Die Another Day

The 20th official James Bond film, Die Another Day, marked the 40th anniversary of 007 on the big screen with its cinematic release.

Die Another Day again stars Pierce Brosnan as our hero, with supporting roles provided by Dame Judy Dench as M, John Cleese as Q and with Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike as the Bond girls, Die Another Day is full of what you expect from a Bond movie and full of what you don’t.

The Madonna song lets down the otherwise excellent title sequence and the volume seems to be a little to pumped up at times, but the movie sees a welcome return to Bond driving an Aston Martin, although rather than just sporting an ejector seat, it features an invisibility mode that stretches improbability just a little too far.

What we say

Once again the pre-title sequence is overlong, but the scenes set in Cuba work well. Once 007 arrives in London it is all downhill and as a 40th anniversary tribute to the Bond series it is a disaster.
[kkstarratings]

Locations

Original release

UK premiere: 18th November 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall in London
UK: 20th November 2002
US: 22nd November 2002

Principal crew

Director Lee Tamahori
Screenplay Neal Purvis & Robert Wade
Producer Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson
Music David Arnold
Editing Andrew MacRitchie and Christian Wagner
Production design Peter Lamont
Cinematography David Tattershall

Cast

Pierce Brosnan James Bond
Halle Berry Jinx Johnson
Toby Stephens Gustav Graves
Rosamund Pike Miranda Frost
Rick Yune Zao
Judi Dench M
John Cleese Q
Michael Madsen Damian Falco
Will Yun Lee Colonel Moon
Kenneth Tsang General Moon
Emilio Echevarría Raoul
Mikhail Gorevoy Vlad
Lawrence Makoare Mr. Kil
Colin Salmon Charles Robinson
Samantha Bond Miss Moneypenny
Ben Wee Snooty Desk Clerk
Ho Yi Hotel Manager
Rachel Grant Peaceful
Ian Pirie Creep
Simón Andreu Dr. Alvarez
Mark Dymond Van Bierk
Deborah Moore Air Hostess
Oliver Skeete Concierge
Joaquín Martínez Old Man Cigar Factory
Michael G. Wilson General Chandler
Daryl Kwan General Han
Vincent Wong General Li
Sai-Kit Yung General Dong
Manolo Caro Cuban Waiter
Sarllya Korean Scorpion Guard
Paul Darrow Doctor
Lucas Hare Medic
Cristina Contes Nurse
Stewart Scudamore Buckingham Palace Reporter
Bill Nash Buckingham Palace Reporter
James Wallace Buckingham Palace Reporter
Ami Chorlton Buckingham Palace Reporter

Drinks

  • Bollinger
  • Rum
  • Mojito
  • Vodka martini (served by Deborah Moore, the daughter of Sir Roger)
  • Whisky

Cars

Aston Martin Vanquish (2002)

Quotes

  • “You know, you’re cleverer than you look.”
    “Still, better than looking cleverer than you are.”
  • “I see you handle your weapon well.”
    “I”ve been known to keep my tip up.”
  • “Oh look, parachutes for the both of us. Oops, not anymore!”
  • “It’s called the future, so get used to it.”
  • “Just surviving.”

Buy Die Another Day DVD/Blu-Ray from Amazon

Poster Art

Buy a Die Another Day
poster or print.

Soundtrack

Read more about the Die Another Day soundtrack or buy it online.

The World Is Not Enough | Casino Royale

David Leigh founded The James Bond Dossier in 2002. A fan of 007 since the age of 8, he is also author of The Complete Guide to the Drinks of James Bond. You can order a copy here if you don't own it already.


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One Response to “Die Another Day”

  • Dynamo

    I thought the Madonna song was great, and so did a lot of people, considering that it was the number one dance song in America in both 2002 and 2003. The upbeat pop was a striking contrast to the scenes of Bond being tortured. Madonna herself, however, was quite atrocious as Verity; as she was not even credited, apparently that opinion is shared by all.

    Pierce Brosnan remains THE James Bond to me. Growing up, it was Roger Moore, whose comedic and lighthearted style was perfect to my young mind. Timothy Dalton was a respected replacement when I was a teen, though his movies are not often researched. But Pierce Brosnan came along when I was in my early twenties and was discovering who I was as a young man, and what sort of man I wanted to be. The bearing, appearance, confidence, and gravitas of Pierce Brosnan as Bond was just perfect. Therefore, though they do suffer much on critical review from a well shed and experienced mind, his four movies never fail to entertain. Remember, the problems many have with any movie, are overlooked by the young, who are able to set aside reality for a while and fully immerse themselves in a great movie.

    And Die Another Day is a great movie. The invisible car seems pretty ridiculous now. But in my youth it was awesome, and something that many of us believed could someday be a possibility. The idea of Bond initially going rogue to go after the bad guys was appealing to one who shunned authority and valued personal freedom above all. The angry sword (cock) fight was kick-ass, having been raised on dungeons and dragons and all the 80s medieval fantasy movies, and the idea of the villain was surprising, but believable, in an era when cloning and other genetic breakthroughs were being widely discussed. But even for the time, the whole cgi parasurfing scene was ridiculous, as was the car chase through the melting ice castle.

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