November 2002 Die Another Day

(Nov: Main Page * Features * Reviews * Teen ) Current Issue * Archive

Reviewedy by Wilson Morales Die Another Day Distributor: MGM/ UA Director: Lee Tamahori Producer: Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson Screenwriter: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade Music: David Arnold Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Samantha Bond, Michael Madsen, Rosamund Pike, & John Cleese Running Time: 123m If there was ever a film that we could count on to entertain us and take our minds away from the real world, it’s a Bond film. For over 20 years the franchise has never stopped giving the audience what they expect from an action film. We have a hard-to-remember plot, plenty of action, lots of great gadgets, the suave hero, and of course, the damsel in distress. But in this case, we have the Bond girls. Pierce Brosnan, in his fourth outing as James Bond, shines, as he looks very comfortable in the role. In her first appearance since winning the Oscar, Halle Berry bring new meaning to the Bond girl. She’s just as good as Brosnan. DIE ANOTHER DAY may have a few flaws but it’s the best Bond film in the last few years. Over the years, most of the Bond films seemed to be stuck in time, as the character never aged. Alas, the script is intelligent enough to give Bond a cure. The opening scene has Bond in a peril situation where even his assassin skills aren’t good enough to overcome being caught and beaten for OVER A YEAR. Seems that in his last outing, he was betrayed from of his own people. Once freed from the North Koreans in exchange for his dangerous nemesis, Zao (Rick Yune), Bond’s status as 007 is put on hold by M (Judi Dench), due to the belief he may have cracked while being held prisoner. Bond, once healthy enough, sets out to find out who set him up. On a tip from an old ally, Bond follows Zao to Cuba where he meets a lady with ulterior motives, Jinx (Halle Berry). Seems that some diamonds Zao had on him is connected to wealthy industrialist Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). With M reluctantly back on his side, Bond hooks up with Q to get his latest installment of gadgets including a ring that can cut through glass. Bond, using his charm, tries to get closer to Graves by using Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), Graves’ PR agent and also a MI6 agent. As Graves is prepared to wreak havoc on the world using the diamonds, Bond has his work cut out for him. Without going into details regarding the plot, there’s so much packed into this film, that you forget that are watching a film. It’s that good. There are a couple of scenes where Director Tamahori went overboard with the CGI, but you come to expect that in this century with new technology. As mentioned before, there are plenty of action scenes for all involved. Brosnan and Stephens display the best sword fight since Errol Flynn went toe-to-toe with Basil Rathbone in “The Adventures of Robin Hood”. Brosnan, who should have had the role since his “Remington Steele” days, plays the role with such coolness, it’s hard to see him play against type in another film. Berry, as Jinx is simply AMAZING. In the beginning of the Bond films’ the women in the Bond films were merely second fiddle to the man and the gadgets. But with time comes improvement and the last few years we have the women with meatier parts, and Berry doesn’t disappoint. She relishes the role with her sexiness and appeal. In fact, her role was so good, that there’s talk about having a film made on her character. The song by Madonna as the opener doesn’t stick out like Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only”, but it compliments the fast action feel of the film. Overall, DIE ANOTHER DAY offers an enriching time for all that want to be entertained.