Synopsis

After drug lord Franz Sanchez attacks CIA agent Felix Leiter and murders his new wife, James Bond abandons his orders and pursues Sanchez through the criminal underworld. Stripped of his authority by MI6, Bond joins forces with former pilot Pam Bouvier and infiltrates the cartel, determined to bring down its ruthless leader by any means necessary.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is the 16th official James Bond movie and Timothy Dalton's second and final appearance as 007.

• The production was originally titled "Licence Revoked." The name was changed after American audience research suggested that the phrase was more readily associated with losing a driver's license than with James Bond.

• It was the first Bond film whose title was not taken from an Ian Fleming novel or short story, although elements of Live and Let Die and "The Hildebrand Rarity" were incorporated into the story.

• Principal photography took place largely in Mexico City, Acapulco, and the Florida Keys. The production filmed in Mexico from July 1988 before moving to Key West and the surrounding islands.

• The film's unusually harsh violence created rating problems. It received a PG-13 rating in the United States, while the original British release was the first Bond film to receive a 15 certificate. Several violent moments were cut for that UK theatrical version.

• Gladys Knight performed the title song, while Patti LaBelle sang the end-credits song "If You Asked Me To." The latter became a major hit when Celine Dion recorded it several years later.

• The film was the final Bond production to feature the work of title designer Maurice Binder and screenwriter Richard Maibaum, both of whom had been associated with the series for many years.