Tomorrow Never Dies . Newcity Chicago . 12-22-97

Tomorrow Never Dies

DIRECTED BY: Roger Spottiswoode

REVIEWED: 12-22-97

James Bond is the embodiment of chaos theory. That's the heart of his allure to fantasizing fans of all genders. Faced with saving the world, Bond simply gets in the bad guy's face and then reacts to whatever chain of unsavory events his appearance sets off. Early on in "Tomorrow Never Dies," Bond, played to insouciant perfection by Pierce Brosnan, is approached by some thugs who ask him to step into a deserted hallway to take "an important phone call." In response, he simply raises a jaded eyebrow and follows them into a recording studio with soundproof walls and lets them stomp the living daylights out of him. This set-to, of course, gives him just the opening he needs to begin sabotaging the war-mongering plans of evil media baron Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce). There's nothing secret about Bond's agenting-he just stirs up a peck of trouble and then counts on his razor-sharp reflexes, rapier wit and array of delicious gadgets to save the day. This time out, he introduces himself to the villain as "Bond, James Bond," a banker who specializes in "hostile takeovers." When a henchman checks out Bond's cover, he finds the record a tad too spotless and surmises he must be a spy. (But all anyone would have to do to confirm this, presumably, is to run an Internet search that would pop up the fact that Bond's a commander in the Royal Navy.) Although the pacing of "Tomorrow Never Dies" flags a bit compared to Brosnan's introductory Bond romp, 1995's "GoldenEye," the opening setpiece and title sequence are among the most stunning in the series (complete with Sheryl Crow's solid title track). Michelle Yeoh, the beautiful, high-spirited chopsocky star of "Supercop"-who's known in Hong Kong as the female Jackie Chan-proves the first truly worthy distaff sidekick for our decadent Western hero. The obligatory business with M, Q and Moneypenny is a bit too jokey and product-placement-heavy, perhaps, but Dame Judi Dench has grown on me in the role of Bond's savvy handler, and the gismos are stupendous. Although Pryce should stick to selling cars and playing mopes like the one he essayed in "Glengarry Glen Ross," this is still a smart, sassy, thoroughly satisfying thriller.

--Frank Sennett

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