Released: 1997

Dir.: Roger Spottiswoode

This past October 5^th was International James Bond Day, marking the 61^st anniversary of the first 007 movie to be released in theaters. While many fans may have marked the occasion by watching Dr. No, I decided to choose a Bond film at random.

Using high tech methods that would make Q proud, I wrote all the 007 titles on small bits of paper and carefully placed them in a mixing bowl. Stirring vigorously, placing the bowl above eye level, then selecting one bit of paper my evenings viewing was selected. As you may have guessed I drew Tomorrow Never Dies. Pierce Brosnan’s second time in the role of MI:6 agent James Bond 007.

Tomorrow Never Dies was not a bad choice and is a terrific throwback to the classic megalomaniac trying to take over the world kind of Bond film.

 Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) is a media baron who wants it all. A complete global media monopoly, control of the news, even creating the news his empire will cover and manipulating it to suit his needs. So, he decides to stir the pot and create a little war between China and Great Britain, that will certainly boil over into a full-scale nuclear war. Carver having the complete, unhindered international broadcast rights. Now that’s entertainment.

Carver engineers an international incident that results in the sinking of a British frigate. Cleverly made to look like the Chinese were provoked into attacking the ship. Britain responds by dispatching the Royal Navy to the South China Sea, allowing M (Judi Dench) 48 measly hours to have James Bond investigate and possibly avert a war.

Intelligence has learned that a Carver news satellite may have been involved in throwing the British ship off course into Chinese territorial waters. Bond is off to Munich, to infiltrate the launch of Carver’s global media network. And so, begins a fun Bond adventure.

GLOBAL DESTRUCTION, WORLD DOMINATION!

Who doesn’t love a good megalomaniac? But where guys like Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Carl Stromberg, or Hugo Drax were generally calm in their demeanor while attempting to destroy the world, Elliot Carver is a true over the top nut. Fitting since he is a familiar media personality with an undeniable on-screen presence. A showman bent on destruction.

Carver surrounds himself with the best people. Dr. Kaufman (Vincent Schiavelli) the scientific assassin who has one of my favorite lines in a Bond film, ‘I have a clear shot at your head Mr. Bond… …I could shoot you from Stuttgart and still create the proper effect.’ A true professional who’s only failing is incompetent henchmen. Henry Gupta (Ricky Jay), a techno-terrorist whose knowledge is the key to Carvers nefarious scheme. Sadly, like many Bond villain henchman, he outgrows his usefulness. Mr. Stamper (Gotz Otto) Carver’s number one henchman, protege of Dr. Kaufman in the art of torture, and next to Zenia Onatopp, the most dangerous henchman of the Brosnan era Bond films. And like any good henchmen, Mr. Stamper is fully invested in his devotion to Carver.

The internal trait that Carver shares with fellow megalomaniacs is extreme, unhindered confidence. Mix that with the afore-mentioned best people, and as a super villain that makes you unstoppable. Then again Carver is going up against James Bond. Nonsense, Bond is merely an inconvenience. Dr. Kaufman will take care of it…

GROW UP 007.

James Bond, however, has the best people as well. Q (Desmond Llewelyn), who’s never let 007 down, equips Bond with his most practical, and inconspicuous vehicle yet: the BMW 750iL. And the BMW does not disappoint, although it is returned to Q-Branch in less than pristine condition, as usual.

This is one of the things I like about Tomorrow Never Dies. The car is practical and inconspicuous. Bond’s previous car, the BMW Z3 roadster, although a nice-looking car, I find dangerously impractical. Not to mention the driver is terribly vulnerable. The 750iL makes complete sense as the car of a spy, and Bond has lots of fun with it, especially the remote-control feature.

 Although I really liked Goldeneye, it’s kind of dark in that Cold War kind of way. Where Tomorrow Never Dies is just that, fun, in a let’s destroy the world kind of way. Adding to the enjoyment is Chinese Secret Agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), Bond’s equal and with a wink and a nod, his ally. Carver disastrously underestimates her as she knocks off henchman after henchman.

Tomorrow Never Dies is as just as fun as the past megalomaniac bent on destroying the world Bond films. But this one is a little more grounded. Carver’s tools are inconspicuous, hidden in plain sight by his media empire, or the almost invisible Stealth boat in place of the classic villain’s lair, making the fantasy a little more of a believable environment.

This is the most compact of the Brosnan films, and in my opinion the most entertaining, along with Goldeneye, feels like a good old school Bond film for the 1990s. A fondness I don’t share for the two follow up Bond films, but I’ll perhaps save that discussion for another day.

So, my James Bond Day mission was, I’d say, a success. I don’t see the Brosnan films as often as the others, but Tomorrow Never Dies is worth the time, I really enjoyed it.

Tomorrow Never Dies is available on DVD and Blu-Ray and is streaming from multiple services.