A) Bond walks across screen as "the spotlight eye" follows him. He turns and fires. Blood runs, and the eye pans away into the opening action sequence.
B) Opening action sequence. Bond is somewhere, doing things, and usually a chase is involved. People die. Objects explode. Yippie.
C) Cut to British Secret Service headquarters. Sexual innuendo exchange with Moneypenny.
D) "Your latest assignment Bond is to stop Fisher Von Brittle, a madman who is out to pollute the world's peanut butter supply. Be careful 007, the man is clearly nuts. "
E) "Here's your latest high-tech device Bond. You. No. Break."
F) Punches fly, bullets whine, boats fly, stuff explodes, women swoon.
G) Madman is stopped, Bond saves day.
H) Bond rolls over in bed back to naked woman and resumes sex, as superiors harp and shriek over a radio for him to "come in Bond, come in".
I) Credits Roll. Reprise of the latest Bond Movie theme by latest artist plays.
So what makes "The World is not enough" different from most Bond epics? Well, to be honest, both a whole hell of alot, and yet nothing at all.
I don't want to go ahead and say that this movie is DIFFERENT from the others, as in the broad scope of the Bond Universe it really is just more of the same, just done DAMN WELL. There are a few subtle twists that make "World" a bit different from the others. Add that to the fact that it's just a fun movie to watch, and we can once again enjoy the antics of this cool character.
So what ARE the differences? Well, for once we see the "pre-opening credit" action sequence an integral part of the plot!!!! The opening sequence is HUGE in this movie, and damn near threatens to outshine many of the other sequences in the movie. When it all ends you think, "MAN that was fun! Now lets see the credits and then find out what this movie is about", and you expect to find the main plot of "World" totally unrelated to what has happened already. But THAT is where "World" takes it's first twist. Another twist is the fact that Bond's head honcho, "M" (played by Judi Dench) ALSO has a more involved role in the plot than "Here is your mission, Bond. Don't break or screw anything".
Another gem in this movie is the brilliantly subtle way the "retirement" of Gadget and Gizmo Guru "Q" is handled. Q has been played wonderfully for the past 150 years or so by Desmond Llewelyn, and in this film he passes the torch as "old dude who builds the cool gadgets for British Intelligence" to Monty Python veteran John Cleese. Cleese's bumbling and madcap "R" seems to work well, and perhaps we can expect to see an exploding penguin or a white bunny with razor sharp fangs as future bond gismos.
Anyway, Bond (played once again by the extremely Bond-ish Pierce Brosnan) goes off on his way to stop a madman (surprised?) played by Robert Carlyle from messing up the world's fuel oil supply. Along the way he meets Sophie Marceau, who may be the hottest "Bond Girl" since the Russian chick in "Goldeneye" who crushes men with her thighs (where do I sign up?). Marceau literally STEALS scenes from Brosnan, and her screen presence is always nothing short of captivating. Also along the way he meets Denise Richards..... and her enormous breasts. Denise is a Nuclear Physicist (chuckle) named Christmas (snicker) who wears short shorts (we're talking short) and cut off halter tops. Denise is sheer eye candy in this movie, and aside the dark, complex, and beautifully elegant Marceau, she seems like a high-school cheerleader along for the ride. That's not saying that Richards is a waste in this film, as I feel her character is the bubbly bouncy female "yin" to the sophisticated "yang" of Marceau. She's a babe, and what the hell is the world of James Bond without some babes?
But anyway, I won't spoil the ending for you (Bond saves the day. Shhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone), but "The World is not Enough" is one of the best Bond movies ever..... even if Joe Don Baker wasn't in it. ;^)
Until next time, the balcony is condemned.
Dr. Torgo
