Review: Bond Is Back With 'Die Another Day'
Exotic Locales, Fast-Paced Action, Halle Berry Add To Excitement
UPDATED: 9:37 a.m. EST November 22, 2002
'Die Another Day' (PG-13)
(Out of four)
It is as simple as this -- Bond is back.
The new Bond film, "Die Another Day," is a rip-roaring, adrenaline-pumping gasp-inducing action film that takes James Bond away from the cartoon-like stories of the past and into a rugged take-no-prisoners spectacle.
Pierce Brosnan has never been sexier as he matures into a believable hero who is abandoned by his government for doing his duty. Halle Berry as Jinx is every inch his equal in deadly conflict and cocky self-confidence. This is no "Oh, James" gal, she's as much the aggressor as he is.
Jinx and Bond's snappy, suggestive dialogue and hot bed scenes are enough to make you blush with pleasure. But, even better, is what will be one of the classic movie moments of time -- the shot of a damp, moist Jinx rising out of the surf in an orange retro bikini (an obvious homage to Ursula Andress in "Dr. No"), glistening in the sun (pictured, left). Reportedly, the original script had Jinx wearing nothing at all, but Berry nixed that idea and came up with this very effective compromise.
Brosnan's mission is to stop North Korean arms dealers from trading their guns for a briefcase-full of diamonds. But his plans get blown up, literally, when his identity is discovered and in the process of completing his mission he kills the son of the North Korean army leader. During the blast, the soldier who identified him is pelleted by diamonds, which stay embedded in his face.
After 14 months in a hellish prison, Bond is traded for the diamond-faced assassin, Zao (Rick Yune), and he escapes his own government in an effort to recapture the assassin and clear his name and save the world from a bright and deadly threat from outer space.
The gadgets are simple, but cool -- like the invisible Aston Martin car Bond drives in this flick. But what really propels "Die Another Day" are the breathtaking and fun chase scenes (some reminiscent of Vin Diesel in "Triple X") -- like the giant hovercraft chase over live land mines.
From Korea to Hong Kong to Cuba and finally to an ice palace in Iceland, Bond chases his nemesis across the globe uncovering plots of genetic tampering and a plot to take the world hostage with a dangerous eye in the sky.
Especially satisfying is the use of the opening credits to further the plot. You still get those glorious silhouettes of curvy women with guns, but you also are treated to a nightmare-like vision of the torture Bond endures in prison.
The only thing that is missing is the creative names we have grown to love over the years. It would have been easy to find some kind of appropriate moniker for Zao, but the opportunity is missed.
Magnificent exotic locales, witty repartee, high tech gizmos, hiss-worthy bad guys, sizzling women and an even hotter leading man -- what more can you want in a James Bond film?
Looks like this lucky franchise will live to "Die Another Day."
(Out of four)
It is as simple as this -- Bond is back.
The new Bond film, "Die Another Day," is a rip-roaring, adrenaline-pumping gasp-inducing action film that takes James Bond away from the cartoon-like stories of the past and into a rugged take-no-prisoners spectacle.
Pierce Brosnan has never been sexier as he matures into a believable hero who is abandoned by his government for doing his duty. Halle Berry as Jinx is every inch his equal in deadly conflict and cocky self-confidence. This is no "Oh, James" gal, she's as much the aggressor as he is.
Jinx and Bond's snappy, suggestive dialogue and hot bed scenes are enough to make you blush with pleasure. But, even better, is what will be one of the classic movie moments of time -- the shot of a damp, moist Jinx rising out of the surf in an orange retro bikini (an obvious homage to Ursula Andress in "Dr. No"), glistening in the sun (pictured, left). Reportedly, the original script had Jinx wearing nothing at all, but Berry nixed that idea and came up with this very effective compromise.
Brosnan's mission is to stop North Korean arms dealers from trading their guns for a briefcase-full of diamonds. But his plans get blown up, literally, when his identity is discovered and in the process of completing his mission he kills the son of the North Korean army leader. During the blast, the soldier who identified him is pelleted by diamonds, which stay embedded in his face.
After 14 months in a hellish prison, Bond is traded for the diamond-faced assassin, Zao (Rick Yune), and he escapes his own government in an effort to recapture the assassin and clear his name and save the world from a bright and deadly threat from outer space.
The gadgets are simple, but cool -- like the invisible Aston Martin car Bond drives in this flick. But what really propels "Die Another Day" are the breathtaking and fun chase scenes (some reminiscent of Vin Diesel in "Triple X") -- like the giant hovercraft chase over live land mines.
From Korea to Hong Kong to Cuba and finally to an ice palace in Iceland, Bond chases his nemesis across the globe uncovering plots of genetic tampering and a plot to take the world hostage with a dangerous eye in the sky.
Especially satisfying is the use of the opening credits to further the plot. You still get those glorious silhouettes of curvy women with guns, but you also are treated to a nightmare-like vision of the torture Bond endures in prison.
The only thing that is missing is the creative names we have grown to love over the years. It would have been easy to find some kind of appropriate moniker for Zao, but the opportunity is missed.
Magnificent exotic locales, witty repartee, high tech gizmos, hiss-worthy bad guys, sizzling women and an even hotter leading man -- what more can you want in a James Bond film?
Looks like this lucky franchise will live to "Die Another Day."
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