Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Die Another Day’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

It is definitely safe to say that the end of a particular actor’s tenure as James Bond is handled with a great deal of scrutiny. Because fans and critics alike, expect a story to play out that gives this particular 007 a proper send-off. Largely due to the fact that more often than not, the actor playing the role is beloved by the fans and it is only right to provide them with a respectful and powerful exit. But this is also something we hope for, because that kind of finale… is quite rare within the framework of this franchise.

I say that because let's be honest, the finale films for many of the actors playing this iconic role are either quite sudden in nature or they bring forth mixed reviews and feelings from both critics and fans. Because everyone genuinely feels that something more could have been done for said finale, especially when so many lean into over-the-top moments or feel more like a rehash of other films and when it comes to Pierce Brosnan's final turn as James Bond, Die Another Day is a story that gets a bit of a bad rap in both categories. 

Now the over-the-top knock that this film receives, I fully understand, since this sucker is filled to the brim with gadgets that continue to amaze but overshadow the story and the characters. Was the car with the cloaking device cool? Damn right it was. Was the car chase with it equally as awesome? Yup. But at the same time, that car took front and center for way too long, because that car chase went on forever and well... it wasn't a bad thing when the car was destroyed. 

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As for the film getting a bad rap about being filled with way too many homages to the other Bond films, I give it a free pass for one particular reason... it was an anniversary film. Released in 2002 the movie did pay its respects to forty years of the franchise, and I personally had no problem with all the little touches that came about to honor the wonderful actors that came before Brosnan and it was fun to take a long walk down memory lane. Especially in Q's underground garage where all the classic toys showed up and I personally liked the homage to Goldfinger with the laser beams that Jinx had to deal with.

But, there's a bigger reason as to why I staunchly defend this particular Bond film when few others will. Because once you look past the toys, the over-the-top car scenes and the kitschy winks to the audience... there's a solid Bond film underneath it all. For Gustav Graves is a villain of Blofeld’s caliber since he truly goes the extra mile to turn his homeland of North Korea into a superpower, all by using the world’s love of technology against it. It's a genuinely fresh idea to inject into a spy story and while he may be over-the-top, who cares... that's a Bond Villain thing as is. 

Either way, I think this was a fitting send off for Pierce Brosnan. He had the chance to once more play a Bond torn between his duty and his humanity, something that came into play often during his tenure in the role and it is handled admirably here. Especially when you consider that MI6 basically disavows him. But that just makes his quest to repair his relationship with M and make her proud of him all the more worthwhile. Regardless, EON Productions heard the criticism and made some major changes to the franchise for the better after this and that's why I have no issue with this flick. Because if it wasn't for the "mistakes" made in this film, we would never have the wonderful stories that awaited us next.

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