The Bond producers must have realised that Tomorrow Never Dies relied too much on action and big set pieces because this installment in the Pierce Brosnan Bond films is perhaps the best of all of his outings; it still provides the big action sequences, but there is a strong story and character arc for Bond this time and like Goldeneye, He's up against some more complex, down-to-Earth and personal villains. This film also brings back that unique spy-thriller mix that Bond films have been great at delivering. All in all, this installment of the franchise is one of its best, and all this despite being one of the few films which is an original story and not based on one of Ian Fleming's original Bond novels.
In a stunning opening pre-title sequence which is the longest in Bond's history, Bond recovers stolen ransom money for Sir Robert King (David Calder), a friend of M's (Judi Dench) and brings it back to MI6 only to see it blow up, killing King (the money was for the kidnapping of his daughter). An exciting chase ensures as Bond chases after the possible culprit in a lavish boat chase sequence along the Thames. This is perhaps one of the first pre-title sequences that actually relates to the plot of the film, directly leading in to M's insistence that the perputrator is found. Bond goes in to investigate, initially as protection for King's daughter, Electra (Sophie Marceau) who is an enigmatic, strong woman who is not what she seems. Before long, Bond discovers that King is actually working with criminal mastermind Renard (Robert Carlyle) who originally kidnapped her and started this whole story before she sided with him in an attempt to destroy her competitors in the oil pipeline business. Bond is tested as he falls for her initially but then has to decide between her and the mission, and in the end, she is his target.
In keeping with the tradition of all the Pierce Brosnan Bond films, the Bond girls are quite strong and unique. In the case of Electra King, played beautifully by Sophie Marceau, we have a complicated woman who manipulates the people around her to further her cause, including Bond. At first, Bond is duped by her seeming innocence, and is incensed later when he discovers she's been playing him all along. In the most surprising conclusion to their storyline, Bond actually shoots her dead when she doesn't yield. In addition to Sophie Marceau we also have a nuclear physicist babe, Dr Christmas Jones (Denise Richards) who is more of a token Bond girl despite her fiestiness. A lot of the more cornier elements reside with her character, starting with her name!
Renard (Robert Carlyle) is an excellent foe for Bond. Again, the filmmakers have decided to go down a more realistic path but still keeping a somewhat superhuman quality to the villain which in this case revolves around his ability to not feel any pain thanks to a bullet lodged in his brain that has cut off certain nerve receptors in his brain. This makes the man somewhat ruthless and strong, as he is able to push himself longer and harder without feeling a thing. The great strength of his character, despite his villainy, is that he's given some moments to ponder his existence, and how he would once again like to be able to feel something again.
A touching moment in the franchise comes with Desmond Llewellyn's final scene as Q. After introducing him to all his gadgets and his new assistant "R" (an amusing John Cleese who is obviously been geared as his replacement), Bond asks him, "you're not thinking of retiring any time soon, are you?" Q smiles, then says he always has an escape plan, presses a button and disappears. It's a nice moment and a fitting send off for an actor who has been with the series virtually from the beginning.
The images in this film are vastly cinematic and grand. The opening sequence on the Thames is spectacular, but so is a ski chase on a snowy mountain range, as is a strange sequence at a caviar factory where a helicopter with cutting cogs underneath slices up the factory and the wharf it sits on. But where this film earns its point is in its quieter, character moments, particularly between Bond and Electra as their complicated relationship develops. Even "M" gets more involved in the story on this occasion as Renard captures her and keeps her captive only for Bond to come to her rescue.
"The World Is Not Enough" is the best Pierce Brosnan Bond film; it has all the elements you've come to love from these films, and is dynamic enough in its story and execution to offer something fresh and unexpected.
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