Die Another Day review by Orlando C. Fernando Jan 21, 2003 Storyline: 8(0=worst, 10=best) Originality: 7 Acting: 9 Special Effects: 8 Overall: A- (F=worst, A=best)

James Bond 007 returns for the 20th Bond film and Pierce Brosnan's 4th role fitting into his shoes.
In this latest installment, James Bond actually gets captured while on mission to kill a wanted man in North Korea. In a Jesus/Barabas religious parallel, he winds up being traded for the freedom of a corrupted military leader's son Gustav Graves. While captured, Bond is brutally tortured, carrying through an unusual Bond style of opening credits. M (Judi Dench) helps bail Bond out, but not without reminder that she can expend him if the situation required (a great continuity point from "Goldeneye"). As usual, she delivers him the next mission: find the traitor involved in getting Bond captured...without, as usual, making it personal.

This installment's escapades has him joining forces with Jinx, played by recent academy award winner Halle Berry.
She fits the role perfectly as a sort of female Bond that has equal amount of combative skills, evasive maneuvers, and...with Bond...persuasive maneuvers. ;) She really shines as the mysterious agent Bond finds in Cuba and winds up appearing with him on various occasions leading up to the Gustav's lair: an extravagant ice castle in Iceland.

Good balance of action, storyline twists, and typical Bond gadget fare.
And unlike "Goldeneye", this Bond gets to use a superb car that turns...invisible! That's right. You'll just have to listen to Q's (John Cleese) explanation. There is a fencing sequence and ice castle escape & return sequence that definitely can't be missed! Even a certain singer of the title soundtrack song has a minor role here (though thankfully it's short).

Better than recent Brosnan Bond films, second only to "Goldeneye".
"Goldeneye", in my opinion, had an excellent mix of storyline, action, characters, and romance. This film brings it close to that, especially considering the torture story for Bond which brings a bit of hard drama to the story. Worth the price for full admission, keeping me anxious to see Brosnan's next (or next two) final Bond installments.

Copyright 2003 by Orlando C. Fernando. Pierce Brosnan picture is copyright altocelebs.net. This page is for personal use only. It may be openly distributed for nonprofit in whole or part, but authorship must be credited.