Bond returns for `Another Day'
By C. SPENCER BEGGS
Scene Editor
While "Die Another Day" is the 20th installment in the James Bond franchise, this film pounds the final nail into Bond creator Ian Flemming's coffin. The series has long since forgotten the heydays of Sean Connery's dashing secret agent. The recent slew of Bond films seem to have dropped the secret part: Bond is more likely to pull out his Berretta and blast his way through 200 goons Rambo-style than, God forbid, make up a cover story. But even though the new movies have become glorified action flick, they're still fun to watch and there's still plenty of classic Bond elements that show through.
"Die Another Day" begins with Bond (Pierce Brosnan) surfing on typhoon-like waves onto the coast of North Korea to stop the sale of some high tech military equipment to a obtusely evil warmonger general by impersonating the moneyman. But Bond's plan is botched when he's almost instantly recognized. After a slightly tough to swallow hovertank battle, Bond is captured and tortured in a prison as the classic opening sequence of writhing silhouettes of naked women dance to the Bond theme song, this time covered by Madonna.
Bond is eventually ransomed by M6 when the name of one of their agents is broadcast from the prison. Thinking Bond had cracked his cool, his boss, M (Dame Judi Dench), makes a prisoner swap. Back in an M6 medical facility, M rescinds Bond's double-0 status. Bond, of course, immediately escapes and begins an investigation into who set him up, taking him all around the globe including exotic locations like Havana and Iceland. But Bond doesn't have to take this one on alone; Halle Berry joins as the latest Bond girl named Jinx, an American secret agent. Jinx isn't the run-of-the-mill "oh, James" Bond girl, rather she's Bond's equal in every way. Of course, she's still uncontrollably attracted to him.
"Die Another Day" doesn't really have an innovative plot, but it is an incredible tribute to the franchise. For example, when Bond first sees Jinx emerge from the ocean ala Phoebe Cates from "Fast Times at Ridegemont High," the shot (and bikini) are recreations of the entrance of the first Bond girl, Honey Ryder (Ursella Andrews), from the first Bond movie, 1962's "Dr. No." Bond poses as an ornithologist for about five seconds — a subtle reference to where Flemming borrowed the name of his hero: famous ornithologist, you guessed it, James Bond. "Die Another Day" even come deliciously close to parodying itself ala "Austin Powers;" the bad guy has a conveniently placed Earth-destroying laser beam in space.
"Die Another Day" suffers from a bit of awkward acting. Surprisingly, a lot of this comes from Berry who sounds like she's reading from a children's book at times. Even worse is a bit part written in for Madonna; while she contributes a decent theme song, there should be a constitutional amendment forbidding her from appearing in movies ever again.
And like other recent Bond films, the bad guy has to have a justification for why he's evil. This time it's because his father didn't love him enough. Seriously, audiences can probably accept an old school irrational drive to destroy the world from any guy who has his own laser beam in space.
The film muscles through most of these difficulties. Brosnan has mastered his version of Bond and carries the film. Of course, he's aided by a bunch of cool new gadgets like an invisible Aston Martin and a shockwave ring. And the Bond girls aren't exactly unappealing either.
But Berry may end up being more than one of Bond's conquests; there's been a considerable buzz in Hollywood that MGM may spin-off the Jinx into a new franchise of secret agent films. Perhaps this may end up being a profitable venture, but given Berry's lackluster performance in "Die Another Day," MGM might be well advised to let Jinx work her voodoo in just one film like the other memorable but oh so forgettable Bond girls.
(4 out of 5 shamrocks)
Contact C. Spencer Beggs at beggs.3@nd.edu
All Scene Stories for Thursday, December 5, 2002
