As Good As It Gets

A lot of fun.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.While I tend to like Brosnan as Bond (not saying he is the best one, but a darn fine one), and this movie hits all the right notes, it tends to be a bit corny. The smut jokes seem cheaper, and the inclusion of John Cleese is (appropriately) silly. The tone just feels off, despite it still being a generally well-made movie.One of the highlights for me, actually, is having Garbage (or is it just Shirley Manson?) perform the theme song. Being someone whose best years were in the late 90s, that really hits home for me and makes this somewhat nostalgic even if the film as a whole may not stand the test of time.

The latest James Bond outing is a fun, if stale, formula piece which offers up little originality and yet has such a polished, flawless sheen that you can't help like it to a degree. Ideas were very thin on the ground here and the plot is a very loose one involving various traitorous characters swapping sides and shouting at each other a lot. It's all very confusing and to be honest not very interesting - mainly because none of the actors and actresses on screen appear to be getting into their roles, instead looking simply bored.Pierce Brosnan has settled into the role nicely, but his portrayal here is nothing short of lazy. He is also let down by his supporting cast - although to be fair the script isn't really interested in giving depth to our characters, instead preferring to have them as one-dimensional stereotypes. Sophie Marceau was hyped up as the newest femme fatale yet I think she seems out of place and miscast here - she's too sophisticated to be a realistic villainess. Robert Carlyle makes the most of his over the top villain, but he is barely on screen and the script gives him only a few lines.Various other supporting characters pop up, including Judi Dench, who looks even more out of place than usual when she gets trapped behind bars; Desmond Llewellyn is as mischievous as ever as Q, poignantly in his final role, and Robbie Coltrane overacts for all he's worth as a greasy Russian swine. The usual familiar British actors also pop up, including Michael Kitchen and John Cleese. But it's Denise Richards who stands out, for all the wrong reasons, as one of the most wooden Bond actresses out there - until Gemma Arterton came along in QUANTUM OF SOLACE, at least.What this film does benefit from are a couple of show-stopping action sequences, especially the opening boat chase over the River Thames which is the best that Bond has ever been. Unfortunately, things lose their way a bit with a terribly clichéd and unbelievable ski chase and a silly moment where Bond and co defuse a bomb while flying down a pipe (!). Thankfully a moment where helicopters with circular saws demolish Bond's car and a building makes up for these minor mishaps. The ending feels rushed but is pretty good too. Altogether, this is not the best Bond I've seen, and I'd rate it alongside something like THUNDERBALL.

When I was a kid "Tomorrow Never Dies" was my favorite Bond film that had Pierce Brosnan in it. But my perspective changed after growing a bit older. This is actually a solid Bond movie and I just don't get why it got quite a bit of hate from reviewers. The pacing and direction is actually quite fun. It's a fun popcorn action flick that is fast- paced for the most part and has a story that is good enough to make it a solid entry. I am not quite sure of Denise Richards playing a nuclear physicist and one of the Bond girls. But she didn't bother me, I think she gets quite a bit of hate because she just doesn't seem like a nuclear physicist because of the way she talks and dresses. Denise Richards to me is basically one of the scientist or physicist that are in comic books. Betty Swanson from the Deadpool comics being one of them. Plus she was a nice eye candy throughout the ordeal as James Bond's guide. This is still a campy Bond film, but just not as corny as the previous ones with Roger Moore. However the actress that really nailed it was Sophie Marceau as the sexy and seductive femme fatale, Elektra King. Despite the fact that most movie buffs will catch onto her motives very early on. It was also nice to see M (Judi Dench) play a bigger role this time instead of just the boss that gives out the mission information. The action sequences are done really well and when I say action there is quite a lot of action set pieces in this that is fun to watch without it going way over the top. Overall, this is a solid entry with Pierce Brosnan as Bond.8.3/10

Yes, it's true, I really like 'the World is not Enough'. While it does have a complicated story, I've never found that a bad thing. James Bond has always had some level of complexity in it's plots, and while 'the World is not Enough' is very hard to follow at points, I think that if you look deep into it, you'll see a very entertaining, almost surreal plot that will jump at you from out of nowhere.As for the characters, I feel they're interesting enough, Elektra has a cool dark presence which fits well the bad guy of the story, and Sophie Marceau plays it off beautifully. But the big problem of this film to lot of people is Denise Richards, who plays this film's main Bond girl, Dr. Christmas Jones. I feel this is bad casting, putting Denise Richards in the role of a nuclear scientist, but she does what she can with the cheesy lines she is given, so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.One of the things that really grabbed me about this film is it's amazing action scenes which may just be the best of the franchise, and no, I've not forgotten Bond being pushed out of a plane in Moonraker or fighting Zorin on the Eiffel Tower in A View to a Kill, I'd happily take the boat chase or the helicopter saw scene anyday.Brosnan makes a good performance as Bond, but even three films in he's still not reaching the standards set by Sean Connery and Roger Moore, and not forgetting Timothy Dalton.Despite it's complicated plot and somewhat forced dialogue, 'the World is not Enough' marks one of Brosnan's best Bond films, an awesome plot when you can see it clearly, cool characters, nice acting, and not forgetting the brilliant action scenes. It's still not my all time favourite no, give me 'the Spy who Loved Me' or 'the Living Daylights' anyday.