AS THE COUNTDOWN BEGINS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM THERE IS STILL ONE NUMBER YOU CAN ALWAYS COUNT ON. 

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is assigned to protect an oil tycoon (Sophie Marceau) from competitors who crave control of the world’s oil supply.

Number 19 in the series was directed by a man who really knows drama best, but the mandatory water and snow chases pay off (especially the Thames teaser). The writers made things a little more complex this time and deliver a few surprises; the story frequently threatens to get in the way of the action, but also keeps the film interesting.

Marceau is good but Denise Richards is saddled with the kind of bimbo we haven’t seen since A View to a Kill (1985).

1999-U.K.-U.S. 125 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Michael Apted. Music: David Arnold. Song: ”The World Is Not Enough” (performed by Garbage). Cast: Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sophie Marceau (Elektra King), Robert Carlyle (Renard), Denise Richards (Christmas Jones), Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Ulrich Thomsen, John Cleese, Desmond Llewelyn. 

Trivia: Joe Dante, Alfonso Cuarón and Peter Jackson were considered for directing duties. Sharon Stone and Vera Farmiga were considered for the part of Elektra; Javier Bardem and Jean Reno as Renard. Llewelyn’s final film as Q; it’s Cleese’s first as his successor. Followed by Die Another Day (2002). 

Quote: “I thought Christmas only comes once a year.” (Brosnan after bedding Richards (whose first name is Christmas)