Rating: Summary: Not the best, but very entertaining Review: The newest Bond, Die Another Day, was a very good movie and it was extreemly entertaining. For all the people that think the stuff he does is to far-fetched, let me tell you this: you look back on the Connery ones, and the older Moore ones and say, "now that's believable", but back in the 60's it wasn't...Goldfinger was far-fetched for its time just as Die Another Day is far-fetched for its time. The fact of the matter is this movie was purely entertaining and fun to watch. Now granted, its plot is not the best in the world, but few Bond's have both an excellent plot and good action. The best Bond to date is Goldeneye which has a great plot and great action...but if you already have Goldeneye this is a great DVD to get. And try not to overanalyze James Bond, its a movie and a fictional character for crying out loud...like it for what it was and that's a fun, entertaining movie.
Rating: Summary: Not Bad But Don't Hold Your Breath Review: Die Another Day hmm...I can't say that this was a terrible film like some other reviewers because I was actually entertained. I've come to expect a certain level of well...fantasy involved. It was certainly a long movie. Brosnan and Berry's performances were not wooden though I got a little annoyed by the sexual inuendo throughout the dialog. I mean it got down right cheesy at times. I thought the action scenes were decent if not at time over the top (i.e. Bond windsuffering on an enormous artic wave). Hey this is James Bond, I wasn't aware that he was superhuman, oh yeah he does regenerate every decade or so just like Doctor Who.
Rating: Summary: Good movie, awful theme song Review: Die Another Day was an excellent Bond film. It had all the gadgets, a great story, lots of action, and a new Q (John Cleese) who, although he can never replace the late Desmond Llewelyn, is a very worthy successor to the title because of his wisecracking sense of humor and ability to give as good as he gets from Bond (Pierce Brosnan). Dame Judi Dench returns as M, Bond's boss, and Samantha Bond is back as the ever efficient Moneypenny, along with Colin Salmon as Robinson. Halle Berry turns in a wonderful performance as Jinx, Bond's American counterpart, and Toby Stephens is awesome as Gustav Graves, Bond's latest enemy.My biggest complaint about Die Another Day is the theme song performed by Madonna (who also had a small role in the film). I came in expecting another title song in the grand tradition of Bond themes, complete with horns, guitar, and whatnot, and what do I get? A piece of dreck that would not be out of place in Saturday Night Fever. Don't get me wrong; I like Madonna, but a piece of techno-pop like the song she did for Die Another Day has no place whatsoever in a Bond movie. If they wanted a real Bond theme, the creative people should have gone after someone like Shirley Bassey or kd lang, whose song "Surrender" in Tomorrow Never Dies is the quintessential Bond theme. Even the group Garbage would have been acceptable, because their title theme for The World Is Not Enough sounded more like a Bond theme than Die Another Day. All in all, Die Another Day is a wonderful addition to the Bond franchise, and definitely a keeper once the DVD comes out. Just ignore the theme song, and you'll enjoy the ride.
Rating: Summary: Sad, very sad Review: So there you are, November 2002 three years since the last Bond. The cast looks great, the toys are super and the Bond spin machine makes Tony Blair seem direct. You hurry to the cinema, pay your money over, enter the auditorium, slop mustard from your hot-dog on your shirt as the lights go down. The excitement is unbearable. The music starts and two and a half hours later your cross, very cross having sat through the biggest load of tawddle. But you are also sad, feeling betrayed by those you have trusted for 40 years. It is a feeling even worse than when you saw The Phantom menace. This film is like a collection of the bits of real James Bond films cobbled together in nothing more than a cynical money making excercise. The story, what there is, is from the film Diamonds are Forever, the weakest of the Franchise. Even the centre peice car chase is poorly shot. So it's bad but it gets worse, the way Ms. Monneypenny was treated at the end of the film is a disgrace. I think Mr Wilson and Ms Broccoli should apologise. They better do better next time, or Bond will not return.
Rating: Summary: A New Twist for Bond! Review: I have to say, this was one of the best bonds i've ever seen and i don't say that lightly. I have seen all but like one of the bond movies and Die Another Day is the one that i think is the best of them all. I'm not some sort of bond-freak or anything, I just like the action, suspence, and girls. This movie isn't just a good bond movie, it's one of the best action thillers i've ever seen! For those of you who haven't seen the movie, I suggest you not read this paragraph. After saying that, I have some comments i would like to make on the movie. From the begining I could tell that this bond was striving to be different, stand apart from the rest. With I new sort of begining and with Bond getting captured, I think we can say that it accomplished that. The idea of bond being vulnerable and getting captured was a very smart move by the filmakers. It showed that even the greastest secret agent can get captured and betrayed. The swordfighting was magnificent. Don't get me wrong, I love all the shooting and high-tech action sequences, I just think that the swordfighting helped to distinguish this bond move more than the other action movies that are out there. It is like they are saying, "Bond movies might be old, but he's still got new tricks up his sleeve." I think that the Bond movies have a magnificent way of adapting to the times. This Bond gives us a totally modern plot with North Korea and all, and also gives us what we liked in the old bond movies. Die Another Day is a great movie and I strongly suggest you see it. Don't pay attention to all those old critics who start getting dizzy whenever there is an action sequence or a new death-defying stunt. This is definitely a movie aimed at teenagers and young adults. I strongly suggest you see it!
Rating: Summary: Die Another Day - Best Brosnan Bond Review: I enjoyed this movie a lot. The action kept coming, leaving little time for boredom. Although GoldenEye is great this one has that roller coaster type feeling movie fans today expect. I thought the plot was original and the time lapse between opening scene thru the title credits was unique. The villan was somewhat familiar yet distinct. While my title boasts this is Brosnan's best, I still like the GoldenEye probably because I immersed myself in that world through the video game for many months. This movie also looks like a video game waiting to happen, but it'll only be good if Rareware makes it cause EA ...! Anyway this is a great movie that brings Brosnan's Bond full circle, should he bow out now at least he has added more to the Bond series than he took.(see Timothy Dalton)
Rating: Summary: Junk. The series is already dead. Review: Dumb explosions, silly dialogues, no character development, no BOnd's typical charm and charisma. Nothing of that. They simply destroyed the character, in the name of making a "modern" action thriller, that's completely avoid of feeling, emotion and respect for the character's history in the movies. Unbeliavable how the parents (in this case, the producers) can kill their own child (in this case, the Bond admired franchise).
Rating: Summary: 20th Bond: Shaken, Not Stirred... Review: Pierce Brosnan is the epitome of James Bond in the 20th film in the franchise's 40 years. The movie delievers all the elements essential to Bond greatness: an intriguing plot (title fits the movie well), great stuntwork, excellent special effects, highly innovative "Q" gadgets, and legendary wit. Also common to Bond is innovation and this movie provides at least 5 key items never seen before in a Bond film. This is definitely Pierce's best outing as 007 and hopefully he will continue to play the world's most famous spy.
Rating: Summary: As A Bond Movie Alone: 4 Stars Review: Very critical of movies, it is ofentimes difficult to grade films from a franchise that I have previously enjoyed. I tend to give biased opinions of such films, and have to see the film at least twice: once as a critic, and once as a fan. Usually judging the film as a fan allows me to raise the grade, and there is no exception here. 'Die Another Day' is by no means the prettiest Bond movie I have ever seen, nor the best action film around. Based on Brosnan's past attempts at 007 alone, he is still holding out as one of the better Bonds, though it is quite apparent that he is aging and will soon need replacing. For that I give Bond as a character a B+. He is no 'GoldenEye' 007 anymore. Plotwise, 'Die Another Day' has to be one of the stupider Bond films. We have all come to expect unreal circumstances--'Moonraker', anyone?--but taking Bond this far into the future is sometimes ridiculous. I could handle the guns and the thermal scanners and a lot of the garbage a normal car could never hold...that's what makes a Bond car cool. But invisibility? I guess the real gadgets died with the original Q, and the only Q. Still, despite the car's amazing technology, the plot was overdone and mostly lacking any realism at all. For that 'Die Another Day' receives a C. They almost surprised me in the beginning. Overall, the villians were your standard Bond type. We all know that 007 is never in any real danger, but we like to pretend. Here, I never had that feeling, and that was a shame. The villians seemed to always spare Bond of certain death, allowing him extra time in almost every situation. Why did Graves invite Bond to Iceland anyway? He was only looking for trouble...or an overly simple plot device. Villians = C-. So why does this film receive four stars? As a critic, 'Die Another Day' would receive 3 stars and would have to consider itself lucky. But seeing as how the action was intense, the music loud, and the explosions plentiful, this shapes up to be a pretty decent Bond flick. If 007 had not been in the role, I would most likely fail many aspects of this film, just as I did with the horrible 'XXX' this past summer. Bond himself makes this film work...to some extent. Still, we can always dream for a better Bond. Maybe gene therapy does work, and if that's the case, we may be able to make Mr. Connery younger and place him in the role we'd all like to see him play again. Martini, anyone?
Rating: Summary: Crappy second half spoils ALL Review: POSITIVE Pierce Brosnan IS James Bond. The music is not bad. The first half script is filled with lots of promising sub-plots. Generally, the first half is possibly the best since "Goldfinger". Zao is very menacing. The scenes with John Cleese as Q are delightful. Chang is very funny. James Bond getting caught, tortured and fighting his way back into MI6 is a great idea. Most action scenes are very original, especially the new way to use an ejector seat. The tension between M and Bond in the London underground. Moneypenny having holo-sex with Bond is very funny. The teaser is once again excellent, James Bond taking the bad guy's sunglasses is just cool. Gustav Graves jumping with parachute- with "The Clash" playing in the background- makes one of the most memorable entries for a villain. Seeing Bond actually talking a babe into bed is great for a change. James Bond is most lavishly dressed for Cuba. The scenes with Raoul. James Bond driving the Sunbeam Alpine. James Bond saying "Buenos Dias!" (and taking grapes). A careful product placement. Gustav Graves has some good lines. ---------------------------------------------------- NEGATIVE Generally, the second half is full of [junk]. Too many CGIs are of poor quality. All the action in Iceland leaves no place for proper character or plot development. The constant usage of the bullet-time-mode is horrible. Very disappointing after the hype. The weak cinematography during and shortly after the Iceland surfing scene. Gustav Graves is a weak villain. The US posters are miserable. James Bond has too little lines; the script is too rough. An invisible car brings too many problems to the series. The CGI bullet in the gunbarrel sequence is unnecessary. Jinx's American nature has nothing to do in a Bond movie. Although it's very thrilling, there is no sense of realism in the sword fight. The Miranda vs. Jinx fight. Michael Madsen, one of my favourite actors, is poorly directed and talks too much rubbish. Too many references to other franchises like "Star Wars" and "M:I". Zao kills noone.
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