Die Another Day Cast & Review

Cast

James Bond

Pierce Brosnan

Jinx

Halle Berry

Gustav Graves

Toby Stephens

Miranda Frost

Rosamund Pike

Zao

Rick Yune

M

Judi Dench

Q

John Cleese

Damian Falco

Michael Madsen

Colonel Moon

Will Yun Lee

General Moon

Kenneth Tsang

Raoul

Emilio Echevarria

Vlad

Michael Gorevoy

Mr Kil

Lawrence Makoare

Charles Robinson

Colin Salmon

Miss Moneypenny

Samantha Bond

Snooty Desk Clerk

Ben Wee

Peaceful

Rachel Grant

Creep

Ian Pirie

Dr. Alvarez

Simon Andreu

Van Bierk

Mark Dymond

Air Hostess

Deborah Barrymore

Concierge

Oliver Skeete

Old Man Cigar Factory

Joaquin Martinez

General Chandler

Michael G. Wilson

General Han

Daryl Kwan

General Li

Vincent Wong

General Dong

Stuart Ong

Cuban Waiter

Manolo Caro

Doctor

Paul Darrow

Medic

Lucas Hare

Nurse

Cristina Contes

Buckingham Palace Reporter

Stewart Scudamore

Buckingham Palace Reporter

Bill Nash

Buckingham Palace Reporter

James Wallace

Buckingham Palace Reporter

Ami Chorlton

Crew

Director

Lee Tamahori

Producer

Anthony Waye, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Callum McDougall

Writer

Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Ian Fleming

Casting

Debbie McWilliams, Jane Jenkins, Janet Hirshenson

Executive

Gregg Wilson, David Pope

Production Management

Anna Worley, Michael Solinger, Iris Rose, Janine Modder, Philip Kohler, Mark Albela, Chris Brock, Glenn Beadles, Terry Bamber, Tim Lewis, Sharon Mansfield, Leifur B Dagfinnsson, Kate Garbett, Virginia Murray, Judy Britten, Elena Zokas, Bi Benton, Margarita McDermott, Gerry Gavigan, Terry Madden, Paul Taylor, Keith Young, Toby Hefferman, Simon Marsden, Joel Cockrill, Felix Rosell, Arni Pall Johansson

Art Department

Ravi Bansal, Dominic Lavery, Clive Ingleton, Peter Wright, Katie Gabriel, Emily Johnson, Tracey Wilson, Dave Packard, Edward Ambrose, Rosie Hardwick, Stuart Kearns, Jason Michael Knox-Johnston, Stephen Morahan, Robbie Scott, Fred Evans, Keith Short, Emma Hanson, Julien Short, Richard Smith, Mark Stowe, Nigel Blake, Greg Morgan, Brian Smithies, Paul Norris, John Sharpe, Scott Marriott, Victor Wade, Neil Lamont, Sydney Lamont, Simon Lamont, James Hambridge, Mark Harris, Fred Hole, Jim Morahan, Stephen Scott, Alan Tomkins, Robert Cowper, Michael Lamont, Ken Court, Su Whitaker, Peter Lamont, Simon Wakefield

Editor

John Cochrane, Christian Adam Wagner

Music

David Arnold, Nicholas Dodd, Isobel Griffiths, Dina Eaton

Sound

David Evans, Dominic Gibbs, Michael Crouch, Daniel Laurie, Peter Holt, Robin Quinn, John Hayward, Graham V Hartstone, Richard Pryke, Nic Le Messurier, Andrew MacRitchie, Martin Evans, Chris Munro, Ian Munro, Andrew Griffiths, Jim McBride, Paul Munro

Publicity

Anne Bennett, Geoff Freeman, Geraldine Moloney

Camera, Film & Tape

Keith Hamshere, Paul Wilson, Shaun O'Dell, Arthur Wooster, Don R King, John Marzano, Mike Valentine, Jay Maidment, David Tattersall, Jonathan P B Taylor, Peter Robertson, Peter Field, Gary Spratling, Tim Wooster, Richard Tindall, Sonny Miller, Michael Graber

Physical Effects

Bob Anderson, Laird Hamilton, Jim Busby, Michael Talarico, Ian Menzies, Ben Goldschmied, Dave Miller, Melvyn Pearson, Matt Veale, Vic Armstrong, Mark Henson, Laird Hamilton, George Aguilar, Aine Henson

Visual Effects & Animation

Daniel Kleinman, Mark Sanger, Carol Kupisz, Ian Biggs, Richard Brown, Paul Clancy, Michael Dunleavy, Ian Corbould, Paul Corbould, David Eltham, Peter Pern, Darrell Guyon, Kevin Herd, John Holmes, Peter Hutchinson, Stephen Hutchinson, Dave Reen, Steven Lewis, Ian Lowe, Jim Machin, Thomas Murtagh, Martin Neill, Steve Onions, Richard Todd, John Van Der Pool, Brian Warner, Les Wheeler, Tim Willis, Lee Winter, Nik Cooper, Jason McCameron, Tim Mitchell, Roger Nichols, Ron Hone, Sharon Lark, Alex Bicknell, Steve Street, Douglas Harsch, Jonathan Neil, David Lingenfelser, Serena Naramore, Karl Rumpf, Richard Bain, Martin Hill, Mattias Lindahl, Matthew Plummer, Stefan Drury, Rudi Holzapfel, Paul Bayliss, Douglas Larmour, Sylvain Delaine, Drew Jones, Tim Keene, Johnnie Frankel, Pauline Hume, Mara Bryan, Pedro Sabrosa, Tom Debenham, John Richardson, Chris Corbould, Stephen Hamilton, Peter Notley, Steve Crawley

Wardrobe, Hair & Makeup

Paul Engelen, Colin Jamison, Graham Churchyard, Bron Roylance, Mary Burton, Rick Provenzano, Sterfon Demings, Anthony Brookman, Colin Wilson, David Croucher, Helen Mattocks, Anabel Campbell, Martin Mandeville, Lindy Hemming

Choreography

Ashley Page

Engineering, Electrical & Grips

Eddie Knight, Clive Goble, Steve Costello, Ron Phillips, William Pochetty, Terry Montague, Stewart Monteith, Steve Roberts, Colin Powton, Nigel Woods

Below The Line

Allan Hewitt, Emma Donovan, Sasha Turjak, Nicola Conlon, Alison Odell, Cate Arbeid, Mike Woodley, Marc Wolff, Sarah Horsell, Paul Cook, Mark Sweeney, Jon Kjartan Bjornson, Beggi Helgason, Shaun O'Dell, Arthur Wooster, Don R King, Vic Armstrong

Construction

Paul Hayes

Accounting

Andrew Noakes

Craft Services

Peter Titterrell, Rafael Hosteleria

Props

Bernard Hearn, Derek Ixer, Dave Midson, Eric Strange, Oliver Hodge, Ty Tieger

Consultants & Advisors

Andrew Jack, Marc Wolff, Denise O'Dell, Jon Thor Hannesson, Glenn Beadles, David Deane

Other

Anne Bennett, Michael Bell

REVIEW

There are many different genres of films: horror, action, drama, comedy, musical, and well...the Bond film. The latest James Bond venture "Die Another Die" is the 20th film in the franchise and over the years the Bond movies have developed their own specific formula that I feel would classify them as their own separate genre. Disagree if you will, but it's my review and I can say what I want! So there!

The fact that the James Bond films are very formulaic is probably why I am not very big fan. Just as some moviegoers prefer action over drama or comedy over horror, I do not particularly care for the Bond genre. Of course, I would never let this affect my review! So fear not faithful readers and diehard Bond fans, I have a plan! In order to be fair, I have decided to review "Die Another Day" as a Bond film and also as a movie overall. Therefore, fans of the Bond series can make a decision based on the Bond review and newcomers that are curious about the film can make a decision as well.

The film opens with Bond, James Bond, in Korea about to foil what is undoubtedly a very profitable diamond smuggling business. At this point, we immediately begin to deviate from the formula. Mr. Bond is "found out" and we see the dazzling opening credits, not superimposed over a flashy background and silhouettes of naked women (though they are still there, don't worry), but over shots of James spending the next 14 months being tortured in a Korean prison. This opening sequence, though devoid of explosions and sky diving, is one of the most visually astounding parts of the film. I'll let you see why for yourself. After the credits, James returns home to a not-so-warm welcome. He comes to find out that it is believed he broke under the torture and spilled a whole truckload of beans. Bonds swears he's been set up from the inside, but nobody goes for it. This leads to James going on a mission to clear his name and find out who set him up and gets the ball rolling on what looks like will be an outstanding film. Unfortunately, the film does not stay away from the formula for too long. Eventually it is discovered that Bond was indeed set up and that he is once again "useful" and it's back to "OK, here's your mission. Here are your gadgets. Go blow stuff up and drive fast." This is where the film begins to hit a downward spiral as a film...but not necessarily as "a Bond."

As a Bond film, this is the best one in a long time and definitely the best of Brosnan's efforts (yes, better than Goldeneye). The gadgets, though not very numerous, are updated for 2002 and include one specific gadget that as a film buff seems rather corny, but as human seems PRETTY FRIGGIN COOL: a car that become invisible. The Bond girl...well, what can I say? From her first appearance on screen, an ode to Ursula in "Dr. No," Halle Berry is intoxicating...visually. On a sexy scale, she shoots right to the top of the Bond girls list. Unfortunately, she does talk eventually which kills the whole vibe. Brosnan, after 3 previous Bond efforts, is started to fit the role very well. I no longer see Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, I just see James Bond. That is definitely a good thing. Bond fans will also get the action they crave like the salivating dogs that they are. (Note: For those who didn't catch it, that's a Simpsons reference. I put a Simpsons reference in every review that I write. There should be some award for whoever catches it.) We have car chases...on ice. We have explosions...on ice. We have the riding of waves with the use of a car hood for a surfboard...away from and towards ice. In case it is not painfully obvious, there's lot of ice, an object as well as an idea that is seen quite frequently throughout the film. And finally, our villain Gustav Graves is not quite what he seems. Graves as a villain is merely average at best, but he gets a special twist towards the end that really elevates his character.

As an overall film, "Die Another Day" is still worth viewing. The plot remains interesting after the return to formula and contains some nice twists. The gadgets are still cool, the chicks are still hot, and the villains are still mean. My only qualm is this: the formula is tired. We need to add another dimension to the Bond films. After all these years, it has become quite insulting to be presented with the same thing over and over and still be expected to be entertained or surprised. I would have liked this film better if the bulk of it was spent with Bond trying to prove his innocence and rely on his skills as a spy and maybe a handgun or two rather than ultra-cool gadgets. I understand that the formula is what makes a Bond film a Bond film. I guess that I just got excited when I thought I was going to get a twist on the formula after the opening sequence and then was disappointed when I did not.

To Bond fans, I have this say: Why are you still reading this? To those who are unfamiliar with the Bond films or have not seen very many and are wondering if "Die Another Day" is worth a trip to the theater: This film is worth checking out if you are looking for a good time. It's a fairly predictable, cliche, Hollywood movie full of over the top action sequences, corny one-liners, and lots of sexual innuendo. "Die Another Day" is the definition of a guilty pleasure.