"Brosnan and Berry are to 'Die' for"
by Scott Mantz

"Die Another Day"
Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry
Directed by Lee Tamahori

Nobody does it better! Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry share a bonding experience in "Die Another Day"

I don't know about you, but for me, Roger Moore has always been the quintessential James Bond! Now before you start throwing your shaken and stirred martinis at me, let me explain...

Basically, I like Moore the best because he's the Bond I grew up with. I'll never forget the first time I saw "The Spy Who Loved Me" in 1977 with my parents at the Eric Baderwood Theater just north of Philadelphia. Sure, the gadgets were cool, the action was exciting, and the babes were beautiful (for an 8-year-old anyway), but more importantly, Moore was cool, confident and very light on his feet with irresistible charisma.

Going back and discovering Sean Connery's classic legacy was a lot like going back and discovering The Beatles after years of being a Paul McCartney & Wings fan. Sure, the earlier work was better, but because I grew up with the later stuff, that's what I appreciated more. Even though the rest of the Moore films were intermittently entertaining, I could have done without Timothy Dalton, and I always thought that Pierce Brosnan was a great James Bond who had yet to make a great James Bond movie.

Well, that movie is finally here, and after watching "Die Another Day"--the 20th official Bond movie in 40 years--I almost felt like that 8-year-old kid again. While it may not live up to classics like "From Russia With Love," "Goldfinger," "Live and Let Die" or "For Your Eyes Only," "Die Another Day" has enough action, humor and campy charm in its own right to qualify as the best Bond movie in at least 2 decades.

After spending 14 months being tortured by the North Koreans after his cover is blown, secret Agent 007 (Pierce Brosnan) is released to the British for a chilly reception from Her Majesty's Secret Service. Informed that he is "...of no use to anyone now," Bond strikes out on his own to seek vengeance on those who did him in. In the process, he meets his match with Jinx (Halle Berry), a beautiful American spy who's trying to uncover the secrets of a flamboyant British mogul (Toby Stephens) who has an affinity for diamonds, ice palaces and powerful satellites. In no time, Bond's license to kill is reinstated just in time for him to team up with Jinx (in more ways than one) and save the world from the clutches of an evil madman.

A lot has changed for Mr. Bond since his first appearance in 1962's "Dr. No." The Russians aren't the easy target anymore, women have become action heroes in their own right, and recent acts of terrorism have made certain spy movies hit way too close to home. From a cinematic standpoint, Bond has also had to contend with spoofs (the "Austin Powers" movies), spoofs of spoofs ("Undercover Brother"), and outright attempts to reinvent the genre ("Spy Kids," "XXX"). The obvious question is, is there room these days for James Bond?

Thanks to "Die Another Day," the answer is a resounding "yes." For one thing, Pierce Brosnan has more charm in his pinkie than "XXX's" Vin Diesel has in his entire body. In addition, he finally seems at ease in Bond's skin, and Halle Berry--the first Oscar-winner to be a Bond girl--is a good match for him without stealing the movie like Michelle Yeoh did in "Tomorrow Never Dies." Also, for the first time in years, the plot wasn't too hard to figure out, and the villain--played with arrogant panache by Toby Stephens--left a lasting impression, especially after some breathtaking hand-to-hand combat with Brosnan.

Admittedly, "Die Another Day" is not without its flaws. Director Lee Tamahori ("Along Came a Spider") obviously felt the need to have Bond compete with the likes of "XXX," which is a shame because he didn't have to. Some of the action sequences and narrow escapes were too unbelievable and far-fetched even by Bondian standards, and some of the flashy and slow-motion camera techniques were merely annoying in their attempts to compete with "The Matrix."

Even though Brosnan's previous outings (1995's "GoldenEye," 1997's "Tomorrow Never Dies" and 1999's "The World is Not Enough") have been the most successful in the series with each film grossing more than $300 million worldwide, it's safe to say that they were all weak entries with convoluted plots. Not this time. "Die Another Day" not only restores the luster to 007's license to kill, but it also finally establishes Pierce Brosnan as the quintessential James Bond!

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