History Awesome / LicenceToKill

* Basically, this whole movie is about showing us just how dangerous Bond can be if you really piss him off because all of the training he's used on his countless missions is still there, he's just more cold-hearted and entirely ruthless. It's equal parts awesome and [[NightmareFuel terrifying.]]

'''Bond''' (reluctantly): I guess this is a farewell to arms...

* Q coming to [[BananaRepublic Isthmus]] to help Bond get hmrevenge for the Leiters, entirely unofficially. This is the only film in which Desmond Llewellyn's Q actually has a dramatic role in the plot, instead of just showing up for a light-hearted scene to set up how Bond's gadgets work[[note]] Barring the end of ''Octopussy'', although even there his appearance is intended as a comedy moment, not a character moment[[/note]]. Also, [[{{Hypocrite}} he just throws away one of his precious Q-Branch gadgets after he's done with it ]].

* Q coming to [[BananaRepublic Isthmus]] to help Bond get hmrevenge for the Leiters, entirely unofficially. This is the only film in which Desmond Llewellyn's Q actually has a dramatic role in the plot, instead of just showing up for a light-hearted scene to set up how Bond's gadgets work[[note]] Barring the end of ''Octopussy'', although even there his appearance is intended as a comedy moment, not a character moment[[/note]]. Also, [[FunnyMoments he just throws away one of his precious Q-Branch gadgets after he's done with it ]].

* Q coming to a BananaRepublic in order to aid 007 and chucking an invention away once he'd done with it.
** Plus, this is one in a handful of films aside from ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' and ''Film/NoTimeToDie'' in which Q actually has a sizable role, instead of just showing up at the beginning to give Bond his gadgets.

'''M''' (angry): ''We're not a country club, 007!'' (beat) Effective immediately. Your [[TitleDrop licence to kill]] is revoked...\\

* You know that scene in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' where a plane is yanked from the sky and pulled by another larger plane? This movie did it first, but with a helicopter pulling a plane. And with a TriumphantReprise of the Bond theme (called "License Revoked" on the soundtrack) as cherry on the cake.

* Bond's final battle against Sanchez, leading to Bond using Felix's present - a lighter - to set a gasoline-soaked [[ManOnFire Sanchez on fire]], giving him a quite KarmicDeath.
** Creator/TimothyDalton deserves a nod in regards to that scene for not using a stunt double for when Bond is running from the explosion. In more than one interview around the time the movie came out, Dalton said he was practically running for his life.

* The fact that Bond is able to win Sanchez's trust by ''admitting his status as a British agent'', leaving the drug lord with no reason to feel suspicious of Bond. Bond is able to utilize this to great effect in making Sanchez vulnerable until he has the opportunity to take him down.

* Basically, this whole movie is about showing us just how dangerous Bond can be if you really piss him off, because all of the training he's used on his countless missions is all still there, he's just more cold-hearted and entirely ruthless. It's equal parts awesome and [[NightmareFuel terrifying.]]
* Bond doing what he does through the course of the film JUST to get revenge for Felix doesn't entirely wash, but when you consider Della's fate, and the fact that Felix's wife was murdered on her wedding day the same as Bond's was, Bond's relentless obsession to destroy Sanchez makes a lot more sense. Sanchez' actions rip open Bond's own healed scars from what happened to him, plus, what Sanchez does to Felix and Della is even WORSE than what happened to him and Tracy. The film goes out of its way to remind us Bond was married in the garter scene before Bond leaves the wedding party, and he refuses to let M brush off Della's death as "part of the risks" of Felix's job when they have their confrontation scene.
* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young women in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does become slightly more empowered as the movie goes on and helps out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who helps kill Dario by shooting him so Bond can yank the goon into the cocaine shredder, made all the more satisfactory as he was the one who raped Della.[[note]]One can only imagine Della looking upon it all from the peaceful Hereafter, smiling.[[/note]] In an odd way; ''Licence to Kill'' is an incredibly ''{{Feminist|Fantasy}}'' Bond film.
* Bond demonstrates his improv skills and shows how quickly he can think on the fly, as his plan to turn Sanchez against his own people is largely taking place in real-time. When something goes wrong, he talks/works his way out of it, or gets a break, and much of Bond's plan against Sanchez works very well. Also, even in the third act when Sanchez turns on Bond, he still doesn't know why Bond is after him, he just believes he's some type of informant, because that's what Dario believes Bond is. Sanchez doesn't know Bond's true objective until the very end of the film, and he has about five seconds to process it before Bond torches him.
* After Pam tells him that she was trying to get Heller to turn on Sanchez, and that Bond's failed assassination attempt on Sanchez made her own plans go belly up, you can almost see the switch flip in Bond's head. He starts thinking things through more, acts less impulsively, and broadens his scope to not only defeat Sanchez, but finish what the other agents working against Sanchez started. He successfully completes every objective.

-->'''Bond''': SIR! They're not going to DO ANYTHING! (beat) I owe it to Leiter. He's put his life on the line for me many times.\\
'''M''': Oh, spare me this sentimental RUBBISH! He knew the risks.\\

-->'''Bond:''' [[PreMortemOneliner You earned it. You keep it,]] ''[[PreMortemOneLiner old buddy]]''.

'''M''': Oh spare me this sentimental RUBBISH! He knew the risks.\\

'''M''': This private vendetta of yours could easily compromise Her Majesty's government. You have an assignment, and I expect you to carry it out ''objectively'' and ''professionally''!\\

'''M''' (angry): ''We're not a country club, 007''! (beat) Effective immediately. Your [[TitleDrop licence to kill]] is revoked...\\

* Basically, this whole movie is about showing us just how dangerous Bond can be if you really piss him off. It's equal parts awesome and [[NightmareFuel terrifying.]]

* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young women in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does become slightly more empowered as the movie goes on and helps out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who helps kill Dario by shooting him so Bond can yank the goon into the cocaine shredder, made all the more satisfactory as he was the one who raped Della.[[note]]One can only imagine Della looking upon it all from the peaceful Hereafter, smiling.[[/note]] In an odd way; ''Licence to Kill'' is an incredibly ''{{Feminist|fantasy}}'' Bond film.

* Bond's final battle against Sanchez, leading to [[spoiler:Bond using Felix's present - a lighter - to set a gasoline-soaked [[ManOnFire Sanchez on fire]], giving him a quite KarmicDeath.]]

** Plus, this is the only film aside from ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', and ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' in which Q actually has a sizable role, instead of just showing up at the beginning to give Bond his gadgets.

* You know that scene in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' where a plane is yanked from the sky and pulled by another larger plane? This movie did it first, but with a helicopter pulling a plane. And with a ''triumphant'' reprise of the Bond theme (called "License Revoked" on the soundtrack) as cherry on the cake.

** Don't forget that to avoid getting hit with a Stinger, Bond does some CarSkiing. ''With an 18-wheeler''. Sanchez's Mooks stare in disbelief, Bond stares back with an "I'm James Bloody Bond" smile on his face.
** And yet again, this was a triumph for the stunt drivers. The crew had a rig built so that the truck could be propped up and drive at a 45-degree angle. The stunt drivers insisted they could do it for real, ''and they did''.

--> Dario: (Laughs) "You're dead."
--> Pam: "You took the words right out of my mouth."
--> (shoots him)

* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young women in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does become slightly more empowered as the movie goes on and helps out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who helps kill Dario by shooting him so Bond can yank the goon into the cocaine shredder, made all the more satisfactory as he was the one who raped Della.[[note]]One can only imagine Della looking upon it all from the peaceful Hereafter, smiling.[[/note]] In an odd way; ''Licence to Kill'' is an incredibly ''Feminist'' Bond film.

** Don't forget that to avoid getting hit with a Stinger, Bond does some CarSkiing. ''With an 18-wheeler''.

** The crowner is Felix and James parachuting down directly down to Felix's wedding - leading to a wedding where the groom's outfit has a train and the bride's does not.

'''Bond''' (with suppressed rage): Then you have my resignation, sir!\\
'''M''' (angry): ''We're not a country club, 007''! (beat) Effective immediately. Your licence to kill is revoked...

--> Dario: (Laughs) "You're dead".
--> Pam: "You took the words right out of my mouth".
--> (shoots him).

-->'''Bond:''' You earned it. You keep it, ''old buddy''.

* You know that scene in ''Film/TheDarkKnightRises'' where a plane is yanked from the sky and pulled by another larger plane? This movie did it first, but with a helicopter pulling a plane.
** The crowner is Felix and James parachuting down directly down to Felix's wedding - leading to a wedding where the groom's outfit has a train and the bride's does not.

* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young women in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does become slightly more empowered as the movie goes on and helps out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who helps kill Dario by shooting him so Bond can yank the goon into the cocaine shredder. All that's missing is a good "This is for Della Leiter, pig!".[[note]]This Troper imagines Della looking upon it all from the peaceful Hereafter, smiling.[[/note]] In an odd way; LicenceToKill is an incredibly ''Feminist'' Bond film.

* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young women in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does become more empowered as thee movie goes on and helps out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who actually kills Dario by shooting him and making him fall into the cocaine shredder. All that's missing is a good "This is for Della Leiter, pig!".[[note]]This Troper imagines Della looking upon it all from the peaceful Hereafter, smiling.[[/note]] In an odd way; LicenceToKill is an incredibly ''Feminist'' Bond film.

* Pam Bouvier....PERIOD! She's a genuine ActionGirl who kicks tail as good as Bond and her presence is especially refreshing considering the other young Bond Girls in this film consist of a helpless rape/murder victim and a girlfriend of the BigBad who's a constant victim of DomesticAbuse (though she does help out Bond). She even puts Dario in his "place" twice....She holds him off when he's pervin' on her by pointing her shotgun at his (rather excited) neither regions AND she's the one who actually kills Dario by shooting him and making him fall into the cocaine shredder. All that's missing is a good "This is for Della Leiter, pig!". Della must be smiling in the Afterlife. In an odd way; LicenceToKill is an incredibly ''Feminist'' Bond film.

* Basically, this whole movie is about showing us just how dangerous Bond can be if you really piss him off. It's equal parts awesome and [[NightmareFuel terrifying.]]