Release Date: November 22, 2002
Starring: PIerce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Sevens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese
Directed by: Lee Tamahori
Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (action violence, sexuality)
The James Bond series, the longest running and perhaps most popular franchise in film history, continues with its 20th installment in Die Another Day, and this movie is charged with maintaining the standard by which nearly all action films today are measured. It wasn't until after Agent 007 was introduced in 1962 that movie audiences wanted their action elaborately staged, their women gorgeous and breathy, their spy gadgets and cars sexier than ever, and their heroes suave, cunning, and good-looking. Unfailingly, Die Another Day commemorates the legacy's 40th year in fine fashion, and it proves that very few, if any, action stars can match the caliber of James Bond.
Looking back on the Bond films, it's actually a bit difficult to describe more than a small handful of them as great movies on their own terms. After 20 films (21 if you count the "unofficial" entry, 1983's Never Say Never Again), there have certainly been some memorable moments, but even the biggest Bond fans have to admit that the continuing success of the franchise is due to the basic idea of a debonair secret agent who never fails to complete his mission and get the girl -- not necessarily the quality of the movies themselves.
Die Another Day is a different story, though. Perhaps more so than any of the recent Bond movies, (the three films before it, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough), it succeeds in delivering the staples of 007 -- intricately designed action sequences, state-of-the-art special effects, and an original story -- resulting in the rare combination of a strong premise and solid execution.
This installment finds our hero (Pierce Brosnan, in his fourth appearance as 007, and still the best since Sean Connery) in North Korea, where a pair of ruthless military leaders are making shady weapons deals. While trying to stop them, 007 is betrayed and eventually sent back to London, where his superior, M (Judi Dench), dismisses him from Her Majesty's Secret Service. Bond then sets out on a personal vendetta to find the person who double-crossed him, and in the process, he discovers an evil plot of world domination led by the same villains he confronted in North Korea. The British Secret Service and America's National Security Agency -- represented by the beautiful and resourceful Jinx (Halle Berry) -- soon come to 007's aid, and they don't forget to bring plenty of cool gadgets, magnificent cars, and witty one-liners.
As Bond enthusiasts will be sure to notice, director Lee Tamahori (Along Came a Spider, The Edge) makes the world famous secret agent a bit more human than usual. Tamahori and screenwriters Neal Pervis and Robert Wade (The World is Not Enough) throw in an interesting and daring twist at the beginning, but this actually strengthens the 007 character and gives him a depth that has been missing in nearly all of the previous movies. Typical of all action films, though, Die Another Day doesn't dwell on character development and gets right down to the eye candy.
And there's plenty eye candy to be found in this 135-minute film. A few scenes that will keep XXX director Rob Cohen and other pretenders up at night include a hovercraft pursuit, a tense but playful sword duel, a fight beneath several deadly and fast-moving laser beams, and a never-before-seen sequence involving a car chase on a frozen lake.
The story isn't nearly as groundbreaking as the action, but it does help the movie stand with the better Bond films. The franchise has seen plenty of over-the-top villains with complicated plans for world domination, and while Die Another Day's bad guys Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) and Zao (Rick Yune) aren't the most interesting, they still manage to provide a solid conflict for our hero.
In all this fun, the creative minds also remembered to throw in references to several old James Bond movies, including: a familiar shot of Halle Berry in a bathing suit (invoking Ursula Andress in Dr. No), a Union Jack parachute (The Spy Who Loved Me), some recognizable antique gadgets used in Goldfinger and From Russia With Love, and plenty of other hints to appease longtime fans.
But it's not as if they needed additional convincing. Die Another Day removes any doubt that nobody does it better than Bond, and it certainly doesn't look like he'll be leaving any time soon.
all contents © 2002 Andy Zientek