20 is not enough
"The World Is Not Enough"
Overall Rating: ****
James Bond is a cultural icon. Everyone knows the catchphrases "Bond, James Bond," and "shaken, not stirred"--evidence of the character's popularity. There have been 20 Bond films (21 if you count "Casino Royale"--the Bond spoof before they invented "Austin Powers") over the past four decades. While I find it a little difficult to be objective about the latest installment--James Bond films being a beloved part of my childhood--I thought that the latest effort, "The World Is Not Enough," lived up to the franchise in every way.
Why does anyone see a Bond film? Mainly for the nifty gadgets, the stunts and special effects, and the shallow violence in exotic locales. In "The World Is Not Enough," for instance, when, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), meeting with a banker in Spain as part of a routine errand, finds himself in an ambush, he manages to shoot his way out of it handily. Almost as soon he gets back to London, a bomb explodes in MI6 Headquarters. This doesn't faze Bond, who takes Q's (Desmond Llewelyn) latest rocket-propelled boat, and chases the evil agent down the Thames--finally, after considerable destruction, crashing into the Millennium Dome. This is all in the first fifteen minutes.
The plot is perfectly adequate: enough twists and turns, but not very original. The filmmakers borrow liberally from numerous earlier Bond movies--throwing in a "terrorists have a nuke" element. It works here--the fact that it worked years ago explains why they're doing it again. Another flaw in the writing is that while this is science-fiction, most of the science is fiction. (My advice: don't issue a life insurance policy to anyone who handles plutonium the way the characters of this movie do.)
Is there any kind of enlightened philosophical content? You're kidding, right?
If you go to "The World Is Not Enough"--or any James Bond movie--looking for a cerebral experience, you'll get just what you deserve. To give them some credit, the villains in this movie are a little more complex than the typical Bond villains--one of them actually does a small, good deed before trying to kill millions for personal gain. There's also a subtle classical allusion--albeit a slightly flawed one that may be missed by most of the audience.
Still, the real reason to see "The World Is Not Enough" is the traditional James Bond action. Bond goes to exotic locations (in this case, Bilbao, London, Baku, and Istanbul), and blows stuff up. He spends much of the film shooting people and destroying things in the best action-film style. All the neat gizmos are here, for both Bond and the villains; I especially liked the flying snowmobiles. We're also treated to a generous helping of the double entendres and bad puns (why else have a nuclear physicist named Christmas Jones?). The result may be hollow entertainment, but it's enough to justify $7.00 movie tickets.
The actors in "The World Is Not Enough" do their part to keep things moving. He's not my favorite Bond yet (despite the majority opinion, I'm undecided between Moore and Dalton), but Pierce Brosnan certainly does a great job in this installment. Sophie Marceau delivers a very strong performance as Elektra. Judi Dench, who also played M in the two previous Bond movies, delivers an excellent performance in this one--bolstered by a much larger part than M usually has. Also, Desmond Llewelyn, reprising his role as Q for what seems to be the final time (though not definitely--they left it open) keeps pace, providing his usual witty repartee right along with the arsenal.
"The World Is Not Enough" is rated PG-13, but it definitely pushes the envelope. The violence, the sexual content, and the nudity are all very close to what you'd expect in an R-rated film. This is probably less of a family film than any of the earlier efforts.
"The World Is Not Enough" is certainly as exciting as its predecessors. It has everything you look for in a Bond movie, and is one of 007's better appearances. While some films are like great works of art or high drama, the James Bond series has always been more like roller coaster rides. This ride has all the thrills you could ask for.
Title: "The World Is Not Enough"
Release date: November 19, 1999
Overall Rating: ****
James Bond is a cultural icon. Everyone knows the catchphrases "Bond, James Bond," and "shaken, not stirred"--evidence of the character's popularity. There have been 20 Bond films (21 if you count "Casino Royale"--the Bond spoof before they invented "Austin Powers") over the past four decades. While I find it a little difficult to be objective about the latest installment--James Bond films being a beloved part of my childhood--I thought that the latest effort, "The World Is Not Enough," lived up to the franchise in every way.
Why does anyone see a Bond film? Mainly for the nifty gadgets, the stunts and special effects, and the shallow violence in exotic locales. In "The World Is Not Enough," for instance, when, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), meeting with a banker in Spain as part of a routine errand, finds himself in an ambush, he manages to shoot his way out of it handily. Almost as soon he gets back to London, a bomb explodes in MI6 Headquarters. This doesn't faze Bond, who takes Q's (Desmond Llewelyn) latest rocket-propelled boat, and chases the evil agent down the Thames--finally, after considerable destruction, crashing into the Millennium Dome. This is all in the first fifteen minutes.
The plot is perfectly adequate: enough twists and turns, but not very original. The filmmakers borrow liberally from numerous earlier Bond movies--throwing in a "terrorists have a nuke" element. It works here--the fact that it worked years ago explains why they're doing it again. Another flaw in the writing is that while this is science-fiction, most of the science is fiction. (My advice: don't issue a life insurance policy to anyone who handles plutonium the way the characters of this movie do.)
Is there any kind of enlightened philosophical content? You're kidding, right?
If you go to "The World Is Not Enough"--or any James Bond movie--looking for a cerebral experience, you'll get just what you deserve. To give them some credit, the villains in this movie are a little more complex than the typical Bond villains--one of them actually does a small, good deed before trying to kill millions for personal gain. There's also a subtle classical allusion--albeit a slightly flawed one that may be missed by most of the audience.
Still, the real reason to see "The World Is Not Enough" is the traditional James Bond action. Bond goes to exotic locations (in this case, Bilbao, London, Baku, and Istanbul), and blows stuff up. He spends much of the film shooting people and destroying things in the best action-film style. All the neat gizmos are here, for both Bond and the villains; I especially liked the flying snowmobiles. We're also treated to a generous helping of the double entendres and bad puns (why else have a nuclear physicist named Christmas Jones?). The result may be hollow entertainment, but it's enough to justify $7.00 movie tickets.
The actors in "The World Is Not Enough" do their part to keep things moving. He's not my favorite Bond yet (despite the majority opinion, I'm undecided between Moore and Dalton), but Pierce Brosnan certainly does a great job in this installment. Sophie Marceau delivers a very strong performance as Elektra. Judi Dench, who also played M in the two previous Bond movies, delivers an excellent performance in this one--bolstered by a much larger part than M usually has. Also, Desmond Llewelyn, reprising his role as Q for what seems to be the final time (though not definitely--they left it open) keeps pace, providing his usual witty repartee right along with the arsenal.
"The World Is Not Enough" is rated PG-13, but it definitely pushes the envelope. The violence, the sexual content, and the nudity are all very close to what you'd expect in an R-rated film. This is probably less of a family film than any of the earlier efforts.
"The World Is Not Enough" is certainly as exciting as its predecessors. It has everything you look for in a Bond movie, and is one of 007's better appearances. While some films are like great works of art or high drama, the James Bond series has always been more like roller coaster rides. This ride has all the thrills you could ask for.
Title: "The World Is Not Enough"
Release date: November 19, 1999
MPAA rating: PG-13
Overall rating: ****
Overall rating: ****
Aprox. run time: 128 min.
Director: Michael Apted
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards (plays Dr. Christmas Jones), Judi Dench
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Bond99.htm
Added to blog site: 8/5/09
Director: Michael Apted
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein
Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Denise Richards (plays Dr. Christmas Jones), Judi Dench
Original URL: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/7045/Bond99.htm
Added to blog site: 8/5/09
Labels: Movie review, ReviewsbyJohn
posted by John at 11/22/1999 04:50:00 AM
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