Put stock in this Bond

Die Another Day
Rated PG-13
Three reels out of four

While I was growing up, whenever the subject of James Bond came up, there was Sean Connery and then there were the rest. If there’s any justice in the world, the same argument now would have to be amended to, there’s Sean Connery, then there’s Pierce Brosnan, then there are the rest.

Brosnan might not be Connery, and he’d be the first to admit that, but he certainly can wear a tuxedo.

The 20th installment of the spy franchise, Die Another Day, harks back to the golden days when a new Bond movie was a true event and cutting-edge escapism of the highest order.

This time around, Bond is doing hard time courtesy of the North Koreans after he is betrayed on an undercover assignment. When he is exchanged for a North Korean national, both the Americans and the British suspect Bond made a deal with his captors. Determined to restore his good name, Bond travels to Hong Kong, Cuba and his home base in Britain, eventually ending up in Iceland.

This movie falls short of greatness in a few areas. The middle is too long and the film lacks a classic Bond heavy. The bad guy is very interesting, but he’s often more annoying and complex than purely evil.

But everything else is vintage Bond. It’s got a smashing opening sequence. It’s got not one, but two Bond girls. It’s got the international locales. It’s even got a great lair. No Bond film would be complete without a bad guy’s lair. Here, it’s an ominous ice palace in Iceland.

Did I mention it’s also funny? And not just funny in a Bond way. Yes, there are the usual double-entendres. But there are also some hilarious moments. John Cleese gets a lot of laughs out of his role as Q.

I must confess I am not well-versed enough in Bondology to compare Halle Berry to the Bond girls of the past. But from what little I know about the subject, she passes muster both in her character, Jinx, and how she pulls it off (speaking of double-entendres). The best women of the bunch are Bond’s sexual and intellectual equals. Berry gets a lot of screen time and adds a lot to the movie. I have to admit I’m a little leery of her still cashing in on her beauty after winning the Oscar but, hey, if it works for her, it definitely works for me.

Director Lee Tamahori is directing his first Bond film and it’s a strong effort. Of course, the emphasis is on the action. But in between the brainless fun, there is some character development. We’re not talking Tennessee Williams, but I did see some growth.

I truly believe the expression "cream rises to the top." Brosnan originally had to pass up the James Bond role because of a contractual commitment to Remington Steele, his hit TV show at the time. The guy they picked instead, Timothy Dalton, washed out and Brosnan finally got his shot. Maybe he wasn’t exactly born to play the role, but it’s a good fit.


Undisputed
Rated R
Available Tuesday

Undisputed manages to be both an homage to old boxing movies and old prison movies. A return to form for Sam Peckinpah disciple Walter Hill, the movie boasts a higher testosterone level than an entire week of Marine boot camp. And that’s just the girls. Ving Rhames plays a champion heavyweight boxer who is sent to maximum-security prison when he’s convicted of date rape. When he arrives, he finds the prison already has its own champ, played by Wesley Snipes. Eventually, as is the law in these types of pictures, the two meet in the ring. This film is a neat little gem that never gets campy and delivers the goods. Snipes and Rhames play it straight and look as if they are really enjoying themselves.