Die Another Day

It's an important time for England's greatest spy.  It's his 20th outing and also his 40th anniversary since he locked horns against the evil Dr. No.  Is he still up to it?

The demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.  Secret Agent James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) has successfully infiltrated an illegal diamond deal that will finance a war that could see a united Korea under the leadership of a maniac.  However, Bond's cover is blown and he is captured, 007 learns that he was informed-on by someone unknown and when the British and American governments decide to trade a captured criminal, Zao (Rick Yune) for him, he finds he can't be trusted by his own people.  Left on the outside, Bond sets out to prove to M (Judi Dench) that he was framed from within and begins to track Zao.  In doing so, Bond comes across the path of Jinx (Halle Berry) - an American agent who also has her reasons to get Zao and his boss, megalomaniac Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens).  With the help of another agent - Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) - Bond's mission will take him from Iceland, to Cuba and back to Korea before he can solve the case and save the day... again!  

Even if you didn't know that Die Another Day was a special film for the vodka-martini drinking superspy, you'd guess that something was up whilst watching it,  Littered throughout its two hours plus running time are major nods to all the previous Bond films. From cars (Bond is back in an Aston Martin), to babes (Halle Berry appears in a bikini a là Ursula Andres), to stunts (a Union Jack parachute makes an appearance), Die Another Day is chock full of nods to all the history attached to the British superspy.  But this isn't all about the past, oh no.  This about securing the future against the "wannabes" such as the over-inflated xXx. 

 Amazingly, it manages to surpass the opening sequence of The World Is Not Enough with a truly  awesome set-piece that sees Bond surf board into North Korea and single handedly take on a small army in a speed-blurring chase involving hovercrafts over a minefield.  However, where the pervious flick failed to live up to its opening, Die Another Day has enough to keep you "agog" with what is probably the best Bond car chase ever filmed.  The ice chase between Bond's Aston Martin and villain Zao's Jaguar is pure class, and also lets us see Brosnan enjoying himself showing  that his fourth outing has found him comfortable in the role.  

Whether turning up in a hotel  wet, bearded and in pajamas - a laugh better than a handful of one-liners - or indulging in "extreme fencing" with super villain Gustav Graves, Brosnan has it nailed even with pressure from inside his own camp.  John Cleese returns as Q and deliciously puts 007 on his place.  Judi Dench as M is as tough as ever on the womanising agent and Halle Berry as Jinx proves more that a match for our hero with the "kick butt" category definitely under the belt.  In fact Berry comes across as a female version of 007, with her own one-liners - that's a mouthful - to gadgets and her own intense fight sequence.  Of course, being Bond, she's not the only female in the agent's sights - Rosamund Pike is Graves' secretary (or is she?) - with an attitude that matches the cold of the impressive Ice Palace where the middle part of the movie takes place.  The director attempts to keep Bond in the "hip present" with camera tricks such as slow-motion and speeded-up shots, which would seem more at home in a John Woo or Jerry Bruckheimer production.  These tricks are downright suave and they don't deter from the overall fun and splendor that is on display here.  As fitting tribute to an established legend, Die Another Day is truly worthy of your patronage.  Go on, help keep the British end up

STEVE'S SCORE