The World Is Not Enough
Steed
Posts: 134MI6 Agent
Just watched this one for the first time in a few years. I have to say, it may be a long while before I watch it again, too. I don't think it's going to be in the worst of the films, but I think Thunderball would be an adequate comparison- has an intriguing beginning but gets increasingly bombastic. I found a lot of the action set-pieces, apart from the superb boat chase and the assault on Zukovsky's warehouse, to be rather 'by the numbers' despite their grandiosity, and the plot too was not terribly engaging. This has a fatal flaw in casting with the nubile Denise Richards in a role that should have been played by someone older. Richards' spouting technical jargon with a whiny voice is rather annoying and very unconvincing.
Another criticism is in the composition of the PTS- I feel it runs FAR too long. The PTS should have started just after Bond's escape from the bank as he walks down the street, rather than running for another 10 minutes or so.
There are some highlights. The Q farewell is beautifully judged and poignant, the way M is weaved into the plot is good, Brosnan is excellent throughout and Elektra is a very intriguing (and appealing) villain, the scene where she flirts and teases Renard is particularly memorable and devious. But, I feel Renard is a terribly wasted villain- they could have gone to town with his ruthlessness, but they didn't and he's not all that interesting a character. Elektra's demise is not satisfactory, imo, too, and is a bit anticlimactic when you consider how ruthless and deceiving she has been throughout the film. Also, we have perhaps the worst ending to a Bond film since Moonraker- ironic that it's exactly the same sort of ending, with ham handed double entendres.
All in all, not a great film. Not at the bottom of the barrel, but a very patchy experience. In that respect though, it's more in line with TND than DAD of the Brosnan films, imo.
Another criticism is in the composition of the PTS- I feel it runs FAR too long. The PTS should have started just after Bond's escape from the bank as he walks down the street, rather than running for another 10 minutes or so.
There are some highlights. The Q farewell is beautifully judged and poignant, the way M is weaved into the plot is good, Brosnan is excellent throughout and Elektra is a very intriguing (and appealing) villain, the scene where she flirts and teases Renard is particularly memorable and devious. But, I feel Renard is a terribly wasted villain- they could have gone to town with his ruthlessness, but they didn't and he's not all that interesting a character. Elektra's demise is not satisfactory, imo, too, and is a bit anticlimactic when you consider how ruthless and deceiving she has been throughout the film. Also, we have perhaps the worst ending to a Bond film since Moonraker- ironic that it's exactly the same sort of ending, with ham handed double entendres.
All in all, not a great film. Not at the bottom of the barrel, but a very patchy experience. In that respect though, it's more in line with TND than DAD of the Brosnan films, imo.
Comments
My problem is that it doesn't really deliver. The villain feels no pain, great, but it proved to be completely irrelevant, Electra was a great villainess (and the killing of her was IMO a classic Bond moment) but the love affair between her and Bond wasn't followed through. I didn't get as much of a sense of betrayal as I would have liked. Also, the actions scenes, with the exception of the skiing scene, weren't great and the final fight was a disappointment. Additionally, while I don't dislike Denise Richards (I think she's good looking
I think TWINE is a very good film, but it could have been one of the absolute greats. In fact, I think it could have been another OHMSS. But it fell short. I still think that it's a great film but I think it's just short of a masterpiece.
Are you saying you would have gotten rid of the scene within the bank?
I completely agree about Renard being wasted. About Electra; how can you not find it satisfactory that Bond would kill Electra in cold blood?
Here, I completely disagree. I may be in a minority here, but I consider the "I thought Christmas only comes once a year" line to be absolutely brilliant.
*I'm completely serious when I say that I think the line is as good as any line from any other Bond film. However, before I receive objections, I would like to point out that GF featured a woman called Pussy Galore.
It was that whole 'it's getting redder' business and the '007!' shock from M that got my goat, so to speak. All you needed was 'I think he's attempting re-entry' (that's a real awful line) and it would have been the Moonraker ending, imo. I wasn't so bothered about the Christmas line.
I'd rate the film 3/5 as it's nowhere near the turkey I remembered it being, though. A fair few flaws as I said but it's not going to be in my worst Bond films, by any means. On par with TND, better than DAD but not as good as Goldeneye, imho.
The problem with the line is that it is so old. I heard it for the first time over 40 years ago.
So it really does not show a whole lot of creativity on the screenwriters' part, now does it? And sorry, but it's a weak defense to cite the name Pussy Galore as a justification for this weak, unispired bit of "humor". PG's name is pure Fleming. The final "humor" in TWINE is pure garbage.
I think its very Bond like. Electra had caused a lot a of pain a suffering, and was about to be resposible for the deaths of thousands.
Women aren't above being shot, especially when they have it coming. Also, Daniel Craig shot a couple of unarmed people in CR. No biggie, they're the bad guys.
As for the PTS- Ok, it was said that it was a little too long, and that it should have started just after he escaped the bank. But that would leave a whole lot of things open, like who is this girl Bond is chasing and why? What did this girl do to tick him off enough to get him to chase her? I feel that the PTS was perfectly done, and just wouldn't make much sense if it was missing certain pieces.
The death of Elektra- So what if she was unarmed. Just moments before she was about to break Bonds neck. It just so happens that he escaped that contraption, and when Elektra ran, she failed to pick up a weapong. Big mistake on her part. She runs, tries to escape, Bond catches up with her, and she dies. To tell the truth, if I was in Bonds position I probably would have done the same thing. it shouldn't matter whether the victim was unarmed or not if they just tried to kill the person who killed them.
Maybe in the Disney version they'll let her live.
Two comments: First, it may not be the most creative line but, to be honest, I think it's absolutely irrelevant. Very few things in art are completely original, and that includes most great films and lines these days. I don't think that's a bad thing however as it comes down to wether the art in question appears fresh, and IMO that line appears as fresh as any other line from any other Bond film.
Second, I don't really care wether it's a weak defence or not to cite Pussy Galore as a justification. I think it's a brilliant line which is just as good as any line from any of the more faithful Fleming adaptations (including the name Pussy Galore.)
BTW RJJB, I didn't know I was on trial?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
And c'mon, Brosnan was good in all of his movies. Maybe some weren't as strong as others, but he was always great.
For me, there was just too much action and too much formula (fancy boat, needless scene at Zukovksy's caviar factory to showcase the car, wholly unbelievable and ditzy Denise Richards as a Bond babe with horrible acting abilities whose supposed to be a nuclear physicist, etc.). I also wish they had developed Bond's relationship with Elektra more, as she bore some similiarities to Tracy, being a "bird with a broken wing" for which Bond has a soft spot.