The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Director:

Michael Apted

Writers:

Neal Purvis (story) &
Robert Wade (story) ...

Release Date:

19 November 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

Danger Suspense Excitement There must be when he's around

Plot:

James Bond uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.

Plot Keywords:

Automobile | Brain | Gambling House | Bomb | Bilbao

Awards:

6 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	James Bond
Sophie Marceau	...	Elektra King
Robert Carlyle	...	Renard
Denise Richards	...	Christmas Jones
Robbie Coltrane	...	Valentin Zukovsky
Judi Dench	...	M
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
John Cleese	...	R
Maria Grazia Cucinotta	...	Cigar Girl
Samantha Bond	...	Moneypenny
Michael Kitchen	...	Tanner
Colin Salmon	...	Robinson
Goldie	...	Bull
David Calder	...	Sir Robert King
Serena Scott Thomas	...	Dr. Molly Warmflash

Also Known As:

Bond 19 (USA) (working title)
Bond 2000 (UK) (working title)
Death Waits for No Man (UK) (working title)
Fire and Ice (USA) (working title)
Pressure Point (UK) (working title)
T.W.I.N.E. (UK) (promotional abbreviation)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexuality and innuendo.

Runtime:

128 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES | Dolby Digital EX | SDDS

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Philippines:PG-13 | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 (w) | Hong Kong:IIB | Iceland:12 | Netherlands:12 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Brazil:12

Filming Locations:

Albert R. Broccoli 007 Stage, Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Danjaq

Trivia:

In this film, M (Judi Dench) is kidnapped. A kidnapping of the M character had previously been a storyline in the James Bond novel "Colonel Sun" written by Kingsley Amis.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the battle at the caviar factory, as James Bond tumbles down the stairs, you get a good shot of a stunt double's face.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lachaise: So good of you to come see me, Mr Bond, particularly on such short notice.
James Bond: If you can't trust a Swiss banker, then what's the world come to?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in James Bond Down River (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The World Is Not Enough

It's Bond... again!

Well it's Bond! He's back again for a 19th instalment of the same usual set of gags, gadgets, girls and guns! Can the world not get enough of this already?

Not that anyone really needs to know the story for a Bond film as it's usually just an excuse for lots of action! But you might end up enjoying it more if you knew what was going on. So for all it's worth, here you go. Bond races out to protect Elektra King (Marceau, playing a very different kind of Bond girl!), the daughter of a recently assassinated oil tycoon. She's under threat as she tries to complete a set of pipelines, so she's obviously going to need some protection (NO, not that type of protection!). The threat comes from Renard (Carlyle) who plays a unique villain who can't feel any pain after having a bullet lodged in his brain. As Bond gets closer to catching him a few truths are revealed! We quickly discover that things aren't going to be as easy as they look! But then again it's a Bond film so they never are!

Along the way Bond teams up with nuclear physicist Christmas (Richards) Jones (what a name!) who manages to help him diffuse bombs! Very handy as together they end up having to stop Renard from blowing half the world up!

The film starts off with one of the longest opening pre-credits sequences for a Bond film! It's also one of the best which begins with an out of the ordinary escape from a building, includes a thrilling boat chase around London and ends with an obvious explosion!

It's nice to see the return of some characters. Judi Dench as 'M', Desmond Llewelyn as gadget master 'Q' and especially Robbie Coltrane reprising his same role from 'Goldeneye' as ex-KGB agent 'Valentin'. John Cleese as 'R' (Q's replacement in the gadget department!) tries his best by adding some extra humour to Bond but doesn't quite get there.

The film shows Bond at his best! Brosnan really is on top form as one of the best Bonds! There's also enough action, stunts and big bangs that light up the screen! Also lighting up the screen are the Bond girls who are now strong, sexy and intelligent rather then silly and stupid. It's a better change, as we now don't always have bimbos who are always in danger and in need of help!

The only downside about the film would have to be that it's just the same old formula all over again. Something's wrong, bring in Bond, add in nasty villain, mix a few explosions here and there and in the end Bond saves the day and gets the girl! So you can see that the film is quite predictable from start to finish but nevertheless it's a formula that works! 'The World Is Not Enough' does have all the usuals that you'd expect (right down to the Martini's, cars and bad one liners!) but just about everything has been cranked up to churn out something good from the old formula!

It's smart and stylish just as James Bond should be and in the end it's really very good!

Rating - 8 out of 10