is not that Dalton could have resigned and gone off on some personal revenge, but the film never lays the foundation for this happening and given Dalton's interpretation of the character, Bond's actions make no sense. For the viewer, revenge would suggest that some degree of emotional anger be felt while watching the film. As a viewer I felt very little anger for the pain and suffering dispensed by Sanchez and his henchmen. Certainly many of their acts were heinous and brutal, but as filmed and edited they did not have the dramatic impact that they should have. I feel that the direction, the editing and screenplay lacked a cohesive vision.

Once Bond breaks into Milton Krest's warehouse in Key West and proceeds to get pulled in by M at the Hemmingway House, the film starts losing what little momentum it had. We see Sharkey's body being towed to Krest's boat, another victim of Sanchez. We never learn under what circumstances he was killed. Bond meets up with Pam Bouvier at the Barrelhead Saloon. Following a poorly staged barroom brawl they join forces and peruse Sanchez to Isthmus City. Several superficial and perfunctory side plots divert the central story line. Banal dialogue, poor casting in key roles and Michael Kamen's unusually lackluster score permeates the entire film. It plods along to what should have been a face-to-face and no-holds-bared confrontation between Bond and Sanchez. This type of confrontation never materializes in the form that it should have.

ond informs Leiter over the phone about his retribution on Sanchez in a very brief and throwaway scene. This should have been a key scene in the film, bringing the revenge to an end. The best element of the story line was the idea of having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him and he didn't know whom to trust. However, this plot device was not exploited till nearly the last third of the film.

LICENCE TO KILL does contain some good performances. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. Dario's screen presence is twisted and contorted bringing the notion that evil menace is the only reason for his existence in life. Don Stroud was very credible and somewhat likeable as Heller, the head of security and Sanchez's private army. Wayne Newton actually brought a nice touch of comic relief as Professor Joe Butcher, head of a meditation temple and front for Sanchez's laboratories. Anthony Zerbe brought his unique brand of histrionics to his role of the seemingly drunken smuggler Milton Krest. From a sentimental point of view, it was good to see David Hedison reprise his role as Felix Leiter and it was nice to see Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the field in a meatier role than usual. Robert Brown gave his most credible performance as M in this film. Brown never possessed the charisma that Bernard Lee brought to the role. Here Brown as M brings a cold detachment in his scene with Bond even deploying sharpshooters in the event that the rogue agent may attempt to act irrationally when his "Licence to Kill" is revoked.

Also this film contains two of the best-staged and edited action scenes from the James Bond series. Bond's single-handed assault on Milton Krest's smuggling boat, which goes above and below water and finally into the air is incredible. The film's finale contains an intricate, complex, enthralling and completely entertaining duel between Bond and Sanchez and his cronies as they drive, jump, hurdle and hang on for dear life onto oil tank trucks along a mountainous curving road while bullets ricochet, rockets fly and explosion abound. The film seems more palatable with the passage of time. Bond was literally living on the edge in this one.

Average customer rating:

License to Kill
Starring: Denzel Washington
Manufacturer: Mac Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

The Departed (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000NOK0LC
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Average customer rating:

Gritty and Personal James Bond Film
Eternally Living on the Edge

License to Kill [Region 2]
Starring: Timothy Dalton , Carey Lowell , Robert Davi , Talisa Soto , and Anthony Zerbe
Director: John Glen (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000056KQI

Customer Reviews:

Gritty and Personal James Bond Film.......2006-06-14

This film ranks with "Dr. No," "From Russia With Love" and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Not since those films has James Bond on screen come as close to Ian Fleming's character. What makes this film stand out is that it combines the best elements of the three films sited. Both "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love" contained images to the grittiest side of James Bond. In "Dr. No" the execution style death of Professor Dent and the gruesome knife killing of the guard in the swamp were both disturbing demonstrating a cruel edge to our hero. In "From Russia With Love" the struggle between Bond and Grant aboard the Orient Express was filmed in a more realistic style, not so much for cinematic flair but for realism. Beginning to explore the personal side of James Bond "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" really gives us an in-depth study of an agent who is starting to take account of his life and what future that profession offers him. "Licence to Kill" resurrects and combines the best elements of these three previous films.

Timothy Dalton totally revamps his first interpretation of James Bond for this film. In "The Living Daylights" we got a 1960's Bond but slightly more serious. In "Licence to Kill" Dalton closes out the decade of the 90's with a more up to date Bond. Notions of fair play and "Queen and Country" were given up long ago and all that one is left with is a sense of loyalty only to those close to him. What we are left with is an agent "on the edge" who is willing to take the battle to the enemy with "an eye for an eye" and to hell with anybody who gets in his way. The script lets us down in this respect but through the brilliant subdued performance by Dalton the idea still comes across. Also, a great piece of casting of Benicio Del Toro as devoted henchman Dario gives the audience the push it needed to see that this bunch of despicable villains really get their comeuppance from Bond. Michael Kamen's downbeat score also adds to the grimness of this film and the dirty business that our hero deals in on a daily basis and the toll it has taken on his psyche. This is a very different kind of Bond movie, bold in many respects and somewhat disturbing. There have been many strong reactions to this film. You either like it or you don't. If you examine the three Brosnan films, they contain many elements, which explore and owe inspiration from "Licence to Kill." "Licence to Kill" demands your attention.

Eternally Living on the Edge.......2006-01-20

LICENCE TO KILL is an interesting follow-up to Timothy Dalton's version of James Bond in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. Though interesting there seems to be something offbeat and awry about it.

James Bond resigns in this film, but it had nowhere near the impact as when he offered his resignation in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. The story is supposed to be about Bond's revenge for the mutilation of his friend, Felix Leiter and the death of Leiter's wife. Revenge is usually meant to inflict punishment for a wrong deed received. The wrong received was the emotional pain that Bond was supposed to have experienced at Leiter's misfortunes. Cinematically, there was no visual basis for Bond's emotional pain. We never see the camaraderie or friendship between Leiter and Bond that was supposed to have existed. Why should Bond loose his objectivity and his professionalism over this incident, especially with Timothy Dalton portraying him for only the second time? Dalton's Bond certainly possessed the drive that Connery had established for the character and was present in Brosnan's interpretation of James Bond as well.

Dalton's Bond however, had little time for levity or diversion from the mission at hand. He was the dedicated civil servant. It is not that Dalton could have resigned and gone off on some personal revenge, but the film never lays the foundation for this happening and given Dalton's interpretation of the character, Bond's actions make no sense. For the viewer, revenge would suggest that some degree of emotional anger be felt while watching the film. As a viewer I felt very little anger for the pain and suffering dispensed by Sanchez and his henchmen. Certainly many of their acts were heinous and brutal, but as filmed and edited they did not have the dramatic impact that they should have.

I feel that the direction, the editing and screenplay lacked a cohesive vision. Once Bond breaks into Milton Krest's warehouse in Key West and proceeds to get pulled in by M at the Hemmingway House, the film starts losing what little momentum it had. We see Sharkey's body being towed to Krest's boat, another victim of Sanchez. We never learn under what circumstances he was killed. Bond meets up with Pam Bouvier at the Barrelhead Saloon. Following a poorly staged barroom brawl they join forces and peruse Sanchez to Isthmus City. Several superficial and perfunctory side plots divert the central story line. Banal dialogue, poor casting in key roles and Michael Kamen's unusually lackluster score permeates the entire film. It plods along to what should have been a face-to-face and no-holds-bared confrontation between Bond and Sanchez. This type of confrontation never materializes in the form that it should have. Bond informs Leiter over the phone about his retribution on Sanchez in a very brief and throwaway scene. This should have been a key scene in the film, bringing the revenge to an end. The best element of the story line was the idea of having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him and he didn't know whom to trust. However, this plot device was not exploited till nearly the last third of the film.

LICENCE TO KILL does contain some good performances. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. Dario's screen presence is twisted and contorted bringing the notion that evil menace is the only reason for his existence in life. Don Stroud was very credible and somewhat likeable as Heller, the head of security and Sanchez's private army. Wayne Newton actually brought a nice touch of comic relief as Professor Joe Butcher, head of a meditation temple and front for Sanchez's laboratories. Anthony Zerbe brought his unique brand of histrionics to his role of the seemingly drunken smuggler Milton Krest. From a sentimental point of view, it was good to see David Hedison reprise his role as Felix Leiter and it was nice to see Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the field in a meatier role than usual. Robert Brown gave his most credible performance as M in this film. Brown never possessed the charisma that Bernard Lee brought to the role. Here Brown as M brings a cold detachment in his scene with Bond even deploying sharpshooters in the event that the rogue agent may attempt to act irrationally when his licence to kill is revoked.

Also this film contains two of the best-staged and edited action scenes from the James Bond series. Bond's single-handed assault on Milton Krest's smuggling boat, which goes above and below water and finally into the air is incredible. The film's finale contains an intricate, complex, enthralling and completely entertaining duel between Bond and Sanchez and his cronies as they drive, jump, hurdle and hang on for dear life onto oil tank trucks along a mountainous curving road while bullets ricochet, rockets fly and explosion abound. The film seems more palatable with the passage of time. Bond was literally living on the edge in this one.

Average customer rating:

License to Kill/Formula
Starring: License to Kill , and Formula
Manufacturer: Mac Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Average customer rating:

License to Kill/Resting Place
Starring: Denzel Washington , and John Lithgow
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000BFH28C
Release Date: 2005-09-12

Average customer rating:

Gritty and Personal James Bond Film
Eternally Living on the Edge

License to Kill [Region 2]
Starring: Timothy Dalton , Carey Lowell , Robert Davi , Talisa Soto , and Anthony Zerbe
Director: John Glen (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B000056IFG

Customer Reviews:

Gritty and Personal James Bond Film.......2006-06-14

Eternally Living on the Edge.......2006-01-20

LICENCE TO KILL is an interesting follow-up to Timothy Dalton's version of James Bond in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. Though interesting there seems to be something offbeat and awry about it.

James Bond resigns in this film, but it had nowhere near the impact as when he offered his resignation in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. The story is supposed to be about Bond's revenge for the mutilation of his friend, Felix Leiter and the death of Leiter's wife. Revenge is usually meant to inflict punishment for a wrong deed received. The wrong received was the emotional pain that Bond was supposed to have experienced at Leiter's misfortunes. Cinematically, there was no visual basis for Bond's emotional pain. We never see the camaraderie or friendship between Leiter and Bond that was supposed to have existed. Why should Bond loose his objectivity and his professionalism over this incident, especially with Timothy Dalton portraying him for only the second time? Dalton's Bond certainly possessed the drive that Connery had established for the character and was present in Brosnan's interpretation of James Bond as well.

Dalton's Bond however, had little time for levity or diversion from the mission at hand. He was the dedicated civil servant. It is not that Dalton could have resigned and gone off on some personal revenge, but the film never lays the foundation for this happening and given Dalton's interpretation of the character, Bond's actions make no sense. For the viewer, revenge would suggest that some degree of emotional anger be felt while watching the film. As a viewer I felt very little anger for the pain and suffering dispensed by Sanchez and his henchmen. Certainly many of their acts were heinous and brutal, but as filmed and edited they did not have the dramatic impact that they should have.

I feel that the direction, the editing and screenplay lacked a cohesive vision. Once Bond breaks into Milton Krest's warehouse in Key West and proceeds to get pulled in by M at the Hemmingway House, the film starts losing what little momentum it had. We see Sharkey's body being towed to Krest's boat, another victim of Sanchez. We never learn under what circumstances he was killed. Bond meets up with Pam Bouvier at the Barrelhead Saloon. Following a poorly staged barroom brawl they join forces and peruse Sanchez to Isthmus City. Several superficial and perfunctory side plots divert the central story line. Banal dialogue, poor casting in key roles and Michael Kamen's unusually lackluster score permeates the entire film. It plods along to what should have been a face-to-face and no-holds-bared confrontation between Bond and Sanchez. This type of confrontation never materializes in the form that it should have. Bond informs Leiter over the phone about his retribution on Sanchez in a very brief and throwaway scene. This should have been a key scene in the film, bringing the revenge to an end. The best element of the story line was the idea of having Bond place doubt in the mind of Sanchez that henchmen in his organization were plotting against him and he didn't know whom to trust. However, this plot device was not exploited till nearly the last third of the film.

LICENCE TO KILL does contain some good performances. The film's greatest asset is Benicio Del Toro's performance as Dario, a Sanchez henchman. Dario's screen presence is twisted and contorted bringing the notion that evil menace is the only reason for his existence in life. Don Stroud was very credible and somewhat likeable as Heller, the head of security and Sanchez's private army. Wayne Newton actually brought a nice touch of comic relief as Professor Joe Butcher, head of a meditation temple and front for Sanchez's laboratories. Anthony Zerbe brought his unique brand of histrionics to his role of the seemingly drunken smuggler Milton Krest. From a sentimental point of view, it was good to see David Hedison reprise his role as Felix Leiter and it was nice to see Desmond Llewelyn as Q in the field in a meatier role than usual. Robert Brown gave his most credible performance as M in this film. Brown never possessed the charisma that Bernard Lee brought to the role. Here Brown as M brings a cold detachment in his scene with Bond even deploying sharpshooters in the event that the rogue agent may attempt to act irrationally when his licence to kill is revoked.

Also this film contains two of the best-staged and edited action scenes from the James Bond series. Bond's single-handed assault on Milton Krest's smuggling boat, which goes above and below water and finally into the air is incredible. The film's finale contains an intricate, complex, enthralling and completely entertaining duel between Bond and Sanchez and his cronies as they drive, jump, hurdle and hang on for dear life onto oil tank trucks along a mountainous curving road while bullets ricochet, rockets fly and explosion abound. The film seems more palatable with the passage of time. Bond was literally living on the edge in this one.

Average customer rating:

Top-notch entertainment
Shadow Propaganda
Quote:
Excellent movie, a must see for everyone
Soldiers Without Borders (Sans Frontiers)

Shadow Company DVD Special Edition
Director: Nick Bicanic , and Jason Bourque
Manufacturer: Purpose Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers
Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
WAR DOG: Fighting Other People's Wars -The Modern Mercenary in Combat
A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq
Fast Food

Product Features:

2 hours of special features
Full length commentary with Jason Bourque and Nick Bicanic
Full length commentary with Robert Young Pelton and Nick Bicanic
Washington DC premiere Q&A session
Exclusive additional scenes

ASIN: B000J55YLQ

Product Description

This year thousands of private soldiers will be deployed in conflicts worldwide. These individuals, known as private security contractors, are changing the face of modern warfare. But to those at home, their world and influence remains a mystery. Who are these security contractors? What do they do? Why do they do it? Shadow Company, by Nick Bicanic and Jason Bourque, is the groundbreaking feature-length documentary that reveals the origins and destinations of these modern-day mercenaries. The rules of war have changed.

Customer Reviews:

Top-notch entertainment.......2007-07-05

Is the journalism biased? Yup. Don't put Nick Bicanic down for journalist of the decade or anything, but he did an excellent job of following the members of merce... oh, sorry, we're not supposed to used the pejorative "mercenary" anymore. We're supposed to say Private Military Company. The people he interviewed come across very candidly and Bicanic really doesn't pull any punches when discussing an industry that is still in its adolescence. Based on the information presented in this film, it will be extremely interesting to see where the industry goes from here. It was very informative, cleverly done, and definitely keeps your attention. Might be a little dry for non-military or history afficionados, but if you're not into either of those, you probably aren't watching this movie anyway.

Shadow Propaganda.......2007-03-19

Objectivity is a curious word indeed, and describing this documentary as an "objective and balanced" look at the issue of "mercenaries for hire" requires that one subjectively persuade one's Self to ignore the core issues inherent in the profitable business of war.

Any overt discussion of personal and corporate MOTIVES is avoided in this film, and one is carried along on a seemingly placid wave of purely intellectual 'detachment' carefully crafted into the pacing of the documentary. All seems calm, rational, and objective (despite the 'action sequences' and 'war toys') until the last half of the tale. Then, suddenly, we are 'treated' to a few moments of subjective feeling by way of an interview with an attractive white woman recounting the tragic story of her love for a hired contractor who is killed protecting his 'client'. She struggles hard and succedes at holding back her tears as she tells her tale in close up to the camera. We see the charred and mutilated remains of her lover/husband (?) laying on the desert road in Iraq.

This scene is the only scene in the entire film that calls our attention to personal feelings, but they are the personal feelings of a white woman for her lover/husband (?) -a white man (I couldn't be sure whether they were married to each other or not, but I do know that HE was married and 'loved his family' because this 'objective' film told me so!) Now, call me subjective or crazy but I found this to be a highly "unbalanced" approach to the death that often permeates the film. No tender feelings of compassion are ever elicited from me regarding all the mangled bodies of Iraqis floating past the camera, and I never witness ANY Iraqi (whether man or woman or child) being shown even a moment of human compassion. I guess that's what "objective" and "well balanced" means.

In fact, this viewer found the film to be highly enamored of these Private Military Companies and their spotlighted "Soldiers of Fortune". They are depicted (quite one-sidedly) as rather noble if sometimes confused chaps just doing their jobs as the hired guns and dogs of war. After all, we are treated to a Lady Scholar with a British seeming accent informing us that "Mercenaries are the oldest profession" (though I always heard that the 'whores' were the oldest profession -but, then again, I suppose there might be some sort of unspecified connection between hired, mercenary 'dogs of war' and whores.) So yeah, this British seeming Lady informs us that as the great Medieval Wars came to a close there were "companies" of soldier-mercenaries who wandered down into Italy and proved to be "a stimulus to the economy." They practically "gave us the Rennaisance" itself, single handedly! Ah, the glories these poor, misunderstood (but thoroughly 'professional') thugs up for sale to the highest bidder have wrought upon this Earth! Can you say Amen, Brothers and Sisters?

Don't get me wrong, while I think that 'Shadow Company' could more accurately be titled 'Shadow Propaganda' I'm not at all certain that Nick Bicanic deliberately crafted it to be propaganda. It's just that his unconscious, subjective side got the better of him and he inadvertently made this very minor little masterpiece as a euphemistic employee or consultant for the mercenaries.

Somehow, the scene that stays longest with me after having viewed the film is the one where a fat faced, blue eyed white guy dressed in suit and tie opines thusly: "We believe that peace keeping, peace ENFORCEMENT is probably the biggest market for the private sector in the future".

Mister Bicanic went shopping to make a documentary. I think he may have stumbled upon the rather mercenary "Coalition of the Billing" who provided the subtitle for this objective and well balanced masterpiece: "Shadow Propaganda; The Coalition of The Billing".

But hey, don't take my word for it, I'm thoroughly subjective and congenitally allergic to anything posturing as "objective". I felt the film to be "asset stripping" as well as a kind of subtle "corporate raid" on my psyche. Rather like a "hostile takeover". Whew! Glad that's over with and done.

PS: I give it 3 stars for its technical competence and the director's skill at aping objectivity. Don't neglect to view the extra added attraction billed as a "conference" on the DVD: it's Nick and an illustrious company of three other white men: a certain "Senior Fellow From Center For American Progress, a guy from the "Brookline Institute", and the "Director, US Operations, Hart Group Security." Hired guns, all.

Quote:.......2007-03-19

"If looks could kill they probably will in games without frontiers, war without tears". - Peter Gabriel

Excellent movie, a must see for everyone.......2007-01-29

Every time I watch a documentary these days I can feel myself anticipating the moment when I really get the point the film makers are trying to Convince me of. It's like when I'm driving and I get that first little bit of road rage and suddenly I can feel myself looking for more reasons to get angrier and angrier. A lot of film makers play to your emotions, anger and fear being the best ones in my opinion, and I know I often get hooked in and by the end of the documentary I definitely have an opinion that was formed by the presentation of the info. It has made me biased.

SHADOW COMPANY is different. The info is presented in a way that plays to a person's intellect, not to their emotions. They carefully examine the information and allow you to make a decision for yourself.

The quality of the interviews is incredible. They are honest, heartfelt and true, not directed by the film makers to make a point. Having read some of Robert Pelton's books I can appreciate his knowledge and really enjoyed hearing his opinion.

The directing and editing is amazing. Early on I got a feeling of the vision that went into the creation of this film and felt how it carried through right through to the credits.

Overall this was a very well made film and I think that everyone should see it and recommend it to their friends. I really hope to see more from Purpose Films in the future.

Soldiers Without Borders (Sans Frontiers) .......2007-01-19

Whether you're a hawk or a dove; a privatization booster or a socialist, Shadow Company is a must-see. Obviously inspired by P.W. Singer's "Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry" (also a must read), these film makers have upheld the ethic of presenting well-balanced, non-judgmental material for the intelligent viewer to assess on their own. This is thought-provoking documentary film making and an accessible vehicle for creating awareness and generating conversations in the mainstream about this recent development in global military history.

A documentary like this exposes people to the system and all of the paradox that goes with it. Would the Rwandan genocide have happened the way it did had the UN accepted a bid from an outfit like Executive Outcomes? Could stability be achieved in Sudan now? Will a privatized military create more problems than it solves over time?

This whole issue presents a new level of complexity for systems and economies that are already vested and embedded in the military-industrial complex. The basic unit of input and the organizing principle for a privatized military is deadly violent conflict or, at least, ongoing volatile security situations. As interests continue to be vested, the short term economic and political self-interest benefits are clear, but the need for more deadly violent conflict to sustain the business interests is also clear. What happens in the long term will be very interesting... especially in places that don't get as much attention as Iraq and Afghanistan - e.g. places like Nigeria, Guyana, and Sudan (again).

This film generated a great deal of questions and ideas for conversation for me... which I think is the highest praise. Looking forward to more work from these film makers.

Average customer rating:

Back to His Cinematic Roots

License to Kill [Region 2]
Starring: Timothy Dalton , Carey Lowell , Robert Davi , Talisa Soto , and Anthony Zerbe
Director: John Glen (II)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005A417

Customer Reviews:

Back to His Cinematic Roots.......2006-09-28

This film ranks with DR. NO, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. Not since those films has James Bond on screen come as close to Ian Fleming's character. What makes this film stand out is that it combines the best elements of the three films sited. DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE contained images to the grittiest side of James Bond. In DR. NO the execution style death of Professor Dent and the gruesome knife killing of the guard in the swamp were both disturbing demonstrating a cruel edge to our hero. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE the struggle between Bond and Grant aboard the Orient Express was filmed in a more realistic style, not so much for cinematic flair but for realism. Beginning to explore the personal side of James Bond ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE really gives us an in-depth study of an agent who is starting to take account of his life and what future that profession offers him. LICENCE TO KILL resurrects and combines the best elements of these three previous films.

Timothy Dalton totally revamps his first interpretation of James Bond for this film. In THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS we got a 1960's Bond but slightly more serious. In LICENCE TO KILL Dalton closes out the decade of the 90's with a more up to date Bond. Notions of fair play and "Queen and Country" were given up long ago and all that one is left with is a sense of loyalty only to those close to him. What we are left with is an agent "on the edge" who is willing to take the battle to the enemy with "an eye for an eye" and to hell with anybody who gets in his way. The script lets us down in this respect but through the brilliant subdued performance by Dalton the idea still comes across. Also, a great piece of casting of Benicio Del Toro as devoted henchman Dario gives the audience the push it needed to see that this bunch of despicable villains really get their comeuppance from Bond. Michael Kamen's downbeat score also adds to the grimness of this film and the dirty business that our hero deals in on a daily basis and the toll it has taken on his psyche. This is a very different kind of Bond movie, bold in many respects and somewhat disturbing. There have been many strong reactions to this film. You either like it or you don't. If you examine the three Brosnan films, they contain many elements, which explore and owe inspiration from LICENCE TO KILL.

LICENCE TO KILL demands your attention as James Bond returns to his cinematic roots based on the literary Bond.

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