pjspeight_2k

Although starting well with a stellar cast and very decent script, the end result is quite empty. Not to say that this film is boring and the beautiful scenery is a compensation too. But both Hopkins and Baldwin have almost nothing to dig their teeth into. It's well directed by Lee Tamahori, although he should have gone for a more intense character study. The two stars are very watchable but don't expect anything too challenging.

Goldeneye was good. The plot wasn't very strong, but then after 16 previous Bond excursions we must have been getting used to it. But after waiting 6 years and being served a reasonably good film, and thinking that all Bond's troubles were over (off-screen, obviously), then came along Tomorrow Never Dies.

Um, well, what can I say?

PLOT - mad business tycoon wants to start World War III for personal gain: (Come on! We've seen this at least 3 times before, and I think James Bond must think there's a conspiracy theory against him or something.)

CHARACTERS - James Bond, the suave, sexy secret agent (immortal by the looks of it too); Wai Lin, his tough, PC sidekick (has a pretty good pair too); Elliot Carver, mad, ruthless, delusional, low IQ (thinks he can kill Bond); M, James Bond's commanding officer, always finds James Bond annoying; Stamper, a cut-down Hans (remember Hans - he's the big, blonde, muscular, silent, Nordic bloke who James Bond had a little tiff with near the end of You Only Live Twice).

PRE-CREDIT SEQUENCE - James Bond rudely interrupts a terrorist bring-and-buy sale. (Pierce Brosnan is the only person who gives a good performance here, Judy Dench is quite bad and everyone else is bad!)

JOKES - the first joke: bad. And they just get worse, until, finally we think we've heard them all and at the end Bond makes the worst pun ever.

Q - James Bond's scenes with him are the only ones worth watching.

Oh I give up. Just don't watch this. Better was yet to come.

Um, well. Looking at what everyone else rated it as, I'm not sure what I can say.

Well, anyway, I only saw the first half hour, which was so tedious I left the living room and went did some homework instead. Maybe I left too soon, and maybe the rest of the movie is pretty decent. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt. But with a first 30 minutes like that to keep looking back on, I don't think I'll ever sum up the stamina to see the whole film through.

From what I saw here is what I think of the main points of the movie:

JOHN TRAVOLTA - OK EMMA THOMSON - sorry, couldn't stop thinking of period dramas (especially Pride and Prejudice) OTHER CHARACTERS - pretty boring STORY - what? 30 minutes and we didn't see the "main" storyline yet

Don't take my word for it (you're not going to anyway are you?). Go see it and it might turn out OK.