Bond 20: Die Another Day (2002)

Director: Lee Tamahori

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Events don't get any bigger than...

Plot: James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

My rating: 5.5/10

Will I watch it again? No.


There's nothing more than any of the Brosnan Bond films that make me long for the days of Roger Moore or Sean Connery. The thing is, I don't blame Brosnan at all (assuming he had little control over anything in the films). It's squarely on the producers. They've continually added stupid shit to these flicks that fucks them all up. They seem like they have to get bigger with every film. No, you don't, you just have to make a good film. They at least got it right with CASINO ROYALE (2006) but that didn't last long before they went back to being retards again. I hate people sometimes. If I didn't love the world of Bond so much I wouldn't care.


Madonna's theme song is the worst by a long shot (but just wait until QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008) comes around) and her acting performance is as bad as Denise Richards in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999) (if that's at all possible). It's not even a good Madonna song, for fuck's sake, and I like quite a bit of her music, too. Fortunately we've got another good score by David Arnold.


I don't get why Halle Berry is as big of a star as she is. She's attractive and she was good in MONSTER'S BALL (2001) but most of her performances I've seen are pretty bad (considering the cast that surrounds her). I didn't care for her in this one and I'm thankful that the rumored spin-off film featuring her character didn't happen.


For me the best part was more srumminess from Samantha Bond in a FANTASTIC payoff at the end of the movie.


As with the previous three Brosnan Bond films, I liked Brosnan where he's being serious and he's got moments when he really works well but there's too much horseshit that muddies everything up to make him a great Bond. I'm so glad I've watched these Brosnan Bond pictures for the last time. I really can't imagine a situation where I would slap them in again. This one in particular is two hours and thirteen minutes long! I'd love to get the series on Blu-ray (well, you know, when they eventually put them all out) but it's these films that keep me from getting the sets. I just don't want 'em.

Scorethefilm will return with his thoughts on...

Casino Royale (2006)