'The World Is Not Enough' does little to surprise
By Rayya Makarim
JAKARTA (JP): It should be clear by now that we cannot possibly judge a Bond film by the same criteria applied to other films. With Michael Apted's The World Is Not Enough, the 19th assignment of 007's 37-year screen career, the series surely deserves to constitute its own set of rules. The fact that nothing really makes sense is beside the point. The last thing anybody wants in a Bond film is credibility. We want to see the explosions, the chase sequences, the big-busted girls (for the male viewers), the gadgets, the martinis (shaken, not stirred), and most importantly, how many different ways James can flash his Omega wristwatch in front of the camera.
The World Is Not Enough takes us to exotic locations such as Kazakhstan, Istanbul and the oil fields of Azerbaijan. The plot unravels when British oil tycoon, Robert King, is killed at the MI6 headquarters. "M" (Judi Dench), a close friend of King, assigns her most reliable agent, Bond (Pierce Brosnan) to track down his killer and to protect his only daughter and heir Elektra --- note name (Sophie Marceau). King's killer, Renard (Robert Carlyle), and Elektra, however, are not strangers to each other.
When Elektra was younger, Renard kidnapped her, but she escaped before her father could pay the US$5 million ransom. This time, Renard is back to sabotage an ongoing construction of a new pipeline, now controlled by the beautiful Elektra.
Apted's film fits into the usual Bond formulae, though the action scenes are less innovative. Most of the chase sequences we've seen before (on skis, by boat, in a submarine), except for one original that involves disabling a nuclear warhead while traveling at neck-breaking speed through an oil pipeline.
Nevertheless, there are some distinct exceptions from the rule and some notable changes.
Character complexity, for example, has never been a significant part of the 007 series. Apted is better known for his dramas (Gorillas in the Mist, Nell), but best known for his documentary work (the Seven Up series); thus, perhaps it isn't so surprising that this film contains more three-dimensional characters than the standard Bond movie.
The villain, Renard, has a bullet lodged in his brain that will eventually kill him. But until his death, he will gain strength because the bullet has damaged nerves so that he feels no pain. He does not represent the absolute "evil" that most Bond villains portray. He is a tragic figure. Renard feels no pain, but he also feels no pleasure. A devastating scene shows a frustrated Renard kissing Elektra (an interesting dynamic between captor and captive), but failing to feel the passion of the kiss. Less diabolical than we hoped for, perhaps, but for the first time the villains in this film genre are humans and not always freaks of nature.
Bond himself fleshes out underneath his stiff suit and tough ego. He is fascinated by Elektra and is nearly drawn into her snare. Played by a lesser actress, the character Elektra could have easily been reduced to a stereotype. Nevertheless, Marceau's acting is commendable as the femme fatale that must appear to be the psychological complex victim of kidnapping and torture. As a result, apparently, when the right buttons are pushed, by the right person (woman?), even James Bond can appear vulnerable, even if it is for a brief moment before transforming back to his impassive self. In addition to his emotional vulnerability, Bond is also given a physical weakness in the form of a dislocated collarbone. Everyone seems to be informed of this handicap, and take turns in exploiting it. Well, maybe he is human after all.
Brosnan is more comfortable in his third outing as 007, and hopefully will continue to do so in the next film. However, "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn, who, sadly, died on Dec. 19), in his 80s, was ready to retire.
After 20-something years designing gizmos and toys for the number one spy, the endearing Q, in his final appearance slowly disappears from the frame making a rather moving exit. Replacing him is "R" (John Cleese) who is cocky and skeptical, and has not yet developed a long-lasting affection for James, like Q has.
Another development in Apted's film is the increasing role of "M". Instead of the passive, yet stern woman who orders and often deprecates Bond, M is given more screen-time to initiate action and not merely observe it. What she does is not terribly interesting (and she gets caught), but the fact that she is present during the film's suspense climax, is an attractive twist.
The most crucial mistake in this film is the casting of Denise Richards (Starship Troopers and Wild Things). Richards, as nuclear scientist Dr. Christmas Jones, manages to bomb every single line she has to deliver as she desperately tries to sound like the nuclear expert she's supposed to be. However, to stretch The World Is Not Enough's plausibility to that length is too much. Those who have seen the film may have a slight idea why she got the part. But even with the extra assets, there was no chemistry between Christmas and James, and the sex scene seems closer to a case of pedophilia than the usual hot, sizzling Bond affairs.
All in all, The World Is Not Enough provides over two hours of bangs and flashes for die-hard fans to enjoy. When it really comes down to it, people don't really care what the story is about, and they're not there to understand what it's about. We watch James Bond films, and we keep on coming back to watch them, because we love to suspend disbelief to an extraordinary level. We wouldn't have it any other way.