Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  5 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: Brosnan proved himself in Goldeneye as an edgy, confident Bond with bags of cool, and we get more of the same in 'Tomorrow Never Dies,' as he saunters around the place looking like he owns every room - be that the inside of a stealth boat, or another hotel suite. What's perhaps most interesting about this entry is the two main supporting characters though, as Jonathan Pryce's media-mogul villain feels rather contemporary and appropriately broad and comedic, and 007's female Chinese counterpart (Micelle Yeoh) is a genuinely interesting match.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: The trouble is however, we once again can't invest much in Bond's journey as Brosnan never looks remotely flustered and we virtually never get a glimpse beneath the cool exterior. That wasn't such an issue in 'Goldeneye,' where the intrigue of the plot kept things ticking along to some extent, but here we and Bond know exactly what the villain's scheme is from the off, and it's just a case of him jabbing away at him until he comes out on top. There's an attempt at a personal connection for Bond in the form of a murdered ex-lover, but that's forgotten just as quickly as it's introduced, and ultimately the stakes for Bond can't help but feel a little low.
  
  VERDICT: Despite its supporting characters, 'Tomorrow Never Dies,' is one of the weaker Bond entries that proves it's never engaging if we don't get a glimpse beneath the central character's steely exterior, let alone if the plot is so overtly drawn.

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