|
 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) is one of the few James Bond movies that little is heard about. Dr. No, Goldfinger and even Casino Royale have been talked about to death, but this one, featuring Pierce Brosnan as 007 and the great Jonathan Pryce as his latest adversary, is fairly modest compared to its more over-the-top brethren. The film's job is pretty simple: come in, throw out a couple of winks at long-time Bond fans, and blow up a lot of stuff in the process. But it works. Tomorrow Never Dies doesn't bend over backwards to adhere to the goofier aspects of its parent franchise, allowing it to unfold into one of the more taut and riveting additions to the series.
They say that no news is good news, and that's great news for Elliot Carver (Pryce). As head of an omnipresent media group, Carver thrives on sensational headlines to grab the attention of the masses. But there's a good reason that he seems curiously on the ball concerning current events; he creates some of them himself.
Teri Hatcher
After the beginning credits roll, Carver instigates a skirmish between British and Chinese forces in the South China Sea, a deadly incident which he plans on using to launch the next phase of his media empire. However, his all-too-quick reporting on the attack piques the curiosity of MI6, who send Bond out to investigate before the British Navy strikes back with a vengeance. Bond makes a swift enemy out of the mogul, but he catches the eye of not one but two fetching ladies: Paris (Teri Hatcher), a former lover now married to Carver, and Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), a mysterious beauty who's more than what she appears to be. But Bond's going to need all the help he can get on this assignment, after discovering that Carver aims not just to get a jump on his competition but to also instigate World War III.
Pierce Brosnan & Michelle Yeoh
Some fans rank Brosnan second only to Sean Connery as the best Bond of all-time, but when you think about it, the movies Brosnan starred in were all perfectly serviceable but not altogether memorable. Tomorrow Never Dies is no exception, coming across with nothing that will raise the eyebrows of hardcore Bond aficionados but never losing sight of the fact that its top priority is to have fun.
As an outright action film, Tomorrow Never Dies is a pretty solid ride. The final scenes unfortunately descend into a bunch of boring gunplay, but in the time leading up to it, director Roger Spottiswoode (The 6th Day) and his crew dole out one blood-pumping action sequence after another. Bond and Wai Lin's escape from Carver's men on the streets of Saigon is great stuff, but the film's highlight is a funky twist on the standard car chase, in which Bond flees from the baddies while piloting his tricked-out vehicle with a remote control.
As an overall Bond film, however, Tomorrow Never Dies is a little on the underwhelming side. While it's good to see a more "realistic" (if such a word can describe anything in the Bond franchise) grab for world domination on behalf of the villain, there's something about Carver's evil plot that seems a little excessive and ill-thought through. It does well in keeping the plot going, but you'd think Carver would be able to cover up his tracks more effectively from how quickly Bond picks up on his scheme. Plus, while corny innuendo and snarky one-liners have been a Bond trademark, they're especially eye-rollingly bad here.
Still, Tomorrow Never Dies succeeds on plenty of other fronts. Brosnan makes for an almost effortlessly cool 007. Yeoh handles herself quite well in both looking good and kicking as much butt as Bond. And while most of the franchise's theme songs are nothing special, Sheryl Crow's titular ballad captures the film's mood quite nicely.
It's no Goldfinger or even On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but Tomorrow Never Dies is an entertaining addition to the Bond series. With gadgets galore, lovely ladies, and action abound, it's an exhilirating flick that does both 007 and the action genre itself justice.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Writer: Bruce Feirstein
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Ricky Jay, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench
Rating: PG-13 (violence and sensuality)
Classic Movie Guide Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Run Time: 119 minutes
Studio: United Artists
Format: Color, widescreen
Photo credits: United Artists
|
