Flawed But Fun James Bond Entry Captures The Best & Worst Of Pierce Brosnan’s Era

Pierce Brosnan’s third outing as 007 often gets cast to the bottom of the rung regarding the legacy of the James Bond franchise, yet looking back at the film 25 years later, there’s a lot to love about The World Is Not Enough
. By giving long-time characters more time to shine and fleshing out the Bond girls with 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 Enough had its high points.

By this point in the series’ run, Brosnan was firmly established as the womanizing MI6 agent, although the epic introduction of GoldenEye was now giving way to a more campy, tongue-in-cheek style reminiscent of Roger Moore’s later outings as the spy with a license to kill. While it’s easy to criticize The World Is Not Enough as 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 Enough began with a 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 of The World Is Not Enough is watching how 007’s greatest weakness clouds his judgment.

The World Is Not Enough introduced 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 sensitive villains in the James Bond franchise, 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 Bond film.

While there are unique motivations for the villains in The World Is Not Enough, this was a Bond movie, 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 recall On 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 of The World Is Not Enough was the way it paid tribute to the legacy of James Bond and acted as a fitting farewell for Desmond Llewelyn as Q, the only actor who worked with every Eon Bond since 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 in From Russia with Love in 1963.

Another long-standing Bond character who finally got significant time in the spotlight was Judi 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 of The World Is Not Enough was 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 when The World Is Not Enough retreats from the normal formula that the film is at its best.

When all is said and done, The World Is Not Enough was 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 of GoldenEye and was miles better than the lackluster farewell that was Die 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 way The World Is Not Enough paid tribute to Q.

Pros

• The World Is Not Enough features complex villains with unique motivations not often seen in Bond films.
• Pierce Brosnan proves once again why he’s so well suited to the role of 007.
• Secondary characters like Q and M are given some real time to shine.

Cons

• The action sequence don’t quite live up to the greatest entries in the James Bond series.
• While The World Is Not Enough may appeal to lovers of more camp installments of Bond, those looking for the brooding serious Bond will be disappointed.