Die Another Day (2002)

James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul who is funding the development of an international space weapon.

Director:

Lee Tamahori

Writers:

Ian Fleming (characters), Neal Purvis

Stars:

Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 6 wins & 33 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pierce Brosnan	...	James Bond
Halle Berry	...	Jinx Johnson
Toby Stephens	...	Gustav Graves
Rosamund Pike	...	Miranda Frost
Rick Yune	...	Zao
Judi Dench	...	M
John Cleese	...	Q
Michael Madsen	...	Damian Falco
Will Yun Lee	...	Colonel Moon
Kenneth Tsang	...	General Moon
Emilio Echevarría	...	Raoul
Mikhail Gorevoy	...	Vlad (as Michael Gorevoy)
Lawrence Makoare	...	Mr. Kil
Colin Salmon	...	Charles Robinson
Samantha Bond	...	Miss Moneypenny

Storyline

Pierce Brosnan gives one last mission as James Bond. Starting off in North Korea, Bond is betrayed and captured. 14 months later, Bond is set free, but traded for Zao who was captured by MI6. When back in his world, Bond sets off to track down Zao. Bond gets caught up in yet another scheme which sends him to millionaire Gustav Graves. Another MI6 agent known as Miranda Frost is also posing as a friend of Graves. Bond is invited to a presentation held by Graves about a satellite found in space which can project a huge laser beam. Bond must stop this madman with a fellow American agent, known as Jinx. Whilst Bond tries to stop Graves and Zao, will he finally reveal who betrayed him?

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Plot Keywords:

catfight | patricide | colonel | clinic | diamond | 

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Taglines:

"Bond...James Bond" [Advance teaser poster]

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for action violence and sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

jamesbond.com [United States] Official site

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Korean Cantonese Spanish German Icelandic Italian

Release Date:

22 November 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Beneath the Ice

Filming Locations:

Deepdale Farm, Burnham Deepdale, Norfolk, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$142,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£9,122,344 (UK) (22 November 2002)

Gross:

$160,201,106 (USA) (7 February 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Eon Productions, Danjaq, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX SDDS

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

After the VR training simulation Q remarks that Bond isn't supposed to shoot his chief. Bond replies that, "If you check the video playback you'll see that it's a flesh wound," a possible reference to John Cleese's role as the Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975), where after losing an arm in a sword fight he remarks that "it's only a flesh wound".

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Goofs

Bond puts his car into invisible mode, and goes reverse up the wall in order to avoid Zao's car, and fastens the car in a vertical position using the car's spikes. However, we never hear Bond rev his engine up to go in reverse so quickly.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. Van Bierk: [stepping out of helicopter] Look, what is this? I'm supposed to...
[Bond puts a gun to Mr. Van Bierk's head and takes his sunglasses]

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the credits, Madonna can be heard saying "I need to lay down."

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Connections

Referenced in Goedemorgen Nederland: Episode dated 25 November 2002 (2002)

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Soundtracks

James Bond Theme
Music by Monty Norman
Arrangement by John Barry

User Reviews

Die Another Day means Landscapes, Gadgets, non-Visual but Virtual Effects in Bond literature

There is one of the widest cluster of spectators ever possible for a franchised movie. There is its own fans. For almost half a century from the old generations to the youth it is always advised that the 007-Bond movies are the best action & thriller of all. Yet to watch Die Another Day there are so many other reasons! Relying on the protection of its confidence and splendour, Die Another Day sight sees some of the larger-than-life and glamorous centres of the earth. In "You Only Live Twice" and "The Man with the Golden Gun" Bond has visited Hong-Kong several times; and he does once more in Die Another Day. We are going to see Cuba for the second time after "Golden Eye", and again for the second time we will be in Bond's top-secret MI6 office in London,U.K after "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". We also have a chance to see unforgettably spectacular views from Hawaii's virgin hills and from Iceland. In fact, wherever it says it's North Korea, it's location is still Hawaii. Some of the North Korean scenes like the elaborate hovercraft chase scene were shot in U.K. as well.

It is joyful to catch homage moments in respect to the previous Bond movies like the conspiracy plot at the presidential suite in the Hong Kong hotel with the Chinese masseuse beauty, and Halle Berry's first appearance moment where she wore an orange bikini with a white belt attached to an army knife. Best of all -the most alluring of all- were the gadgets and equipments used throughout the movie:

* Hovercrafts

** Electromagnetic ring

*** Bounding mines

**** Laser cutting watch

***** Giant Space Laser Mirror named "Icarus"-a satellite weapon that directs a blazing ray of heat at its landed or aerial global targets

****** Switchblade Jet Gliders

******* The Invisible Aston Martin

If you liked the movie, you'd better see the Special Edition D.V.D that includes very very precious and confidential technical details: -DataStream's trivia track with video streaming, storyboard comparisons from scratch to the shot,the advisory details on how to choose the best suitable FPS adjusted camera giving samples of multi-angle camera explorations, the visual effects featurette transcribes the odds-and -ends differences between make-ups and models and non-computer based visual effects and CGI based virtual effects, and finally Madonna's original uncut edition of 007-Nightfire music video that has been banned in some countries of Europe at its time of screening. It is as good as an HD-DVD of today's.

Die Another Day is Brosnan's fourth Bond movie. Director Tamahori, who has gained recognition in his film "Once Were Warriors", is an award-winning commercial director; and in my opinion he has been influenced by Paul Verhoeven a lot. Die Another has some snoops from Verhoeven, mostly Robocop and Total Recall.

The title has taken from an A.E.Housman poem. In Housman's poem, it is the coward who runs away from battle so that he may die another day. Die Another Day is a perfect choice for a wonderful evening with family and friends,neighbours,relatives,colleagues and with all types of crowds.

Film: 7/10 DVD: 10/10(one of my favourite DVDs of all-time)