James Bond Series Rewatch: "The World Is Not Enough"

In The World Is Not Enough (from IMDB):

“James Bond uncovers a nuclear plot when he protects an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can’t feel pain.”

Bond: James Bond
M: Judi Dench
Q: Desmon Llewelyn
Moneypenny: Samantha Bond
Director: Michael Apted
Song: “The World Is Not Enough” by Garbage

Pierce Brosnan is my Bond; he’s the one I grew up with. So I’ve always had a special affinity for his movies. Yes, even Die Another Day. His movies may not be as “objectively” good as many others, but they’re still (usually) every bit as fun. And I had a blast rewatching The World Is Not Enough.

Opening scene

Some more classic, high octane action to get us going. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to beat this drum. This is exactly what a Bond movie’s opening scene should be. A big action/chase sequence, with a good chunk of it being over the top ridiculous.

You’ve got the smaller details like Bond straightening his tie while underwater (not the only time Brosnan pulls this kind of move; stay tuned for the Goldeneye post). We have Bond driving a boat on land (again). I don’t quite know how possible that actually would be, but hey, I’m not here to debate physics. I’m just here for a good time, and a fully operational boat on land always plays.

Does MI6 have malpractice insurance?

Bond injures his shoulder at the end of the opening scene. He needs a clean bill of health to get back out in the field. The doctor isn’t going to give him that clean bill. So what does Bond do? He seduces her in exchange for her giving him the go ahead.

This is not a great look. One of the common criticisms of the Bond series is the lack of strong female characters. So including this was less than ideal. And I know, it’s part of the James Bond lore that this is just what he does. But still. Just have Bond hack into the system. Or have him bribing a male doctor. A minor detail, sure, but it even small things can make a difference.

Q Branch getting some shine

The Q/Bond relationship is one of the more fun parts of the series. And The World Is Not Enough puts a new spin on it.

This was Desmond Llewelyn’s last time playing Q, as he was tragically killed in a car accident soon after the movie premiered. But the timing matched up, as the movie called for Q to be training his eventual replacement, played here by John Cleese (and jokingly referred to as “R” by 007).

Q and Bond have some fun at R’s expense. While there has always been some tension between Q and Bond, it was mostly because of Q’s protectiveness over his inventions didn’t mesh with Bond’s flippant attitude. Now that they have a common target, they get to show what I like to believe is the true side of their relationship. At the end of the day, the two are friends. There isn’t always a chance to showcase that, which is why this is one of my favorite sequences of the entire series.

And even though Q’s “I’ve always tried to teach you two things” comment doesn’t make any sense (I don’t believe that was a running bit in any way at all), The World Is Not Enough gave fans a perfectly touching goodbye to a beloved character.

Plus, weaponized bagpipes. I think we can all get behind that.

Elektra King

I like Elektra. She’s one of the better villains in the series. Yes, there are moments where Sophie Marceau’s acting doesn’t quite live up to the character, she’s mostly good to great for the entire movie. And if I’m not mistaken, she is the only character to double as a Bond Girl and villain. To be clear, I’m not counting Dr. Christmas Jones as the Bond Girl here, as that doesn’t happen until the end of the movie. She’s more of the traditional Bond Ally character. Women often serve as one of Bond’s weaknesses, and it’s fun to see that play out in such a major and extended way.

The medulla oblongata

When introducing Renard and talking about the bullet lodged in his head, “It’s moving through the medulla oblongata.”

Renard

Speaking of Renard, I’ve always had questions about him. As they tell us in the movie, “The bullet will kill him, but he will grow stronger every day, until the day he dies.” This is due to the fact that the bullet is disrupting his pain receptors. In other words, he can’t feel pain. And while I get how that could allow him to persevere through injuries or ailments that would hinder any normal human, does it really make him “stronger?”

I have no scientific basis for any of this, but as my Bond fandom is on the “lover not expert” spectrum, I might as well continue on the “not expert” path here. Yes, if Renard is in a fight and doesn’t feel pain, he’s going to keep going. But wouldn’t he still get tired? He would naturally become physically weaker the longer a fight or other physical conflict lasted. And if he broke a bone? That body part is completely useless, even if there’s no corresponding pain. I’ve broken a bone in both my wrists and a pinky finger (three separate occasions) and while there wasn’t much pain, my hands were completely useless when I broke the wrist bones. And with the pinky, it just made things more difficult.

Is this an overly critical nitpick? Yeah, probably. But the fact remains, it still doesn’t quite make sense. And for such an important plot point, it’s a little disappointing that it wasn’t handled even a little bit better.

Valentine

Valentine is awesome. As I’ve said (and will likely keep saying) the best and more fun Bond movies have a decent amount of humor. And that’s what Valentine helps with. It was sad to see him go, but at least he went out honorably.

And who can say no to a helicopter saw? I’d argue nobody.

Christmas Jones

What’s an easy way to mask a terrible character and the terrible acting accompanying said character? You cast a total bombshell like Denise Richards. Dr. Christmas Jones is an awful character, and Richards’ performance is awful to match. And I’ve always thought they chose the name Christmas just for this one joke at the movie’s conclusion. And while it’s admittedly a pretty good double entendre, I don’t think it’s worth giving a character such a dumb name.

At the end of the day, The World Is Not Enough is a perfectly average movie. But it’s tons of fun and and it’s got my guy Pierce Brosnan in the lead role. You can’t really go wrong with all that. This is about as perfect of an example as you can find of the difference between “this is a good movie” and “I enjoy this movie.” Just like there’s a distinct difference between “best” and “favorite,” there’s also a difference there. What I’m finding in this rewatch is that many Bond films like to toe that line. There haven’t been any great movies yet, but there also hasn’t been a single one that I haven’t truly enjoyed watching.