Die Another Day: Why do I have this film?

Muston

I'll come clean. I don't own all the Bond films. I only have OHMSS, DAF, NSNA, TSWLM, MR, FYEO, OP, AVTAK, LD, LTK, GE, TWINE, DAD, CR, QoS....

....So I'm a bit picky when it comes to the films. I only recently got MR and NSNA because they were £3 each and I had a moment of madness. So in general I only have my favourite Bond films. Which DAD is not. There is so much wrong with Brosnan's final film. Halle Berry annoys the snot out of me, Madonna? (enough said), a ****-ish Toby Stephens who throughout the film I just want Bond to shoot directly in the face, John Cleese trying to be funny and just pissing over the legacy of Desmond Llewelyn, The sword fight in the fencing club , Rosamund Pike and Michael Madsen being totally wasted in what could have been good roles, the awful CGI.....and the list goes on! 8-)

This was my first Bond film I saw in the cinema and at the time I still thought Brosnan was a damn good Bond (to the point that I was sad when they first let him go) and I did enjoy the PTS as it built up to something that never really added up. So why do I have this film on my shelf still?....I just don't know.

Jarvio

Because it will make you appreciate your other films more

minigeff

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

Thunderpussy

I for one enjoy it, It's escapist nonsense and, at times thats all I want.

Moore Than

If you own Never Say Never Again, then you should definitely own Die Another Day.

DAD comes in for much criticism and a good deal of it is fair, IMO. The second half in particular is a difficult watch but there is much to enjoy in the first half. Despite it's problems I happily own the DVD and find myself drawn towards watching it more than I would care to admit.

Dutchfinger

I'm amazed you don't own any of the good Connery movies!! Just DAF and NSNA, which are some of the worst Bond movies ever. From the "So in general I only have my favourite Bond films", I take it you're not a Connery fan? You should really atleast pick up Goldfinger! Thats pretty much thé quintessential Bond movie!

Thunderbird 2

Dutchfinger wrote:

I'm amazed you don't own any of the good Connery movies!! Just DAF and NSNA, which are some of the worst Bond movies ever. From the "So in general I only have my favourite Bond films", I take it your not a Connery fan? You should really atleast pick up Goldfinger! Thats pretty much thé quintessential Bond movie!

Well said Dfinger! Goldfinger was the second Bond film I picked up on DVD, and the first Connery one. As most scholars have pointed out, it was the film that set the benchmark the others would follow.

Predator

minigeff wrote:

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

If that was the case, two-thirds of all the threads in this forum would go ... not the issue here really.

As for the question posed, I've already commented specifically on so many of these threads. I'm pretty bored with DAD. It's a dreadful film with or without the Bond link ... although I have recently seen Toby Stephens in a smallish production of a Noel Coward play and he is good (mediocre actor, but the role suits his style).

Muston, I really would go out and take a punt on all the films ... sure, plenty can be picked up for not that much, and it is good to have them all available - I even have a copy of DAD.

LastRatStanding

Owning Die Another Day isn't something to be ashamed of. It was the first Bond film I ever saw. In the cinema with my dad, watching that bullet fly at me during the gun-barrel I was like Oh my god that was BAD ASS (what did I know?) It made me want to see more Bond films and now 10 years later I'm a huge fan. Im pretty sure i'd collected all the other Bonds within a year of seeing it - it left that much of an impression on me. Looking at it now, I can see why people don't enjoy it but it literally kick started my loving of the Bond films. I tell myself now that I shouldnt like it because it's just all wrong but I can't. The good old Bond-esque parts are great, the first half I can hardly complain about and the second half is just hilarious. I watch it for the laughs now. The tsunami kite thing, the invisible car, Mr Kill, the scene with the lasers, the speed car thing, Graves' crazy suit, the ferrari landing in the water at the end..very funny if you watch it in the right mind set :007)

minigeff

Predator wrote:

minigeff wrote:

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

If that was the case, two-thirds of all the threads in this forum would go

Make it so preddy!!

DaltonFan1

minigeff wrote:

Predator wrote:

minigeff wrote:

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

If that was the case, two-thirds of all the threads in this forum would go

Make it so preddy!!

Just to re-iterate DAD is unbelievably ****.

Thunderpussy

I'll give that scat regard.

Luck and Fate

Because for all of its down falls, for every bit of overused CGI, Die Another Day is still the last classic James Bond 007 film ever made. It's the last link to Cubby's James Bond empire. It's the end of the road of the longest running film tradition in movie history. It's the finish line for anyone doing a classic James Bond marathon. It celebrates the present, and honors its past. It's doesn't budge from its traditional predecessors, save for a bullet down the gun barrel. It gave us what we wanted, it gave us what we wanted for the last 40 years. It stood with pride, as a James Bond movie that updated itself with the present times, for better or for worse, just like the films before it. It gave up nothing, and died with its prideful head held up high.

Long live Bond 20 -{

Napoleon Plural

It's bollocks.

minigeff

Indeed, IMHO hearing yet again as to why it's bad is as bollocks as the film itself, and that's going some. )

Peppermill

I have all the Bond movies so I do own DAD as well. It is not a movie I go back to very often but a few weeks ago I saw the first half on TV and, as with every Bond film, it held my interest for a while. However, when you own DAD you should own the entire series! There is no excuse for owning DAD and not Dr No!

DTReinsma

Luck and Fate wrote:

Because for all of its down falls, for every bit of overused CGI, Die Another Day is still the last classic James Bond 007 film ever made. It's the last link to Cubby's James Bond empire. It's the end of the road of the longest running film tradition in movie history. It's the finish line for anyone doing a classic James Bond marathon. It celebrates the present, and honors its past. It's doesn't budge from its traditional predecessors, save for a bullet down the gun barrel. It gave us what we wanted, it gave us what we wanted for the last 40 years. It stood with pride, as a James Bond movie that updated itself with the present times, for better or for worse, just like the films before it. It gave up nothing, and died with its prideful head held up high.

Long live Bond 20 -{

Right on. This was very well said. I also feel Brosnan was the best Bond and he only did 4 so I would want to own it. A Bond fan should own them all anyway. How else can you do a Bond marathon?

NeverSayDie

For all it's flaws.
It has:
A great pre title sequence
Halle Berry in a bikini
The first half plot wise is quite good
An Aston Martin
The ice palace set is amazing
The david Arnold score is very good
Judi Dench is excellent

Regardless what we think of it, it was finically successful.
Plus it's an EON official 007 film, I don't like DAF but I still own it.
If you want to discuss a terrible film talk about Casino Royale (1967)

Luke

I haven't been a very active member on this site in almost a decade, but I remember back in 2002 that there was quite a flock of DAD defenders. I wonder if they have all disappeared, or if they are just in hiding, waiting for the right time to start a revolution....... {:)

Napoleon Plural

Well, it's just like we have plenty of defenders of Skyfall on the forum now...

minigeff

Luke wrote:

I haven't been a very active member on this site in almost a decade, but I remember back in 2002 that there was quite a flock of DAD defenders. I wonder if they have all disappeared, or if they are just in hiding, waiting for the right time to start a revolution....... {:)

Nope, still here

Sir Miles

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Well, it's just like we have plenty of defenders of Skyfall on the forum now...

No...just defenders of where the gunbarrel is placed 8-)

minigeff

Sir Miles wrote:

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Well, it's just like we have plenty of defenders of Skyfall on the forum now...

No...just defenders of where the gunbarrel is placed 8-)

Which is obviously at the end of the film. Where else could you possibly put it?

Luke

Right smack in the middle could be an excellent place...a poetic expression of Bond's being halfway to normality.

Sir Miles

minigeff wrote:

Sir Miles wrote:

Napoleon Plural wrote:

Well, it's just like we have plenty of defenders of Skyfall on the forum now...

No...just defenders of where the gunbarrel is placed 8-)

Which is obviously at the end of the film. Where else could you possibly put it?

There is nowhere else to put the gunbarrel...it's natural position - for maximum effect - is at the end of the movies - obviously

Blood_Stone

I used to love Die Another Day until I realized James Bond isn't a superhero. To make the entire redeemable, I would've removed:

- Icarus (Completely pointless to re-use a weapon satelite AGAIN. We saw that in Goldeneye!)

- Jinx (I blame Halle Berry as she let that Oscar go to her head. Miranda Frost should've been the Bond girl.)

- Gene Therapy (The twist of Moon being Graves was the last straw for me. I can accept DAD for all its flaw, but for me to accept that a Korean officer would go through all that to become a British millionaire was complete crap. Graves should've been his own villain. So convoluted. Beyond stupid.)

James Suzuki

I have the DVD too, and I dont watch it much, but I do lend it to my friends to say 'this is how to not make a Bond film"
The thing is they just looked at Bond at the wrong angle and wanted us to take it with a huge handful of salt

jeffch

minigeff wrote:

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

Start a thread about an old topic, people complain.

Instead of making a new thread you bump an old thread, and people complain.

my theory, people just like to complain.

minigeff

jeffch wrote:

minigeff wrote:

Could you change the thread title to something more suitable like;

"Die Another Day: Why do I have to start yet another pointless meaningless thread that covers the same old ground like all the other DAD bashing threads?"

Start a thread about an old topic, people complain.

Instead of making a new thread you bump an old thread, and people complain.

my theory, people just like to complain.

Although I'm bored to tears of people re-analysing DAD, thinking they're gonna uncover something new (you won't), I'd much prefer it if people used existing threads instead of start a new one every time.

People complain sure, babies throw rattles.

A7ce

A few years ago I actually bought 50 new sealed DVDs of DAD for a total of £10 on ebay - couldn't even give them away to family and friends - says it all.

Thunderpussy

Yea, Says your a Bit tight at Christmas with Presents. )