feeling listless

Film Die Another Day There is a fine line between a good James Bond and Octopussy. Unfortunately, not even a killer squid could have saved this mess. To be absolutely successful, there has to be a clear and considered story; action sequences which thrill; interesting characters. Here, the story is empty – the face changing bad guy simply creates a massive weapon with which he could to hold the world to ransom – and he uses it to take away the mines between North and South Korea; it’s never clearly established why Bond is there to begin with anyway. Eighty percent of the action sequences in the film absolutely fail to convince, and this is largely due very ropey green screening – there are shots in where its fairly obvious that some filming was done in a study – you’re willing to forgive this in the 60s Bonds, but now? In one sequence Bond uses a parachute and the fuselage of a plane to ride a waterfall. The waterfall looks computer generated; Brosnan looks superimposed on top, not part of the action. You’re immediately dropped out of the story. It’s in the characters the film makes the biggest mistake – Halle Berry’s Jinx is an absolute joy – the film only really enlivens when she’s on screen – so much so that you wish that the film was about her. That can’t be right for a James Bond film can it?