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Die Another Day (Widescreen Special Edition)

Die Another Day (Widescreen Special Edition)

List Price: $14.95
Your Price: $11.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Weak Script & Too Many CGIs Killed the Potentially Good Film
Review: I am not particularly a fan of Pierce Brosnan, but I admit he is in a sense an underestimated actor. He can play a villain, and did in the past more than once, and was quite good. So, there is nothing surprising if he succeeds as James Bond, world's most celebrated spy, and he showed it in "Golden Eye" (which I consider the best of his Bond films) which deservedly revived the once nearly dead franchise of 007.

But I regret to say that "Die Another Day" failed to live up to my expectations. The story is just OK; I heard complaints about the way the too incredible situations about DNA, but I do not care. And the film clearly should have stayed out of on-going political matters, and I understand the anger of Korean people, North and South alike, but after all, this is entertainment, where anything can be possible. No, my complaint is due to something else.

The opening is just great; James Bond doing his mission in North Korea. It includes a highly thrilling actions about hovercrafts, and tongue-in-cheek moments that make Bond films quite funny to see. But then, something goes wrong after that. The usually imaginative opening credit section is one example. You see guns (I say good), women (I say ok), and ... tortured spy!? And next you see half-naked and bearded, not-so-clean James Bond walking around in hotel lobey. Here I sensed misguided ideas of director Lee Tamahori, whose Hollywood films failed to match the promised talent he showed once.

But there are more to say, and let's be frank. The globe-trotting story is weak, and I think it is time for the series to provide a stronger, more impressive villain like in the days of Blofeld (and his white cat). Halle Berry's Jinx always steals the show; we get unexpected support from Michael Madsen and Colin Salmon (who was good in "Resident Evil" as an unlucky commander). As to other actors, they are all good if not particularly great, owing to short screen time. And when I say good, that also goes to Madonna who, however, is given a very corny line to say.

We get fairly good ingredints. However, the most lamentable part of the film is its overuse of CGIs. We welcome overblown actions, the seires' trademark. I love "Golden Eye" for its extravagant action sequences like a tank running in the street, but they are great because the stunts did really did it. But now, we see a flying plane over icefield which looks obviously made from CGI technique, and to make matters worse, these CGIs are below average.

We again see many gadgets (and John Cleese who take over the role of Q); we see many good actors. But we don't see the good use of them, for which the director is responsible.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: God help our eardrums (this is for the movie version)
Review: Many scenes were too loud even for a home theater fan. Or maybe make that 'the scenes were loud enough for the home theater fan' but that would be insulting to home theater fans. Yes, I found most of the soundtrack too loud. And I mean, if we intend to enjoy movies for many more years, we ought to save our ears.

And the characters were just over the top superhuman. There was this car chase in the snow where the Korean bad guy actually fires a Gatling-type gun directly over his head while chasing Bond! Was he wearing ear protection? With weapons of such caliber, even ear muffs over ear plugs won't protect him. And yet he remains unaffected by all the noise. I can totally suspend disbelief for a fantasy movie(LOTR), but only so far for other movie genres.

I found the new Bond by Brosnan rougher, edgier than his first three, which is a relief for me. Keeps him real and honest. Of course, long time fans might disagree. I also happen to like On Her Majesty's Secret Service much, so it follows, I guess.

Some of the effects were obviously digital (some of the snow, the plane breaking apart).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: One of the Better ones
Review: I have been Bond fan all my life. I own every single film and have watched each one more than once. I will admit what keeps this one from being the best in the series is the CGI, which in a sense the lack thereof in previous films has sustained the series. Everything is real, everything on screen actually happened, thats one of the biggest appeals to the Bonds. What makes this one of better of the Bonds is going back to a somewhat larger than life atmosphere, and of course Pierce Brosnan who combines the ruthless charm of Sean Connery and combines it with light-hearted Roger Moore, who were the two actors who kept James Bond alive. The best parts are all the nods and winks to past bonds, paying homage to the historical films which preceded Die Another Day. Judi Dench makes a perfect "M" and John Cleese fills the role of "Q" perfectly. What eases John Cleese into this role is the reference to his predecessor (Desmond Llewelyn) and even using "Q's" most famous line from Goldfinger. If you eliminate the shotty CGI effects, you still have Peter Lamont's fantastic sets, a great story, beautiful locations and sinister villains which is the equation which has made James Bond work for 40 years.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Could have been better....
Review: I thought that this was one of the better bond films although Madonna's presence was not needed. The opening song was pretty terrible too. Halley Berry did a decent job as the new Bond girl and the plot was O.K. There were more gadgets in this film than in the past 3 Bond pictures, which is good.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Bond 20 rules !!!!
Review: Most can consider Die Another day either the best of Pierce's efforts as Bond or his worst. I say It's his best film as 007 yet. There's a lot of intresting things that James has never been through before like getting caught and imprisoned in a Korean prison, getting some facial hair, an intresting and at the same time classy opening title segment the raises the bar on the previous ones till now, to the refeneces to the last 40 years of bond film history(some you'll noticed right away while others you have to pay attention to). Halle Berry pretty much was the glue that hold the movie together as the american agent Jinx, and man was I surprise to she her being sexy and deadly at the same time. This film should be on any James Bond fan and non-fan's DVD collection and I would recommed that so.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: For a good Bond flick, watch XXX...
Review: I've been a Bond fan for as long as I can remember. The first movie I took a date to was 1981's "For Your Eyes Only". DAD is hardly that flick. To begin, Lee Tamahori directs this piece like it was some MTV video. With screaming zooms across glacier plains and cuts from the beginning of the car chase to somewhere in the middle, I felt like he assumed my attention span was zero and had to do something to regain it. Some of us like suspense, intrigue, and drama in our Bond flicks. One gets the feeling had he directed Goldfinger, the wonderful flight to Goldfinger's ranch in Kentucky would have been cut completely.

Add to this that Lee T is a John Woo wannabe (slow mo' and show it from 20 different angles!). This movie was what I expected XXX to be and yet XXX felt more like a Bond film, even if Vin Diesel's Xavier ("X") isn't quite the suave and debonaire persona you'd expect from Bond. At least the movie didn't assault the senses with extreme cuts and fast-forward zooms and truly unbelievable effects (like a plane could GET that torn up and still remain airborne).

The only truly good parts of DAD were the scenes with John Cleese (the new "Q"), the investigative work and fight in Cuba (actually felt like a Bond flick), Bond's stay in Hong Kong (especially his entrance to the hotel), and the training simulation where he and "Tanner" sweep MI6 HQ to eliminate a clear and present threat to the organization. In other words, half an hour is about the sum of the good in DAD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shaken...... But Not Stirred!
Review: I do not understand the reviews of this film. First, Pierce Brosnan is the best blend of Connery/Moore/Dalton....taking the most delicious aspects of those portrayals and infusing them into his own original delivery. "Die Another Day" is the best of the Brosnan films with all the elements of a Bond film we have come to love....action, adventure, sex, cool places, weapons, outrageous villians, mysteries, two-faced characters, the cool girl (an understatement of Halle Barry) and of course....the cool car!
The film is well-written and keeps Bond fresh and new....while capturing those Bond elements. The Madonna theme song and title sequence are different and new. It is not the same-old song and opening. However....that works for this film. At 20 films.....it's time to make Bond new and fresh....and they have obviously succeeded...."Die Another Day" is the most successful film thus far....keeping the franchise alive....and keeping Bond alive for us....!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Must Own DVD!!!
Review: (Review Updated 6/12/2003 for DVD release)
This DVD is definately a must own! You will not be disappointed. MGM has put together a wonderful two-disc set DVD. This is the first two-disc DVD released for a James Bond film. There is tons of information on these two DVDs. The interactive menus are very slick and have a great visual presentation. Disc one (Widescreen version) contains the film presented in anamorphic 2.40:1 widescreen with both DD 5.1 EX and DTS 5.1 ES audio, two commentaries (one by director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael. G. Wilson, the other by stars Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike), and an MI6 DataStream (real cool and unique trivia popups throughout film). Make sure you listen to the first commentary with Director Tamahori. It was very entertaining and shows how much Tamahori put his heart into this film. Disc two has an very in depth "Inside Die Another Day" documentary split up into seven segments (88 minutes). I highly enjoyed the documentary as it really showed all the behind the scenes activity. I have not had a chance to get through all of rest of the extras on the second disc so I cannot comment on them. The DVD has been released in both Widescreen and Fullscreen (pan & scan). I purchased the Widescreen format.

The Film: James Bond celebrates 40 years with this film and it shows they enjoyed every minute making it. The film is very well done and has a lot of nice touches. Everything has been turned up a notch on this one from the story, the action, stunt sequences and set pieces. Highlights: incredible opening sequence with hovercrafts, Bond being betrayed and captured, one of the best fencing/sword fights ever seen on film, and a phenominal battle between two cars on a frozen lake. This is the best Pierce Brosnan Bond film since "Goldeneye". It also ranks up there as being one of the best of all the Bond films.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: This is not Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 anymore
Review: I have to admit that since the Roger Moore era (especially in "Moonraker"), James Bond ceased to be the secret agent Ian Fleming invented. But with Pierce Brosnan things have gotten out of hand. I mean, come on, he is a spy, not John McClane! The important thing is the STORY, not the special effects, which are just an element of the whole filmmaking process. It is action/adventure, not exaggerated sci-fi. Take "From Russia with Love" for example: minimum special effects, but a solid and interesting story and credible situations make it one of the best in the series. The new ones try to appeal to young people who are used to larger-than-life CGI, and they do not have character development at all (like the one we saw in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service).
I am sad to say that the series has hit rock bottom (although "The World is not Enough" was worse), and if it is not fixed soon, it could be lost forever.
Honestly, the 'JAMES BOND WILL RETURN' line is more like a bad news now, instead of being a welcomed promise.

P.S. The song by Madonna is one of the bright spots of the movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: James Bond Fan
Review: I own all of the bonds on dvd, and this new bond (I hate to say it) is horrible. They have taken a great movie series that was liked by many young and old and turned it into a every day movie. the script looks nothing like a bond film (I.E. James Bond Does not get captured, slow motion fight sequences), it is more like a b rated action movie,this script does not have any bond roots what so ever. It does not look nor feel like a bond movie. Pierce Brosnan should have shoved this script back in the directors face and refused to have part in it. But sadly I will be adding it to my bond collection anyway, beause it is a bond movie and thats the only reaason.


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