The World Is Not Enough (**)
Another lackluster outing for Pierce Brosnan.
This movie shares the same problem as
Tomorrow Never Dies - it's just another run-of-the-mill action movie with big explosions, lots of unnecessary action and little to do with espionage. Bond continues to act more like a commando and the action is starting to get a little out of hand.
That being said, there are a few good things about it. It is good to see Bond using his detective skills again for a brief moment, something that's been sidelined for far too long. It's also good that we get a more detailed look at life inside MI6. Brosnan continues to play the part well, especially this time as a very self-reflective and hesitant Bond. The return of Zukovsky is welcome, a good character that really didn't need to be killed off. The problem is that these few admirable qualities are drowned out by the film's flaws.
First and foremost amongst those flaws are the villains. Again we get antagonists that are not menacing or threatening. If anything, they are annoying, especially Renard. When I watch a movie, especially a Bond movie, I want the villain to evoke a feeling of "when the hero kills this guy, it will be great because justice will be served and he deserves to die for what he's done." With Renard, I could only think "please kill this guy already so I don't have to listen to him anymore." "Annoying" does not equal "good villain." And really, the same is true for Elektra. The franchise finally had the guts to have a female main villain, not just a female henchman, and this is the best they could do? She's just so bland and, again, annoying. All I could think was "shut your whiny, stupid, bitch mouth already!" Not much else to say about her.
Secondly, there's Christmas Jones. Now, I actually like this character. I think it's a sound concept for a Bond Girl. However, the problem is that she was so woefully miscast. Denise Richards simply does not make for a convincing nuclear physicist. And no, it's not because she runs around in a tank top and hot pants. I'm not one of those guys who believes that a woman can't both be very smart and able to have a smokin' hot body at the same time. The problem is that Richards simply doesn't have the acting range to convince me of the character. Compare Christmas to Natalya from
Goldeneye - another amazingly attractive woman who ran around in a mini-skirt and a skin-tight sweater or a bikini who happened to be a computer programmer. The thing is that Izabella Scorupco was able to convince me that Natalya was capable of doing the things she needed to do. Richards can't do that. Now, that's not even to say that Richards is a bad actress. She is a good one, when she sticks to parts within her range. For example, her lesbian sex scenes with Neve Campbell in
Wild Things were brilliantly acted. When she sticks to that range - of "show us your tits and make out with another smokin' hot woman" - she does just fine.
However, a nuclear scientist just doesn't fall within that range, more's the pity. Another actress should have been chosen.
Finally, a lot of the supporting characters are again sub-par. M and Moneypenny continue to have aggressive relationships with Bond, which I've already talked about. And then there's R. This character just does not work for me. Without Q, there's no point in having a similar character. And John Cleese, as funny as he is in other roles, is simply no Desmond Llewelyn.
So, it appears that Pierce Brosnan has found himself in quite a hole after his third movie, thanks to nothing he's done. While it is still mathematically possible for him to stay out of last place, based on average scores,
Die Another Day is going to have to be exceptionally good.
That's Amore: 48
Bond slept with his MI6 doctor, Elektra King, and Dr. Christmas Jones.
Body Count: 312 (+24)
Redshirt Sidekicks: 9
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to watch a better movie after watching that one. I think I'll put
Wild Things in.
