Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) MGM/Action-Adventure RT: 119 minutes Rated PG-13 (language, violence, sexual situations and innuendo) Director: Roger Spottiswoode Screenplay: Bruce Feirstein Music: David Arnold Cinematography: Robert Elswit Release date: December 12, 1997 (UK)/December 19, 1997 (US) Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Joe Don Baker, Ricky Jay, Gotz Otto, Desmond Llewelyn, Vincent Schiavelli, Geoffrey Palmer, Colin Salmon, Samantha Bond, Judi Dench. Opening Song: “Tomorrow Never Dies” by Sheryl Crow Box Office: $125.3M (US)/$333M (World)
Rating: ***
Tomorrow Never Dies is one of those reasonably entertaining James Bond actioners that you remember seeing, but can’t quite recall what it was about. It should be more memorable since its villain is a crazed media mogul who wants his 24-hour news network to dominate worldwide television. Think of a cross between Ted Turner and Adolph Hitler.
The action starts at a terrorist arms bazaar where terrorists from all over the world are in attendance to purchase the latest in sophisticated weaponry. The British launch a missile attack on the bazaar before Bond (Brosnan) can inform them there are two Soviet nuclear missiles on site which would trigger a catastrophic event. Bond manages to save the day by flying the nukes out of range, but the real problems are just starting.
A “techno-terrorist” named Gupta (Jay, Boogie Nights) has obtained a GPS encoder made by the American military. He works for the media mogul, one Elliot Carver (Pryce, Brazil), who plans to use the device to start a war between the British and the Chinese. He sends a British frigate off course from international waters to the South China Sea where his stealth ship is waiting to attack. It sinks the British vessel and shoots down a Chinese fighter jet. Carver’s guys steal one of the frigate’s missiles and shoot the surviving crew members with Chinese ammunition right there in the water.
The British government demands retaliation against the Chinese for this act of war, but they give M (Dench, Shakespeare in Love) 48 hours to investigate and hopefully avert a catastrophic war. She sends Bond to Hamburg to look into Carver and his network CMGN after they break the story before MI6 hears word one of it. It contains details not yet released to the press or the public. He has an easy way in, sort of. He was once romantically involved with Carver’s wife Paris (Hatcher, Desperate Housewives), a relationship that didn’t end on the best of terms. Initially, she’s not happy to see her old flame, but it isn’t long before they make up (nudge, nudge) and she’s sharing valuable information.
Bond isn’t the only one on Carver’s case. He’s also being looked into by the Chinese government represented by State Security agent Wai Lin (Yeoh, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). So what does he hope to achieve by instigating a war between China and the UK? Only total global domination over all news media. What’s his plan? I’ll only say it’s as implausible as any criminal scheme in any James Bond movie only it’s been updated for the 90s.
Directed by Roger Spottiswoode (Shoot to Kill), Tomorrow Never Dies is pretty good Bond NOT great Bond. Brosnan is settling in quite nicely as 007. He’s a smooth operator, this Bond. He embodies the best qualities of Sean Connery and Roger Moore with his charm, wit and macho persona. I love that he still flirts with M’s receptionist Moneypenny (Samantha Bond, no relation). Yeoh, in her first American film, is a great Bond Girl. A beauty queen who performs her own stunts, she keeps up with her co-star quite well. And man, can she ever kick ass! Hatcher is okay in her all too brief role. She’s no better or worse than most of the other Bond Girls. Pryce makes a fairly effective villain albeit one that isn’t all that memorable in the Bond villain canon. German actor Gotz Otto (Downfall) does great work as Carver’s main henchman. Joe Don Baker, who played a completely different role in The Living Daylights, shows up again as CIA ally Jack Wade. He’s good, but I prefer Felix Leiter.
There is plenty of action and cool stunts in Tomorrow Never Dies. The centerpiece has to be the motorcycle chase with a handcuffed Bond and Lin trying to outrun Carver’s goons after escaping from the network facility in Saigon. Their jump from that tall building is amazing. The scene where he escapes from bad guys in a burglar-proof BMW outfitted with remote control is also cool.
Like I said, Tomorrow Never Dies is an enjoyable spy movie. No, it doesn’t measure to the Bond films of old, but what would? Maybe I should revise my statement. Tomorrow Never Dies is good for a Bond movie not based on an Ian Fleming story. I stop short of calling it silly because the idea of media mogul as supervillain is actually believable. I guess this is producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s way of keeping 007 relevant, especially now that the Cold War is over. Whatever, just as long as they keep it fun.
