The Bad Guy's Comeuppance in Licence to Kill...

JimmyBond0129 · June 2010

I don't know about you but I think this is the best thing about Licence to Kill. In other Bond films I don't really care if the bad guy gets his comeuppance or not because it's just business...Bond is on a mission and the bad guys just happen to get in the way of that mission. But with Licence to Kill it was personal. James Bond wanted Franz Sanchez to die as much as I wanted Sanchez to. In the end Franz was a bad man and he got exactly what was coming to him.

thesecretagent · June 2010

Yeah, I liked that way Sanchez got it too - especially using the lighter Delah and Felix gave him on their wedding day. It wasn't too dramatic or over-the-top either, just a really nasty way to go.

007 · June 2010

Probably my favourite death - although I do like the way that Dominic Greene is found in the middle of the desert with a couple of bullets in the back of his head and motor oil in his stomach. Perhaps a good article - favourite Bond villain deaths...

JimmyBond0129 · June 2010

www.youtube.com/watch?v=lePbirRwoD4/

I just wanted to post Sanchez's untimely demise in case you've forgotten about it.

Loeffelholz · June 2010

My only regret is that Glen didn't take that extra dramatic "beat" to let Bond actually say the name "Felix Leiter" before torching him B-)

JimmyBond0129 · June 2010

Loeffelholz wrote:

My only regret is that Glen didn't take that extra dramatic "beat" to let Bond actually say the name "Felix Leiter" before torching him B-)

That probably would've been redundant though because "Felix" is embroidered on the lighter. By the way my memory of the VHS Licence to Kill might be a little hazy but I specifically remembered seeing a reactionary shot of Sanchez after he read the engraved letters. And the expression on his face said, "Holy ****!"

Loeffelholz · June 2010

JimmyBond0129 wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

My only regret is that Glen didn't take that extra dramatic "beat" to let Bond actually say the name "Felix Leiter" before torching him B-)

That probably would've been redundant though because "Felix" is embroidered on the lighter. By the way my memory of the VHS Licence to Kill might be a little hazy but I specifically remembered seeing a reactionary shot of Sanchez after he read the engraved letters. And the expression on his face said, "Holy ****!"

Just the opposite for me...I didn't feel the moment was given enough weight, and it's unlikely Sanchez would have taken the time---under the circumstances---to read the inscription...and besides, he wasn't there when the lighter was given as a gift, so it would be largely lost on him. I'd much rather have had Bond show him the lighter, and say the name: a nice callback to the "Genuine Felix Leiter" gag in Act 1.

A small thing---but small things can make a big difference. Still, John Glen was the Master Director (of far too many Bond films, IMRO), so who am I to criticise?

JimmyBond0129 · June 2010

Loeffelholz wrote:

Just the opposite for me...I didn't feel the moment was given enough weight, and it's unlikely Sanchez would have taken the time---under the circumstances---to read the inscription...and besides, he wasn't there when the lighter was given as a gift, so it would be largely lost on him. I'd much rather have had Bond show him the lighter, and say the name: a nice callback to the "Genuine Felix Leiter" gag in Act 1.

A small thing---but small things can make a big difference. Still, John Glen was the Master Director (of far too many Bond films, IMRO), so who am I to criticise?

Well at least we got to see Franz Sanchez die a very painful death by getting lit on fire and blown to bits. Sanchez deserved to die like that after everything he did.

Napoleon Plural · June 2010

Sorry guys, I'm at the back of the Q when brains were handed out...

20 years and I'd never realised it's a lighter that avenges Felix Leiter....

youknowmyname · June 2010

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Sorry guys, I'm at the back of the Q when brains were handed out...

20 years and I'd never realised it's a lighter that avenges Felix Leiter....

Changes the movie for you now doesn't it? It took me a few watches to catch that as well.

A very fine death in the series, certainly.

I like the idea of doing a "Villian Death Sequence" elimination game...anyone?

Loeffelholz · June 2010

youknowmyname wrote:

I like the idea of doing a "Villian Death Sequence" elimination game...anyone?

That sounds like an excellent idea {[]

dr. evan-gelist · June 2010

i dont know why there was a big hooraaa about the final scene where sanchez was set on fire. even though it would be horrific to die by fire, there were other more gorier films at the time like nightmare on elm street, and the hellraiser films.

youknowmyname · June 2010

Loeffelholz wrote:

youknowmyname wrote:

I like the idea of doing a "Villian Death Sequence" elimination game...anyone?

That sounds like an excellent idea {[]

Although I am currently working on some graduate work stuff I will go about putting this together when time permits in the next fortnight.

Has this been done before?

Loeffelholz · June 2010

youknowmyname wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

youknowmyname wrote:

I like the idea of doing a "Villian Death Sequence" elimination game...anyone?

That sounds like an excellent idea {[]

Although I am currently working on some graduate work stuff I will go about putting this together when time permits in the next fortnight.

Has this been done before?

Not to my knowledge...there's been a villains' game, of course, but not a Villain's Death game B-) No hurry, really, as we're still in the throes of the Theme Songs game, so you have plenty of time to plan!

youknowmyname · June 2010

Loeffelholz wrote:

youknowmyname wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

That sounds like an excellent idea {[]

Although I am currently working on some graduate work stuff I will go about putting this together when time permits in the next fortnight.

Has this been done before?

Not to my knowledge...there's been a villains' game, of course, but not a Villain's Death game B-) No hurry, really, as we're still in the throes of the Theme Songs game, so you have plenty of time to plan!

Fantastic. Yes, indeed we are in the midst of quite the good Theme Songs Elimination Game. We are getting to the really juicy parts with the top 10 quickly approaching!

hegottheboot · June 2010

This always seemed like it was cut down to me. It lacks the full impact that it should have had and Sanchez only has a brief amount of time to react. Then we cut to Bond some distance away as thew tanker explodes. There should have been some dialogue or something. Didn't the censors have a field day with applying cuts to this film? (Not that it's that violent or anything, but to make an example.)

Loeffelholz · June 2010

hegottheboot wrote:

This always seemed like it was cut down to me. It lacks the full impact that it should have had and Sanchez only has a brief amount of time to react. Then we cut to Bond some distance away as thew tanker explodes. There should have been some dialogue or something.

That's my point. It should have gone like this:

Bond: Don't you want to know why? (beat) Felix Leiter. (Shows Sanchez the lighter and ignites him)

:007) It's just a beat of dialogue, but IMO it would have made all the difference...

hegottheboot · June 2010

Exactly. When I first saw the film I thought that my VHS tape had jumped or been edited. No such luck. Ironically I just picked up the laserdisc in a bargain bin.

DaltonFan1 · June 2010

Loeffelholz wrote:

hegottheboot wrote:

This always seemed like it was cut down to me. It lacks the full impact that it should have had and Sanchez only has a brief amount of time to react. Then we cut to Bond some distance away as thew tanker explodes. There should have been some dialogue or something.

That's my point. It should have gone like this:

Bond: Don't you want to know why? (beat) Felix Leiter. (Shows Sanchez the lighter and ignites him)

:007) It's just a beat of dialogue, but IMO it would have made all the difference...

Then again, in that additional half of a second Sanchez could have hacked Bond with the machete he was holding.
Also, had Bond said the name, it would be too similar to the rather clichéd "remember so-and-so" that we often hear.
And he was also avenging the death of Della.

Loeffelholz · June 2010

DaltonFan1 wrote:

Loeffelholz wrote:

hegottheboot wrote:

This always seemed like it was cut down to me. It lacks the full impact that it should have had and Sanchez only has a brief amount of time to react. Then we cut to Bond some distance away as thew tanker explodes. There should have been some dialogue or something.

That's my point. It should have gone like this:

Bond: Don't you want to know why? (beat) Felix Leiter. (Shows Sanchez the lighter and ignites him)

:007) It's just a beat of dialogue, but IMO it would have made all the difference...

Then again, in that additional half of a second Sanchez could have hacked Bond with the machete he was holding.
Also, had Bond said the name, it would be too similar to the rather clichéd "remember so-and-so" that we often hear.
And he was also avenging the death of Della.

Best not start getting into realism, or we'll have to discuss wheelie-poppin' big rigs

I'd still much rather they'd taken the moment. IMO it would have been worth it.

JimmyBond0129 · June 2010

I know the Dalton Bond should've said "Felix Lighter" but the important is, director John Glen showed the audience exactly how bad Sanchez could be, so by the end of the movie the audience had no sympathy for Sanchez whatsoever. What Sanchez did prior to his death scene justified him getting burned at the stake so to speak.

But if you did have sympathy for Sanchez at the end of the film the only thought that comes to my mind is, "What's wrong with you?"

punman · June 2010

I just bought this one on Blu-ray and watched it tonight. Have seen it before but not on Blu-ray. I have no problem with the ending and I would put this in my top 5 James Bond movies. Special effects are not excessive, women seen to have more to do than just eye-candy, and no bad humour - oh wait - that's what most want in a Bond film right? Not me.

JimmyBond0129 · July 2010

punman wrote:

I just bought this one on Blu-ray and watched it tonight. Have seen it before but not on Blu-ray. I have no problem with the ending and I would put this in my top 5 James Bond movies. Special effects are not excessive, women seen to have more to do than just eye-candy, and no bad humour - oh wait - that's what most want in a Bond film right? Not me.

Personally I think the Bond films sort of peaked with Thunderball and when they did the Dalton era they tried to recapture the glory days but they never could pull it off.

ics · July 2010

Big Big Dalton fan… would have liked that they didn’t cut the scene in the hotel where Bond looks at the TV about the Sanchez takes a cigarette and the lighter is shown again… such a super scene, which they didn’t cut it in the movie

hegottheboot · July 2010

If they had left it in we would finally have had the film Bond in a room with gun in hand prepping for danger. Must have been cut for time.
This film would have been better without the budget cuts. The new UE and Blu has a few more seconds of Sanchez burning-it makes the scene much more effective.

The Bad Guy's Comeuppance in Licence to Kill...

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