Hey folks, Harry here with another look at THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH... Watch out for some early film spoilers (spoilers from the first 15 minutes or so) .... Overall Tigger Pooh really really likes it. Seems like it's a real solid Bond flick... let's keep our fingers crossed.... Here it is...
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (MGM PICTURES.132 MIN. APPROX.)-*** 1/2
(Warning-Small spoilers ahead!)
After the entertaining but somewhat lacking "Tomorrow Never Dies", the 007 franchise is in full successful swing once again with "The World Is Not Enough", an exciting, involving entry in the long-running series that should prove a fun time for all (especially Bond fanatics like myself)and another cash cow for Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
The film opens with a lengthy (15-20 minutes) pre-credit sequence that has James Bond (Pierce Brosnan)chasing an assassin who has killed an Oil Tycoon(and close friend of M's) right inside MI6. Unfortunately,the assassin commits suicide before Bond can find out who sent her.
Despite being on the "inactive" list due to a dislocated shoulder, Bond begins to piece together the puzzle that leads to the conclusion that the person responsible for the murder is a man named Renard (Robert Carlyle), who had once kidnapped the tycoon's daughter, Electra (Sophie Marceau). Fearing that she may be next, Bond heads off to act as protection for Electra.
In true Bond fashion, the bad guys pop up, Renard reveals his plans for nuclear catastrophe and the chase is on to stop Renard. Bond gets help from nuclear scientist (hardy har har) Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards).
There are some nice turns here and there in the second half of the film that I really don't want to reveal here (I hate it when someone does it for me, why should I do it to you?), but I do want to reveal how much fun this movie is. Director Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter)does a very good job at developing situations without the urge to race through them (a la 'Tomorrow Never Dies')and also allows the talented cast (with one exception-more on that in a minute)to give their characters some life. Apted seems to find the right level the last three Bond films have been looking for. This one has a decent story, pumped-up action and a level of grittiness that are all equally mixed together, making for a Bond episode worthy of the Connery series and of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".
As mentioned previously, the cast is also a notch above the norm here. Brosnan proves once again that he is the best JB since Connery. His Bond is one of class and coolness. It is also nice to see the filmmakers giving Judi Dench more than just a few minutes of screen time as M, showing more of a human side this time out. Robert Carlyle nicely underplays his role as Renard (no scene chewing here, which is surprising), giving his character a quiet sort of menace. Robbie Coltrane also has a small, welcome return role as his "Goldeneye" character Valentin Zukovsky (although I was less than thrilled about his character's concluding scene). Also of note is John Cleese as "R", "Q"'s replacement.
As for the women, let's just say this: one hit, one strike. Sophie Marceau's character is not your usual damsel-in-distress. Her Electra is a smart, crafty woman. Marceau plays her perfectly. I wish I could say the same about Denise Richards, but alas, she turns in the worst performance from any female in a Bond film since Tanya Roberts starred in "A View To A Kill". Despite looking really great (especially in a wet T-shirt), she has as much talent as a pickle. Thankfully, she wasn't given much to say. But when she did, I could feel the hair on my neck rise up.
The print I saw was completely finished, and it looked great. Adrian Biddle's widescreen photography was gorgeous to look at (tons of international locales to look at when Sophie and Denise were not onscreen) and David Arnold's music score was just as cool as it was in the last film. Garbage's theme song was also first-rate (being a huge fan of the band, I expected no less).
So, in conclusion, "The World Is Not Enough" is more than enough to satisfy Bond fans who may have felt a little cheated by "Tomorrow Never Dies". It's classic Bond, who is looking quite good for a series that has been going on for almost four decades.
Tigger Pooh
