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James Bond 007 (Pierce Brosnan) – undercover agent with a license to kill – is given a new
assignment. He is to seek out contact person Col. Moon to consummate a secret deal. However, his cover is blown and he is arrested and imprisoned by General Moon
because his son, the colonel is killed in Bond's attempt to escape. Unsuccessful in forcing out any information from him after 14 months of torture and imprisonment,
Bond is swapped for a prisoner the Koreans highly value, Zao (Rick Yune). Released and back on his turf, he decides to follow a trail that would uncover his
enemy-betrayer.
The clues bring him to places like Cuba, London, Iceland and back to Korea. Who is the enemy? Will he be able to catch him before anything catastrophic is planned, or takes place in some part, or everywhere in the world?
Die Another Day is
an explosive, expansive and fast-paced story that banks on the spectacular – for which Bond movies are known – to bring in the audience. The ingredients are the same:
fast story sequences, daring, women, a sophisticated, attractive and ruthless Bond, unheard of gadgets, machines and deadly weapons.
All these are laid on thick, including several fierce, deadly and devastating confrontations, including a car-chase and a sword-fight. Events that happen in various places are given a narrative unity through the dialogue, showing the trail of the traitor that helps Bond find him. The director has amazing control of his film, seeing the amount of visuals and sound he has put into it. Brosnan is his sophisticated and dapper – but improved, though a little tired – self. Berry is remarkable as an action star. Others in the cast have given their fair share of their acting capability.
With a lot of spectacular action to entertain and not much of a story to appreciate, what else is
there to take note of?
The clash between good and evil, and the triumph of good at the end is to be expected. However, there is more of a personal element here – than working in Her Majesty's service – that drives Bond to get the traitor: to erase the blot that this enemy has put on his name and record as an agent. He is still into casual sex (promiscuity) with willing partners: Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike) and co-agent from another agency Jinx (Halle Berry). There is the projection of megalomania, the desire for power to be achieved through the use of mega-destructive machines. It is a plus for women's causes that Jinx is Bond's co-equal as an agent, and as good as he is in action, if not better. While some viewers are entertained by what they take as the pleasing spectacle of action and sound in the conflict of the good versus the bad, others see this as a spectacle of violence and acts of terrorism that disturb. All in all, however, it is important that, while being entertained by this fantastic tale with destruction of such magnitude, there shouldn't be any wish for such scenes to take place anywhere in reality, nor to want it to strike any people in real life.
(Date reviewed: November 29, 2002)
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