Year of Release: 1997

Starring:

Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007

Jonathan Pryce as the villain Elliot Carver

Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin

Teri Hatcher as Paris Carver

Music by: David Arnold

Title song performed by: Sheryl Crow

Written by: Bruce Feirstein

Produced by: Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli

Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode

When a British ship, the Devonshire, is fired on by the Chinese and sunk, apparently in international waters, the only clue is a signal sent out secretly on the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) frequency from a satellite belonging to the Carver Media Group Network. It's head is obsessed with gaining prime position in broadcasting, and the only place on Earth his stations cannot be received is in China. Since Bond had had a relationship with the woman who is now Carver's wife, Paris, M assigns him to try to 'pump her for information'. Carver is responsible for the fake GPS signal, thanks to a device controlled by a techno-terrorist, Henry Gupta. Bond goes to the launch of Carver's new network in Hamburg, and meets Paris, who is not overjoyed to see him. Carver is suspicious of Bond, and has him 'made uncomfortable' by one of his henchmen, 'Stamper'. Bond escapes, and is surprised when Paris shows up at his hotel room. She tells Bond about a secret installation in Carver's printing works. Carver, meanwhile, has discovered her treachery.

Bond breaks into the printers, and finds the GPS decoder. Wai Lin, a Chinese woman whom Bond had met at Carver's launch party, has also broken in, and set off the alarm in the process, but she gets away easily. Bond fights his way out and is driving back to his hotel when Carver rings Bond on his mobile telling him he knows Bond has the decoder and Paris. Bond finds Paris dead in his hotel room together with her killer, Dr Kaufman, waiting for him. Bond turns the tables on Kaufman, kills him, and evades his henchmen in a thrilling and unusual car chase.

Bond flies out to the South China Sea, where, with the help of Jack Wade (the CIA agent from Goldeneye), he makes a HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) jump above the wreck of the Devonshire. Within the ship, he finds that cruise missile has been taken - and Wai Lin also investigating. They are lucky to escape from the wreck, but then are captured by Stamper and taken to Carver's Saigon headquarters, where they pass a Chinese General , Chang, whom Wai Lin recognises. The agents escape and, after a chase through the city's streets eventually agree to team up. Wai Lin is investigating the theft of stealth materials, connected with General Chang, and they realise Carver is using a stealth boat. They deduce where he is operating from, and manage to board the boat, with time running out before Carver manipulates a war between Britain and China during which he will fire the stolen cruise missile at Beijing.

In London, Bond and Wai Lin's signals have been received and reluctantly Admiral Roebuck orders the fleet to look for the stealth boat, which now becomes visible as Wai Lin sabotages the engines. However, she's captured by Stamper, Bond kills Carver, and is about to defuse the missile when Stamper reappears dropping a chained Wai Lin into the water. Bond and Stamper fight, with Bond escaping to rescue Wai Lin while Stamper is incinerated by the missile's abortive launch. War is averted.

'What the hell is he doing?' Admiral Roebuck demands. 'His job!' M flatly replies

Admiral Roebuck: 'With all due respect M, sometimes I don't think you've got the balls for this job.' M replies: 'Perhaps. But the advantage is I don't have to think with them all the time.'

(To Bond in his Hamburg hotel room) 'I could shoot you from Stuttgart and still create zee proper effect', boasts Dr Kaufman

Carver: 'Oh and, Mr Stamper, would you please kill those bastards!'

Paris Carver played by Teri Hatcher

Wai Lin played by Michelle Yeoh

Elliot Carver played by Jonathan Pryce

 Stamper played by Gotz Otto

Dr. Kaufman played by Vincent Schiavelli

Bond's Hamburg hotel room was filmed at the Stoke Poges Golf Club in Buckinghamshire, England, the same place as the golf match in Goldfinger

The licence plate for Bond's new BMW is BMT2144 - as near as could be got to the licence of the Aston Martin, BMT214A

Sir Anthony Hopkins was approached to play the role of Carver but, according to Brosnan, the script was not adequately prepared for him to be willing to come on board

Producer Michael G. Wilson gets some dialogue, as Carver's bureau chief ordered to 'slime' the President

The original title of Tomorrow Never Dies was 'Aquator' and concerned the handover of Hong Kong and the concurrent theft of gold bullion

Bond and Wai Lin set out to explore the South China Sea from the same island used as Scaramanga's base in The Man With The Golden Gun, the island is properly known as Ko Phing Kan, but also known as 'James Bond Island'!

The opening credits read: 'Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions present Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007' - phew!

The end of the film shows the closing caption: 'In Loving Memory of Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli'

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James Bond will return in:

The World Is Not Enough (Now Shooting...)