Die Another Day, Blu-ray (2002)
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Michael Madsen
Director: Lee Tamahori
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment 883904116677
Video: 2.40:1 anamorphic/enhanced for 16:9, color 1080p HD
Audio: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, French DD 5.1, Spanish DD 2.0
Extras: Audio Commentaries, Documentary, Featurettes, Photo Gallery, Trivia Track
Subtitles: English, Spanish
Feature Length: 133 minutes
Rating: **1/2
When Pierce Brosnan assumed the role of James Bond with 1995’s Goldeneye, Bond fans worldwide rejoiced; here, at last was someone who would bring a sense of style and finesse to the character long since lacking in the post-Sean Connery era. Gone was the often out-and-out silliness of the Roger Moore take on Bond; at the very least, Brosnan would infuse a bit more respectability into the character than Timothy Dalton could muster, and to a great extent – in the first couple of films – he succeeded. I still have a particularly warm place in my heart for both Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies, which both adhere particularly well to the classic Bond formula, and are laden with dashing moves and spectacular live-action stunts. And aside from a couple of forgettable CGI sequences in Goldeneye, I easily consider it the most fully realized of all the post-Connery Bond efforts. And that, unfortunately, was the very downfall of the Pierce Brosnan Bond era. With an ever-increasing reliance on CGI special effects (some of them quite laughable) taking the place of live-action sequences, Brosnan was left with precious little to do, other than recite his often hackneyed lines, and that’s precisely where we are with Die Another Day, Brosnan’s last Bond film. While one of the hallmarks of the franchise has been each film’s opening action sequence that segues into the familiar Bond theme and music, the incorporation of garish (sometimes horrifically unrealistic) CGI has definitely lowered everyone’s overall impression, and with this film, it hits rock bottom.
In a classic Bondian theme, James is being held captive – this time in North Korea – and when a bargain for his release is finally struck, his 007 status, along with his license to kill, are rescinded. He then sets about restoring his agent status and seeking revenge on those who have wronged him. In terms of the plot, the story is pretty much consistent with the previous nineteen entries in the Bond franchise, but the abysmal use of over-the-top CGI, along with some incredibly wooden acting performances, make for a much less than satisfying movie experience. That’s not to say that the movie is without merit, and some of the film’s action sequences are quite entertaining, it’s just that the overall impression of the film is less than memorable. It’s not a good, cohesive effort by anyone involved, and Halle Berry’s character seems particularly miscast.
Technically, the Blu-ray disc is superb both in terms of image and sound – in fact, it’s darn near reference quality (especially the audio, which will challenge any good system) – making it even more unfortunate that the movie itself is a less than stellar offering. As with the other releases in this series, there’s an exceptionally generous offering of bonus materials, but nothing new in terms of HD exclusives. For the Bond fanatic, this is the ultimate edition of this film, and completists will find it essential to their collection. For the rest of us, though, it’s probably just a rental.
— Tom Gibbs
