Licensed to Kill

I viewed this film when it opened in the US in 1965 (right in the middle of the James Bond craze), and I never forgot it. The American title was " The Second Best Secret Agent In The Whole Wide World". And the tag line for it was, " He's only number two, but he's just as good as the higher priced agent".

The lead British actor, Tom Adams, plays the main character as though he was born to the role. In an easy laid back fashion that exudes a sincere confidence, his 'tongue in cheek' performance is just right for this film. He's believable, satirical and funny where it counts. In essence, he was perfectly cast for this well done, if not the best, of the James Bond Spoof's.

The plot is, at times, a bit confusing. But what the film lacked in story-line is made up for by the well paced action sequences. Just when you think you might become bored, something happens and you're caught up in the whole affair once again. And the black and white photography well captures the mood of the time.

For many who are devotees of the 1950's - 1960's espionage drama era, this film is a must see. If for no other reason, simply the pure fun of it.

Any actor who carries....and can PROPERLY LOAD ...a Mauser Broomhandle has GOTTA worth an hour or two of my time. And Tom Adams as Charles Vine can sure do THAT. He's suave, sophisticated, very-British, and carries an odd-ball handgun. Wow!

I first saw this movie, via Turner's Chanel 17, when I was in college. It seemed to me to be head and shoulders above the average James Bond-wannabies. It stuck with me well enough I watched the second film, called WHERE THE BULLETS FLY, when it was offered.

My only regret is, since TIME-WARNER took over Turner Television, many of these 'small' films are lost...never re-shown....by these out-of-touch cost-accountants that run TW.

Take my advice...if offered a chance to see LICENSED TO KILL or WHERE THE BULLETS FLY, give it a chance. It MIGHT just grow on you.

If you've ever seen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and wondered, where on earth that song the cast starts singing at the party comes from, the answer is this. Despite the US edit of this movie boasting a brilliant title song by Sammy Davis Jr, something the UK version desperately lacks, it doesn't stop Licensed to Kill from being a rather lacklustre 007 homage from unconventional Canadian genius Linsday Shonteff. Even with the dubious connections to Bond, he's name dropped many times throughout with clear references made to past adventures, it's extremely by the numbers in terms of its plot and characters despite the best efforts of Tom Adams as leading man Charles Vine and the rest of the cast. The film just gets lost in its own plot, about some device that can reverse the effects of gravity all the while it tries to add Cold War politics, counter-espionage and many many kidnappings into the mix. Licensed to Kill is on the lower tier of Shonteff productions but is still worth a watch to see how low-budget UK cinema can still deliver a fun time.

I saw this film when I was fourteen and now I'm 48. In the meantime, I've seen thousands of films but never again this film. Could I be mistaken in my memory of it, I asked myself. Then I got hold of Lindsay Shonteff's 'Big Zapper' and found a marvelous satire about most everything but especially about sex and violence, which is ridiculed most thoroughly in that film. I now believe my memory and this film is the one I most desire to see of all films lost to me. First of all, another reviewer wrote about 'black and white - photo'. This film was shot in wonderful color, especially vivid to me. There were the most endearing autumn colors. I fear there are some really gruesome copies out there, which do not do justice to this film. Now for the film. My impression of Tom Adams was then, that he made any other agent-actor, including Sean Connery and James Coburn (whom I both like), look like choir-boys in comparison. This man was no bull-s**t. Strapped on his back was a gun. He never drew it from where it was. He let it stay there and when meeting up with bad guys, he shot from the back, each time ruining an overcoat. He also had a small gun of one shot, which he could hide behind a matchbox if necessary and when offered a last smoke before dying, he reversed the cards. The gun on the back was however much more fun. In the end of the film, he is chased by 'Sadistikoff' (yes, a pun) through some alleys in the city, early in the morning (nobody else is around). Since everything is so quiet, he notices that his shoes are far too noisy. He takes them off and continues in his socks. Sadistikoff notices the same thing and takes his shoes off - you can see, that there are holes in his worn-out socks! Poor Russia. This silent scene all ends when Adams lets the lid of a garbage-can smash down and hides opposite it in a doorway or something of the kind. Sadistikoff comes in and empties his gun on the garbage-can. Adams steps out and Sadistikoff is history. Just to see Adams in this role again - what a treat! Will I ever again? I saw Adams in some spy-flick with Raquel Welch, in which he played a heavy. I was not mistaken. This guy really had charisma. Why was he stopped, I wonder? Refused to play ball? I don't know. Or was it Lindsay Shonteff, the director, who made Adams look so good and who is equally neglected? Quentin Tarantino hasn't seen this one, nor seems anyone else of those who claim to dig up lost diamonds. Dig this one up, if you can!

Well, I got a German copy of the film on VHS and must admit that time has not been too kind to it. The humor does however still remain and the film impresses now for the fact that it was obviously done on a shoestring budget.

It is also obvious, when seeing this film again, how little special effects mean in order to maintain your interest in a film. Had they blown up a real helicopter in the end of the film instead of no helicopter at all, which was the case obviously, it would not have made the film better or worse. In fact, action is highly overpraised. It is for idiots. A thinking man or woman look for other things in a movie, things that cost very little destruction and therefore little money. Such people look for a good plot that makes you feel more deeply or a dialogue that makes you think more deeply. The money then goes to the writer, the composer of music and the director who manages not to destroy a good plot and beautiful music and last but not least actors that are interesting people. This film had a decent plot and dialogue, a good craftsman of a director that could work with little money, very good actors and lousy music. Had Ennio Morricone done the score, it would have been a classic!

Dauntless British agent Charles Vine (Tom Adams) is called upon to escort to London the famed Swedish scientist Henrik Jacobs to negotiate the sale of a secret formula. However, sinister forces gambling for enormous stakes are already at work.

With the aid of his gun, Vine manages to extricate his charges from the most diabolical traps until the final battle in a mile-a-second showdown fought along the Thames dockside and culminating to a wild and unexpected climax.

I cast my mind back to 1987 when I was at school and I saw Licensed to Kill (2nd best Secret Service Agent in the whole wide world!) in the Radio Times film guide. A Bond Style spy thriller! Yippee! It was going to be on LWT ( UK TV) I called in sick from school just to see the film and I was sort of disappointed by the lack of excitement and grandeur ... however, I did like the shootout at the dockyards, the camera framing the alleyways - quite a tense shootout ...

Fast forward to now, I still think that it's the most exciting scene in what is a spy spoof film, which can be at times meandering, talky, confusing, absurd (a woman turning out to be a man), however it's redeemed by an adequate plot, some witty dialogue and Tom Adams, who has a cool air about him, even if he's a little stiff in his acting.