Pierce Brosnan’s third outing as 007 often gets cast to the bottom of the rung regarding the legacy of theJames Bondfranchise, yet looking back at the film 25 years later, there’s a lot to love aboutThe World Is Not Enough. By giving long-time characters more time to shine and fleshing out theBond girlswith some much-needed depth, director Michael Apted infused the action-packed spectacle with nuances from his dramatic and documentary background. While it was far from peak Bond,The World Is Not Enoughhad its high points.
The World is Not Enough
Cast
James Bond is assigned to protect Elektra King, the daughter of a murdered oil tycoon, and to prevent a terrorist from destroying her family’s pipeline. As he delves deeper into the case, Bond uncovers a complex web of deception and betrayal. The terrorist, Renard, is a former KGB agent who feels no pain due to a bullet lodged in his brain. Bond’s mission takes him from the high-stakes world of international oil politics to the dangerous terrains of the Caspian Sea. Along the way, he joins forces with nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones to thwart a plot to trigger a nuclear meltdown in Istanbul.
By this point in the series’ run, Brosnan was firmly established as the womanizing MI6 agent, although the epic introduction ofGoldenEyewas now giving way to a more campy, tongue-in-cheek style reminiscent ofRoger Moore’s later outingsas the spy with a license to kill. Whileit’s easy to criticizeThe World Is Not Enoughas uninspired and formulaic, there were also enough positives that this installment captures both the highs and lows of James Bond in one film. There’s high-stakes action, but the movie can also feel like a drag at times.
The World Is Not Enough Features Complex Villains With Fascinating Motivations
Sophie Marceau As Elektra King Was A Uniquely Formidable Foe For Bond
With a story involving the murdered billionaire businessman Robert King and a plot to protect the daughter from the terrorist who once kidnapped her,The World Is Not Enoughbegan witha classic Bond setup of safeguarding the interests of the powerful. However, this by-the-numbers introduction gives way to interesting thematic undertones of corporate greed, capitalism, and oil in a narrative where nobody’s loyalties are guaranteed. While Bond thinks he has it all figured out in the beginning, part of the appeal ofThe World Is Not Enoughis watching how 007’s greatest weakness clouds his judgment.
Elektra’s role as a cunning, sadistic, and calculating villain makes her one of the most fascinating foes Bond has ever faced.
The World Is Not Enoughintroduced the oil heiress Elektra (Sophie Marceau) as a target of the world’s most wanted terrorist, Renard (Robert Carlyle). While Elektra initially appeared like a damsel in distress, she’s later revealed to be a cunning femme fatale and, despite going to bed with 007, was the mastermind behind her father’s murder and the main villain of this installment. As a complex woman who uses her sexuality to manipulate Bond for her own ends, Elektra’s role as a cunning, sadistic, and calculating villain makes her one of the most fascinating foes Bond has ever faced.
Elektra’s self-serving interests were made all the more fascinating due to her relationship with her former kidnapper Renard, who, due to a failed assassination attempt, had a bullet lodged in his brain that meant he couldn’t feel pain and grew stronger every day. Despite an inability to feel physical pain, Renard was actually one of the most sensitivevillains in theJames Bondfranchise, as his emotional issues made him alienated, numb, and nihilistic. With an astounding performance from Carlyle,Renard was a villain of much more depth than is generally expected in a Bondfilm.
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While there are unique motivations for the villains inThe World Is Not Enough, this was a Bondmovie, and the most important things were the action sequences, gadgetry, intense explosions, gunfights, and escapes. In this regard, the film was a worthy entry in the spy series but did not feature any groundbreaking or truly memorable action scenes. There are moments, like an enjoyable boat chase on the Thames in the opening act or the ski chase with Elektra in the snowy Caucasus Mountains, that recallOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service, but Bond has certainly had more exciting adventures.
The World Is Not Enough Gives Space To Its Supporting Characters
Memorable Moments From Q & M Were A Highlight
The most enjoyable aspect ofThe World Is Not Enoughwas the way it paid tribute to the legacy ofJames Bondand acted asa fitting farewell for Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the only actor who worked withevery Eon Bondsince Sean Connery. Llewelyn tragically died in a car crash shortly after this film’s premiere, although his final scene acted as a poignant goodbye, as his final line, “Always have an escape plan,” summed up Q’s role as a guide and asset for Bond since he first appeared inFrom Russia with Lovein 1963.
A real highlight ofThe World Is Not Enoughwas seeing M show off her resourcefulness when she channels her inner secret agent to make her escape.
Another long-standing Bond character who finally got significant time in the spotlight wasJudi Dench as M, the head of MI6, whose personal reaction to King’s death showcased a more vulnerable side to her often stoic personality. A real highlight ofThe World Is Not Enoughwas seeing M show off her resourcefulness when she channels her inner secret agent to make her escape after being held hostage by Elektra. It’s moments like this whenThe World Is Not Enoughretreats from the normalformula that the film is at its best.
When all is said and done,The World Is Not Enoughwas a fun James Bond movie that didn’t do much to make itself stand out within the franchise, serving as a middle-of-the-road entry when it came to Brosnan’s tenure as 007. While it never quite reached the highs ofGoldenEyeand was miles better than the lackluster farewell that wasDie Another Day, there are enough great moments here to make it worth revisiting and plenty of viewers will have a soft spot in their hearts for the wayThe World Is Not Enoughpaid tribute to Q.
