The World Is Not Enough (1999)

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  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: 'The World is Not Enough,' finally sees the attempts at character development for Brosnan's Bond appear sincere, as we - at long last - get to see his feathers ruffled beneath the super cool exterior. The most engaging films in the series always allow for that, and in this one we get it because the story (whilst being as ridiculous as any Bond plot of course) tests his resolve to the max and crucially throws his trust into question. He's sent to protect Elektra - the angered daughter of M's friend who was killed by a Russian terrorist, and he's soon betrayed countless times which forces him underground against the forces that be.
  
  Brosnan's veneer is cracked by this, as well as his difficult relationship with Elektra who blames M and MI6 for a lot of her pain and dislikes his presence to protect her, and the result is a character you can engage with far more than the breezy, arrogant misogynist you get on the outside. Brosnan sells the torment well too in what is surely his best performance in the role, and when you couple the engagement that unlocks with some great action set-pieces and a high-stakes finale (not just for the mission but seemingly for the characters you're invested in), you've actually got yourself one of the best Bond adventures of all.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It's no masterpiece (indeed talking about character development may sound trite with a film like this but it is what gets you engaged), though for what it's trying to be, it's a hard film to fault this.
  
  VERDICT: One of the best in the series for my money, 'The World is Not Enough,' finally ruffles Brosnan's feathers in his role as Bond so we can engage with him in a story which - by Bond standards - is actually rather good.

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