Something I realized just as I started writing this is that it will technically be the second-to-last Retro Bond review I need to complete to have covered the entire series. Quantum of Solace is the only other Bond film that came out before I started Rath's Reviews that I've yet to hit as Casino Royale was one of my earlier Retro Reviews.
In a way, that means I'm ending on some stinkers, but the journey here has been a blast and, to be frank, writing the review for Die Another Day will probably be one of the most entertaining ones I get to do.
Die Another Day is often heralded as the worst Bond film in the franchise. It goes far campier than many Bond's before it, especially Brosnan's, and just has a lot of issues. Strangely, it was highly regarded at the time of its release in 2002 and I remember my 12-year-old-self thought it was bomb.com. That was before I became a #stuffy critic
Rewatching it through this endeavor was absolutely wild and Die Another Day is just such a strange film in so many ways. It has moments and dialogue that made me cringe, but also scenes that are so engrained into my vision of Bond that they're near-classics. In so many ways, its story is preposterous, but also a fun call-back to the zanier plot beats and style of older Bonds (You Only Live Twice is the most apt comparison I believe). This is Bond commercialized, but also never letting off the gas and consistently entertaining.
In short, it's one of the more captivating films - for better or worse - nearly 20 years after its release, that I've ever Retro Reviewed.
Once I was done with the film, I'm left convinced that all of this could have actually worked had there been more talent behind the screen. The chasm of style/tone from GoldenEye to this would have still been vast, but there's so much poor filmmaking here that it's a huge detractor, especially in a Craig (nearly post-Craig) era that features really well-made films. The action editing is poor and overdone, featuring too many quick cuts and some very odd camera angles. Then you have weird moments of slow-motion/speed-up that I'm sure were "cool" in 2002, but damn are they jarring and awkward today! Then, of course, what many of us remember is some of the God-awful CGI throughout. Jinx, backwards diving into the ocean is disturbing as Halle Berry's lively face goes dead, transitioning to a CGI character that falls backwards into the ocean. And, yes, the Bond-parasurfing-away-from-a-glacier is still so awful-looking and preposterous that I couldn't help but gasp at it all these years later. Pierce Brosnan is a coward, Tom Cruise would have done that stunt FOR REAL!! I'm kidding of course, but the moment is so gargantuanly bad it reminded me of the Tarzan yell or corkscrew whistle from some of the Moore-era films (even if those were blatantly silly and this was accidentally silly).
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| So yeah...Die Another Day likes ice. Like a lot... |
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| Probably one of the more awkward & unnecessary cameos ever |
Despite how wildly zany the plot is, I actually quite admire it for how much it swings for the fences and I had less issues with it than the poor filmmaking. Brosnan, despite the issues with the film around him, feels almost more youthful here than he has the previous few films. I'm not sure if it's because he knows its his last and he wants to bring a lot of energy to it, but he continues to be a fantastic Bond with all the swagger and confidence one needs to fill the role. All other characters are kind of at the mercy of the script, which is a bummer, because I think there are interesting ones. Halle Berry's Jinx, complete with iconic intro out of the ocean, adds some zest to the Bond world and you can tell she's excited to be part of the film, even if most of her lines are sexual innuendo rebuttals. As far as Bond girls go, she's highly memorable in the role - partly because it's Berry - but also because she feels unique and one of the few that might be James' equal. I also liked Toby Stephens as villain Gustav Graves this time around. He's incredibly effective at the pompous douchebag routine that makes him a character you love to hate. Similar to Berry and Brosnan, he seems excited to be here and puts a lot of extra zest into his character even if his "transformation" is totally unrealistic (and one of the more far-fetched aspects about the film).
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| James Bond is into some kinky stuff! |
Everyone else aside from a great scene with John Cleese as the new Q is pretty forgettable. Rosamund Pike - before she was as big of a star as she is now (thanks Gone Girl) is useless, feeling like a pawn the film is using to tie up some loose ends + have a battle for Jinx at the end. Similarly, Rick Yune's Zao, aka Mr. Diamondface, is memorable for the physical attributes, sure, but as a character pretty dull and lifeless. All of them come together in a plot that deals with reconstructive face-surgery, North and South Korea (which still seems apt), the ice palace of a diamond tycoon, and a "second sun" satellite that uses diamonds to redirect sunlight. Comparatively to Brosnan's other films, this one is off the rails, but one almost has to admire the creativity of getting from Point A to B.
Luckily, some of the action is great too and I'll call out immediately that it's coupled with an awesome original score, save for the awful intro song and over-use of generic techno beats. Madonna's Die Another Day feels so out of place in the intro - as annoying catchy as it may be - that I was again gasping at how weird it felt. BUT (!) when the film focuses on the Bond theme and dials it to 11 with loud trumpets blaring, it's some of the best music within the Brosnan era, which is a high compliment. And the action, despite being (mostly) poorly filmed, is tons of fun. The starting hovership ride is a memorable opener, the fencing battle is whacky but a blast, and the ice lake car chase is flat-out one of the better Bond-car sequences in the entire franchise AND we finally have an incredible car in the Brosnan era...the Aston Martin Vanquish (Vanish). I'd even go so far as to say that the ejector-seat-Aston-Martin-flip is the best stunt in the franchise and it's still a hoot to watch today.
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| But for real this stunt is just f**king awesome |
There's a deep part of me that loves the hell out of Die Another Day - that 12-year-old part of me that doesn't know any better. And, being fair to the film, it still features some downright iconic scenes and really swings for the fences. I don't fault it for that. What I do fault it for are many of the things that come with watching a lot of movies and/or a lot of the old Bond films: poor filmmaking, awful special effects, at least one all-time worst scene, and a script that, at times, literally makes no sense. Now, in terms of Bond lore, it gets mostly overshadowed by the film that followed which ended up being one of the best (if not outright best) Bond film of all time. It makes me feel bad for Brosnan, but at least he didn't overstay his welcome in the role either, huh?
CONS
- Horrendous CGI throughout
- The film is bonkers, but the para-surfing from the glacier scene is just too much for me
- Poor action editing...too many cuts and weird camera angles
- The script is nonsense, focusing more on innuendo and one-liners than actually having conversations
- Some characters, Zao & Frost for example, are forgettable
- Madonna's cameo and Madonna's song are both very out of place here
- Brosnan is such a damn good Bond. I'm not sure even Connery beats the swagger that he brings to the role and even in this film, he is having a blast
- Halle Berry and Toby Stephens, despite the script they're given, both bring a lot of effort to their characters. I enjoyed them and they hold up well
- The plot swings for the fences and you know what? I think it's a blast (plus there are bigger issues the movie has)
- Some awesome action beats and we get an Aston Martin!!
- Has some good laughs throughout
- Outside of the Madonna stuff, the original score is probably the most boisterous and grand in the Brosnan era, doubling down on the still-perfect Bond theme song
- Despite the issues, this is entertaining. Sometimes in the so-bad-its-good type of way and sometimes in the pretty-darn-good way, but entertaining nonetheless
Retro Rath's Review Score | 5.5/10
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