DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002, UK/USA, 133m, 12) **
Action, Adventure, Thriller
dist. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (USA), 20th Century Fox (UK); pr co. Eon Productions /Danjaq / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) / United Artists; d. Lee Tamahori; w. Neal Purvis, Robert Wade (based on characters created by Ian Fleming); pr. Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson; ph. David Tattersall (DeLuxe | 2.35:1); m. David Arnold; ed. Andrew MacRitchie, Christian Wagner; pd. Peter Lamont; ad. Simon Lamont.
cast: Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Halle Berry (Jinx Johnson), Toby Stephens (Gustav Graves), Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost), Rick Yune (Zao), Judi Dench (M), John Cleese (Q), Michael Madsen (Damian Falco), Will Yun Lee (Colonel Moon), Kenneth Tsang (General Moon), Emilio Echevarría (Raoul), Michael Gor (Vlad), Lawrence Makoare (Mr. Kil), Colin Salmon (Charles Robinson), Samantha Bond (Miss Moneypenny), Ben Wee (Snooty Desk Clerk), Ho Yi (Hotel Manager), Rachel Grant (Peaceful), Ian Pirie (Creep), Simón Andreu (Dr. Alvarez), Mark Dymond (Van Bierk), Deborah Moore (Air Hostess), Madonna (Verity (uncredited)).
This outlandish, and sometimes inept, James Bond film sees 007 (Brosnan) captured by North Korean agents and must serve a gruelling prison sentence. He’s finally released and is convinced that someone in his own agency betrayed him. He escapes from custody and travels to Cuba, hot on the heels of Zao (Yune), the agent who put Bond behind bars. Meanwhile, Bond begins romancing NSA agent Jinx (Berry) as he uncovers a scheme concocted by Zao and British millionaire Graves (Stephens), involving a highly destructive laser. After a strong first half, this overblown adventure descends into some of the worst excesses seen in a Bond film since MOONRAKER (1979) – not least the invisible car. Berry is the film’s main asset in a lively turn as a US agent who assists Bond, but a weak and increasingly unbelievable premise along with some appalling CGI ultimately sink the film. Madonna has an unsubtle cameo role and contributes the brash theme song. The series would be re-invented four years later with CASINO ROYALE (2006).
