John Glen (born 15 May 1932) is a film director. He was born in Sunbury-on-Thames, England. A former film editor and second unit director, Glen has carved his niche in action pictures. His first credit was on the James Bond flick “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969). Other credits as film editor include Peter Yates’ “Murphy’s War” (1970), the trial drama “Conduct Unbecoming” (1975) and the Bond films “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) and “Moonraker” (1979), both directed by Lewis Gilbert. He moved to the director’s chair with “For Your Eyes Only” (1981), which eschewed much of the gadgetry and cartoon style of the previous entries in the series. Glen serviceably directed four more Bond films “Octopussy” (1983), “A View to a Kill” (1985), “The Living Daylights” (1987) and “Licence to Kill” (1989). Since abandoning the Bond franchise, he has overseen “Aces: Iron Eagle III” and the unsuccessful “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” (both 1992). —TCM read more
The real issue with Dalton is he doesn't get many opportunities to actually prove himself, given his two entries in the series are so focused on action and aggressively driving plot. There are moments of genuine, fiery anger in this film that impress, but there are also an abundance of moments where he's incredibly awkward; he can't convincingly pull off caustic humor in the heat of violence like Connery or Brosnan, and Roger Moore's smooth doings with the ladies overshadow the contrived sexual trysts here. Still, he makes the role his own, for better and for worse, and "Licence to Kill" is a thrilling, edgy and delightfully campy Bond film. Carey Lowell is one of my fave Bond girls, for sure.
Licence to Kill is the definitive Timothy Dalton Bond film, and quite possibly the most violent Bond of them all. Dalton is in his element as Bond-on-the-edge; removed of his licence to kill and prepared at all costs to exact vengeance on the men who fed Felix Leiter (David Hedison) to the sharks. Highlights include a tanker-truck chase and Robert Davi as one of the best villains in the entire series.