Wolff rating: GOOD
Plot summary: Bond takes on a mad media mogul.
Biased, pithy comments: It's a Bond film---meglomaniac villain, evil henchman, macho women that will sleep with any handsome, dashing British secret agent that comes along, some gadgets, and some throbbing spins on the Monty Norman theme. I found it not too much different in quality than Goldeneye, though slightly more plausible (and I emphasize ``slightly''). What was missing from this was a personalization of the forces hunting down Bond---during the chase sequence, there isn't any leader directing the chase, on whose face we can see the frustration as 007 outsmarts him again. In other words, it lacked a good evil henchman like Oddjob or Jaws. Still, lots of fun and, naturally, Michelle Yeoh is just about the coolest woman on earth.
Other Notes: I found it a little slow between action sequences, but oh, what a cool opening scene. On second viewing, one definitely finds the ending overblown, but the BMW chase sequence is one of the best ever.
How many times I have seen it: x2
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Joe Don Baker.
Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode