Die Another Day

Die Another Day is the twentieth James Bond movie made by EON Productions and the fourth and final film to star Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's James Bond. It was released in 2002 and produced by Bond veterans Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. It is the first movie to not feature Desmond Llewelyn as Q since Live and Let Die (1973).

Overview

The movie departs from the usual Bond formula in several ways. Die Another Day begins with an action set-piece which, instead of a comic ending, ends with Bond captured by the North Korean army, after which he is tortured for fourteen months, depicted in a stylized manner through the title sequence. The movie also shows some attempts to improve the appeal of Bond to a younger audience, featuring two separate scenes of Bond surfing, a more contemporary soundtrack (by David Arnold), and extensive use of The Matrix-style slow-motion pans. Critical reaction to the film was mixed, even allowing for the typical disdain of action films (and of sequels) held by many reviewers. Many felt that it was merely a tired retread of old ideas, and the attempts to appeal to a younger audience were unsuccessful; supporters of the film counter that the so-called "retread of old ideas" was simply the film paying homage to earlier Bond films, adding that Bond's incarceration and torture at the start of the movie sufficiently broke the pattern of recent Bond films. Some also felt that the extensive use of CGI special effects detracted from one of the major appeals of the older films—that the stunts, however preposterous, were actually performed. The quality of the CGI effects in some scenes was also criticized.

Related Topics:
North Korea - Soundtrack - David Arnold - The Matrix - Action film - Homage - CGI - Stunt

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Marketing for the film was also criticized by some fans. In previous Bond films (with the exception of On Her Majesty's Secret Service) the actor to portray Bond is undoubtedly the top-billed star with all other actors in a supporting role; however with Die Another Day Bond girl Halle Berry had been elevated to co-star status with Pierce Brosnan.

Related Topics:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Bond girl - Halle Berry

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The film also ironically united opinion across the Korean peninsula, with the North unhappy with its portrayal as a brutal, war-hungry state, whilst many South Koreans were offended by a romantic scene conducted in a Buddhist temple and a scene where an American officer issues orders to the South Korean army in the defense of their own homeland.

Related Topics:
Korean peninsula - North - South Koreans - Buddhist - Temple - American

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Regardless of these criticisms, Die Another Day is one of the most successful James Bond films to date and is the current title-holder for highest grossing James Bond film taking in roughly $432 million in ticket sales worldwide http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=dieanotherday.htm (some sources claim as high as $456 million http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/2002/JB20.html). According to MGM/UA the film grossed $432 million worldwide not counting the Japanese gross, and $456 million worldwide counting the Japanese gross. Some sources that list the $432 million gross figure have simply not counted the gross from Japan.

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Die Another Day was the first movie since Live and Let Die to not feature Desmond Llewelyn, who had died in 1999 just after the release of The World Is Not Enough. John Cleese, formerly of Monty Python's Flying Circus and Fawlty Towers takes over the role of Q; however, it is clear that he is playing a different character (who had been introduced as Q's assistant in The World Is Not Enough).

Related Topics:
Live and Let Die - Desmond Llewelyn - The World Is Not Enough - John Cleese - Monty Python's Flying Circus - Fawlty Towers

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