The James Bond Chronicles: 'The World is Not Enough' and 'Die Another Day'

Breitbart ^ | 28 Oct 2012 | Lawrence Meyers

[Perdogg]

"The World Is Not Enough" and "Die Another Day" begin with a lot of promise, both have solid elements, and there’s plenty of spectacle, but both ultimately collapse in their respective second halves.

[Perdogg]

Die Another Day was just awful. It had a promising Pre-title sequence, but the rest of the movie did not live up to that. Again, turning the Brosnan-Bond into a comic book. The Soundtrack to Die Another Day was awful as well. The Flemingesque elements were Miranda Frost, who was supposed to have been Gala Brand and that Gustav Graves was more the Hugo Drax, both from the Moonraker novel. Also, Col. Moon is actually Col. Sun taken from the Kingsley Amis’ Bond novel. Again, Brosnan-Bond suffers because of the idiocy of the Broccoli clan.

The World Is Not Enough was different; it was probably the most Flemingesque Bond movie of the Brosnan era. Valentin Zukovsky was in the tradition of the old Greek gambler Mr Zagrophos of the Greek syndicate. The kidnapping M came from Kingsley Amis’ Bond novel Col. Sun. The storyline was more in adventure mode more of the Fleming focus, rather than your typical geopolitical spy-genre. The villain Renard was straight from the DC/Marvel comic world. He was not a very good villain. It turned out he was just another whipped emo. I had no problems with either Sophie Marceau or Denis Richards, both were beautiful. The soundtrack was great, one of David Arnold’s best. Both of the songs in the movie were written by Don Black, who wrote the Diamonds Are Forever theme. However, I would have preferred the theme song, which could have been one the best of all times, to have been less complicated and without the synthesizers. The plot does collapse, again, because the writer just had to have one chase scene after another. It really just turned into a rip-off of Goldfinger.

[Perdogg]

ping

[barmag25]

In die another day the thing that ruined it for me was a line in the movie that said cuba had the best health care system in the world.

[Berlin_Freeper]

Skyfall

[yarddog]

Back in the 60s, I read all the James Bond novels and really enjoyed them. I think there is something about having read the books which makes me dislike a lot of the movies. I think that is a typical reaction as I liked the movie “Dune” but noticed everyone who had read the book hated it.

Anyway, there has not been a good Bond movie since “Thunderball”. Even Sean Connery could not save “Diamonds Are Forever” and it did at least resemble the book. It was just too ridiculous to have Bond standing in front of a cassette deck and have Blofeld order him at gun point to put the tape back in. No one with any sense would have let Bond within 1000 feet of it, much less have him insert the cassette.

The rest of the series are either awful or just watchable.

[GSP.FAN]

In Moonraker they put Bond right next to a big red button which says in big letters..EMERGENCY STOP.... DO NOT USE UNLESS STATION IS SECURED....Well of course he presses it and hilarity ensues.

Anybody think the guy is getting bored writing these articles?

[yarddog]

I realize you have to give them a little leeway as in real life the villain would simply shoot Bond immediately after capturing him. But some of them got to be funny they were so unbelievable.

“Moonraker” was one of those which had no resemblance to the book at all. Well they did give the villains the same name as the book.

[wally_bert]

My main problem with Moonraker the movie is that a large inactive space station just sits there and everyone on earth is oblivious to it until it is activated.

[ReformationFan]

I actually prefer DAD to TWINE. It’s less soap opera-ish and does involve much more Cold War-style international intrigue and espionage with North Korea filing in for the former U.S.S.R.. Also, I like the fact that in DAD Bond doesn’t hesistate to shoot the villainess who betrays him while in TWINE Bond seems much wimpier about it. That stated, none of the Brosnan films are in my top 10 Bond films.

[ReformationFan]

But that line is prefaced with something like “we lost our freedom in the revolution” so it admits that socialized medicine is the opposite of true freedom.

[GSP.FAN]

Only time that worked for the villain was in Goldfinger when he kept him alive just in case.

Same with the spy who loved me wife read the book and asked about the submarines..:>)

[fini]

“Live and let die” was the best Bond theme song. The movie- not.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I didn’t terribly mind TWINE, if only because of Sophie and Denise, as you said, both quite beautiful women (but Denise couldn’t pull off a nuclear scientist, c’mon). DAD was execrable to me, unwatchable rubbish (not even fun like Moonraker, bad but watchable). I’ve only seen it once, though I may revisit it at some point to see if I’m being overly harsh.

[GOPsterinMA]

‘The World is Not Enough’: I rate it as either the second or third best Brosnan flick...which doesn’t say much. Sophie, yes. The former Mrs. Chazz, no.

‘Die Another Day’: Like I said before, puke on film.

Here’s a tasty morsel. Google her, it’s worth it: Déborah François. The carpet matches the drapes.

[the scotsman]

OHMSS, Casino Royale not great Bond films?.

[yarddog]

OHMSS Was probably the best non Connery Bond film.

Casino Royale was cartoonish at best.

[GSP.FAN]

Who says xmas only comes once a year.LOL

[GOPsterinMA]

I think she’s a dog. Not attractive at all.

[GSP.FAN]

Really? I think she is hot.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yes, really. Bleh...