Whilst the reviews of the time seemed to praise this film, when I saw Die Another Day at the cinema I was a little underwhelmed because of some dodgy creative decisions (robo-suit, ice dragster cliff jump, tsunami surfing Bond, Halle Berry's casting etc). but as the years have rolled by I am enjoying this one more and more.
The high points:
- You'd be very hard-pressed to criticise Brosnan's performance and it was enjoyable to watch him look so at ease with a role that clearly meant a lot to him. You could see it it his very idiosyncratic mannerisms and more and more of his Irish drawl was slipping through. I was a little taken aback on the first viewing with just how self assured he was. It helped him nail scenes such as his interactions with Raoul; his punching the lights out of the bloke who protests he doesn't need a goddamn wheelchair: "No? You do now"; his first terse words with Graves at Blades"Lets play for this. I picked it up in Cuba. I believe it's one of yours..." Or one of my favourite scenes of the series with the masseuse:
"Lay down on the bed please."
"Yes of course" (kisses her ear)
"I'm not that kind of masseuse"
"Uh huh. I'm not that kind of customer."
- The pre-credits: the surfing on 'Jaws' was very well done and looks amazing on blu-ray. I always enjoy the subtle homage to Goldfinger (taking off the wetsuit to reveal Van Bierks costume underneath) complete with Brosnan chucking into the scene his own shades, just cos, you know, he felt like it. It is a scene he carries off marvellously with no dialogue at all. Arnold's score added some nice tension in the build up to Bond's cover being blown and the hovercraft chase was different and didn't drag.
- The credits sequence was one of the best of the series and melded the classic silhouetted girls whilst progressing the narrative in a confidently stylish and efficient manner. It is inexcusable Danny Kleinman was dropped for Quantum of Solace, long may he continue his great title scenes! For the record, I love Madonna's track, but feel that it was butchered for it's insertion into the film. It's quiet, limp and lacks impact. It is a terrible mix and I understand why people criticise it in the film, especially if that is the only mix they have heard, it doesn't sound nearly as good as the album edit.
- The inlclusion of Michael Madsen. Admittedly not given a great deal to do, but one of the coolest actors out there. Great to see him in a Bond film.
- Emilio Echevarría was a suberb ally in Raoul. Not much screen time, but I found him captivating in every scene he featured. A textbook example of good casting of a great character-actor who's presence enhances a simple role and, by extension, the film.
- John Cleese as Q. The best man for the job after the late great Desmond. Good interplay with Brosnan. Q's "Hmm, still, better than looking cleverer than you are," vs. Bond's: "Maybe you've been down here too long." Great lines well delivered.
- Miranda Frost. Another great Femme Fatale for Brosnan's era. For saying she was the youngest Bond girl at 23 and this was her first film, you'd never know it. Supremely confident, stunning, entirely watchable, and far more engaging than Halle Oscar-Winner Berry.
- The relationship between Bond and M. I have always enjoyed Dench in the role and her tenure with Brosnan is very different in tone to her time with Craig (she has said herself she played M as two different characters). Here her relationship with Brosnan really shines. The begrudging mutual respect between the characters is very evident and it is fun to see them challenging each other. I have always enjoyed the way Brosnan's Bond stands his ground with M, much moreso than Craig.
"And what do you think?" (asking M if she thinks he leaked information / "The difference is I won't compromise" (criticising M's methods and reiterating his dogged determination) / "Then perhaps it's time you let me get on with my job" (because we know M loves him really - check out her sneaky smile when he informs her that he has raized the gene clinic to the ground).
- The Aston Martin Vanquish. Brosnan's Bond finally got himself his very own Aston Martin. And what a beautiful thing it was. I had no problems with Bond in the BMWs but the Vanquish was long overdue.
- The car chase on ice. This sort of scene is 'classic Bond' in that it's the the kind of thing you'd only find in a Bond film. Featured some great and clever stunts (the ingenious use and homage of the ejector being a prime example). The bombastic score from Arnold makes this bit even more fun.
- I liked the on-the-nose references to past films and always have. For example, Q giving Bond his new watch: "This will be your 20th I believe" / Bond: "How time flies." How many film series can boast they have lasted 40 years?!? It's one hell of an achivement and one to be very proud of. Why not shout about it. Plus we got a Monty Python "Flesh Wound" reference. (How can people HATE this film?!?)
- The Moneypenny kiss. I LOVE this scene. A scene 40 years in the making. Brosnan and Samantha Bond really go for it and I think the pair have more chemistry than Brosnan and Berry. Some might say the fact the VR McGuffin is a bit silly, but I like that this mechanism allows fans to see Moneypenny finally get her man, and it also allows the more uptight fans to keep the relationship unrequited. Plus it was a good laugh and I for one didn't expect it to be VR.
Yes there are flaws, but I won't go into them here because that is not what this thread is about and nearly every Bond film has it's share of dodgy moments. I think it is fair to say that the film is inconsistent in tone, jumping from fun Bond style pre-credits, to gritty torture scenes, espionage antics (sleeper agents and infiltrating clinics), which then moves to the outlandish second half. But that doesn't bother me anymore because I have come to appreciate Die Another Day as a great anniversary film that it is. It is Goldfinger, Moonraker, Licence To Kill and Brosnan's tenure all rolled into one.It does have a little bit of everything and that in itself is the biggest homage to all the films that have come before. Once I realised that, I started to enjoy the film for the fun romp that it is.
Its very fashionable to slam Brosnan these days, but like Connery, he was an 'everyman' Bond who could do a little bit of everything the role required (unlike Moore's slapstick or Craig's rough and tumble). What am I getting at? That despite some cringeworthy moments, the film was the perfect vehicle to prove that as Bond, Brosnan could indeed do it all.