(PG-13, 123 mins.)
Forty years since “Dr. No”, twenty years and several Bonds later, Agent 007 (Pierce Brosnan) resurfaces darker and more serious. Or, as his boss ‘M’ (Judy Dench) explains, “While you were away, the world changed.” Of course the bulk of Bond hasn’t. He still has his hot cars, his hot locations from Havana to London, and his hottie hot girls. This one, Jinx (Halle Berry) is more than a pretty face, though she wades through the water Ursula Andress bikini style. Oscar winning Berry plays a key character in this story’s progress, as does Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike). When we open, Bond is escaping a near death experience in Korea to fight his way back into the spy game. John Cleese replaces Desmond Llewelyn as “Guru Q” and Madonna provides the theme song and a cameo. This Bond of the millenium is serious but still entertaining and of course sexy. Yet in era of more sophisticated movies, this Bond skips the usual stunts to deliver a more realistic storyline that plays out a third thriller, a third action-adventure and the remainder Bond style. Incorporating some of the memorable “Goldfinger” one liners, “Die Another Day” feels original while maintaining the girls and gadgets. Brosnan is in control, confident and complex in his new 007 role. Move over Austin Powers. Bond is back.
