A deranged media mogul is staging international incidents to pit the world’s superpowers against each other. Now James Bond must take on this evil mastermind in an adrenaline-charged battle to end his reign of terror and prevent global pandemonium.

Credits: TheMovieDb.

Film Cast:

• James Bond: Pierce Brosnan
• Wai Lin: Michelle Yeoh
• Elliot Carver: Jonathan Pryce
• Paris Carver: Teri Hatcher
• M: Judi Dench
• Henry Gupta: Ricky Jay
• Q: Desmond Llewelyn
• Stamper: Götz Otto
• Miss Moneypenny: Samantha Bond
• Dr. Kaufman: Vincent Schiavelli
• Jack Wade: Joe Don Baker
• Charles Robinson: Colin Salmon
• Admiral Roebuck: Geoffrey Palmer
• Minister of Defence: Julian Fellowes
• General Bukharin: Terence Rigby
• Tamara Steel: Nina Young
• PR Lady: Daphne Deckers
• Dr. Dave Greenwalt: Colin Stinton
• Master Sergeant 3: Al Matthews
• Professor Inga Bergstrom: Cecilie Thomsen
• Stealth Boat Captain: Mark Spalding
• Captain – HMS Chester: Bruce Alexander
• Firing Officer – HMS Chester: Anthony Green
• Cmdr. Richard Day – HMS Devonshire: Christopher Bowen
• Yeoman – HMS Devonshire: Julian Rhind-Tutt
• Leading Seaman – HMS Devonshire: Gerard Butler
• Admiral Kelly – HMS Bedford: Michael Byrne
• Captain – HMS Bedford: Pip Torrens
• Air Warfare Officer – HMS Bedford: Hugh Bonneville
• Principal Warfare Officer – HMS Bedford: Jason Watkins
• Leading Seaman – HMS Bedford: Brendan Coyle
• Beth Davidson: Nadia Cameron-Blakey
• Un pilote de MiG: Vincent Wang
• …: Dinny Powell
• …: Romo Gorrara
• Staff Officer 2: Laura Brattan
• AVIS Agent: Antje Schmidt
• AVIS Lady 2: Sophie Schütt

Film Crew:

• Director: Roger Spottiswoode
• Director of Photography: Robert Elswit
• Characters: Ian Fleming
• Original Music Composer: David Arnold
• Art Direction: Ken Court
• Production Design: Allan Cameron
• Art Direction: Tony Reading
• Art Direction: Giles Masters
• Set Decoration: Peter Young
• Costume Design: Lindy Hemming
• Casting: Debbie McWilliams
• Producer: Barbara Broccoli
• Screenplay: Bruce Feirstein
• Line Producer: Anthony Waye
• Theme Song Performance: Sheryl Crow
• Editor: Michel Arcand
• Editor: Dominique Fortin
• Art Direction: Jonathan Lee
• Art Direction: Stephen Scott
• Producer: Michael G. Wilson
• Main Title Designer: Daniel Kleinman
• Stunts: Mike Smith
• Digital Compositor: Ed Hawkins
• Dressing Prop: Les Benson

Movie Reviews:

• Wuchak: _**Serviceable but forgettable Brosnan installment**_

  After a British warship is inexplicably destroyed in Chinese waters, the planet teeters on the brink of world war. Agent 007 (Pierce Brosnan) traces the rising pandemonium to a powerful media baron who manipulates vital data and news to his own diabolical ends (Jonathan Pryce). Teri Hatcher plays the industrialist’s wife while Michelle Yeoh is on hand as a Chinese agent with whom Bond teams up.

  “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997) is a competent enough Bond flick with loads of action highlighted by the opening terrorist arms bazaar on the Russian border, a melee at a newspaper factory in Hamburg, an underwater investigation of a wreck near the South China Sea and a wild motorcycle chase in Saigon with 007 handcuffed to the Chinese agent. Hatcher is another highlight in one of the best “whoa, mama” moments in the franchise’s history, albeit brief. I also enjoyed the entertaining banter for the first two-thirds of the movie.

  Unfortunately, the picture lacks the colorful dynamic of pre-Brosnan installments, hampered by a muted grey pall throughout. Then there’s the eye-rolling sequence in a parking garage where Bond operates his BMW via remote control while lying in the back seat (Why Sure!). Plus the showdown on Carver’s stealth ship in dark waters is curiously dull despite all the “exciting” thrills; in other words, it’s overkill action garbage.

  Still, it’s a serviceable Bond flick; it’s just forgettable and the least of Brosnan’s 4-film stint.

  The film runs 1 hour, 58 minutes, and was shot in Bayonne, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
  (Arms bazaar opening sequence); many locations in England; Hamburg, Germany; Thailand (standing in for Vietnam); and Rosarito, Baja California Norte, Mexico (naval scenes).

  GRADE: B-/C+

• CinemaSerf: Pierce Brosnan wasn’t my favourite James Bond by any means, but somehow I think that might be as much to do with the fact that he was given some really weak storylines to deliver. This one centres around megalomaniac media mogul “Carver” (Jonathan Pryce) who manages to engineer a deadly conflict between the Royal Navy and the Chinese military over a mis-directed destroyer. Next thing we know, “007” is drafted in to find out just what happened before the world finds itself facing an international conflagration that seems designed to ensure that “Carver” gets media rights in the hitherto unwilling China. They, too, are suspicious at the turn of events, so despatch their top agent “Wai Lin” (Michelle Yeoh) and together they must combine their resources to combat the menacing henchman “Stamper” (Götz Otto) and the quirkily engaging “Dr. Kaufman” (Vincent Schiavelli) whose film-stealing scene as the dapper, yet lethal, assassin does raise a smile. Teri Hatcher provides the short-lived love interest. An unremarkable actress at the best of times, she brings a little glamour but very little else to this frequently rather (contrived) dialogue-heavy enterprise. Dame Judi Dench and Geoffrey Palmer renew their long established partnership for a few scenes, and Desmond Llewellyn gets a few extra ones which is nice to watch. Otherwise, this is just another fairly charm-free, factory produced instalment of a franchise that is struggling to make impact amongst an increasingly more competitive genre that is out-writing and out-impressing this tried looking series.
• JPV852: Solid second entry for Brosnan who still is charming. Not a great story but still timely with news and manipulation. Does make me appreciate the slower, more character driven nature of the Craig run, that this one was lacking, That said, Pryce made for a fun Bond villain. **3.5/5**