TOMORROW NEVER DIES

James Bond: Pierce Brosnan Elliot Carver: Jonathan Pryce Wai Lin: Michelle Yeoh Paris Carver: Teri Hatcher Stamper: Goetz Otto M: Judi Dench Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. Written by Bruce Feirstein. Running time: 119 minutes. Rated PG-13 (for some violence and sexuality).

The setting: On the mountainous snowy terrain, we find ourselves at a "Terrorist Arms Bazaar on the Russian Border." One question that does come to mind, which border?

The situation: The British Admiral has ordered a missile launch to obliterate the "terrorist supermarket." Unfortunately, the Admiral failed to see a Russian jet carrying nuclear torpedoes, on sale and prominently displayed, at the market. Suffice it to say, if activated, the torpedoes could possibly put a dent in the environment. The Admiral tries to abort the launch, but it is too late, for the missile is out of range to be deactivated. Who will save the world?

The solution: Bond, James Bond. Already on the scene, our quick-thinking hero wades through the countless number of henchmen and tries to steal the jet before the British missile arrives at its target. Will he make it? I'll let you answer that question.

The most famous secret service agent in the world has come back again for his 18th appearance. Pierce Brosnan reprises his role as 007, as he tries (sorry it should be "will") to save the world again.

In Tomorrow Never Dies, Bond goes against his most cunning and vile villain to date. He is a Rupert Murdoch/Bill Gates media mogul named Elliot Carver (Jonathon Pryce), probably more affluent than all the past villains combined. His power-hungry hands stem to software (a computer program with enough bugs to keep users buying upgrades for years to come), cable (plans to blackmail the President with a video of him and a cheerleader for lower cable rates) and newspapers. He is about to open a 24hr news channel, CMGN, Carver Media Group Network (you can bet its more evil than CNN).

Carver decides to make the premiere of his channel an event by causing conflict between the British and the Chinese. With the help of his stealth ship that is undetectable by radar, he sinks a British ship in Chinese waters. The newspapers, Carver's Tomorrow ("There's no news like bad news," exclaims Carver), speculate the sailors were murdered by the Chinese. The British retaliate by sending their fleet to China. Bond's mission is to investigate who caused the sinking, before the war between the two nations starts.

Besides the plot of "world domination," what Bond film wouldn't be complete without his leading ladies? Tomorrow Never Dies does not disappoint, as the movie supplies the audience with two beautiful and sexy ladies. One of them is Paris Carver (Teri Hatcher), who was one of Bond's former lovers, but is now married to Carver. It is rare for fans to see Bond having to deal with old flames. The encounter with her is not a happy one, as she bears anger and hatred for leaving her (I bet she is not alone). The other woman in Bond's life is Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), who works for the "Chinese External Security Force." Unlike the other Bond women, Wai Lin can take care of herself, as she is an expert in martial arts and even more cunning and intelligent than Bond himself. I found her character so delightful that I wouldn't be surprised if she had her own series of spy movies.

Pierce Bronson does a great job as Bond. He combines sly wit and humor with a touch of seriousness. Is he better than Connery? I don't think anyone can beat Connery, as he is the embodiment of Bond. It is the same as comparing Errol Flynn with every person who plays Robin Hood. You cannot see anyone else playing that role. The rest of cast is also superb, especially Judi Dench, who also returns to play M. M, who is Head of the British Secret Service, spends most of her time fending off her testosterone peers, while trying desperately to keep Bond from getting into trouble.

Another trademark of the Bond series, now in its 35th year, are the action sequences and the high-tech toys. The toys are eye-popping, including the new BMW filled with its usual accessories of missiles and bulletproof glass, plus its new feature, remote control by a cellular phone. Needless to say, that feature is utilized when Bond has to escape from a bunch of Carver's henchmen, while driving in the back seat of his car. Other great scenes include an incredible chase over the rooftops of worn buildings involving a motorcycle with Bond and Wai Lin handcuffed together and two jets doing maneuvers in close proximity to the mountains.

Tomorrow Never Dies is better than the last Bond installment, Goldeneye. While Goldeneye seemed too persistent to focus on Bond being in the 90's, Tomorrow Never Dies allows Bond to apply his old tricks in the present world. As a result, we even get a couple of laughs (the "Don't ask-Don't tell" joke).

Tomorrow Never Dies, like all Bond movies, is filled with beautiful women, exotic locations and fabulous action sequences (the motorcycle sequence has to be seen at least twice). I originally found the idea of a media mogul as a villain to be absurd, but if you think about it, the idea is plausible as they are the only people with power in today's world. The chemistry between Bond and Wai Lin is great, as both are independent of each other. Entertaining and exciting, I look forward to the next movie. It is good to have Bond back. Grade: B-

MAIN MENU
MOVIES A-F
MOVIES G-M
MOVIES N-T
MOVIES U-Z