Review of Die Another Day (2002) by Filipeneto — 19 Feb 2018

Directed by Lee Tamahori and produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, has script Robert Wade and is the twentieth film in the franchise. In this film, Pierce Brosnan plays 007 for the last time, next to Halle Berry, in the role of Jinkx, Rosamund Pike, in the role of Miranda Frost, Rick Yune, in the role of Zao, John Cleese, in the role of Q and Toby Stephens, in the role of Gustav Graves.

In this film, James Bond returns to active after being captured and tortured in North Korea, where he remained abandoned by the country he served. He will try to pursue those responsible for his arrest, in particular the traitor who he suspects exist within MI6's ranks. For this, he will have to investigate a network of smuggling of blood diamonds and an eccentric millionaire who has a reputation for never sleeping.

This is undoubtedly the worst film of Bond franchise, to date. If there is any Bond movie where everything went wrong, is this. Pierce Brosnan, who in this film says goodbye to 007, was never convincing as James Bond. He tried, did his best and that's positive, but he never truly fit in the role. And if his previous films had been saved by the excellent quality of the villains and other stuff like that, it doesn't happen in this movie. Toby Stephens works well as Graves, but his character proved to be an unlikely villain. The public simply don't believe in his character or the history around it. Rosamund Pike is a terrible choice for a Bond-girl, as her character tried to be, at some point. She is the antithesis of any bond-girl, but the script was able to make up for it in the end, when Miranda showed not be as friendly as she (ever) seemed. Finally, we have the worst participation of all: Hale Brest... ops, Berry! This actress simply has no talent. She has big breasts, only that. And if that is enough to be a good bond- girl, the world is lost. The script is another problem: despite giving focus to strong and relevant subjects such weapons and diamonds trafficking or the constant military tension in North Korea, the way the film deals with it is simply unacceptable, unlikely and far-fetched. We could accept that in the early films of the franchise, but now the public expects more and that was simply forgotten. Last but not least, the film continues to suffer from continuity errors, paradoxes and faults unworthy of cinema professionals, in addition to the massive advertising sponsors, showed in all sequences and almost every scene. Bond is a action character or a pretty face to sell things?! The opening theme of this film, sung by Madonna, was very trendy to be precisely Madonna's. But even that could have been better and more interesting.