Die Another Day review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

This was the year that all the super-spies came gunning for 007. Jason Bourne had a crack at the cold-war chic and vicious punch-ups. xXx went for the outrageous stunts and nicked its plot from Thunderball. Heck, even Austin Powers cranked out an all-action pre-title sequence. Nice try, lads - A for effort, pat on the back for ambition - but, like all the wannabe Bond beaters over the years, you were only ever going to be the rest. As his 20th outing easily proves, 007's still the best.

The mission this time? Well, after a big-bang opening sequence in Korea, Die Another Day settles down into grown-up global double-crossing and some hard-nosed espionage. Someone's framed Bond and James ends up out on his own, looking for answers. Hunting down the Korean connection, he finds a trail leading from Cuba to London and then off to the Icelandic diamond mines belonging to businessman Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). En route, JB crosses swords with Graves' sexy PA Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike), scarred heavy Zao (Rick Yune), oddly familiar-looking fencing coach Verity (all right, it's Madonna...) and the usual disposable heavies and mad scientists. Not to mention Viagra-on-legs Jinx (Halle Berry).

Reacting to the challenge from the new spies on the block like a can of petrol reacts to a match, the mother of all franchises has finally decided to stop cruising and start accelerating. CG effects, martial arts, hovercraft chases, sword fights, virtual reality, rocket-powered ice-sleds, modern geo-politics, surfboards, torture, invisible cars... They all get stirred into a melt-yer-fillings pyrotechnic brew that still, somehow, finds time for the traditional Bond virtues of girls, gags, gadgets and good guys saving the world.

It doesn't all work out, of course. There's an itchy half-hour after the pre-title sequence where Die Another Day seems to be trying hard not to be a 007 film. Bond is stripped of his toys, his aura of invulnerability and even his grooming, as the agent who never even experimented with designer stubble ends up, post-torture camp incarceration, as a hairy, bearded man-beast. The pre-Brosnan Bonds have all tried to show the man behind Her Majesty's finest, but none of them put him through the wringer like this. It's brave, it's interesting and it's different, but it does clog up the action arteries a bit.

Then, like an overstretched elastic band, all of this bleakness snaps away, and the film shoots off in a completely different, gloriously glossy direction. From being the anti-Bond, Die Another Day U-turns to become the most Bond-like Bond film since Goldfinger. And that, boys and girls, is when it really takes off.

In rapid succession, DAD punches out two snarling action set-pieces, including the franchise's first-ever sword fight, spectacularly reintroduces John Cleese as the new Q and starts mainlining some genuinely gut-clenching humour. Meanwhile, anniversary in-jokes reference highlights from 007's career to date. Thunderball's jet pack, From Russia With Love's spiky-toed shoes and Halle Berry's gentlemen-you're-drooling, Dr No-style bikini are the most obvious, but assorted other juicy (ahem) titbits are scattered through the movie for the faithful to pick up like lumps of candy.

And that's all before it segues into a rollicking, camera-spinning final hour of megalomaniacal villains, car chases, mammoth sets and do-or-die quipping as exciting, funny and sexy as anything the series has ever produced.

Like the franchise, Brosnan's not past it yet either. Actually managing to look younger as the film goes on, he slips inside the character as easily as Bond slips into a tailormade suit, balancing the sly charm and innuendo-heavy chat with the need for bouts of ruthless violence and casual killing. He's certainly good for one more outing (though two might just be stretching it).

But he's not the only secret agent here who should make a return visit. Stuff yer Bournes, xXxs and Powers - if there's one spy who could challenge JB for world dominance, it's Halle Berry's Jinx. Slick, sassy and oh-so-sexy, the Oscar-winner kicks even more ass than she wiggles, matching Bond blow for blow. There's never been a 007 spin-off before, but there should be one now. Who knows? In 40 years' time, we could be wondering who's going to be the next actress to play Jinx...

Face it, Die Another Day simply blows the competition away. If you want excitement, laughs and pure sex appeal, remember one thing: Bond's really do have more fun.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

Latest in James Bond Movies
No Time to Die
Harry Potter and Spider-Man producers reportedly in talks to develop new James Bond movie
Michael Fassbender in Black Bag
X-Men star Michael Fassbender says he auditioned for James Bond, but ended up suggesting they go for Daniel Craig: "I don't know why I was promoting him"
Daniel Craig in new James Bond movie No Time to Die
Amazon boss reportedly said "I don’t care what it costs" to buy James Bond after they approached long-time producers with a Moneypenny spin-off
Bond in suit
Former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton reveals his "shock" at Amazon taking over the franchise, as he reveals his hopes for the future of 007
Henry Cavill
After Amazon lands control of James Bond, Jeff Bezos turns to social media for ideas with predictable results as stans of all kinds swarm his replies: "Who’d you pick as the next Bond?"
Daniel Craig in new James Bond movie No Time to Die
Amazon is taking over the James Bond franchise and fans are worried about the future of 007
Latest in Reviews
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma on desk with blue lighting reflecting off surface and Alienware gaming monitor on top.
Razer Monitor Stand Chroma review: “a pretty but flawed premium RGB riser for your gaming desk”
Image of the Corsair Virtuoso Max wireless headset sitting on top of a gaming PC case taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe.
Corsair Virtuoso Max Wireless review - a PC headset tour de force
Zombicide box featuring stylized art of survivors fighting zombies
Zombicide 2nd Edition review: "Like a zombie flick brought to tabletop"
Razer Handheld Dock with Steam Deck sitting on cradle, pink and yellow RGB lighting on, and Alienware monitor in background with Tomb Raider Trilogy gameplay on screen.
Razer Handheld Dock review: “Your Steam Deck will ride shiny and Chroma"
Photographs of the Agricola board game in play
Agricola review: "Accurate representation of the highly competitive and often unstable world of agriculture"
Photos taken by writer Rosalie Newcombe of the Shure MV7i microphone, within a pink and white themed room.
Shure MV7i review - convenience and excellence rolled into one superb sounding package