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.”
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Poster Art
Buy a Die Another Day
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November 14th, 2019 at 15:09
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.