After the success of Timothy Dalton's first outing as James Bond in The Living Daylights, anticipation was high for the follow up. However, with a more ruthless take on the character and more violence which caused particular trouble in the UK market where it became the first Bond film to receive a 15 rating, Licence To Kill did suffer somewhat at the box office. It was still a hit, but due to legal issues it would be the last Bond film for 7 long years and the last Dalton Bond film.

It's a shame, as the film on the whole has a lot to offer. Dalton is terrific as Bond, arguably the closest anyone has got to playing the character as Fleming wrote him, and Robert Davi's Sanchez is one of the most realistic and finest villains in the long history of the series. However, the film is not without its problems. Considering John Glen is an experienced Bond director, the film feels somewhat clumsy at times, particularly in some of the editing and most noticeably in the performance of Talisa Soto as Sanchez's girlfriend, Lupe. Also, such is the serious nature of Dalton's Bond, the few attempts at humor do not work that well.

Licence to Kill stands out in the Bond series for its sense of danger, brutal villains, and Timothy Dalton's driven 007 – but it's got problems, including off-tone comedy, perplexing love interests, and an obligation to franchise expectations. Licence to Kill: Recut aims to eliminate these problems.