Tomorrow Never Dies
Dovy
Posts: 206MI6 Agent
IMHO this film was a big improvement over Golden Eye. However, I quickly lost interest in the way this fillm also dragged out the video-game style violence with the machine guns etc. I did like Wei Lin alot, but I easily got disappointed at the reproduction in every film of the same formulas with a new twist or style - apocalyptic megalomaniac billionaires seeking to change and destroy the world, with a sidekick, whether Jaws, Oddjob or Stampfer, usually involving nuclear bombs, ships and aircraft. I liked the scenery relating to Vietnam in this case, but again, was disappointed and bored by the time wasted on video-game style violence. I enjoyed the new Bond car with its gadgets that he used in the parking garage.
I wondered about how the stealth ship was stealth. That wasn't explained.
I didn't really understand what was going on during the first half hour of the film until the background context was eventually explained. In the back of my mind I wondered where SPECTRE was in all of this, since all of our last villains each seemed to have the same enormous power and facilities as Blofeld, whether Carver, Khan, Dr. No, Stromberg, Caramanga, Trevelyan, Zorin, Largo and Drax, which are never detected by any powers.
Comments
Not in all big time plots, SPECTRE is all involved.
I think this film is having a renaissance today, it's really overlooked for how many years, and now getting some appreciation.
Not a fan of the Brosnan Era Bond films, though I kinda liked TWINE, mainly because of the credibility of the drama attached to it (when compared to NTTD and the Craig Bond films), but again felt convoluted.
This one felt like a generic 90's action like the ones involving Jackie Chan and yes the video game style of action scenes.
Jonathan Pryce, despite of his villainous look doesn't have the script that could play up to his strengths, so it's a wasted potential, Elliot Carver lacked some credibility as a villain when it comes to the menacing and threatening factor.
The plot was way ahead of its time, but again, comes off as a bit muddled and not polished.
Michelle Yeoh or Wai Lin was quite an 'Action type' Bond Girl, but linking her to Bond with romance just didn't worked, the film quite telling us that they're supposed to be rivals similar to Bond and Anya, but rather downplayed it when they've decided to make them fall in love at the end, like having Bond kissed her? Why just because it's Bond and he needs someone to kiss with? Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh had no chemistry to begin with.
The Paris Carver thing could have worked but again dropped the ball when they made her a former Bond girl, but the connection wasn't there, there's no chemistry between Teri Hatcher and Brosnan, the relationship was a bit forced, and we don't know who she was as a Bond Girl in the past, (I guess it's Lupe Lamora due to some similarities, I think).
Is this Brosnan's best performance? I don't think so, I think the next film is where he improved by giving his Bond a depth.
The theme song, I'm also not a fan of, but then, I'm not a fan of the Brosnan Era Bond themes, I don't find them re-listenable.
It felt more like a Generic 90's action film more than a Bond film.
It just didn't felt original.
It's still one of the decent Bond films, still better than the likes of DAF or (maybe even YOLT), TMWTGG, Octopussy, DAD, QoS and the last two Craig entries.
But again, just lacked originality and Brosnan had no chemistry with any of his female leads in this film (Hatcher and Yeoh).
I'm not sure it's an improvement over Goldeneye, while there's some parts of this film that's better handled than Goldeneye (the plot, Brosnan's hairstyle and his look in general, his Bond portrayal, the score, and the cinematography).
Goldeneye at least had a chemistry between Brosnan and his female leads there (Izabella Scorupco and Famke Janssen), and there's at least an originality and it had a better villain.
So, partially an improvement at some parts but not as in whole.
You make very interesting points. Well, I couldn't stand Xenia at all. Yuck.........I am beginning to think that so far I like Roger Moore the best, even more than Connery (I did like Lazenby as well)........Timothy Dalton seems worried and depressed. Moore is usually upbeat and optimistic. Brosnan is always showing himself shooting all over the place with his tight jaws as if in a video game.......I will comment on Craig after I see him.
Many of the films seem to simply stitch together scenes regardless of any meaningful transitions.
Well, the GoldenEye video game was a massive hit and what got a lot of fans into Bond again, so that explains why this is like a video game. Also, they tend to think up the big set pieces ahead of the dialogue and character development. On top of all this, a hallmark of the Brosnan era thereafter is they spend a while thinking up plots that simply get jettisoned as inappropriate, despite the fact that anyone with any clue would've realised that at first blush.
TND was originally based around the handover of Hong Kong until someone realised that a) You couldn't predict how that might proceed so the film's plot would be hostage to fortune and b) It would date very quickly.
I think TWINE and maybe Skyfall and Spectre are the only ones that didn't get a massive overhaul before filming began.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
True, I get where you're coming from about Xenia, she's really over the top and could make a great inclusion in an Austin Powers film, she doesn't fit Bond at all.
Character wise, I don't really liked her, she's really cringey at some places, and very unrealistic, she's out of place in a Bond film that's supposed to be a gritty and grounded cold war with a touched of realism.
Xenia (the character), is silly and ridiculous.
But in the terms of actors/actress, Famke Janssen and Pierce Brosnan do have great chemistry together.
I didn't liked the character, but the actress (Famke Janssen) really had some chemistry with Brosnan.
True, I also think that Roger Moore might be the most iconic Bond, he did many iconic scenes as Bond, he's the Bond for everyone, he's the most enjoyable, the most fun, the most charming, and was also a versatile one, he could be funny, but at some point could be serious if he wanted to be, or dramatic/vulnerable too, he's also a handsome, dashing debonair of a gentleman that makes all girls fall in love with him.
He's films also have the most rewatchable value.
I'm also fond of Connery, but the guy's really creep and hadn't aged well, and maybe an unpopular opinion, but I don't find Connery that attractive, Moore was even more handsome than him. What I just liked about Connery is the swagger and the sophistication, the style, his panther like moves, and his real spy look.
Thanks for also liking Lazenby, I also liked the guy, physically, he's the Bond I find closest to the books.
True about Dalton, he's not my favorite because he's charmless, at least Craig can exude sexiness, charisma and a bit charm (the only thing that Craig didn't have is the looks, he's not a handsome guy, more looking like a thug).
Dalton on the other hand doesn't have any of that, he comes across to me as a dry killer (if you get what I mean), Dalton may have been gritty but he left out the charming for the ladies part of the character, he also fell flat on humors, (even the Bond in the books had at least charm and some humor) and this is also coming from someone who had read the books (which in my opinion is where Lazenby comes the closest).
Bond fans we have something to celebrate for today!
Maybe I'm missing something but what has she done to merit that? I suppose I shall read the link.
Roger Moore 1927-2017