Tomorrow Never Dies movie review

In this Brosnan flick, Red China is the frenemy!

Dave's review: Tomorrow Never Dies starts off with a bang, with an edge of your seat pre credits sequence illustrating 007's faithfulness to his mission at all costs. In many ways it all goes downhill from there. Part of the problem is that the main villain Elliot Carver, played by Jonathan Pryce, is a cartoonish megalomaniac that you never take very seriously. Later on, the film throws at you one action set piece after another, including a motorcycle chase that literally never seems to end. Michelle Yeoh is a breath of fresh air and her martial arts sequences are one of the highlights of the film, but the chemistry between her and Brosnan is a bit lacking. It's a shame Teri Hatcher wasn't in more of the film. She was compelling and the backstory between her and Bond was one of the only parts of the film to feature genuine drama.

Dave's grade: C-

 

TT's review: First, the good. The movie coincided with the handover of Hong Kong back to China. It was the unofficial end of the British Empire. The conflict between China and Britain was certainly topical, but I don't think anyone back in 1997 could have predicted the quick ascendency of China. Another good was Elliot Carver the villain. Was his media company based in part on Fox News, which was founded in 1996?

Now, the bad. Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh had zero chemistry. Don't get me wrong, I am all for casting a strong Asian woman, but the pair were just going through the motions. It was almost depressing.

TT's grade: B

Dave's reaction: Great observation about the Fox News parallel. 

TT's reaction: Agreed, no chemistry!

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— Tamerlane's Thoughts (@TamerlaneBlog) September 26, 2021