James Bond 007: Die Another Day
By Lauren Spitzer
007 is back for number 20 in the Bond film series, this time adding new dimension to the action film. Director Lee Tamahori adds just the right touches to the latest James Bond movie, Die Another Day, while retaining the classic “Bond” characteristics that place the films in a category of their own.
British spy and assassin James Bond 007 (Pierce Brosnan) starts his latest mission in North Korea when a high speed chase to uncover a traitor, “Zao” (Rick Yune), turns into a 14-month imprisonment for Bond. After his release, Bond travels around the world in search of Zao and his partner in crime, Diamond King “Gustav Graves” (Toby Stephens), to prevent a calamitous war from occurring.
Bond’s travels in the latest film prove to be one of the most enjoyable trips yet. He takes us to Korea, Havana, Cuba, Isla Los Organos and eventually Iceland, where Graves’ lair, made completely out of ice, exists.
Along the way, Bond teams up with American Spy “Jinx” (Halle Berry), named for the bad luck she brings. Berry, however, brings one of the greatest Bond female characters yet. Jinx’s statement to Bond that “I’m so good” hits it right on the spot.
Now what would a Bond movie be without the gadgets and toys for which they are known? Inventor Q (John Cleese) returns to provide Bond with the exciting devices that make the action scenes some of the greatest yet. From sword fights to laser fights to invisible car chases, Die Another Day allows both Brosnan and his character to show off.
The classic one-liners and ironic names (like Mr. Kill, who has a “name to die for”) for which the Bond films are known helps the movie retain the distinct qualities of the original flicks.
Perhaps one of the most inventive and original yet, Die Another Day helps regain the somewhat slipping status of the Bond films. The film series is long from over and Bond’s character will have to die another day. As Bond himself puts it, the film is “oh, very good.”
Friday After Next
By Matt Windman
Few movies make The Nutty Professor look like Shakespeare. This is one of them.
Friday after Next, the third movie in the Friday series, is a non-stop parade of desperately dirty jokes. The fun, simple spirit of the original Friday is completely lost.
What remains will make some audiences want to clap wildly and others hide their faces in shame. The movie has no visible plot. Moreover, the characters remain absurd and static.
It begins promisingly with the farcical robbery of Ice Cube’s house. Afterwards, one-liners and cheap innuendoes continue indefinitely. Examples include a midget in a top-hat masturbating, Santa Clause slamming a Christmas tree into someone’s face, a very important body-part grabbed with a wrench to the tune of “The Nutcracker.”
Does this sound amusing to you?
After 30 minutes or so, however, you’re bound to realize that the movie goes nowhere and will probably stop laughing.
Ice Cube, the movie’s leading player, also wrote the script. He parodies the movie’s characters through exaggerated stereotypes and offensive language. His humor is foul, over-extended and misguided.
No individual actor stands out in the movie. It is Ice Cube’s dirty verbosity and sick mind that stand out.
Overall, movie demonstrates no point to continuing Friday series. All the movie has to offer can be found anywhere on cable television.
Those who have recently seen quality works such as 8 Mile and Harry Potter may have a hard time digesting the triviality of this film.
How much you enjoy this movie depends greatly on the ability to digest what you see. This is one for drunken college kids only, feeling the empowering effects of alcohol and drug consumption. For anyone else – you just might not be able to handle it.
