What do you think: Should the Bond franchise place a moratorium on the words "Die" and "Kill" in their titles, at least for a few years? The words seem to spell doom and gloom as every Bond that uses them gets darker and darker. Remember when we thought Timothy Dalton was taking the Bond character too seriously? This latest Bond epic makes Dalton's entries look like walks in the park.
Anyway, despite a plethora of fancy stunts that liven up the affair and make it one of the better Bonds of late, "Die Another Day" is still about as dour a 007 adventure as there ever was. Picture this if you will: Bond is captured for spying by the North Koreans, held in a dungeon for over a year, tortured with abandon, almost killed, and finally released in a hostage exchange. His physical condition after this abuse is wretched, his body haggard, his hair and beard grown out and bedraggled, and his spirits at an all-time low. Then, having regained his freedom, he's renounced by his own government! And this is only in the first twenty minutes.
I had mixed feelings about "Die Another Day," but, overall, it's probably the best Bond since "GoldenEye." Its problems are that it develops almost no strong relationships, uses quips and double entendres as substitutes for dialogue, provides a relatively weak villain, and eschews charm and wit for fast action and relentless violence. Yet, in the end I came away liking it. The traditional heart and soul of the Bond movies may be getting colder and darker, but the gimmicks, tempo, and excitement are intact. Let's say it's middling Bond but nonetheless recommendable, something I couldn't say about "Tomorrow Never Dies" or "The World Is Not Enough," the plots and characters of which I can't even remember.
Interesting, too, about these latest Bond epics: They continue growing more exaggerated and far-fetched, while simultaneously trying to be more gritty and realistic. This time Mr. Bond is almost beaten to death, something that would never have happened in the old days. I wonder if the Bond producers aren't taking their newfound realism a bit too far. It's true that Ian Fleming's original concept for Bond was more serious than the tongue-in-cheek attitude adopted by his early screen incarnations, and the latest Bonds are, indeed, a welcome relief from the silly nonsense the Roger Moore vehicles deteriorated into. But isn't there some happy medium the producers can reach, as the old Connery films managed to do? "From Russia With Love" (1963) was dark and suspenseful and seemingly somber, yet the pleasure was knowing it was all in fun, all meant to be amusingly ironic. There is a stark brutality in this latest Bond project
that cannot be considered amusing or ironic by any stretch of the imagination, and it takes away some of the old Bond magic.
There's also the matter of Pierce Brosnan. For some of us who have followed the various Bonds since day one (meaning "Dr. No," 1962, discounting the earlier TV adaptation of "Casino Royale"), it has taken a while to get accustomed to Brosnan as the world's coolest super spy. At first I thought he was too slight for the role, both in physical appearance and temperament, but over the years I've become used to and accepted him. And just about the time I do, I find him growing too old for the part! Seems a little unfair. Of course, it's a well-honored (if hypocritical) tradition in Hollywood for male leads to romance women half their age; think of Cary Grant, Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable. But as Bonds get older, and Brosnan is fifty this month, they risk looking like dirty old men bedding down twenty year olds, a distraction that takes away just that much more of the fun from the proceedings. In "Die Another Day," the situation is mitigated slightly by one of Brosnan's female co-stars being a wee bit older than she looks, but the age differences may still afford some minor discomfort for a few viewers.
What's more, Bond films are known for their exotic locations, and we've come to expect most of them to entertain us with extensive travelogues to foreign lands. "Die Another Day" does not disappoint in this regard, but it hasn't as strong or as focused a plot to hold all the locales together as in previous ventures. Not that anyone really cares much about plot in a Bond film, but this one rather meanders, taking shape as it goes along and leaving a person wondering what it was all about. Something to do with gene replacement therapy, identity exchanges, and giant lasers in outer space to start wars and eventually control the world. The usual stuff.
The story begins, topically enough, in North Korea, which turns out to be the bleakest segment of the film, then moves along to Hong Kong, Cuba, London, and Iceland, ending aboard an aircraft bound for heaven knows where. Along the way, Bond meets two villainous North Korean army officers, Col. Tan-Sun Moon (Will Yun Lee) and his right-hand man, Zao (Rick Yune). Then he finds his main squeeze, a beautiful American spy called Jinx (Halle Berry), who, rising from the sea like Venus (or Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder, whichever you prefer), turns out to be one of the best Bond women in ages--strong, independent, and charismatic. Next, he encounters an immensely wealthy and flamboyant adventurer named Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens); Graves's chilly publicist, Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike); and an American CIA honcho, Damian Falco (Michael Madsen). Of course, along the way he also runs into M (Judy Dench), who appears to get more somber with each episode, continuing to dislike Bond no matter how many times he's saved the world or her life; Moneypenny (Samantha Bond), as infatuated with 007 as ever; and Q (John Cleese), more the fuddy-duddy than ever, "I never joke about my work."
Additionally, we have Madonna in an uncredited bit part as a fencing expert named Verity. Because she is only in the film for a minute, she is able to do less damage than she does during the opening credits where she sings the single worst Bond theme song in the history of the series. Remember when everyone looked forward to the Bond opening credits for their imagination, sexiness, and good music? The new opening credits are so bad, they practically stop the show in progress. The graphics are cold and hard, and the Madonna tune may be the most unpleasant theme song in the history of movies. Live with it; past the first twenty minutes, "Die Another Day" improves considerably.
Rather than the film having any particular strengths in characterization, dialogue, or suspense, its merits come largely in its action, ably advanced by fledgling Bond director Lee Tamahori ("Along Came a Spider," "The Edge"). There are some superb action sequences here that make the whole venture worthwhile. Naturally, we find the usual whizbang hardware like automobiles that can disappear into thin air (although making an Aston Martin Vanquish disappear seems grossly extravagant) and finger rings that can shatter the hardest glass. Various chase scenes involving hovercraft and supercars are thrilling, amusing fun, but the best action sequence, surprisingly, involves two men fighting it out with swords. Now, that IS ironic. In a film filled with the latest technological marvels of invention, the most intense action comes when two guys fight it out face to face with nothing but old-fashioned swords. The filmmakers should take note and follow Thoreau's advice: "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!"
One cute bit in the new film: While in Cuba Bond picks up and examines a copy of "A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies," a gag that undoubtedly flies over the heads of 99% of the viewing audience. Author Ian Fleming chose the name for his superhero by picking the most commonplace one he could find, that of the writer of the bird book in question, who at the time was a neighbor of his, James Bond.
Video: They say not to judge a book by its cover, and in this instance I'd say not to judge a film by its first few minutes. The North Korea segment that opens the movie is purposely dull in color and ragged in appearance to add an extra degree of harsh reality to the proceedings and possibly to tie it in with the later cold and frigid landscape of Iceland. The disc's transfer, in a wide, anamorphic screen size measuring a ratio approximately 2.17:1 across a normal TV, looks at the beginning about the same as I remember the picture from a movie theater, the delineation slightly fuzzy and the hues dark and subdued. Later, however, about a half an hour in, the image quality clears up considerably, and it reminds us of the best Bonds of the past--bright, sharp, clean, and well contrasted, free of moiré effects, halos, or excessive grain.
Audio: As you would expect of a new Bond outing, the sonics are spectacular. The audio choices are Dolby Digital 5.1 EX or DTS 5.1 Surround, the Dolby Digital I listened to sounding fabulous with its full range and deep impact. All channels blaze away, and the room literally rocks from the starting shots. The inevitable helicopter flyover makes its appearance early on (like one of Hitchcock's old cameos), perhaps to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. The background track, containing sound effects and music, is loud and intense but not so much so that it interferes with the spoken word or makes one rush to turn the volume down. With its wide frequency and dynamic scope, the soundtrack is one of the most impressive I've heard in quite a spell.
Extras: This is the first Bond movie to get a two-disc Special Edition. I'm not sure it's worth it, but such sets appear to be all the rage nowadays. Disc one contains the widescreen presentation of the film with its various audio tracks. It also contains two, separate commentaries, the first with director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael G. Wilson, the second with star Pierce Brosnan and co-star Rosamund Pike. Then, there's something called a "MI6 DataStream," a trivia track that provides continuous on-screen informational notes. Thirty-six scene selections conclude the first disc's amenities, with English, French, and Spanish for spoken languages and subtitles.
Disc two contains the now-mandatory bonus collection of supplementary materials. It begins with a group of short documentaries, "Inside Die Another Day," that can be played in individual segments or all at once. Together they last about an hour and twenty minutes and provide the usual background information, cast and crew interviews, and behind-the-scenes data. The next section is called "Mission Deconstruction" and contains pieces on "Scene Evolutions" (storyboard comparisons), "Inter-action Sequences" (multi-angle explorations), "Title Design" (opening credits breakdown), and "Digital Grading" (an effects featurette). Following the "Mission" business is a component titled "Equipment Briefing" that explains some of the gadgets and gizmos in the movie. After that, there's an "Image Database" with photo galleries of the cast, special shoots, locations, stunts, and vehicles. Finally, there's a "Ministry of Propaganda" element that includes Madonna's "Die Another Day" music video, the making of her music video, the making of EA's video game "007 Nightfire," some DVD-ROM things, two teaser trailers, one theatrical trailer, and a few TV spots. It's all tied up in a slim-line package, a fancy slipcase, and an informational booklet insert.
Parting Thoughts: Even mid-tier Bond is better than most other action movies, and "Die Another Day" does offer its fair share of excitement. The dreariness of the opening segment is offset by the thrilling later escapades and by Ms. Berry as a thoroughly engaging co-star. I mean, one could be watching another "XXX" or "Transporter" and not having nearly as good a time.
"Die Another Day" ends up fulfilling its job as yet another functional if not particularly innovative installment in the ongoing Bond saga. I just hope next time the producers lighten the mood a little.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2002 - Action/Adventure - Director: Vincenzo Natali - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring:Lucy Liu, David Hewlett, Anne Marie Scheffler, Joseph Scoren, Matthew Sharp, Jeremy Northam
Production Year: 2007 - Action/Adventure - Director: Paul Greengrass - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring:Matt Damon, Julia Stiles, Joan Allen, Edgar Ramirez, David Strathairn, Paddy Considine, Albert Finney
Production Year: 1977 - Action/Adventure - Director: Clint Eastwood - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring:Clint Eastwood, Sondra Locke, Pat Hingle, William Prince, Bill McKinney
Production Year: 1964 - Action/Adventure - Director: Cyril Endfield - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring:Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth, Michael Caine, Nigel Green
Advantages: Great performances, especially Brosnan and Berry Disadvantages: Bad, Cleese, Bad! And some of those special effects? Please! And ARGH on Madonna's "song" - a dog in heat sounds better!
Advantages: Its Bond, so there cars, women and action. Not the worst Bond film. A member of Ciao is in it :p Disadvantages: Title track by Madonna. Cheap looking CGI. Bad Editing. Not the best Bond film.
Advantages: Great action, stunts, nice humour, good baddies (if you get my meaning) and Halle Berry! Disadvantages: Double entendres are more 'worthy' of a Carry-on film
May 15th, 2003
very helpful by (100%):
