License to Kill

I picked this movie up because it looked pretty good and Denzel Washington was in it. I was pleasantly surprised with it, though when I realized how old it was, I didn't think I would enjoy it. It turned out that they used Denzel Washington as if he were a main character, but he was barely in it. However, it caught your attention in the horribleness of driving drunk. It should be shown to all kids getting ready to get their licenses and what can happen if you do drive while under the influence. A little depressing, the death of their daughter is very gripping and made me think of my own kids and the potential dangers, but definitely worth watching.

There's really not a whole lot to say about this low budget made-for-TV drama about two families whose lives intersect as a result of an accident involving a young girl and a drunk driver. The courtroom sequence in the second half contains some tension. And the overall acting is decent.

Maybe in its day the movie had some merit as a propaganda tool. But a generation later, the film's blunt, too-direct theme is highly off-putting. The story is not particularly entertaining. Indeed, it is something of a downer. Characters are all cardboard cutouts, lacking any degree of complexity. The family of the victim is highly respectable and squeaky clean. The head of the other family is an arrogant businessman named Tom Fiske (Don Murray) who is easy to dislike. The film's plot is trite and predictable. Script dialogue contains very little subtext. And the film's low-key piano score reeks of cheap elevator music.

I can think of no reason to recommend "License To Kill". Its thematic message of don't-drink-and-drive has long since been pounded and beaten into Americans, the highly moralistic theme belabored, ordained, and codified in countless other ways. To find films with relevant social themes, the viewer will need to look elsewhere.

My family bought me 'License to Kill' many years ago for Christmas. One look at the box cover and I knew it was going to be a title made early in Denzel Washington's career. A common cheapo tactic of movies you find in bargain bins which I don't think my family knew. It's a standard "perils of alcohol" made for TV movie and Denzel plays the small part of the prosecutor in the case.

I think we all know it's a crime. Irresponsible to operate a vehicle while intoxicated, but people still do it regardless. Parents lose a daughter in this tale and there's no grey area. No unavoidable tragedy. The offender is a lush. Drunk behind the wheel in the early afternoon and portrayed as semi-wealthy and a snob.

James Farentino is effective as the father on the verge of obsession seeking justice as is Don Murray good as the drunk who doesn't think he did anything wrong. Denzel is fine, but Donald Moffat (The Thing, Clear & Present Danger) is particularly effective as the defense attorney who serves his client well but the kind you love to hate.

It's not unmanageable to watch, but it strictly goes thru the numbers. If you didn't know what you were getting into before well you do now. Don't tune in for a early role for the future star alone.

DUI, Driving Under the Influence and killing someone is MURDER!!! Premeditated MURDER! This film portrays the choices we make when we make the decision to drink and drive; and it does it well. ANYONE that has EVER had a drink, and then driven a motor vehicle should watch this film.

A box showing current Denzel Washinton with an automatic gun and a synopsis that let's you expect a film like Man on Fire looked promising.

But despite what the cover promises, you end up with a badly dubbed (at least German version) below standard lawyer TV film without any surprises or tension. Denzel Washington appears for just a few scenes, playing a overburdened attorney without the possibility to show his brilliancy as actor and the rest of the cast is acting uninspired either.

Granted, for a 80s TV film, it might not be that bad, and without the feeling of being cheated to buy it, but watching it on TV on a very boring day, the rating would be a 3 out of 10. Given the circumstances, this shameless attempt to get another buck out of a low budget production deserves the worst rating of all.