Tomorrow Never Dies: A Bond Film Where Villains Have a Conscience (Almost)
"Tomorrow Never Dies," the 18th installment in the James Bond franchise, delivers the expected thrills and spills while also offering a slightly unusual take on the classic Bond villain. Pierce Brosnan returns as the suave 007, this time facing off against Elliot Carver, a media mogul with aspirations for global domination through manufactured conflict. While Carver, played with delicious smarminess by Jonathan Pryce, certainly fits the mold of a power-hungry megalomaniac, his underlings seem surprisingly reluctant to finish off our beloved secret agent.
The film is packed with impressive action sequences. We are treated to a breathtaking car chase where Bond controls his BMW from the back seat, a heart-stopping HALO jump, and a pulse-pounding escape down the side of a Saigon skyscraper. These scenes are expertly crafted and are sure to leave audiences breathless. The autonomous car chase is also remarkable, especially for its time. It felt modern and fresh. Each set piece is more audacious than the last.
However, amidst the high-octane action, there's a curious hesitation from Carver's henchmen to deliver the killing blow. Bond finds himself in numerous precarious situations where a simple bullet would suffice, yet his adversaries consistently opt for more elaborate, and ultimately less effective, methods of disposal. One can't help but wonder if these villains secretly attended a "World Domination for Dummies" seminar where the chapter on "Just Shoot the Hero" was inexplicably missing.
This reluctance, while perhaps undercutting the sense of immediate danger at times, does add a layer of unintentional humor to the proceedings. It's almost as if these highly trained killers are bound by some unspoken code of conduct that prevents them from taking the easy way out. Or maybe they are worried about the paperwork.
Despite this quirk, "Tomorrow Never Dies" remains a solid entry in the Bond series. Brosnan is charismatic as ever, Michelle Yeoh shines as the capable and independent Wai Lin, and the action sequences are truly spectacular. Just don't expect the bad guys to be in any hurry to put an end to 007's career. They seem to have all the time in the world.
The film is packed with impressive action sequences. We are treated to a breathtaking car chase where Bond controls his BMW from the back seat, a heart-stopping HALO jump, and a pulse-pounding escape down the side of a Saigon skyscraper. These scenes are expertly crafted and are sure to leave audiences breathless. The autonomous car chase is also remarkable, especially for its time. It felt modern and fresh. Each set piece is more audacious than the last.
However, amidst the high-octane action, there's a curious hesitation from Carver's henchmen to deliver the killing blow. Bond finds himself in numerous precarious situations where a simple bullet would suffice, yet his adversaries consistently opt for more elaborate, and ultimately less effective, methods of disposal. One can't help but wonder if these villains secretly attended a "World Domination for Dummies" seminar where the chapter on "Just Shoot the Hero" was inexplicably missing.
This reluctance, while perhaps undercutting the sense of immediate danger at times, does add a layer of unintentional humor to the proceedings. It's almost as if these highly trained killers are bound by some unspoken code of conduct that prevents them from taking the easy way out. Or maybe they are worried about the paperwork.
Despite this quirk, "Tomorrow Never Dies" remains a solid entry in the Bond series. Brosnan is charismatic as ever, Michelle Yeoh shines as the capable and independent Wai Lin, and the action sequences are truly spectacular. Just don't expect the bad guys to be in any hurry to put an end to 007's career. They seem to have all the time in the world.
- TheBigSick
- Dec 23, 2024