Cut by mistake. Wrong print used by MGM and all regions are missing material. I've confirmed this by comparison to the previous widescreen VHS version. None of the cuts are for censorship reasons and the film itself is passed uncut in it's full length version.

More info on these cuts at The DVD File Cut List

However, they report the following "Finally, after the stock car race, when Tracy says "We didn't even stop for the prize," Bond's line "I told you that crowd would discourage them" has also been cut.", and yet I'm sure that line is present on the UK R2. The other cuts apply though.

Update: IMDB says the following which sounds more accurate... "When Bond speaks the line "I told you the crowd would discourage them" after the stock car race, he was previously shown saying so in close up, now the line is only heard as Bond and Tracy speeds away"

Licence to Kill [1989]

Cut by mistake. The story goes that the US R1 DVD was released cut by mistake when it should have been the same as the longer uncut version. The UK R2 DVD is also cut and assumed to be identical to the R1 from all reports (this despite the BBFC waiving all previous cuts for the 15 cert on the release of the Widescreen VHS in 2000). All other regions are the same it is believed.

IMDB Reports: "The 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.".

This sounds accurate but the attribution to the BBFC and UK DVD makes it sound like it's yet another UK only cut, but that's not the case from all reports of the R1 also being cut (unless anyone knows otherwise?).

djnation of The DVD Forums reports this of an uncut recording from ITV...

"Having just watched the tape now I can confirm that the uncut scenes are as follows...
You DO see Felix's leg stump underwater after the initial shark attack - it is brief and it took a couple of rewinds to see that it was indeed the stump of his just bitten off leg.

Krest's Death - It is a myth that you see the head explode in graphic detail but what happens in the DVD version is that as the head expands it cuts away to another guys reaction as you hear the head explode then it cuts back to show the bloody glass, in the uncut version the head expands then explodes on screen without a cutaway - However the explosion happens so fast that you literaly go from the expanded head to the glass being covered in blood along with the explosion sound (it does appear quite gruesome even without more detail though)

With Dario's Death, I believe in the original that you see bloody lumps going through the grinder after he has let go of Bonds legs (still quite nasty), with the uncut version as he's holding onto Bonds legs it cuts away to the scene showing the bloody bits going through the grinder then cuts back to more screaming as he's still holding onto Bonds legs until he's pulled all the way in (this is nastier as it implies that his legs have just been diced as he's still alive holding onto Bond).

Lastly with Sanchez, in the original it starts with Bond setting him alight and then it cuts to him fully engulfed in flames and falling into the truck causing the explosion, in the uncut version there is a couple more seconds of sanchez just after he has been set alight and screaming before he then falls and explodes the tanker."

I've reviewed the French R2 which appears to be the same disc as the UK R2 (got the French version just in case it might be uncut), and the leg stump is still missing and the fiery death appears to be short (though I don't know how long it should be). However the whipping scene (previously cut) in the pre-credit sequence is intact and the head explosion scene shows an expanding head and blood on the glass (but no head explosion, though you do hear it).

Goldeneye [1995]

Cuts to Goldeneye by the BBFC to a headbut and cuts 'by substitution' (a DVD extra is also cut)

MGM resubmitted it to the BBFC for an uncut 15 cert for the Special-Edition DVD but the BBFC "no two versions on different certificates" rule forced them to release the old cut 12 version. Therefore the same cuts apply to the Special Edition and the earlier non-Special Edition.

Note: European 2001 and 2002 R2 editions carry the 'gun' spine, which may be of interest to those who want matching spines with the UK editions. The R4 spine does not match.

Tomorrow Never Dies [1997]

Cuts to Tomorrow Never Dies by the BBFC 'by substitution'. There's a head 'stamp' that's cut I think and maybe some throwing star stuff, but I think they also made alterations to the audio (and maybe in Goldeneye too) to reduce the 'impact' of the violence.

Same as with Goldeneye MGM resubmitted it to the BBFC for an uncut 15 cert for the Special-Edition DVD but the BBFC "no two versions on different certificates" rule forced them to release the old cut 12 version. Therefore the same cuts apply to the Special Edition and the earlier non-Special Edition.

Note: European 2001 and 2002 R2 editions carry the 'gun' spine, which may be of interest to those who want matching spines with the UK editions. However, the title will be in the local language (e.g. Demain ne meurt jamais, for the French version)