Die Another Day (2002)
Review by JM Tuffley

Written by Neal Pervis & Robert Wade, based on characters created by Ian Fleming
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Music by David Arnold
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, John Cleese, Judi Dench, and Michael Madsen

My Advice: Wait and Rent it...just pray for the Jinx flick.

Going into this, the 22nd film based on Ian Flemming’s spy novels (the 20 “official” Broccoli-produced MGM films, plus the Sony-produced 1983 Connery outing Never Say Never Again and the David Niven/Peter Sellers/Woody Allen spoof loosely based on Fleming’s Casino Royale, for those of you keeping score), you have some idea of what to expect: gadgets, scantly clad women, and groan-generating one liners.

This, however, was not always the case--and something it seems the Bond producers have forgotten over time. Yes, Bond is suave and sophisticated, a charming manipulator with killer instinct. What 007 is not is a supergenius--something Sean Connery brought out in his take on the character--the everyman aspect (perhaps the single reason why Connery’s version will always be so linked with this character). In the novels (and the early films of the series), Bond “fell” into many of the situations, knowing only just a bit more than the audience did as to what was really going on. That element has been completely lost for an overdose on excess, and it seems we’ll never get that Bond back. And even though there have been notable attempts to bring Bond’s edge back during the Dalton and Brosnan films, the formula has almost been completely locked down.

Which is not to say Die Another Day doesn’t try to bring anything new to the table. There are some welcome departures from the Bond formula present. The main villains are not a bunch of power hungry yuppies--it’s the power hungry next generation (complete with a nice shot to the dome to the political correctness shoehorned into the last few films--beginning with the beat down of the anger therapist). While the film does open with the now-standard big chase sequence, things do not go down smoothly for our hero--as Bond is captured and tortured during the credit sequence (poetic justice, since we had to listen to the Madonna song during said sequence), leading to 007’s freedom being traded for the Korean terrorist Zow (Yune). What Bond (and the audience) is informed of by M (Dench), is that not only is he blamed for opening mission going south, but is openly suspected of giving up inside information during his fourteen month drug-induced torture session. License to Kill revoked and he’s under arrest. So Bond breaks out, and sets off to prove who set him up and take out Zow. Along the way, he meets up with American agent Jinx (Berry)--who spends most of the film doing the majority of the detective work. All in all, it’s neat twist on the License To Kill plot. However they don’t do nearly enough with it--as (if it's painfully obvious it's not spoilers) Bond is back in the MI-6 fold halfway through the film.

Which is the film’s biggest problem: while beefing up Berry’s screen time was necessary, the plot kicks into second gear after Jinx’s introduction and loses itself in the breakneck pace. Too many things you’d like the film to slow down and spend more time on (such as more of the backroom manipulation being done by Madsen’s NSA agent--whom with Berry’s Jinx actually outplayed MI-6 and Dench’s M). Instead, we get a swordfight and effects heavy car chase--and more extreme Bond sports riffs than we know the guy is actually capable of doing. However, the film did give you just enough of Madsen and Berry to interest you in wanting to see that proposed spin off film go down.

Die Another Day did just enough improvement and winks to Bonds past to keep the faithful interested and perhaps score a bit of a younger audience with the next gen villians and Berry in tight outfits, but little more. I know what you’re going to say: “What do you expect, it’s a Bond film.” My point exactly.