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The
World Is Not Enough
(Credit:
The New York Times)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
November 19, 1999
FILM REVIEW; Submarines, Balloons and a Guy Named
Bond
By JANET MASLIN
Published: November 19, 1999
''The
World Is Not Enough'' was directed by Michael
Apted, whose insightful glimpses of the maturing
process can be seen in his latest documentary,
''42 Up.'' Doggone if Mr. Apted hasn't been able
to make James Bond grow up a little too. In his
third and most comfortable effort to model the
Bond mantle, Pierce Brosnan bears noticeably more
resemblance to a real human being. He shows signs
of emotion, cuts back on the lame puns and makes
lifelike conversation with fellow characters.
Should he ever stop posing mannequinlike with
left hand in trouser pocket, or engage in a clinch
without appearing to be promoting his wristwatch,
Mr. Brosnan's Bond will have entered the land
of the living.
This
latest film, which evokes its jolliest laugh when
Bond tries to work the title phrase into a conversation,
seems to be populated by more noticeable people
all around. Back at initial-filled headquarters,
M (Dame Judi Dench) takes a more active role in
this story, while the delightful Q (Desmond Llewelyn)
is now made even more so by John Cleese's R. Both
men are suitably aghast whenever Bond runs off
with their newly designed equipment and treats
it as if he were a teenager who shouldn't have
borrowed the car.
The
film is off to the races with its obligatory high-octane
opening. This year's model features the Frank
Gehry-designed museum in Bilbao, Spain, an amphibious
chase through London and a hot-air balloon. And
it pits Bond against a woman in tight red leather
who drives a speedboat while shooting a machine
gun. (Question: Isn't it difficult to do both?)
The chase ends tragically, with a cryptic line
of dialogue. (Question: Will anyone know what
her problem was when the movie is over?)
Still
trawling for plausible villains, ''The World Is
Not Enough'' pits Bond against Renard (Robert
Carlyle), a rabid anticapitalist terrorist who
has a bullet in his head. (Question: Is the large,
mobile, computer-generated hologram of Renard's
skull and brain more interesting than the actual
character?) Renard was once the kidnapper of beautiful
Elektra King, whose beloved father (note her first
name) is blown up before this film's opening credits.
When a character here explains that Elektra fell
in love with her captor, the phrase ''Stockholm
syndrome'' is used nervously. It's as if the movie's
real goals of admiring scenery and plugging products
were jeopardized by such a knotty concept.
Sophie
Marceau does a smashing turn as Elektra, in a
mischievously sexy performance that manages to
make Bond that much more interesting. While Ms.
Marceau gets the slinky costumes, gorgeous ski
sequence and boudoir scenes, the film's other
female star fares less well. Denise Richards seemed
far more clever as the teenage vixen of ''Wild
Things'' than she does as a brilliant scientist
whose name (Dr. Christmas Jones) is mercifully
avoided in conversation. And she's the one who
gets stuck talking about plutonium and flailing
away on a soggy submarine.
The
plot, which often sends the audience into a pleasant
fog while big machines and deadly weapons are
thrown around, involves the struggle over an oil
pipeline (with Robbie Coltrane as an amusing Russian
gangster) and sends postcards from places as diverse
as Scotland and central Asia. (Question: Is it
easy to rent a shiny new BMW if you're in Azerbaijan?
It is if you're James Bond.)
''The
World Is Not Enough'' is rated PG-13 (Parents
strongly cautioned). It includes violence and
brief sexual situations.
THE
WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
Directed
by Michael Apted; written by Neal Purvis, Robert
Wade and Bruce Feirstein, based on a story by
Mr. Purvis and Mr. Wade; director of photography,
Adrian Biddle; edited by Jim Clark; music by David
Arnold, with ''The World Is Not Enough'' theme
performed by Garbage and written by Mr. Arnold
and Don Black; production designer, Peter Lamont;
produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli;
released by MGM. Running time: 128 minutes. This
film is rated PG-13.
WITH:
Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sophie Marceau (Elektra),
Robert Carlyle (Renard), Denise Richards (Christmas
Jones), Robbie Coltrane (Valentin Zukovsky), Desmond
Llewelyn (Q), John Cleese (R), Maria Grazia Cucinotta
(Cigar Girl), Samantha Bond (Moneypenny), Michael
Kitchen (Tanner), Colin Salmon (Robinson), Serena
Scott Thomas (Dr. Molly Warmflash), Ulrich Thomsen
(Davidov), John Seru (Gabor), Claude-Oliver Rudolph
(Colonel Akakievich) and Dame Judi Dench (M).
Profiles
James
Bond
Pierce
Brosnan
John
Seru
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