**YOU ARE NOW ENTERING SPOILERTOWN**
Plot: Assume a new identity, manufacture fake diamonds to fund a space weapon called Icarus and use it to clear North Korean land mines and fuck up the West.
Foiled by: Bond (finally) realizes who Graves is and with the help of Jinx kills all the baddies which stops Icarus from beaming death.
Intriguing Setting(s): North Korea | Iceland | Havana
Bond: Pierce Brosnan
Villain(s):
- Gustav Graves…. who is really Col. Moon!
- Zao – his right hand man
Bond Girl(s):
- Miranda Frost – that two-timing ice cold bitch!
- Jinx – doing her best Honey Ryder shout out
HL’s Hot Take: Basically a poor man’s Diamonds are Forever/Moonraker/GoldenEye mashup. As much an homage to Bond fans as a movie in its own right. Campy dialogue with everyone in on the puns and innuendos and, you guessed it, a formulaic and unbelievable ending sequence with henchmen and all.
Head Librarian Rank: 16/24
Critical Rank: 20/24
TRIVIA SECTION!
Odds & Ends:
- Picks up birding manual with James Bond scratched out! (A Field Guide to the Birds of the West Indies)
- For those not in the know, Ian Fleming quite literally picked the name James Bond because he saw it on said birding manual when he was starting to write the 007 novels and thought the name sounded perfect for the character.
- Q visit has all the old gadgets on display. This was a tribute to the recently deceased Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in almost every film in the franchise prior to this one.
- Laser punch fight!
6 Degrees Cameos:
- Madonna as the fencing coach. She also sings the title track. Best link? Dick Tracy with Al Pacino and Warren Beatty.
- Michael Madsen also plays the inept American agent on the case.
Gadgets: invisible car; supersonic ring
Cars: Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
Awards: Golden Globe nod for Best Song
Release Order: 20/25 (2002)