Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
(dir. Roger Spottiswoode)
By: Tarek Fayoumi
The Early Era of 007 has Wonders of Classy Gadgets:
Classic Cinemas has been doing many weeks of multiple 007 films with the Chicago Film Critics Association. I had the opportunity to revisit Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), an experience that reminded me of the fun gadgets of 007. This was the second film in which the famous British spy was played by Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, Dante’s Peak). The immediate followup to GoldenEye (1995), is most fascinating as it unveils many usage of the wondrous gadgets from his quartermaster named Q. Q was played by Desmond Llewelyn (Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only). Llewelyn played Q for all of the 007 leading up to the final days of Brosnan’s era. However, in Tomorrow Never Dies, the seriousness of a phone linking to drive a car displayed a sense of adventure that I found to be a treasure. Especially since, 007 is known to be pushy with his limitations to get the job done.
The Enemy Always Cares About Power:
I have come to realize that everytime there is an enemy in a Bond flick, they always display the element of not caring how the world is impacted by their actions. That is what makes the concept of stopping the enemy so enticing in Tomorrow Never Dies. The antagonist is Elliot Carver and he is played by Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, The Two Popes). Elliot is one that has a plan to use his knowledge of press to create a war between the British in Chinese Waters. He does this for the sake of being a media king. For Bond though, his key is his fascination with the ladies. He utilizes his connection with Elliot’s wife Paris to get to the moving parts right because Paris admits to Bond what is kept secret with Elliot. Paris is played by Teri Hatcher (Jane Doe, Momentum). The fight to stop one from taking over the world out of obsession is where the drive to survive never ends with Tomorrow Never Dies.
Worth the time?
This was well-worth the time and money. Especially with a post-discussion by Chicago film critic, Erik Childress. Erik is a critic who runs coverage on many platforms including the Movie Madness Podcast, Rotten Tomatoes, Business First AM, and the Friendship Dilemma Podcast. I was fascinated with how Erik went into detail talking about the fanbase of 007, and how the many Bond actors had popularity over others. His talk created a fun environment of curiosity for the audience to keep thinking which 007 actor they truly admire. Erik alongside other CFCA critics run screenings and movie discussions at Classic Cinemas in Elk Grove Village on select Wednesdays. The Bond series is about to conclude with Casino Royale (2006). For tickets visit the link below!