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Licence to Kill
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Alternate versions for
Licence to Kill (1989) More at IMDbPro »

  • On pan and scan VHS prints issued since 1990, the opening title credits have been slightly altered to fit the screen. Some credits that took one line in the widescreen version were altered to fit two lines in the pan and scan version.

  • The original DVD release contained a mild dialogue alteration. The "What are you waiting for? Get in!/Yes, sir." exchange has been moved to the next shot of Bond nodding and approaching the tanker, after Pam stops it. Originally, she said it right after stopping the tanker. The fact that Timothy Dalton's lips can only slightly be seen to move when he says his line confirms this alteration. However, the 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD has moved these lines back to their proper places.

  • SPOILER: The original UK DVD is still slightly cut in places for violence. These cuts may have been made by the BBFC or by the distributor. When Felix is tortured by Sanchez, an underwater shot of the bloody water and the stump where Felix's leg used to be is still missing. In the scene where Krest is killed, the shot of his head actually exploding is replaced by a shot of Heller squirming. The fiery death of Sanchez has been trimmed.

  • SPOILER: The initial UK Warner Home Video releases were the original edited cinema versions (cut by 37 seconds). The UK MGM video release in 2000 restored 26 seconds of cuts (mainly to the opening whipping scene, Leiter being attacked by the shark and Dario's death in the mincer) but was still missing some brief cuts (despite the fully uncut version having been shown on British television). When the film was submitted for video/DVD re-release in 2005, the BBFC waived all cuts for the movie but an error by MGM resulted in the edited version being released by mistake.

  • SPOILER: This new 2006 Ultimate Edition DVD is, for the first time, the fully uncut version, including all the previously cut MPAA and BBFC footage. The following scenes have been restored:
    • Sanchez whipping his mistress in the Pre-title sequence has soundtrack restored to the original level.
    • Killifer gun butting the driver during Sanchez's escape is restored to its original level.
    • When Leiter gets tortured by Sanchez, his stump is shown.
    • The ninja woman's bullet wound is shown.
    • Krest's head exploding is shown in full. In the cut version, it showed Krest's head expanding very briefly and then it cuts to Sanchez's reaction while we hear blood splattered on the window. In the uncut version, we see Krest's head fully expand then blood splatters on the window.
    • More footage Dario's legs being minced.
    • The full version of Sanchez burning at the end is present in the UE i,e he goes down on his knees. Previously, it showed Sanchez burning briefly and then Bond pausing briefly to watch before he runs away. The BBFC passed this full version for release in 2005 with a 15 certificate. In addition to that, UK TV audiences have seen it, e.g. at Easter 2006 starting in an early-evening slot on ITV1.


  • When the film was submitted to the BBFC in 1989, some scenes had to be trimmed down for a "15" rating. In 2000, the film was rated "15" again, but this time some cuts were waived due to changed guidelines in the BBFC. In 2005, the film was rated "15" and all previous cuts were waived.

  • The MPAA reportedly trimmed a few scenes to avoid an R rating. The uncut version was submitted internationally.


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