Review of Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) by Alex A — 22 Sep 2010

The Bond films have finally found their best film in Tomorrow Never Dies. As a reader of the Fleming novels as well as a viewer of the films, I can say that the initial ideas of Fleming has been incorporated, as well as the cinematic touches that were made evident in the 60s. Though the film may have slightly excessive action, it doesn't set itself up to be a generic Hollywood action movie. This is a cinematic experience that'll leave you exceedingly satisfied.

The film provides a fantastic gallery of Bond girls, which includes Michelle Yeoh as the only compentent "action" Bond girl (Halle Berry's Jinx in Die Another Day was abysmal, and Carey Lowell's in Licence to Kill was bland) in Wai Lin. She handled herself in action scenes, ably performed the art of espionage, had the glamour, class and beauty of classic Bond girls, and overall just a likeable character. Michelle Yeoh was exceedingly convincing as Wai Lin. She showed the character was determined and very professional in scenes like the one on the boat to Elliot's Stealth Boat, and the one where she asks Bond whether the mission is personal. She also has a sense of humour, as displayed as they ventured to the boat and while she walked down the walls at the Hamburg HQs, but decides not to mix business with pleasure - the only difference to James Bond himself - even if she began warming to Bond whilst he ridiculed Carver in his Saigon HQs. But she isn't invincible like some make her out to be. Bond needed to save her in sticky situations - one in the bike shop and the other where she needed resuscitation. The mystique that surrounds her is engaging, and her sly, cheeky mentality during Carver's party, sneaking in and approaching Carver demonstrates her amiable nature, but again, it also displays a degree of professionalism and a great ability to hold a cover name and identity.

Teri Hatcher is cast as Bond's past girlfriend and she convincingly portrays the damsel in distress. Having been in the 90s, women were looked at as stronger, more confident women, and Paris Carver is no different, as displayed when Bond reunites with her at Tomorrow's Launch Party. She is a beautiful lady of class and humanity, and it's no wonder as to why Bond liked her. Teri Hatcher was involved in one of the most brilliantly written, shot, scored and acted scenes in any Bond film, that is their love scene. Some complain that Paris was two dimensional, but this is where they fail to see the subtleties which permit their story to work. It also injects Tomorrow Never Dies with the "Flemingesque" traits that were lost in Bond films such as The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and You Only Live Twice. Ian Fleming references a lot of Bond's past girlfriends, so it is refreshing to see one in this Bond film. James Bond is also a man who masks his emotions for a number of reasons. He doesn't like expressing himself, if only predominantly for the fact that he can't get too close to women, and this may provoke a stronger connection to the women. He can't get involved with Paris, which is why he left her initially. In only a few lines of dialogue, you can gather Paris and Bond's back stories and characters, which emphasises the film-makers ingenuity. The other notable Bond girl is Danish professor Inga Bergstrom, who helps Bond "learn a new tongue" in a cheeky love scene reminiscent to Bond's frivolous nature in Thunderball.

The action sequences are very fresh and creative, which again highlights that the film-makers haven't lost their eye for originality. The magnificent bike chase through the streets of Saigon is masterfully shot (with warm colours saturuting each frame which suggests the heat and tension of the situation), scored, and choreographed (this chase starts out on ground, and ends up on the rooftops, only to perform this film's iconic stunt. Furthermore, Bond and Wai Lin are handcuffed together, which makes it all the more tricky and exciting). The BMW 750iL is the best Bond car since his DB5 in Goldfinger, which not only provides a fantastic chase in a multi storey carpack in Hamburg whilst Bond controls it from the back seat, it also helps maintain Bond's cover, as he is a "banker" and he needs a business like car to help stabilise his image.

Tomorrow Never Dies also holds up David Arnold's best score to date, revisiting the sixties whilst modernising it for contemporary audiences.

Jonathon Pryce provides one of the best villains of the series, up there with the likes of Rosa Klebb, Auric Goldfinger and Max Zorin. His energy is most notable, but his plan is also one of the most sadistic plots to ever grace a Bond film. Taking the trait of greed to the extreme, Elliot Carver (Pryce) plots and executes an attack on the Chinese, framing the British, and vica versa, only so he can capture the event first, and allow his media outlets to rise in ratings. The scene after the fantastic titles sequence (provided by new Bond veteran, Daniel Kleinman) shows this horrific sequence under the masterful direction of Roger Spottiswoode, and again, with David Arnold's haunting score.

In a sort of literary visit, film makers question how much power the media really has over the audiences, as the only connection the society has to different events is the media in all forms, and it's interesting to see how the media plays up different events. This is evident in the scene where Admiral Roebuck discovers Carver's newspaper, and how vexed he becomes by reading it.

And from this, one can conclude that Tomorrow Never Dies isn't as two dimensional and generic as some people believe it is. You'll never find another Bond film with a more "Bondian" 75 minutes (at the least). But as they say, James Bond will return.