Tomorrow Never Dies

Dom Robinson reviews

Special EditionDistributed by

MGM

• Cert:
• Cat.no: 15919 DVD
• Running time: 114 minutes
• Year: 1997
• Pressing: 2001
• Region(s): 2 (UK PAL)
• Chapters: 32 plus extras
• Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
• Languages: English
• Subtitles: 12 languages available
• Widescreen: 2.44:1 (Panavision)
• 16:9-enhanced: Yes
• Macrovision: No
• Disc Format: DVD 9
• Price: £19.99
• Extras: Featurette: The Secrets of 007, Storyboard Presentation,Special FX Reel, Interview with Composer David Arnold, Sheryl Crow Video,Theatrical Trailer, Teaser Trailer, Gadgets, Isolated Score, 2 Audio Commentaries.
  

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  Director:

  Roger Spottiswoode

  (Air America, The 6th Day, Stop or My Mom Will Shoot, Tomorrow Never Dies, Turner And Hooch)

Producers:

Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson

Screenplay:

Bruce Feirstein

Music:

David Arnold and Frank Denson

Cast:

James Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Elliot Carver: Jonathan Pryce
Colonel Wai-Lin: Michelle Yeoh
Paris Carver: Teri Hatcher
Henry Gupta: Ricky Jay
Mr Stamper: Gotz Otto
CIA Agent Jack Wade: Joe Don Baker
Dr Kaufman: Vincent Schiavelli
Q: Desmond Llewelyn
M: Judi Dench
Miss Moneypenny: Samantha Bond
Admiral Roebuck: Geoffrey Palmer
Professor Inga Bergstrom: Cecile Thomsen

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I had one big problem with Tomorrow Never Diesand it was that bloody awful theme tune from Sheryl Crow, with herstrained tones doing nothing for the piece because it was completely unsuitedto her. I also couldn’t stand her first big hit, All I Wanna Do, althoughmost of the rest of her portfolio is superb, as has been proved with her DVDrelease,Sheryl Crow: Rockin’ the Globe Live.All is not lost though once the end credits roll and k.d. lang‘stune-with-the-same-title spring into life with a powerhouse performance bythe lesbian lady herself. But about the film…

What’s the best way to ensure you have all the news before everyone else?It’s to create it yourself and that’s the plan driven by media mogul Murdoch-wannabemadman, Elliot Carver (played by one of Britain’s best, Jonathan Pryce)so he can splash it over the front page of his newspaper, “Tomorrow”and “find” a big story with which to launch his cheesy satellite news station.Examples include trying to start World War III. Nothing like aiming high (!)

Stunts include an early aerial dogfight, the sinking of the HMS Devonshirein the South China Sea, some new driving skills for Bond’s BMW and a motorbikepursuit through (and over) Saigonwhich culminates in a joust between Bond on the bike and a helicopter.As with stunts, what also goes hand-in-hand with Bond films is the babes,in the form of the high-kicking star of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon,Michelle Yeoh as Colonel Wai-Lin (Colonel?), ex-Superman actressTeri Hatcher as Carver’s wife Paris – and an old flame of Bond’s(oh, what a surprise!), plus the best of the bunch – and also the briefest -Danish model Cecile Thomsen as Professor Inga Bergstrom (Professor?!).

As for the rest of the cast, Bond’s aide is CIA Agent Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker,who, incidentally, was not on Bond’s side as Brad Whittaker inThe Living Daylights.Judi Dench has a second turn as “M”, her on-off TV screen partnerGeoffrey Palmer has a cameo as Admiral Roebuck, the ugly ghost that PatrickSwayze met early on in Ghost, Vincent Schiavellimakes an appearance and Miss Moneypenny (Samantha Bond) gets to commentthat James Bond is a “cunning linguist”.

On a sad note – and not about the fact that Albert “Cubby” Broccoli diedinbetween this and the last film – 6 seconds have been cut from the film asMGM wanted to keep the 12-certificate for home viewing. No specifics have beenstated but I reckon they include a neck-break from Wai-Lin towards the end,but the BBFC website reckons the cuts were imitable and had to go.

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There’s something that’s a little hazy about the print throughout the filmas the encoding’s not spot-on, but it’s not that noticeable from the usualviewing distance. As you’d expect the film is presented in anamorphic widescreenand the box cover quotes an odd ratio of 2.44:1. It does look a little widerthan 2.35:1, but the Internet Movie Database makes no mention of this.The average bitrate is a middle-of-the-road 5.27Mb/s, starting erraticallyat first but settling down later.

There’s no complaints on the sound-front, as every scene that matters standsout proud including all the stunts alighted to earlier. Dolby Digital 5.1in English is the order of the day, with dialogue or as an isolated score.

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Extras : Chapters :The usual 32 chapters for an MGM, which is an excellent amount. If only some other DVDcompanies could take a lesson from this one. Languages & Subtitles :English is the only language on the disc – in Dolby Digital 5.1 – and for thesubtitles too. Shame, since other Bond releases have had stacks of subtitledlanguages. And there’s more… :There’s not as many extras this time round as with some of the earlierdiscs in the series and this time we are not treated to a Patrick Macnee’dfeaturette, usually entitled Inside… (insert film name here).

• Featurette: Inside The Secrets of 007 (43 mins): A summary ofhow many of Bond’s most famous stunt sequences were put together, with a doffof the cap to this one in particular. Most of the film clips are cropped to4:3. It’s an entertaining featurette, but if you’ve collected the series sofar surely you have most of this information already?

• Storyboard Presentation : 9 scenes from the film, all inanamorphic 2.44:1 widescreen, with small storyboards in the corner of thescreen showing you how they were planned out.

• Special FX Reel (3 mins): David Arnold’s souped-up Bond themeplayed over scenes from the film, first as they were filmed and afterwardswith the CGI effects placed on top.

• Interview with Composer David Arnold (2½ mins): Wordsfrom the music man himself.

• Sheryl Crow Video (4 mins): We want k.d.! We want k.d.! We want k.d.!For those who don’t, this track made No.12 in December 1997, but why would you?

• Theatrical Trailer & Teaser Trailer (3 mins): The second (60 seconds) worksbetter than the first, with Brosnan appearing, then uttering “Bond… youknow the rest”, before a cavalcade of explosions ensue. The first one(just a shade over two minutes) actually tells you there’s a plot to deal with.Both are in 2.44:1 anamorphic widescreen.

• Gadgets : Bits of info about the film, featuring Carver’sSea-vac (the big drill which tunnels into anything), Bond’s BMW and hismobile phone – definitely something you can’t get at Dixons’ stupid “The Link”shops.

• Isolated Score: Not even mentioned anywhere on the menus,David Arnold’s score in full-on Dolby Digital 5.1.One from director Roger Spottiswoodeand Dan Petrie Jr., plus a second from Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong andco-producer Michael G. Wilson.

• Two Audio Commentaries: One from director Roger Spottiswoodeand Dan Petrie Jr., plus a second from Second Unit Director Vic Armstrong andco-producer Michael G. Wilson.

The animated and scored main menu, plus similar treatment given to the swipesbetween menus, is as rich and colourful as we’ve come to expect from thisseries.

FILM CONTENT
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS


OVERALLReview copyright © Dominic Robinson, 2001.

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