The World Is Not Enough (1999) User Reviews (806)

This one has a true sinister villain but his character ain't developed well.

[Fella_shibby · 7/10 · 12 May 2021]

I first saw this in the early 2k on cable tv.

Revisited it recently.

This is the nineteenth in the Bond series and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

In this one Bond is assigned to protect an oil tycoon's daughter who had previously been held for ransom by an ex KGB turned terrorist. During this assignment, Bond unravels a scheme to increase petroleum prices by triggering a nuclear meltdown in the waters of Istanbul.

This one has an amazing pre credit scene (not the lousy window jump sequence). The boat chase sequence is amazeballs.

The villain, Reynard, is truly sinister n Carlyle did a fine job but his character ain't developed well.

The story ain't engrossing n none of the henchmen is memorable.

This time Bond faces Reynard who is hell bent on causing chaos n destruction.

Bond faces many henchmen, Gabor, Mr. Bullion, etc. But the most noteworthy is the attractive cigar girl (Giulietta da Vinci).

Bond gets to cool off with Serena Scott Thomas, Denise Richards and Sophie Marceau.

Some info on Reynard: His real name was Victor Zokas n his childhood was particularly traumatic as he was raised in poverty.

At the age of fourteen, he ran away from home and joined the Soviet Army. Due to his vicious nature n brutal methods, he was given a place in the KGB. Due to his cunning and effectively discrete ways, he got the nickname, "Renard The Fox".

Aft his expulsion from the KGB due to his evident mental instability, Zokas took "Renard" alias and became one of the world's most feared terrorists.

It was 009 who shot Reynard in the head n although a doctor was able to save Renard's life, he was unable to extract the bullet from his patient's skull. Due to its retention within his brain matter, Reynard lost most of his senses and pain was never felt by him.

This allowed him to push himself much further than the ordinary human limits.

Terribly Underrated

[rutherfordh-81993 · 7/10 · 14 July 2021]

The World Is Not Enough is ranked as one of the weakest of any of the Bond films, but it does have many positives. The action is very strong in this one, like the caviar factory and the ski chase. Pierce Brosnan is joined by two very good actors to be the villains, and are some of the vest in the franchise. The locations are good, and it gives the films a different dimension, particularly in terms of the role of M. It is badly underrated, and is a great film, but just has some issues in the actual story.

Greatest Bond Opening Scene Ever

[ccthemovieman-1 · 7/10 · 20 September 2006]

The last James Bond film of the 20th century began in spectacular fashion. Now, a lot of the Bond movies have great openings, so that's nothing new, but this one outdid itself. This 15-minute opening may be the best ever with an amazing boat race and opening credits. It gets my vote, anyway.

After that, frankly, it slowly goes downhill. (That's the problem with too good a start!).

In the end, it's okay but hardly a memorable Bond picture. It has the usual assortment of heroes and villains, wild and improbable action scenes, tons of sexual innuendos, sharp DVD picture and great 5.1surround sound. New actors to this series included Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards and Robbie Coltrane. None of them are big drawing cards who are going entice people to see the movie.

I didn't find any of the characters particularly memorable, unfortunately, so I can't rate the film higher than a "7," but that opening was a "10."

Third time lucky

[Bel Ludovic · 24 December 2002]

The first time I saw this in the cinema in '99, I remember actively disliking it - the first time I'd had that reaction to a new Bond release. I saw it a second time at the cinema, and disliked it less - but still wasn't keen. Now, in the dying days of 2002, and quaking with hatred for - and disappointment at - 'Die Another Day', I re-evaluated TWINE for a second time. And I have to say, compared to this year's farce, TWINE is bathed in a golden glow. In terms of character development, plausibility (always tenuous in Bond films, but still), acting, and script, TWINE is far and away and without a shadow of doubt superior to 'Die Another Day'. Above all, this is a Bond film that does occasionally treat its audience like they have brain cells, rather than a ghastly exercise in sci-fi pretensions with MTV production values.

The opening sequence reveals itself to be one of the very best in the series, taut and exciting, flawlessly directed and perfectly executed. There's nothing else in the film that can quite top it, but some inspired casting helps immeasurably. Sophie Marceau is superb, and it's great to see Robbie Coltrane reprise Valentin Zukovsky, who bags many of the best lines. Judy Dench as 'M' is given a high profile in this entry, which is all to the good as she's clearly the best thing to happen to the Bond films in the Brosnan era. Alas, Desmond Llwelyn makes his final appearance as 'Q' - it would be thus even had he not died the following year - and his exit is well-handled.touching, even. On the downside, Robert Carlyle is not quite convincing as Renard, but it barely matters as Marceau is so firmly in control. Denise Richards isn't as bad as she's been made out to be - indeed, she actually seems smarter and less bland than Halle Berry in DAD.

Plot and action sequences throughout the film are deftly handled, but there are some areas where TWINE seems a little derivative, cheerfully looting the Bond back catalogue, for example in the Caucasus skiing sequence which fuses together action setpieces from YOLT and OHMSS. There are also moments of alarming silliness more redolent of the 1970s and '80s, such as the scene with John Cleese making his debut as future-'Q' and all scenes with Goldie in as Bullion. And for those of us who aren't fans of Pierce Brosnan, there's plenty to annoy - excessive jaw-clenching, lots of posing, inherent charmlessness. I'm sure he's lovely in real life, mind.

Generally, though this is a competent entry in the series, and its attempts at depth just about succeed. It is also the most `how'-and-`why'-proof Bond film since the 1960s, a refreshing change from those Bond films that arrogantly command the audience to suspend their beliefs and do all the maths themselves. Quite why it all went wrong three years later is anyone's guess, but I blame 'XXX' and a continuing adoration of 'The Matrix'.

Fun but forgettable Bond

[Tweekums · 7/10 · 17 April 2014]

In the opening scenes Bond recovers a quantity of money but when it is returned to tycoon Sir Robert King it explodes and kills him. Chief suspect is psychotic terrorist Renard; who had previously kidnapped King's daughter Elektra. She had managed to escape but Bond is convinced that she is still in danger. Having taken over her father's business, Elektra is in Azerbaijan when Bond catches up with her and it isn't long before an attempt is made on her life by attackers using para-gliders which bear the markings of a Russian security agency. A consultation with former KGB officer Valentin Zukovsky, previously seen in 'Goldeneye' leads him to an old Soviet missile site in Kazakhstan where weapons are being decommissioned. Here he finally meets Renard… before he can escape with a stolen warhead. He also meets up with scientist Dr Christmas Jones who joins Bond to hunt down the weapon before Renard can detonate it and engineer an oil crisis.

This is a fairly average Bond film but even average Bond is quite entertaining. The story is obviously far-fetched but it is still entertaining and has a good twist part way thorough. As one would expect there is plenty of fairly spectacular action; the best being when the para-gliders attacked Bond and Elektra as they were skiing… Bond films do seem to like featuring great action scenes on the ski slopes! The pre-title boat chase is also pretty spectacular. Robert Carlyle was quite menacing as Renard although he is nowhere near as frightening as when he played Begby in 'Trainspotting'. By this, his third film as Bond, Pierce Brosnan is clearly comfortable in the role and does a decent job even if by this point in the series the character has become a bit of a caricature. Sophie Marceau makes Elektra an interesting and seductive character but I couldn't believe in Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist… this is largely the fault of the costume department… she may look great in a tight singlet and hotpants but she doesn't look like a nuclear expert! Overall this is a fun but ultimately forgettable Bond film; worth watching but by no means a classic.

There's no point in living if you can't feel alive.

[leonardodaftson · 7/10 · 11 December 2021]

'The World is Not Enough' fixes many issues with the previous entry in the franchise 'Tomorrow Never Dies'. The prior film was criticized for having goofy villains and a silly story. 'The World is Not Enough' re-aligns the franchise by bringing back better villains, a more interesting story, and adding much more substance to the characters. The film throws a few curve balls and misdirections at the audience as well, so you'll be kept on your toes. All of the actors put on a great performance, with the exception of Denise Richards. She plays Dr. Christmas Jones and she is not believable in the slightest as a nuclear scientist. But she's such a gorgeous bombshell I can overlook her crappy acting. M is also much more involved in the plot, which is quite welcome because she really dominates her scenes. Overall I enjoyed 'The World Is Not Enough', it's much better than the prior Bond film, but still not quite as good as 'Goldeneye'.

As Slick As Bond Gets

[zkonedog · 7/10 · 3 March 2017]

After two previous Bond outings, Pierce Brosnan was able to hone in his Bond persona and turn in perhaps his best overall performance as the British spy in "The World Is Not Enough". Sadly, after an incredible "first act", the second half of the film drags it down almost two whole stars.

For a basic plot summary, "World" sees Bond (Brosnan) up against the Russian baddie Renard (Robert Carlyle) for control over a key oil pipeline. Along the way, Bond runs into a few beauties (Sophie Marceau & Denise Richards), gets his orders from M (Judi Dench), and receives the gadgets from Q (Desmond Llewelyn).

The first half of the film is some of the best Bond action ever. Brosnan is incredibly slick, his chemistry with Marceau is palpable, and the action is full-throttle without being over-the-top. Basically, Bond is firing on all cylinders.

However, when Renard is introduced (and proves to be nothing ever close to menacing) this film takes a sharp nosedive. Only adding to the misery is the terrible acting from Richards. I know that Bond girls are usually "seen but not heard", so to speak, but I think one can say that Richards is the worst of the worst by quite a large margin.

Overall, "The World Is Not Enough" is a very fun Bond outing until it nosedives about halfway through. My exact rating would be 3.5 stars, but I'll give it the benefit of the doubt because of how much fun I had in the first half.

Revenge is not hard to fathom for a man who believes in nothing.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 5 August 2012]

The World is Not Enough is directed by Michael Apted and adapted to screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Bruce Feirstein, using characters created by Ian Fleming. Music is scored by David Arnold and cinematography by Adrian Biddle.

Bond 19 and 007 is required to protect a female oil magnate from potential assassination, but it soon becomes apparent that something far bigger and sinister is around the corner.

Pierce Brosnan returns for his third turn as super suave secret agent James Bond and all the crucial elements for the franchise are firmly in place. From the exhilarating pre-credit sequence down the river Thames (14 minutes worth) to the glorious over the top explosive finale, this is a Bond film for those that enjoy the cheeky action led mania over thought and depth. Into the Bondian mix are the usual stalwarts; Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Moneypenny, Desmond Llewelyn as Q (bidding a sad farewell to the franchise with a poignant moment) and Robbie Coltrane joyously returns as Zukovsky. Bond girl duties fall to Sophie Marceau (beautiful and solid) and Denise Richards (sexy, elfin like, but out of her depth) and the psycho for hire role lands at the considerably fine feet of Robert Carlyle, even if the latter is badly underused.

The World Is Not Enough (the Bond family motto) is a whizz bang entry in the series and finds Brosnan well settled in the role; nailing the multitude of traits that make Bond a man that women want to bed and a man that men want to be. Locales are lovely and interesting (Turkey, France, Spain, Azerbaijan), the plot carries some intelligence (with a decent mystery element for a change), characterisations are high end and Arnold's score is a safe accompaniment; as is the title song by Garbage. It is, however, all too aware of wanting to appease Bond fans across the spectrum. Thus the comedy moments come off as saggy and the more scientific aspects (as gloriously ridiculous as they are) feel more like auto-pilot plotting. Still, you get what you pay for with 90s Bond, and the action sequences are terrific. After the mixed Tomorrow Never Dies the makers were clearly intent on taking the fans on a ripper of a ride, and no doubt about it, they achieve that in spades; with the two hour running time just flying by.

Eon of course would take things one step too far three years later with the nadir that was Die Another Day, thus making this the last good Bond film before Daniel Craig's fabulous re-invention arrived in 2006. 7/10

The World is Not Enough is another fine Pierce Brosnan James Bond film

[tavm · 9/10 · 27 August 2022]

Until now, this was the only James Bond film in the official EON series I had not watched. Having just now done so with Mom, we consider this one of the most entertaining of the series in recent times. Pierce Brosnan, in only his third time as 007, seems to get better each time he portrayed Bond, James Bond. Among the rest of the cast Sophie Marceau is aces as Electra King whose story is one that's filled with great surprises, that's for sure! Robert Carlyle is also fine as Renard. As for Denise Richards as nuclear scientist Dr. Christmas Jones, well, she does well enough for what she's supposed to do and isn't too distracting a presence considering. Also, nice return of Robbie Coltrane from GoldenEye. Also great to once again see Judi Dench as M, Samantha Bond as Moneypenny, and, for what turned out to be his very last time, Desmond Llewelyn as Q. His character here introduces former Monty Pythoner John Cleese as his assistant and possible replacement about whom Bond asks Q if he's called "R". Mr. Llewelyn, unfortunately, died in a car accident a few weeks after this movie premiered. He was often one of the most entertaining parts of all these JB flicks starting with From Russia with Love to this one (though it should be noted he was absent in Live and Let Die). Great entertaining set-pieces throughout and fine backstory concerning some of the characters. For both Mom and me, The World is Not Enough is fine Bond entertainment.

Third Brosnan appearance as Bond in which once again confronts an ominous and bloody organization with terrorist purports.

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 28 December 2023]

Pierce Brosnan returns in the 19th Bond adventure in which 007 is sent to protect Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), the daughter of a murdered oil tycoon who was also an old friend of M (Judi Dench). The threat appears to come from terrorist Renard (Robert Carlyle), who has a bullet in the brain courtesy of MI6 that has made him immune to pain. Renard is playing the nuclear explosion card, which leads to Bond girl nuclear weapons expert Dr. Christmas (Denise Richards), who has minimal impact but seems attractive. She will see firsthand that there is some truth to Bond's fame. Danger !. Suspense !. Excitement !. There must be when he's around !. Some men want to rule the world... Some women ask for the world... Some believe the world is theirs for the taking... But for one man, The World Is Not Enough!!!As the countdown begins for the new millennium there is still one number you can always count on. Bond is Back.

This Bond entry contains sensational pursuits, frantic action-packed and stimulating set pieces. The World Is Not Enough(1999) begins with an exciting prologue that takes place in the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, from where our protagonist already does some of his typical pirouettes and jumps from a building. Then a terrible attack takes place at the heart of MI6 itself, the famous British secret service. In front of the best secret agents, including Bond, a bomb explodes, killing one of the most important businessmen in the world, then 007 goes to action . Pierce Brosnan's third appearance as the agent with a license to kill, after ¨Goldeneye¨ (1996), ¨Tomorrow Never Dies¨ (1997) and before ¨Die Another Day¨ (2002).

The villain of this adventure is one of the most human of the series: Renard, a bad guy with an emotional side who is brought to life by Robert Carlyle. They are joined by Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench as M, John Cleese as R replacing Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the gadget master. This was Llewelyn's last appearance on the big screen since he died that same year in 1999. He was the actor who appeared the most times in James Bond films. And other secondaries such as: Samantha Bond as Moneypenny, Michael Kitchen, Colin Salmon, David Calder, Serena Scott Thomas, Patrick Malahide, Ulrich Thomsen, among others.

The numerous action scenes overwhelm the roles and Bond has little to contend with as the villains are pretty discreet. There are also the typical Bond girls: Sophie Marceau, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, and Denise Richards, who, of course, fall for the charms of the handsome spy. There's a welcome darker edge to both Bond's character and the plot that the franchise should be built on, rather than trying to outdo his death-defying stunts every time. It contains spectacular and stirring musical score fitting to action by the always stunning David Arnold. And attractive song title: 'The World is not Enough' lyrics by Don Black performed by Garbage, along with the classic James Bond theme music by Monty Norman. Colorful and fascinating cinematography by cameraman Adrian Biddle. The motion picture produced by habitual producers, Eon, Albert R Broccoli, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson , being professionally directed by deceased filmmaker Michael Apted. He was a good director, producer of several successes ,such as ¨ ¨Gorillas in the mist¨ , ¨Class action¨, ¨Nell¨, ¨Enigma¨, ¨The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader¨, ¨The word is not enough¨, among others . The film will appeal to James Bond fans.

Bond, Dull Bond

[TechnicallyTwisted · 4/10 · 26 November 1999]

Call me crazy but I wasn't that impressed with this latest installment in the James Bond series. I thought the plot was pedestrian, the action scenes dull, and the 2 Bond women delivered completely inept performances. Well Sophie Marceau was o.k but Denise Richards was really bad. The only thing worth watching when she was on screen was when she was in a tank-top or wet t-shirt. The villain played by Robert Carlyle was underused and one of the only things that managed to save it was John Cleese, for the brief time he was on the screen. I know a lot of people who think this is the best Bond ever but everyone says that about something that is new. If I were you I'd wait for the video because there are so many other good films to see before going to this one. Here's hoping the Bond franchise dies. But this one is making a bundle so tough luck for that hope!

The best James Bond movie

[tsiakaras · 10/10 · 27 November 2021]

The World Is Not Enough is a 1999 spy film, the nineteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond... My favorite movie James Bond pierce brosnan 007!!!!!!!!!

I thought Christmas only comes once a year.

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 9 May 2007]

Some consider Goldeneye as the only Brosnan film worthy of acclaim. Others felt that The World is not Enough was his best film. And there are a few who are willing to give that honor to this film.

While Brosnan and Sophie Marceau light up the film, there are some that think that he is really the supporting actor here. And there are many who believe that Brosnan and Denise Richards make a lousy couple.

Marceau stands out as a romantic actress, not an action hero. She was Princess Isabelle in Braveheart and she shines in the French films La Fidélité and Chouans!. So, it is natural that Bond would fall in love with her - who wouldn't? Now Denise Richards (Christmas Jones) is the action star, with credential from Wild Things to prove it. Hoever, she is compared to Jill St. John and Tanya Roberts as one of the worst actresses ever to appear in Bond films.

The pre-credit sequence is probably the best ever done. The World is Not Enough theme song done by Garbage is outstanding.

Bottom Line: there is no bad Brosnan film.

What a disappointment!

[tragos · 1/10 · 19 November 1999]

What a shame. Bond is left as nothing more than a set piece--everything that made him Bond seems to have been left out of this hollow and dull film.

Brosnan is good and does what he can with the role, but there's not much there. The script is plodding and transparent, Robert Carlyle is wasted, and the whole mess has gotten an unhealthy dose of stupidity. The redeeming qualities are Judi Dench, John Cleese, and a terrific performance from the other "Bond girl."

Remember when Bond films were good?

[Rowsdower · 21 August 2000]

A lot of people have already commented intelligently here on the general suckitude of this movie. I would just add a few thoughts.

It's true that the recent Bond films are choking on the formula. But it's not the idea of a formulaic Bond film that's at fault here. Indeed, the Bond formula is the most established, specific, franchised formula in film history, complete with obligatory plot twists, locale changes and even obligatory dialogue in mandatory scenes. But that's not the problem. The problem is that the inbred idiots in the Broccoli family who own the Bond franchise and who have final script and creative authority, choose (I think deliberately) to give us Bond films of the lowest common denominator, trying to maximize bottom line profit by making the films as dumb and over the top as possible. They choose to remain faithful only to those aspects of the formula that would seem to guarantee commercial success. Those formula points are:

1) Action set pieces that are determined to one-up all previous Bond action set pieces in terms of craziness, speed, and death-defying stunts, but to the point where they lose all credibility.

For example, Pierce's speedboat chase in TWINE, or his motorcycle leap off the cliff into the plane cockpit in Goldeneye are so ridiculous that you have to laugh at them. I just shook my head in disbelief when I saw that speedboat chase, which was way over-the-top to begin with, morph into a hot air balloon stunt, I could almost hear the Broccoli family having a round table discussion, saying "Hey, then we could move the action into a balloon! Huh? Isn't that nuts! Who wouldn't love to see Bond in a hot-air balloon!" By contrast, just about any car or boat chase from the Connery era is much simpler, more plausible, and ultimately more fun to watch on repeat viewings because it won't dissolve into farce.

2. A beautiful woman with a funny name.

Hey, I love Bond girls as much as anyone else. And the funny names are great. But didn't they use to act better? And have more to do? And be sophisticated? Denise Richards seems to be best suited for a poster. She's a respected nuclear physicist like I'm an Olympic figure skater.

3. Updating the Bond "look" to reflect whatever is currently on top of the charts.

The mangled version of the Bond theme was disgusting. Giving him a German car because BMWs are cool is stupid. He's a Brit for Gods sake. Bond is cool because he's COOL. He has actual Mojo. It's not the brand of Vodka he swills, or who designed his suit. Leave well enough alone.

Basically, this franchise is headed down the toilet. It's circling the bowl as we speak. They'll always make money, but the experience is changing. These days, going to a Bond film is like going to a Circus. You're going so you can Ooh and Aah at something, not to watch a coherent movie with things like characters and plot.

Remember when these films were spy movies first, action movies later? Remember the whole train sequence in From Russia With Love, where Bond plays a game of wits with the evil spy? Remember the great chemistry with Connery and Honor Blackman in Goldfinger? Remember how Connery or Moore could make a line classic just with great delivery, instead of having "great" one-liners scripted in advance?

In short, remember when these movies were good?

Adequate Brosnan Bond.

[CrazyArty · 7/10 · 6 May 2022]

James Bond is sent to investigate the assassination of a construction tycoon. Stars Pierce Brosnan and Robert Carlyle.

Adequate Bond. Some ok action, although locations are a bit dull. Denise Richards plays a beautiful and smart Bond girl.

A great intro sequence movie which is the highlight. Still, an entertaining movie.

Really good Bond film

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 3 November 2021]

The World is Not Enough is a really good James Bond film that's suitably fun, exciting and action packed even if it's completely reliant on franchise formula and doesn't do anything new. Pierce Brosnan is reliably incredible as James Bond and Sophie Marceau, Judi Dench, Robert Carlyle and Denise Richards are all really good. Michael Apted's direction is great, it's well filmed with plenty of set pieces and it's well paced. The music by David Arnold is also really good and the song by Garbage is fantastic.

One of the weaker Bonds out there, but at least the action's decent

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 4 December 2016]

The latest James Bond outing is a fun, if stale, formula piece which offers up little originality and yet has such a polished, flawless sheen that you can't help like it to a degree. Ideas were very thin on the ground here and the plot is a very loose one involving various traitorous characters swapping sides and shouting at each other a lot. It's all very confusing and to be honest not very interesting - mainly because none of the actors and actresses on screen appear to be getting into their roles, instead looking simply bored.

Pierce Brosnan has settled into the role nicely, but his portrayal here is nothing short of lazy. He is also let down by his supporting cast - although to be fair the script isn't really interested in giving depth to our characters, instead preferring to have them as one-dimensional stereotypes. Sophie Marceau was hyped up as the newest femme fatale yet I think she seems out of place and miscast here - she's too sophisticated to be a realistic villainess. Robert Carlyle makes the most of his over the top villain, but he is barely on screen and the script gives him only a few lines.

Various other supporting characters pop up, including Judi Dench, who looks even more out of place than usual when she gets trapped behind bars; Desmond Llewellyn is as mischievous as ever as Q, poignantly in his final role, and Robbie Coltrane overacts for all he's worth as a greasy Russian swine. The usual familiar British actors also pop up, including Michael Kitchen and John Cleese. But it's Denise Richards who stands out, for all the wrong reasons, as one of the most wooden Bond actresses out there - until Gemma Arterton came along in QUANTUM OF SOLACE, at least.

What this film does benefit from are a couple of show-stopping action sequences, especially the opening boat chase over the River Thames which is the best that Bond has ever been. Unfortunately, things lose their way a bit with a terribly clichéd and unbelievable ski chase and a silly moment where Bond and co defuse a bomb while flying down a pipe (!). Thankfully a moment where helicopters with circular saws demolish Bond's car and a building makes up for these minor mishaps. The ending feels rushed but is pretty good too. Altogether, this is not the best Bond I've seen, and I'd rate it alongside something like THUNDERBALL.

Well, at least the Millennium Dome has some use

[JamesHitchcock · 7/10 · 28 August 2007]

Two important elements in the success of any Bond movie are the calibre of the Bond girl and the main villain. Where both are good, such as Honor Blackman and Gerd Frobe in "Goldfinger", the result can be a classic. Where both are weak, as with Tania Roberts and Christopher Walken in "A View to a Kill", the result can be a very disappointing film (although, to be fair, Roger Moore's performance in that film was also very much below par).

"The World Is Not Enough" (the title is taken from the Bond family motto) takes the unusual step of combining Bond Girl and villain in one person. There have been female villains in previous episodes, even glamorous ones such as Naomi in "The Spy who Loved Me", but they have been relatively minor characters, subordinate to a male criminal mastermind, generally middle-aged or elderly. There is normally no doubt about which side the male villain is on (although "For Your Eyes Only" may be an exception in this respect); nobody familiar with the conventions of the series will be surprised when, say, Drax in "Moonraker" or Naomi's boss Stromberg turns out to be the bad guy.

Sophie Marceau's Elektra King, however, is the first principal villain who is young, female and beautiful. Moreover, for much of the film we do not perceive her as a villain at all. She is the daughter of a prominent oil tycoon who inherits his business after he is murdered at the beginning of the film, and we are initially led to believe that the mainspring of the plot will be Bond's attempts to protect her against Renard, the ruthless international terrorist who was responsible for her father's death and who is threatening to blow up her pipeline which connects the Caspian oilfields to the West. Only later do we realise that Elektra and Renard are actually in league with one another and that she has an even more sinister plot in mind.

Given that Elektra effectively combines roles that in most Bond films would be played by two different actors, it is fortunate that the lovely Marceau copes so well with the burden placed upon her, making her character both detestable and desirable. (Although Elektra is half British and half Azerbaijani, Marceau herself is from France, a country that has provided three other lovely and talented Bond girls in Claudine Auger, Carole Bouquet and Eva Green).

To even up the balance, a more conventional "good girl" love interest has to be provided for Bond in the shape of Denise Richards who plays nuclear physicist Dr Christmas Jones. Although Richards is as attractive as Marceau, she is unfortunately much less talented, and proves to be the weakest Bond girl since Roberts. She is never convincing as a scientist, not because of her looks (contrary to what some might think, there is no genetic link between beauty and stupidity) but because of her weak acting; whenever she has to discuss anything technical it is all too obvious that she has no idea what she is talking about and is simply repeating lines learned by rote.

Another feature of "The World Is Not Enough" is that it appears to be less of an extended advert for the travel industry than most Bond films. Although Istanbul (famously featured in "From Russia with Love") makes another appearance, most of the locations- the industrial city of Bilbao, London's East End, the Caucasian oilfields- are not the sort of glamorous tourist destinations featured in most films in the series. There is a particularly good opening sequence in which Bond takes part in a thrilling speedboat chase along the Thames and in which the Millennium Dome makes its first screen appearance. (It is a pity that M's line "Well, at least the Millennium Dome has some use" was cut, although admittedly we did not realise in 1999 what a massive white elephant the Dome would prove to be the following year). There is also a chase scene involving snow and skiing- something that has perhaps become an over-familiar cliché in Bond movies.

Pierce Brosnan is as assured and capable as ever in the main role, and there are some good supporting performances from Judi Dench as his boss "M" and Robbie Coltrane as the dodgy Russian businessman Zukovsky (who also appears in "Goldeneye"). This film marked the last appearance of Desmond Llewellyn as the eccentric scientist "Q" and the first appearance of his successor "R", played by John Cleese as a sort of hi-tech Basil Fawlty. Denise Richards apart, this is one of the better Bond films, with an excellent balance of excitement, humour and glamour, and probably Brosnan's best together with "Tomorrow Never Dies". 7/10

So underrated and unappreciated...

[jwielgosz · 8/10 · 21 November 2002]

In November of 1999, a very strange thing happened. An intelligent action film filled with well-drawn characters, an unconventional plot structure, and a storyline that required you to pay attention. Stranger still, it was a James Bond film, a series widely regarded by the mass public as `fluff' when Bond films have actually been among the prime example of properly done plot-motivated action pieces. The highly underrated `The Living Daylights' comes to mind.

But the strangest thing is the critical thrashing `The World Is Not Enough' received. From Entertainment Weekly singling it out as a reason to overhaul the Bond franchise, to Internet critics (cough Harry Knowles cough) soundly trashing it in long, diatribe-filled electronic pieces. The fact that Harry praised the previous entry `Tomorrow Never Dies' (or as a friend described it, 12 pages of script and 90 pages of storyboards) as the best entry since `The Spy Who Loved Me' only leads to my conclusion that the critics and movie-goers of today have firmly and finally `checked their brains at the door' so to speak.

The range of critiques for TWINE is stunning. I have read dismissals of the first fifteen minutes as nothing more than one action sequence after another, despite the fact that the opening teaser has direct relevance to the storyline and contains more complex plot structure than the aforementioned previous entry, TND. Claims of it being `boring' and `dull' were often tossed about. Even the fact that Bond actually expresses discomfort was singled out as a major flaw. See my above `brain-checking' comment. But I am not here to make TWINE look good exclusively in comparison to TND, so here goes.

TWINE had me from the start, from Bond's instant realization of the money bomb. I knew I was in good hands from that point on. Indeed, in an era of clumsily handled twists and blindingly obvious revelations, the Electra King twist completely threw me. I had my suspicions, just as James himself wisely did, but I didn't want to believe it. Again, just like James. I could go on for a good half-hour about M's shock when she sees exactly what she and MI6 have created in 007. His cold-bloodedness has never been on bigger display in recent ventures, save a few select moments. (`For England James? No. For Me.') Make no mistake about it. Bond is first and foremost a trained killer in this outing, firmly focused on carrying out the will of MI6, even at the cost of.

The action sequences serve the story for a change, and each carry emotional weight, resulting from character's needs beyond that of eliminating Mister Bond. Two of the primary sequences are ploys by the main villain, blatant attempts to misdirect rather than outright kill for the sake of killing. Indeed, misdirection and misreading motivations are the primary plot movers. By the end, everything believed by our antagonist neatly shifts into reverse. And thankfully, the `one-man army' Bond of late is greatly reduced here, pitting Bond against more realistic odds.

The small moments count too. The high-backed chairs at the MI6 briefing. Zukofsky's small moment of delight upon seeing Bond's new Beemer sliced in half. The expertly placed shot toward Renard's head, blocked by safety glass. Elektra's emotional breakdown when trapped inside the avalanche (but faked or not?) And Zukofsy's silent communication to Bond to take care of business for him. Reverence and respect is held for the series' past, even Bond's marriage is referenced as he dodges Electra's query as to whether he's ever lost someone that he loves. Heck, these days even a lone `Universal Exports' reference would be considered gold, but the writers of TWINE have obviously done their studying.

If TWINE has any weaknesses, the action sequences are not always staged at the series' prime. Although the raid on Zukovsky's factory is executed beautifully and is a superb set piece for Bond, some clumsy editing and lensing weakens the ski sequence and the climactic fight on board the Victor II sub. David Arnold's score is under-mixed; giving the movie a bit too much subtlety in moments the grandness should be spilling into the theater (commercial or home). And of course, Denise Richards is just plainly miscast for the part of Christmas Jones, which screams for someone of greater maturity. As someone on the Internet said `Bond girls should have class, not be late for it.' Can't argue much there.

In closing, I hope the producers choose to ignore the gnashing of hypocritical teeth and continue on a similar path for the next Bond film. Do not return to a one-set-piece-after-another film. Have faith (however small) that the audience will wake up. I know I for one will be there, hoping that the next film will live up to the lofty (if unappreciated) standards of 'The World Is Not Enough'.

The darkest Bond; Brosnan's best

[mcfische · 6/10 · 18 October 2003]

Contains spoilers

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH was the 19th Bond film, and the final one produced in the 20th century. Pierce Brosnan returned in his third outing as James Bond, acclaimed dramatic director Michael Apted took his place behind the cameras, and Neal Purvis and Robert Wade were assigned to write the screenplay. After two very Connery-esque outings as Bond, one of which was not a Bond film, Brosnan has a chance to be in the most Fleming-esque Bond since LTK...even if he must continue to be the next Sean Connery. TWINE is easily the greatest of Brosnan's four 007 films as of yet and the fourth greatest of all the Bond films, surpassed only by ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, LICENCE TO KILL, and THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS.

The film has a very unique cinematic look to it that no other Bond has had; it is the darkest of all the films. The locations are exotic but very real; you would never guess that the nuclear site or the Maiden's Tower were sets at Pinewood studios. Almost every character is given incredible detail, humanity, and in some cases, pity. This was Brosnan's best outing as Bond, and despite he keeps being confined to a Connery style Bond and doesn't quite handle his few Dalton moments, he does a fantastic job. M for once is given a major role in the storyline, and Judi Dench excels in these scenes. Tanner, Moneypenny, and Robinson all return doing a fantastic job. A new character, Q's assistant "R," is hilarious. And Desmond Llewelyn gives his final outing as Q. The final moments that 007 and Q have together are wonderfully written and acted. Llewelyn was the longest lasting member of the original team of writers, actors, directors, and producers on the Bond film and his untimely demise in a car accident following this film was truly upsetting. Ms, Moneypennys, and Bonds can come and go, but for some reason, there can be only one Q. RIP Desmond, and thanks for all the memories.

For the first time ever in a Bond film, a woman is the main villain. Elektra King is one of the most complex, ambitious, and truly evil of all the Bond villains and may very well be the best of them, if not the best of the women; that honor still goes to Bond's wife Tracy (a comment by Elektra makes reference to her). Kidnapped by the terrorist Renard, her father and M had no choice but to refuse to pay her ransom due to policy. So Elektra seduced her captor. She made him fall madly in love with her. He allowed her to escape, and she damaged herself when Renard couldn't bring himself to do it. Deceiving everyone, she had her own father, oil tycoon Sir Robert King, murdered by a bomb exploded in MI6 headquarters. Elektra has a great power over men, especially womanizers like 007. She deceives him as well, and by the time he figures it out, Elektra captures M, buys a nuclear submarine, and arranges to cause a nuclear holocaust to gain control over the world through the oil market. Her evil nature and deceiving all that cared about her makes her a truly nasty character, and when Bond kills her in cold blood, it's hard to surpess a cheer. Her lover, Renard, is definately the most human of all Bond's villains. With an excellent actor in the role, Renard attracts a great deal of pity. With Alec Trevelyan of GOLDENEYE, you felt sympathy for him, but the fact he was also doing this to get rich lowered the abbility for the audience to feel sorry for him. Renard, however, is doing all his actions due to blind love. Seduced and used by the woman he captured and held for ransom, Renard has a bullet in his head killing off his senses, so far making it impossible for him to feel pain or anything else. This frustrates him greatly as he cannot be a good lover to Elektra. This character's blind love for Elektra (he's willing to commit suicide so she can make millions) and the fact that, to her, Renard was merely another employee and tool, makes it hard not to pity this poor, deceived, blinded man. Even Bond seems to pity him; before Elektra's scheme is thwarted and Renard is killed, the two share sympathetic smiles.

As the darkest, most dramatic, and most intense of all the Bond films, there is a great need for comic relief, and it comes in good supply without ruining the tone of the film. Valentine Zukovsky of GOLDENEYE returns with a much more friendly attitude towards Bond. Prior to Bond' involvement, he arranges to get her a nuclear submarine, commanded by his nephew Nikolai, for $1,000,000. He is unaware of the purpose, of M's kidnapping, or that Elektra is working with Renard. When Bond informs him (and when Elektra kills his nephew and destroys his caviar factory), Zukovsky joins Bond, and his final act before being killed by Elektra is to save Bond's life. Both 007 and the audience feel grief for his death, as he is one of the most amusing and charming characters ever to appear in a Bond film. Zukovsky's traitorous henchman Bull, played by Goldie, is another amusing character. The final comic dose, "R," bumbles his way through demonstrating all of Bond's gadgets, all the while being insulted by Q.

The film's title, "The World Is Not Enough," is the Bond family motto, as revealed in ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE. The previously mentioned reference to Tracy and the ski chase pay homage to that film. Despite the excellent story and characters, there are problems with this film. Bond hardly uses his car. Zukovsky should not have been killed. And the Bond woman in this film, Dr. Christmas Jones, is the only character that is poory written. A typical bland Bond girl, she is too young to be an expert in nuclear physics and is rather unconvincingly portrayed. She serves no point to the story at all and is merely added in so that Bond can bed a woman at the end (does anyone else grow tired of this ending?). And once again, as good as this film was, it is truly disappointing they could not let Brosnan for once play the Dalton/Fleming-type Bond he has been wanting to do ever since he took the role.

With 8 out of 10 stars, this is Brosnan's greatest contribution to the series. This film is so great because it is the only Brosnan Bond film to have the feel of a Cubby Broccoli 007 film, and that is something special.

The World is Not Enough to make me watch this film twice!

[leehannan · 1/10 · 19 December 2000]

My comments are quite simple: this is quite possibly the worst Bond film ever. Yes, with Bond films we are used to outrageous plots, unbelievable (though always entertaining e.g. Christopher Walken in "A View to a Kill") villains, but at least there would be something like a story. The director and writers would get together to give the inevitable car chase/sky diving/skiing etc etc scene some relevance to the "plot", but not this one. "Tomorrow Never Dies" was poor, but this was awful. "Bond will be back", I do not care.

My favorite Bond film

[drewmcd2011 · 10/10 · 30 July 2011]

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH has to be my favorite James Bond film. It seems that Pierce Brosnan's Bond films have the longest teasers (pre-credits sequences) in the series and the River Thames chase was a brilliant start, not to mention well-filmed with the London background. The action scene that stands out from them all in the film is the helicopter attack on the Caspian Sea. The plot is very interesting with twists and turns with all the oil involvement, and Pierce perhaps gives his finest Bond performance in his four outings.

Robert Carlyle makes a chilling villain as Renard (he's already dead and can't feel pain), but the biggest highlight of TWINE is the two leading women: Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards. Marceau is very well-cast as villainess Elektra King and is perhaps the best Bond villainess since THUNDERBALL's Fiona Volpe. Richards is a gorgeous actress and she's very charming and fun as heroine Dr. Christmas Jones. These are two of the most beautiful and sexiest Bond girls in the series; you are going to love both of them.

With its well-staged action, epic plot, Pierce's wonderful performance, and two brilliant Bond girls, TWINE is a Bond adventure both Bond fans and non-Bond fans will treasure. ****

Enough?

[David_Frames · 7/10 · 30 March 2005]

The World is Not Enough presents some difficulty for someone attempting to prove the proposition that the series has had its day. You can see the dilemma. How can this entry be so much more enjoyable than the last while simultaneously being as derivative of other instalments? What separates TWINE as we're all loath to call it, from its predecessor is that it stands on the other side of that fine line that segregates total self-parody from a fresh reworking of old material. The shift in tone may be slight and the film itself only a notch more concerned with the mechanism of a story and slightly meatier drama but it's enough to make it watchable and entertaining as opposed to cringe worthy. Credit for this should probably go to Michael Apted whose injects the whole enterprise with a bit of gravitas and character. There's not THAT much to chew here in that respect but it makes a critical difference. If the film is more assured and less pantomime than before then it still has problems in the script department. This is still a story culled from the series back catalogue. Renard, the villain of the week is largely wasted after an intriguing introduction that promises much then falls back onto familiar ground. Pervis and Wade could have run with the idea of a villain who can't feel pain and is close to death and so arguably more dangerous but revert to type and employ it as a mere gimmick. You also have to wonder whether it was necessary for Renard to look SO much like Blofeld from You Only Live Twice and if this is symptomatic of a general failure of imagination that plagues the film somewhat. One scene that should be singled out is Q's farewell which highlights what the Bond producers need to get away from, particularly in light of this movie's follow up. It makes the mistake of the basic confusion between two things - audience expectation and the established world of the characters. An uninitiated audience may imagine that Bond and Q have a relationship akin to teacher and student/Father and Son but anyone watching the movies regularly rather than casually over the years knows this to be cine-bowel content. Q is a civil servant who, and I hope your paying attention, does NOT make gadgets himself, he presents them to field operatives and is part of a wider division that R and D's equipment. This is made clear throughout the series and viewers should note the difference in tone between Q's scenes before the 1989 hiatus and afterwards in which the character as constructed in the audience imagination supplanted the character as written up to that point. Its a bit of post-modern reinvention typical of Pervis and Wade. Q bows out talking about the tenets of wisdom he's passed on to Bond and the gadgets he's particularly proud of. Lovely for the fans but utter nonsense. If TWINE has problems its in reconciling this fan boy fluff with the stories more serious pretencions. Its sometimes an uneasy alliance that doesn't allow the material to gel. That said, overall TWINE is entertaining stuff - a great opening sequence, good title (always important), some nice visual flourishes and a real groaner of a closing line that makes you laugh like you did at the end of Roger Moore's outings. A confusing entry then, as it pulls back from the precipice of being total fluff without really filling you with confidence that the series is recovering. There was a feeling here that if Brosan's Bonds kept moving in the direction of more considered plotting, better characterisation and less recycling that the next one may be really rather good. Unfortunately team Bond did the opposite and made TWINE the exception rather than the rule of Brosnan's period in the role. The most well rounded of his era.

Unbelievably Awful

[Scudder · 1/10 · 20 November 1999]

While I like Pierce Brosnan as Bond, this movie is simply awful. The story is weak, jumping from location to location without reason. When I saw the helicopter with a giant saw hanging from it, I about lost it. How lame. At least that was an original idea. 'World' didn't have many. This film even rips off other Bond films, i.e. the ski chase, the boat chase over land, and riding through a pipeline. And while I'm certainly no nuclear physicist, I don't think you can take the core of a nuclear weapon and turn it into a rod for a nuclear reactor in 15 minutes!! It was refreshing to see John Cleese as R, but nearly all of the humor in this film (including Cleese's) was far over the top. Maybe that's just typical Bond, but it's never been this bad. Robert Carlyle gave an impressive performance as Renard. It's just too bad that performance was wasted in this movie. Robbie Coltrane reprises his role as Valentin and did a very good job. His scenes were at least entertaining in this otherwise unbearable movie.