Licence to Kill (a.k.a. License to Kill) (1989)

not much Fleming left to use by 1989

a key sequence from the novel Live and Let Die and elements of the short story "The Hildebrand Rarity," including the character of Milton Krest

a helluva lot more fun than The Living Daylights

Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum

memorable opening: Felix's wedding in Key West, Florida Hedison

Franz Sanchez (Davi, cold as ice) Dario (a sleek Benicio Del Toro)

two sexy "Bond girls": CIA agent Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) and the drug lord's moll, Lupe Lamora (Talisa Soto)

Milton Krest (Anthony Zerbe)

Everett McGill DEA agent Ed Killifer

At the Hemingway House, "M" (Robert Brown) revokes his license to kill ("A farewell to arms," Bond quips)

President Hector Lopez (Pedro Armendariz)

Olimpatec Meditation Institute

Professor Joe Butcher (Wayne Newton)

Michael Kamen score

main distribution center

tough-minded, with gruesome violence

Q, Moneypenny (Caroline Bliss)

boring Gladys Knight title tune

locations

steadily engaging, with spectacular and inventive stunts

top-notch editing, of course

stunts

televangelist a money-laundering front

iquana

fictional Central American nation of Isthmus (shot in Mexico)

allowed a couple of seconds of near-overwhelming emotion after the climax