Licence to Kill

Not as witty as The Living Daylights, but it doesn't let the audience down in the arena of effects, gadgetry, and locations. It even makes muddled concessions towards a feisty Bond girl (Lowell) - one who must prove her sincerity by splitting skulls and fingernails with equal abandon. The plot kicks off with Bond and ex-CIA friend Felix Leiter capturing billionaire drug lord Sanchez (Davi), then deftly parachuting into Leiter's wedding. But Sanchez escapes to exact bloody revenge on Leiter and his bride, leaving Bond with a personal vendetta and a revoked licence to kill. The settings range from the Florida Keys (shark attacks, spectacular aerial rescues, scuba diving) to the fictitious Isthmus City in Latin America. It's all very pacy, with the overly straightforward plotting dimmed but not obscured by the hi-tech effects.