Film

Die Another Day

Is the Twentieth

by Josh Holz

Friday December 20, 2002

To those even slightly schooled in the world of Bond, “Die Another Day” is Pierce Brosnan’s fourth outing as James Bond, and the twentieth in the series itself – making it the most long lasting and powerful movie franchise ever. To that end I’d like to point out that whatever I say or whatever you think about the newest Bond film, it doesn’t really matter. We already know that “James Bond will return in _.” Still, not all Bond is worth the price of admission.

“Die Another Day” be reviewed in a couple of ways, but as with all Bond films cannot be measured by the same stick we use on other movies. The mythos of Bond demand certain allowances be made to both the character and the plot, allowances that Bond fans make gladly. Is he an over-bearing, over-confident chauvinist? Yes. Does the plot sometimes contain holes bigger than Grandma’s station wagon? Yes. These are points we contest in order to indulge in the full-on Bond experience.

That being said, this is not your typical Bond film. Since Brosnan has taken the reigns as Bond – most especially since after “Goldeneye” – the Bond films have taken a more decided shift towards the action oriented. Classically, Bond films contain a certain amount of negative tension. Slow, methodic scenes where nothing seems to be happening, or if it is it is unfolding very slowly. Also, Bond is notable for often lacking musical score during fight sequences, making the whole process muffled and visceral.

Very little of these traits are to be found in “Die Another Day.” Director Lee Tamahori keeps the proceedings moving at a rather frantic pace. As an action film, this one is top notch. The special effects are fun (sometimes even sexy), the chases exhilarating, and the variance within each keeps the film from becoming repetitive. Die-hard Bond fans may take more issue with this film. There is a decided lack of classic Bond here. He still drinks his Martini’s shaken, not stirred, still carries his pp-7, etc. But the overall tone has been modernized to make the film more accessible to a modern day, action oriented audience.

Despite the speed and quick succession with which each action scene falls into the next, this movie is half-an-hour too long. Bond is indulgent fluff that needs to work on more levels than this film does to justify more than 110 minute running length. Clocking in at 132, when the third act began – something involving Bond and Jinx (Halle Berry) sneaking on board an evil North Korean spy plane – I was checking my watch.

The whole cast is back, M (Judi Dench), Q (now played by John Cleese), and of course 007. Brosnan seems more comfortable than ever in Bond’s slick swagger, playing him warmer than he has in the past (Brosnan earns the rep as the “icy” Bond). All the villains are adequate fare except for Rick Yune, the only villain of note, turning in a top-notch creepy henchman performance as Zao. Halle Berry is fun and sexy to watch, but that is about it. Nothing in her body of work (that I have seen) can convince me that she is Oscar worthy, but that is an argument for another time. More interesting is Rosamund Pike, who delivers an alluring “look-but-don’t-touch” performance as undercover agent Miranda Frost, playing both sides until her hand is revealed. On a particularly dour note, Madonna shows up (briefly) in the film. Let’s not mince, she’s terrible. Her opening song is terrible and her acting is terrible. ‘Nuff said.

This being Bond’s 20th, it is worth noting that – supposedly – throughout the film there is at least one reference (visual or otherwise) to each of the previous 19 James Bond outings. Given that, this hardly feels like the culmination of James Bond. While definitely an engaging and fun outing, this movie does nothing new for Bond, and in some ways lacks that James Bond specific panache. I’d recommend this flick to fans of big explosions, crazy spy gadget stuff, hot chicks and cool fights. Old school Bond fans be warned, this one may disappoint.

Phaea Crede

While there is something profoundly comforting in a genre movie following a well-loved formula, it’s hard to call it a good film. “Die Another Day” brings Pierce Brosnan back as our beloved man of action James Bond. He battles, burns, and boinks his way through the fast paced movie with a cool resolve, challenging the plot to try and keep up him. And often, it succeeds. We follow Bond to North Korea, to Britain for an impromptu sword fight, and to an ice palace on one of the poles. The cartoonish yet stylish story has all the elements we all come to expect from the Bond movies, down to an evil villain with a fabulous physical anomaly, and even a laser pointed at the earth. The cynic in me heaved a sigh at these cliches, but the bond girl inside felt satisfied at familiar territory. The movie really isn’t adding anything new to action films, but that’s really not the point.

Brosnon’s Bond is looking pretty old, but he still manages to make the audience cheer at his daring escapes. We all know he’s going to do something digital and fabulous, and we aren’t disappointed. From surfboards to snowmobiles to invisible cars, the action in Die Another Day is comfortably predictable, and amazingly, fun to watch. There seemed to be only 10 lines of dialogue in the entire movie, which was fine with me. In fact, there were many times when I wished all the talking had been left on the cutting room floor. I for one do not crave the horrible puns, and Brosnon seemed to chew on all the words he had, then spit them out quickly, hoping we didn’t notice. When action is cheesy, that’s one thing, when Oscar winner Halle Barry responds to the question “Who sent you?” with “Your mama!” it sounds obscene.

Odd that the next roll for the first African American woman to win the best actress Oscar is a pair of tits in a leather suit. Ah, America.

While the movie has its low points, it is clear that the essence of Bond is still alive. This is the reason the film cannot be completely dismissed as fluffy action. Bond is still alive, still killing and drinking. He seems a little embarrassed at some points, but perhaps it’s just that 2002 isn’t his home. Bond is displaced in the modern world, a stylish man in a strip mall. So when the film manages to capture a perfect James Bond moment, it feels so good you could cry. Take the opening credits for instance. If you dismiss Madonna’s horrible song, the sequence is very satisfying. The trademark Bond girls are there, dancing away, but now in the year 2002 they are digital, slightly androgynous figures made from ice, fire, and the recently discovered fifth element, computer static. They sway in front of Bond, in a fabulous montage of torture at the hands of the North Koreans, and sometimes stare right at the camera with a knowing look. “You love James Bond,” they seem to say, ”...even though you know it’s all crap.”

I had to agree. “Die Another Day” achieves just what it aims to: adding another movie to the boxed set to be out in 2004. But the film does it with style, with no pretension, and with a loving arm around all the hard-core fans. James Bond lives, and he’s never going to die.

Thank God.