The Screen Addict | Die Another Day

Die Another Day (2002) was the moment in the 007 franchise when Brosnan-era Bond reached the pinnacle of decadence. Like ancient Rome before it, DAD indulges in excesses and over-the-top luxuries – although the Romans obviously didn’t have invisible cars, kitesurfing superspies, and a fencing instructor played by Madonna.

Regardless – I love DAD. This movie is NUTS and I’m totally here for it.

Helming this time round is Lee Tamahori, who has had an exceptionally versatile filmmaking-arc since his debut feature Once Were Warriors (1994).

The New-Zealand born director went from intimate Kiwi Drama to directing high-profile ensembles – Mulholland Falls (1996) and The Edge (1997) – to big-budget franchises – Along Came a Spider (2001) and xXX: The Next Level (2005) – and then back to telling stories from his native country again with Mahana (2016) and The Convert (2023). Not to mention several TV gigs in between, including Billions and The Sopranos.

Directing the 20th Bond in 2002 was therefore a perfectly logical step for Tamahori, and I am of the firm opinion that that his film deserves a lot more love than it initially got.

The release of DAD coincided with the 40th anniversary of Dr. No (1962), which of course was a great opportunity to stuff the film with fun references to the earlier installments.

I’m sure many of us have very fond memories of Halle Berry’s spectacular first scene – which is an homage to Ursula Andress in Dr. No – and DAD holds many more Easter Eggs. In fact – there are exactly 20 hidden messages in the film, one for every Bond released to that point.

You can find the complete list here:

https://popculturereferences.com/die-another-day-homage-first-20-james-bond-films/

DAD was the second Bond adventure penned by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, the screenwriting team that took control of the franchise going forward. Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli (daughter of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli) found the perfect collaborators in Purvis and Wade – the duo wrote for every Bond film since.

The 20th Bond film has none of the subtlety and elegance of the Daniel Craig era. It is loud, colorful and at times even a bit coarse. However, it is also the entry that truly encapsulates the “EON” in Wilson and Brocolli’s EON Productions – Everything Or Nothing.

#thescreenaddict
#film
#movies
#contentrecommendation
#celebrateart
#nobodyknowsanything

Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict