Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An homage to the past..., June 11, 2003
One thing for sure about "Die Another Day": the writers well understood (and paid tribute to) the great Bond movies of the past. The end result is a movie that, while not perhaps as great as the films it honors, certainly takes its place as one of the best modern Bond films made.Nearly every previous Bond classic is represented here: there is, of course, the acknowledged nod of the head to Dr. No and the famous bikini sequence. But you don't have to look very hard to see many other references. There are depressuring fights on a plane ("Goldfinger"), a great car chase on ice sequence ("The Living Daylights"), Bond leaving the service as a rogue ("License to Kill"), diamond weapon in the sky ("Diamonds are Forever"), the list goes on and on (I would even venture to say there is a tribute of sorts to the foolishness that went on during Roger Moore's Bond days; the unbelievable wind surfing stunt Bond pulls about halfway through is exactly the sort of silliness that Moore did all the time). Cynics might say this is true of any Bond film nowadays; they are so derivative they resort to stealing from themselves. But I don't think that's the case here. It's pretty clear the writers knew what they were doing when John Cleese even quotes some of the great "Q" lines from the past in his excellent sequence where he provides Bond his new Aston Martin (and now we've come full circle there as well, returning to the car that made Bond famous). I'm not a big Halle Berry fan, but she's very good here. More to the point are the villians. Toby Stephens and Rick Yune are terrific, as so is Pierce, who ironically is hitting his stride and seems totally comfortable in a role he's soon to give up. If you've enjoyed the great Bond movies in the past, you're sure to appreciate this one. Even those new to Bond should have fun with the action and adventure.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
The worst Bond ever?, January 7, 2004
In BriefThrough the miracle of modern science Colonel Moon leaves his North Korean dictatorship to become Gustav Graves, a successful British entrepreneur. Using his wealth, he funds the development of a large satellite capable of delivering the Sun's heat as an intense energy ray upon the surface of the Earth. A simple solution that can destroy his South Korean enemies and American `allies' in a single push of the button. Only one man can stop him. The name: Bond, James Bond. Review `A Bond movie falls into a specific genre and you have to provide certain elements. You must respect the fact it's essentially about girls, guns, gadgets and big action.' says director Lee Tamahori. It's a shame he missed out a plot and decent acting. Now before I am slated, I just want to go on record as saying I love Bond movies and no one was more surprised or disappointed with this awful product than myself.
The film opens brilliantly with a stunning chase sequence that results in Bond's capture. Unfortunately the breathtaking start is not sustained. The major strength at the start is that Bond has a nemesis in the guise of Colonel Moon, played by Will Yun Lee, an actor who manages to create an adversary that captivates the audience. The irony is that Lee appears for 15 minutes then fakes his death and has genetic surgery to become Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). Stephens is awful. He creates that sense of annoyance within me that I can only compare to the character of Ian Beale from Eastenders. He's not an evil villain, but just a bloke you want to punch for wasting your time. Bond films thrive on the foe, and if the foe is not up to standard then Bond can't excel. You even begin to notice that witty quips and gadgets do not make a movie and cannot hold a narrative together no matter how many explosions you throw at it. What's sad about this `new Bond for a new Millennium' is that after the hype surrounding XXX, it sinks to that film's low standards rather than rising above such a poor competitor. Yes, featured here are some fast motion macro zooms - the staple of the modern action film - an amazing invisible car, and a virtual reality sequence with its own take on Matrix Bullet Time. But you have to ask why has this been done to the country's favourite secret agent? They've tried hard to appeal to a mass market whilst missing out exactly why people have been fascinated by Bond for 40 years! So what of Brosnan and Berry? Is the chemistry to die for or can it wait till another day? Well like that joke, the Berry/Brosnan match up sucks. Berry seems uncomfortable with her character throughout the entire film. I know the Bond girl stereotype doesn't give much scope for an actress but her sassy wisecracking seems worn out and her interaction with Bond stale. Brosnan on the other hand does amazingly well with what he has to work with. He IS Bond and the character fits him so well. The prison scenes give a glimpse of him being allowed to use his character in a new direction and it would have been a joy to see him explore this. And his scenes with John Clease's Q and Judi Dench's M are always a pleasure. The Verdict The twentieth official Bond film in the series, and it surmounts to nothing more than an overblown action film, with script and plot to match. A crying shame and a great disappointment, hopefully this won't signal a new direction but rather an experiment. I pray that Brosnan comes back one last time and shows us how it should be done. He is a great Bond and this should not be his last.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Another Terrific Bond Episode With Pierce Brosnan!, July 16, 2003
This is by far the most interesting and best-produced of the recent James Bond movies, with an interesting plot, breath-taking photography, and a smart, sassy, and able cast making it work. Pierce Brosnan has finally made the part his own, escaping the long shadow of our much-love Mr. Connery by creating a new visage and a new, hipper style for the intrepid Mr. Bond. Here he is joined by the eye-popping Halle Berry, whose emergence from the surf is a welcome sight for these old male eyes. They connect well on the film, with the twist that she is the first Bond conquest ready to love him and leave him, too. The story here is credible and appealing; sent in to assassinate a North Korean general, Bond is captured after successfully and rather spectacularly killing the target. By the time he is exchanged for an opposite number months later, his reputation has been sullied, his loyalty questioned, and his -00 sanction to kill revoked. Bond decides to take things into his own hands, and stepping away from his guarded hospital ward where he is being held under security, begins to unravel the mystery to regain his reputation and his job. Brosnan and Berry are ably aided by a top-notch supporting cast, including Dame Judi Dench, John Cleese, Rick Yune, and a number of notable others. I was, for example, amused to discover the material girl, Madonna herself, popping up in a brief cameo appearance mid-film, and she played her part well enough, but hardly lit up the screen. As usual for a Bond-flick, the action and the pyrotechnics are superb, especially an intriguing use of multiple lasers in a fight scene that has an unusual rhythm to it that is quite well shot, and also a number of interesting and diverting chase scenes that I found quite entertaining. The script is well written, and the usual Bond banter and repartee is as good as ever. All in all, this is a great evening's entertainment, and the only disappointment I had with it is that the credit only alluded to the fact that James Bond would be back, but without mentioning the name of the next film. For we die-hard Bond devotees, that was a disappointment. Otherwise, enjoy!
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