Susan Granger’s review of “THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH” (MGM/UA)
When you go to a James Bond film, you’re looking for escapist fantasy – and that’s what you get in this 19th installment in the long-running, most successful film franchise in cinema history. Directed by Michael Apted, the adventure begins with a sensational, action-packed opening sequence in Bilbao, Spain, where Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is attacked by a sexy sniper, setting the plot into motion. Bond’s mission, this time, is to find the notorious international terrorist (Robert Carlyle) responsible for the death of a British oil tycoon in an explosion in M16 headquarters. This formidable villain has a bullet lodged in his brain, rendering him unable to feel pain. To track him down, Bond is assigned as a bodyguard for the tycoon’s beautiful daughter, Elektra (Sophie Marceau), who is building an oil pipeline through some of the most dangerous territory on the globe. And his only ally in remote Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea is a nuclear weapons expert, Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards), whose name leads to one of the funniest last lines of a movie in years. Suave Pierce Brosnan embodies 007, delving into the emotional depth of his relationships, and Denise Richards is amusingly absurd as a scantily clad rocket scientist. Desmond Llewelyn returns as Q, with amazing high-tech gadgets, including a speed-boat and BMW, and John Cleese is introduced as R, his inept assistant. Judi Dench is back as M with Samantha Bond as Moneypenny. “Orbis non sufficit,” Latin for “The world is not enough,” is the Bond family motto (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969). For James Bond fans, on the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, The World Is Not Enough is a spectacular, fun-filled 10, packed with all the excitement you expect – and more. It’s a jaw-dropper, so buckle up for a wild ride!
