The World Is Not Enough

Rating:
Summary: BLAST FROM THE PAST
Review: Finally, the producers have realized that a credible script is as impressive as ridiculous motorcycle chases explosives, bad fight scenes, and bad gadgets. I was getting tired of watching 5' 6" Pierce Brosnan shooting off machine guns in both hands at armies of bad guys.

As an expert of Bond movies, with my favorites being "From Russia With Love", and "On Her Majesty's Service", this without a doubt ranks up there with those two classics. The story is believable, the action scenes are done at the appropriate moments, and there are twists in the story, which is unique to a Bond film. Brosnan is finally allowed to play Bond, and not a bad Arnold clone. He shows many sides to the character, which is refreshing. As someone who was not a fan of the new "M", I have to admit that Judy Dench had more of an interesting role than any of her predecessors.

The movie was visually brighter than the previous 2, and does not take place in depressed China and Russia. The movie went back to the basics: good story, action, and scenic locations.

The only thing that I resented about this film, was the female lead. She was too young and too stupid. Her character was an intellect, but she is an idiot. AND IT SHOWS. A better choice would have been Sigorney Weaver, Sharon Stone, or a Renee Russo type.

Because this movie made over $100 million, the producers will not be afraid to make Bond films that have a succinct script and believable action. THANK GOD.

Buy this on DVD ASAP. If you don't own a DVD, BUY ONE. This movie is actually the reason I went out and purchased a DVD player.

BOND IS BACK.

Rating:
Summary: Better than Tomorrow Never Dies,but not Goldeneye
Review: The World is Not Enough is a very good Bond film.(4 1/2 stars)It's a notch better then Tomorrow Never Dies,anyway.Pierce Brosnan is great as Bond,and Robert Carlyle does a decent job as the film's villain Renard,who can feel no pain.Denise Richards plays Bond girl Christmas Jones,and although she seems a little silly,she's likable enough,and very cute.I think Sophie Marceau(she is absolutely gorgeous)is excellent as bad Bond girl Elektra King.This is the last Bond film with Q,(sadly,actor Desmond LLewelyn died in a car accident not long after the film came out,and he will be missed)but it introduces Q's assistant R,played by John Cleese,who I assume will take Q's place in future Bond films.Ther is plenty of action and lots of gadgets.The title song,sung by Garbage,is okay,and the musical score by David Arnold is very good.Overall,it's not the best Bond film,but it's very good.

Rating:
Summary: Can't you say hello like a normal person?
Review: The 19th James Bond movie. The character of James Bond had been re-introduced in good classic style with the prior releases of GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES. Now producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, under the direction of Michael Apted (COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER, GORILLAS IN THE MIST, NELL and many others), collaborate in a more unlikely project for the ongoing series in exploring a different side of Bond. With spectacular visual effects, great action sequences, and even greater gadgetry, Bond (played once again smoothly by Pierce Brosnan) finds himself in a series of high speed action and chase sequences; chases down the River Thames, ambushes in the Caucas Mountains, helicopter pursuits, and a climactic battle on board a sinking submarine. An impressive supporting cast includes Sophie Marceau as the good/bad villainous, GOLDENEYE's Robbie Coltrane returning as Valentin Zukovksy, and John Cleese as Q's new assistant, appropriately named the next letter. Together Apted and Brosnan reveal interesting new insights to the character of Agent James Bond, and Denise Richards is a knockout as the heroine, Dr. Christmas Jones. As TOMORROW NEVER DIES gave honorable mention to Albert R. Broccoli who passed away before pre-production in June 1996, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH would give tribute to Q himself - Desmond Llewelyn, who passed away a week before the films' release in November 1999.

THE ASSIGNMENT: Sir Robert King, an oil magnate friend of Bond, is murdered during a bombing at his M16 Headquarters in Spain. The only next of kin is Elektra King. She immediately inherits billions of dollars worth of oil deposits in the Caspian Sea, plus unwanted attention. She is threatened with the same deadly fate as her father, unless she changes the route of Sir Robert's proposed pipeline. Bond feels responsible for Sir Robert's death and takes on the role of bodyguard for Elektra. The entire oil supply becomes rapidly in peril when Victor Zukos (a.k.a Renard), a sadistic terrorist who feels no pain, due to the fact that he lives with a bullet lodged in his brain. He intends to use the resources of King Enterprises as revenge against his hated enemies at M16. Bond must defuse the world's oil supply hanging in the balance, except he finds triple trouble between Elektra, Renard, and the plan of world domination.

THE VILLAINS: Robert Carlyle as Renard, Sophie Marceau as Elektra King, Maria Grazia Cucinotta as the Cigar Girl, Goldie as the Bull, Ulrich Thomsen as Sasha Davidov, John Seru as Gabor, Patrick Malahide as Dr. Lachaise, and Jeff Nuttall as Dr. Arkov.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! BUY IT!

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, Minus Denise Richards
Review: Pierce Brosnan is proving more and more to be a most impressive James Bond. In this, his third outing, Brosnan gives us a little more insight into who Bond is as well as how he is able to keep it all together. The opening sequence, which is the longest in Bond history, really sets the tone well for the film, with a wonderful boat chase thrown in (Bond fixing his tie as he goes underwater is a gem).

But a truly great Bond movie requires good supporting acting as well, and this film has just that, minus one...that of Denise Richards who plays Dr. Christmas Jones (Dr.????). If she's suppose to be a Nuclear Physicist then I'm a Rocket Scientist. With an obnoxious personality that just screams "Kill me quickly", the only two things Richards is good for is "Eye Candy" and getting the younger generation to want to see this movie, which is why she was hired in the first place. She's almost half Brosnan's age for crying out loud!

Well, as bad as Richards is, French Actress, Sophie Marceau is completely breathtaking as Elektra King. Her performance is simply incredible, keeping you glued to the picture for all the right reasons. As she showed American audiences in her U.S. debut with "Braveheart", Sophie evokes a vulnerability that leaves you breathless. Her strength, determination and cunning instinct, as well as her catlike prowess in this movie give 007 a run for his money. Finally, a Bond Woman who can take on 007 intelectually and still win out.

Robert Carlyle, as many know from his performance in "The Full Monty", gives a quite unique performance as the villanous, Renard. I know many critics were quite mixed on their opinion of his performance. I must go with the positives. In Bond films we always get these larger than life, truly evil bad guys bent on mass destruction and/or ruling the world. What a nice change of pace it is to take this formula and add another element to it by making Renard already slowly dying from a bullet wound to the head that is making it's way further and further towards the center of his brain, thereby making him impervious to pain. One of Carlyle's best scenes is when he's in bed with Elektra (Marceau) and we see this very vulnerable and touching exchange between them, something you never see with Bond villains, giving more dimension to the character.

Other noteworthy performances are of course, Dame Judi Dench as M, who this time, for a change, finds herself in the field as a prisoner which adds a nice new element. Robbie Coltrane, who we all should remember from "Goldeneye" reprises his role as Valentin Zukovsky with the same wonderful wit he showed us before. Samantha Bond as Miss Moneypenny still gives us that unique sense of being repulsed by Bond while at the same time admiring him just the same. And of course, the late, great, Desmond Llewelyn, who played gadget master Q since 1963s From Russia With Love and retires the part in this film to Monty Python alum, John Cleese, who is referred to in the film as R.

The plot, in case you don't already know, involves the oil pipes owned by Elektra King, with Renard planning to destroy rival pipes, making hers the only ones available and in the process allowing them both complete control over the oil distribution in the far east.

David Arnold is still in grand form scoring his second Bond movie, with some original touches added but not holding back from the classic themes we've come to love and appreciate. But the title song, performed by Garbage feels a bit under par when presented here. It sort of feels like it drags on too much with not enough passion by lead vocalist, Shirley Manson, compared to previous title vocalist, Sheryl Crowe, who's amazing work on "Tomorrow Never Dies" is truly inspiring (and I'm not even a fan of hers). I felt the DVD extras for this Bond Special Edition were a bit light, compared to others. You do get 2 audio commentaries, the first by Director Michael Apted and the second by Production Designer Peter Lamont, Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong and Composer David Arnold (the 2nd being the most entertaining for me). There's, of course, a "making of" featurette included but it's over much to soon, leaving you stirred, instead of shakin'.

The Garbage music video is included, but it is very bizarre. Apparantly, Shirley Manson plays a cyborg being created in a lab to eventually go and kill the real Shirley Manson and blow up a theater full of people where the band is playing. The opticals are cool, I must admit, while we see Shirley singing while the scientists are working on building her body. Quite creative. I just don't understand what it has to do with the movie other than a unique interpretation of the Elektra King character. Strange, but still worth a look.

I was also disappointed that you only get the original Theatrical Trailer and not the Teaser Trailer on this DVD. Where many of the Bond discs include many trailers and TV spots, you'd think the newest Bond films would find it much easier to include theirs, considering they just came out.

The only other bonus on the disc is "The Secrets Of 007 Revealed" an interesting and unique extra that was first used for The Matrix DVD. When selecting this feature, you watch the film normally until you see the 007 logo appear at the bottom right of your TV screen, then you push the "Enter" button on your remote control. The film stops and you now begin to view some wonderful behind the scenes footage of the action scene you were just watching. It's a fun feature (you can also view the behind the scenes without watching the film too), I just wish there were more of them. Still, a nice treat.

In conclusion, yes, Denise Richards does hurt the movie, somewhat, with her spoiled brat-like attitude, but with plenty of action, nonstop thrills and excitement, The World Is Not Enough still reminds us why we love James Bond, 007!

Rating:
Summary: Bigger and Better!
Review: Here's a Bond film that deserves to be ranked among the best in the series. Along with the usual Bond formula of high tech gadgets, one-liners, and of course, the Bond girl(s), this latest installment also provides a story with a different twist. Throw in a combination of mind games, an unusual villain, exotic locales, and amazing stunts and you get an explosive, testosterone driven, eye-candy, action-packed thriller with a dash of high quality performances. One sequence in particular is the high adrenaline boat chase along the Thames River that takes place very early in the movie. Cool stuff!

The story delves much deeper into the psyche of James Bond than previous 007 flicks. Pierce Brosnan plays a much darker and vulnerable 007 in his third run as the British super agent spy James Bond. The World Is Not Enough also showcases the acting talents of Dame Judi Dench (who plays M) and Sophie Marceau as well as many others. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, also plays a role in the movie as the heir apparent to Q. Every character played a larger role in this movie, in which, there were times when I felt James Bond was a supporting character rather than a leading one. There is definitely no shortage of star power in this movie.

A few things I didn't like about this movie (just my personal opinion mind you) were the opening Bond song, the paraglider-ski sequence, and the miniature scaled models. Yuck! Still though, this latest 007 thriller gives a good ride! Humor, international intrigue, and plenty of action. This is a James Bond of the 21st Century and I hope Pierce Brosnan sticks around to do many more like this one!

Rating:
Summary: The World Is Not Enough - ***1/2 Stars
Review: Chock full of everything that makes a Bond movie a Bond movie-high-octane action sequences, double entendre-laden dialogue, slick gadgets and sexy sidekicks-"The World Is Not Enough" lives up to the 007 formula, even taking it a step further to tongue-in-cheek.
After the murder of a Russian oil tycoon, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) vows to protect his daughter, Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), who's taken over her father's operation. Bond suspects that Renard (Robert Carlyle), who had kidnapped Electra years before, is responsible for her father's death and determined to ambush the pipeline she's building across the Russian countryside.
Screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade had a couple of great ideas for a high-speed boat chase on the Thames River and a high-altitude pursuit on skis-both deftly executed by director Michael Apted-but, particularly in the latter's case, it appears they worked backwards, coming up with how to get Bond and Elektra down the mountain before figuring out how to get them up it.
Once again proving that his casting as Bond is damn near perfect, Brosnan is joined here by the equally talented and attractive Marceau, who's more convincing as a revengeful daughter than a helpless victim. Carlyle is underused, however, as a villain who can feel no pain-a quality that could have inspired gripping scenes of torture.
And Denise Richards, as nuclear scientist Christmas Jones (a name that provokes Bond's quip, "I thought Christmas only comes once a year"), suffers from having nothing to do. In flatly delivered dialogue, she's constantly delineating the terrible atrocities that will occur if she doesn't do something to stop it, then proceeds to do nothing, running for her life instead. Richards is so bad, in fact, that one starts to wonder if her character isn't a self-aware mockery of all the Bond girls that have come before her.

Rating:
Summary: "World" is More Than Enough
Review: From the opening speedboat chase on the river Thames, to a spectacular helicopter sequence, W.I.N.E. is in keeping w/ the tradition. Brosnan is in top form as 007, and the involvement of Dame Judi Dench as "M" into the storyline is creative. Although popular opinion declares Denise Richards as the worst Bond girl, it seems that she wasn't given a lot to work with. Marceau commands attention as the beautiful Elecktra King, the film's central character.

The movie is not without flaws. Carlise is a sympathetic villian but he's no 006 or Blofeld. Richard's Dr. Christmas Jones almost seems thrown in as a secondary character and juxtaposition to King(Marceau).

The story is solid and will require some attention to the first-time Bond veiwer (and if you are, where have you been for the last 38 years).

Finally, special thanks to returning Bond composer, David Arnold, for delivery a stunning soundtrack which is a wonderful fusion of modern techno and old-time John Barry (I'm listening to it as I'm writing this).

All in all, W.I.N.E. is a perfect addition to the ever-growing Bond series & with the current releases of Bond DVD's, I look forward to spinning this up in my player.

Rating:
Summary: What's The Point of Living If You Can't Feel Alive?
Review: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (known to Bond fans as TWINE) may be Pierce Brosnan's finest outing as Bond to date. A more complex and nuanced story than most recent Bond films, TWINE recaptures a good part of the exotica and international intrigue of the Bond series as first conceived.

The precredits sequence sets up the story nicely: Sir Robert King, oil magnate and friend of "M" (Judi Dench) is killed by booby trapped money delivered to him by Bond. All roads lead to Rome, the roads being clues, and Rome in this case being represented by Electra King (Sophie Marceau), Sir Robert's beautiful daughter, who was the victim of a recent kidnap plot hatched by the mysterious Renard, a terrorist rendered unable to experience pain by a bullet lodged in his skull. "M" dispatches Bond to protect Electra, who has taken over her father's petroleum empire in central Asia.

From the moment he arrives in Azerbaijan, Bond is a hunted man. Although first enamored of Electra, Bond soon realizes that there is something amiss.

In TWINE, Brosnan resurrects the dark Bond of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. His dual nemeses, Electra and Renard, are ably played by Marceau and Robert Carlyle, who both bring some surprising depth to their characters. Electra is particularly sympathetic, being both the brainwashed victim and willing accomplice of Renard. She is by turns sexual and ingenuous, vulnerable and implacable. Marceau is breathtakingly beautiful.

Carlyle's Renard, trapped in a body that can't feel, exudes both pathos and hatred as he plots the destruction of the democracies.

Dench's "M" plays a central role in the film, far larger than any "M" before her. The film is notable for being the last appearance as Desmond Llwellyn as "Q". Llewellyn, who played "Q" in almost every Bond film after 1964, died in a car wreck just days before the theatrical release of the picture, and John Cleese was cleverly edited into the film as his replacement, "R".

Denise Richards has the weakest major role, playing Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist. Richards could have been left on the cutting room floor in her entirety. More's the pity, because Richards is a strikingly beautiful woman who is entirely upstaged by the exotic, erotic Marceau. Besides being a rather miscast improbable genius in cargo shorts and a tank top, Richards' character has even more of an "afterthought" feel than "R" does, as if the producers just couldn't tolerate the idea of the film ending with an unredeemed Electra King and no virtuous love interest for Bond.

Two hours and some of intelligent action-adventure, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH fulfills all expectations.

Rating:
Summary: Stirred but not shaken - quite apt
Review: The Amazon reviewer noted that JB was becoming formulaic...well, in a sense, every movie is formulaic: Mysteries, science fiction, light romances, even drama. What was good about this were the terrific special effects, the complex, modern plot (The USSR is no more) and the music. Bad things: Alas, romance. The lead could not compete with earlier Bond women and being neither a femme fatale or a blushing virgin we are caught in the middle. Brosnan was good in this role, a more serious JB that brought much-needed weight and content to the part.

Rating:
Summary: The World is Not Enough
Review: Not much wrong with this as a bond film, - exotic locations, gadgets, beautiful girls, plenty of action, and a villain with evil intentions - except for one little thing - you ain't supposed to feel sorry for Bond's enemies, but when this film is over, you will. That said, it's still a good film with a great story, -and an excellent boat chase at the start. It's also Desmond Llewellan's last appearance as 'Q'. So still worth watching...