- "It won't look like a suicide if you shoot me from over there."
"I am a professor of forensic medicine. Believe me, Mr. Bond, I could shoot you from Stuttgart und still create the proper effect." - ― James Bond and Dr. Kaufman
Tomorrow Never Dies is a 1997 spy film and the eighteenth James Bond film made by EON Productions, as well as the second to star Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming's secret agent, James Bond. It was released in 1997, by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, and was also the first Bond film made after the death of veteran producer Albert R. Broccoli. The film is dedicated to his memory, and beginning with this production and in each subsequent Bond film, the first credit reads: "Albert R. Broccoli's EON Productions Limited presents..."; the word "Limited" was removed in the later films.
Plot Summary[]
Russian Border and South China Sea[]
The film begins at a terrorist arms bazaar somewhere on the Russian border. MI6, with Russian permission, has sent James Bond near the arms bazar to survey trades and purchases by the terrorists. 007 has set up cameras and one terrorist named Satoshi Isagura is identified. Another, Henry Gupta, is spotted with a stolen American GPS encoder. Upon viewing the range of arms, and over M's objections that the 00 Agent has not completed his reconnaissance, Admiral Roebuck orders a missile strike upon the position. However, it later transpires that the terrorists have a Soviet military jet with two nuclear torpedoes. Realizing the missile strike could detonate the torpedoes or at least cause an environmental disaster, M demands the launched missile be aborted, but it is out of range of the launching ship's signals. Bond, using diversionary tactics, steals the plane with the torpedoes and escapes the missile strike as does Gupta with the GPS encoder.
The encoder is later used by corrupt media mogul Elliot Carver as an attempt to provoke conflict between the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom as method to gain broadcasting rights in China. The encoder is used to send a British frigate, the HMS Devonshire, off course in the South China Sea where Carver's own stealth ship, sinks it while also shooting down a Chinese fighter plane. When the survivors of the sunken frigate are found to have been killed using Chinese ammunition, a Royal Navy task group is sent to the region.
Hamburg[]
As tensions between the two countries mount, Bond is sent by M to investigate Carver after MI6 identifies a spurious signal sent from one of Carver's communications satellites at the time the warship was sunk. During the investigation, Bond seduces Carver's wife, his old flame Paris Carver and as a result of which her husband orders her death. Meanwhile, Bond encounters Chinese secret agent Wai Lin while investigating the CMGN Hamburg Printing Factory. Bond fights off Carver's men, drives off his new car and finally crashes it in an auto shop.
South China Sea[]
Bond meets his old CIA ally Jack Wade and a GPS expert. The scientist tells them that the encounter was tampered with and Bond request Wade to use US military gear so he can perform a HALO jump near the sunken frigate. Greenwalt, the expert, finally identifies the Royal Navy ship sunk in Vietnamese waters. As Bond finds a missile missing from the frigate, he encounters Wai Lin again. The pair however are captured by Stamper, Carver's right-hand thug as they surface.
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)[]
Bond and Wai-Lin escape Carver in Saigon.
They are taken to Carver's headquarters in Saigon. The media mogul reveals his plan, stating he will attack Beijing and General Chang will take over the government. He then remarks that Bond and Wai Lin will get tortured by Stamper. Bond and Wai Lin manage to escape and after a furious chase across the city, they take a shower. Wai Lin, not trusting the SIS agent, handcuffs him to a pipe and runs to a MSS safehouse. There, she fights off several thugs sent by General Chang, Carver's Chinese colleague. Bond saves her life and and she works on a computer to find Carver's ship while Bond finds weapons and gadgets made by the MSS so he and Wal Lin can end this.
Finding and Destroying Carver's ship[]
The two plant explosives on the exterior hull, however, Wai Lin is spotted and captured. Bond fights off Stamper's men then plants a grenade secured in a glass jar inside. He holds Gupta hostage and tells Carver he wants to make a trade: Gupta for Wai Lin. However, a deadly fight ensues. As Bond's clever explosive detonates to start the battle, HMS Bedford spots it on its radar and the Admiral of the taskforce orders it to be shelled -- the radar signal is too weak for a missile launch. Carver orders his ship to increase speed, which results in it to sail faster than the Bedford. Wai Lin heads to the engine room and manages to destroy all systems, however, Stamper captures her once again. Bond ultimately kills Carver with his own Sea Drill and while he attempts to destroy the stolen missile, Stamper reveals a chained up Wai Lin and lowers her into the water. The villain assaults Bond, seeking revenge for Dr. Kaufman and Stamper though eventually Bond manages to kill him with the blast of the missile. Bond saves Wai Lin and Bedford searches for them though Bond tells his Chinese ally to ignore it.
Crew[]
- Directed by: Roger Spottiswoode
- Producers: Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli
- Written by: Bruce Feirstein
- Cinematography by: Robert Elswit
- Composed by: David Arnold
Production[]
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The distance between insanity & genius is measured only by success. This article or section is a work in progress. If it seems lacking, that is because it is actively being constructed and researched. |
Writing[]
Dalton's "Fourth" Bond movie (1993-1994)[]
Tomorrow Never Dies was rooted in unrealized plans for a James Bond movie starring Timothy Dalton.
Plans for the proverbial Bond 18 were already underway prior to GoldenEye, as in 1993, EON Productions had hired other writers plan out future Bond stories to follow the 17th Bond film. These pre-1995 stories were conceived primarily with actor Timothy Dalton as James Bond in mind, had he remained in the role.
One of these is the "Reunion With Death", which was written by Richard Smith, dated December 1993. Its story would have taken place in Japan, when Bond is sent to investigate a Japanese industrialist who is also a Yakuza boss, being suspected of ordering a hit on the British industrialist Sir Robert Grey, who was M's dear friend. The plot would have featured Bond teaming up with Tiger Tanaka's children, and the Bond girl would have been the villain's wife, with Bond's chemistry with her being similar to that between Bond and Paris Carver in the completed Tomorrow Never Dies.
The Reunion With Death was not pursued further, as Dalton's contract with EON had expired and he refused to renew it. While the story itself never materialized talis qualis, various ideas from it would be used in the completed 18th Bond film.[1] Other ideas from the script would also be repurposed for later Bond films; such as The World is Not Enough, Quantum of Solace and Spectre.
Additionally, John Cork (founder of Ian Fleming Foundation) had reportedly submitted 20-30 different drafts, of which none really piqued EON's interest. However, one of them was about using a satellite to mislead a British battleship off course, sink it, and steal its missile(s), which would be used in Tomorrow Never Dies.[2]
Donald Westlake (1995)[]
During the shooting of GoldenEye, Donald E. Westlake was commissioned to write a plot for Bond 18. Around March 29, 1995; Westlake and Jeff Kleeman were talking about the 18th Bond's plot, which would have featured a hacker villain operating out at a gothic castle (whose plan was to cause an global financial meltdown), Asia location and Bond apparently teaming up with his biological niece named Honey Beevers. However, Kleeman would inform that the "use of hacking to cause a financial disaster" proposal was too close to GoldenEye's plot, which was in production already, forcing Westlake to respond with "Okay, Plan B, Round 2."[3]
In May 1995, Westlake visited the producers in London to talk about the plot. As it the Hong Kong handover was nearing and the film scheduled for 1997 release, it was deemed that Hong Kong was to serve as a major location. In August 1995, Westlake would submit a 3-page "villain profile" of his idea for the main villain - to the producers.[4]
Around September 1995, Westlake started providing fuller scripts. The last incarnations were submitted around October 1995. The general plot in these was Bond going to Australia and Hong Kong to face with an obese, Chinese-born American construction CEO (named Gideon Goodbread early on, and later named Devlin Frey). The villain's scheme is to steal gold from a Hong Kong bank/gold reserve with use of tunnels that his construction companies have made -- including using "submarine drills" to ground the gold into dust to make it easier to carry. After extraction is complete, they then fill those tunnels with seawater, which causes solvation that results in extreme land subsidence that will destroy all urban settlements in Hong Kong Island.
After the release of GoldenEye in November 1995, Westlake was let go of the project. Following the release of Tomorrow Never Dies, Westlake had turned his unused scripts into a book, removing all elements that may have had legitimately run afoul with James Bond copyrights. He initially attempted to release it circa August 1998 under the name "Fall of a City", but was unable to do so, with him being unable to get the book published during his lifetime. After Westlake passed away in 2008, the Hard Castle Crime book publisher decided to publish the book in 2017 (19-20 years after Tomorrow Never Dies was released) under the name "Forever and a Death." The 2017 book was trimmed down from 610-page manuscript to 433.[5]
Feirstein Round 1 (1996)[]
Afterwards, Bruce Feirstein was assigned to write the 18th Bond, having proven his worth in writing GoldenEye's final incarnation. Feirstein already go the idea for media mogul villain while working on GoldenEye. He would submit his first 16-page "Bond 18" treatment in May 1996. Before further script revisions, the series producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli passed away -- on June 27, 1996.
Casting[]
According to Pierce Brosnan in an interview published in the December 2005 issue of Playboy, Monica Bellucci tested for the role of Paris Carver. Daphne Deckers, who portrays the PR Lady, later confirmed this at the premiere of Spectre in Amsterdam. She saw Bellucci the same day she herself auditioned. Bellucci went on to star in Spectre.[6][7]
Teri Hatcher accepted the role of Paris Carver simply to fulfill her husband's dream of being married to a Bond Girl. However, a few days after she got the part, Hatcher found out she was pregnant and her scenes had to be filmed quickly.
Anthony Hopkins - who had been asked to be the villain GoldenEye (and presumably the Unmade Bond 17 as well) - was asked for the part of Elliot Carver. Although he was apparently aboard at first, the confusion resulting from the production chaos caused him to drop out within three days, forcing EON to look for a replacement. Hopkins would instead go to star in 1998's Mask of Zorro, which was directed by Martin Campbell, who had directed GoldenEye, the Bond movie preceding Tomorrow Never Dies.
Filming[]
Tomorrow Never Dies marked a first time in 10 years to have its to have the entire productions being worked in Pinewood Studios, with the previous one being the 1987's The Living Daylights.[8]
When filming began, the script wasn't actually finished. Pierce Brosnan even quipped, "We had a script that was not functioning in certain areas".
Pre-release and marketing[]
A March 10, 1997 report in the New York Daily News on the production of the as-yet untitled film (then being referred to as Bond 18) indicated that several titles were being considered for the film, including: Shamelady, Avatar, Shatterhand, Zero Windchill and the title considered most likely — Tomorrow Never Dies.[2] The rumored title Shatterhand is interesting as this is the alias used by Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Ian Fleming's original novel of You Only Live Twice which, like Tomorrow Never Dies, also has strong oriental ties.
In conjunction with the release of the film in 1997, BMW offered a special promotion where the model 750i sedan and the R1200 cruiser motorcycle could be purchased for $149,000 CAD.
Cast and Characters[]
Main[]
CMGN Executives[]
HMS Devonshire crew[]
HMS Bedford crew[]
HMS Chester crew[]
Terrorists at arms bazaar on the Russian border[]
Weapons & Gadgets[]
Gadgets[]
Main articles: List of James Bond gadgets and Category:Tomorrow Never Dies (film) Equipment
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GPS Encoder - Acquired by Elliot Carver in order to send the HMS Devonshire off course into Chinese territorial waters. |
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Cigarette Lighter Grenade - A disguised timed explosive/grenade. |
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Ericsson JB988 - The device flips open to reveal a touchpad and LCD display for driving the BMW 750iL by remote. It also has a fingerprint scanner, 20,000 volt taser, key replicator, and controls for operating the car's defence system. Much of the look of this phone including the "flip-open" design was eventually incorporated into Ericsson's R380. |
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Rappelling Bracelet - The bracelet fires a piton - or grappling hook - for scaling vertical surfaces, similar to Bond's wristwatch in The World Is Not Enough. It was developed by the Chinese People's External Security Force, the Chinese equivalent of MI6. |
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Dragon Flamethrower - Bond commented on the fact that this device was "very novel." Although this appears to be a sculpture of a dragon, pulling back one of the ears emits a high yield flamethrower, which makes the sculpture look like a fire-breathing dragon. |
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Restraint Fan - Weapon developed by Wai Lin's counterpart division to Q Branch. Appears to be a Chinese fan, but when opened, various string-like restraints are emitted, possibly with the design of restraining an opponent. |
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Rickshaw Defense Mechanism - This was used to subdue an enemy that was though to be unconscious. A button is pressed, and an upper part of a bike-based rickshaw, which appears to be parked, ejects, knocking out the target. |
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Explosive Wristwatch - A modified Omega Seamaster wristwatch taken by Bond from the Chinese safehouse. The watch had a small, detachable charge that could be detonated by turning the watch's dial. It was later used to remotely destroy a glass jar that had a grenade lodged inside. |
Weapons[]
Main articles: List of Firearms and Tomorrow Never Dies (film) Weapons
Prominent use[]
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Walther PPK - James Bond's sidearm. Uses it mainly when he is in Hamburg. Tomorrow Never Dies marks a pause for PPK's appearance in Bond movies, and from this movie onward until 2008's Quantum of Solace, Bond adopts a Walther P99 as his sidearm. |
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Walther P99 - Acquired by Bond in Wai Lin's Saigon safehouse. Used mainly during the combat sequences at the final Stealth Ship set-piece. |
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Heckler & Koch P9S - used by Carver's henchmen at the printing factory and the car park. |
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Heckler & Koch P7 - Dr. Kaufman's gun during the hotel suite stand-off. |
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Type 59 pistol (Chinese Makarov) - used by General Chang's goons that attack Wai Lin's safehouse. It is identified as "Makarov 59" by Bond. |
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Glock 17 (Gen 2) - used by Carver's soldiers aboard the Stealth Ship. Due to continuity error, Carver (who previously had a P229) is seen using one to threaten Bond. |
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SIG-Sauer P229 - used by Elliot Carver during the sequence where Bond attempts to trade Gupta to Wai Lin aboard the Stealth Ship. |
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Foldable Assault Rifle (heavily modified ArmaLite AR-180 Carbine) - unique assault rifle used by Bond at the Arms Bazaar sequence. It is actually supposed to fold like Hotchkiss Type Universal, but this function is actually never demonstrated in the film, with Bond having it already folded when it appears on screen. |
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Kalashnikov rifle (Norinco Type 56-1 w/ AK-74 muzzle) - used by the terrorists at the Arms Bazaar sequence. |
 
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H&K MP5 (base model, MP5K and MP5K PDW) - majority of Carver's henchmen use H&K MP5 - and MP5K in particular - as their weapon of choice through-out the film. Occasionally acquired by Bond and Wai Lin as well. |
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M16A2 Rifle - full-size M16A2 with a M203 grenade launcher are used by Carver's henchmen during the car park BMW fight. Standard M16A2 without attachments appears in the hands of US airmen at the Okinawan base, where Bond meets Wade. |
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Colt Model 727 Carbine - M727 with M203 grenade launcher is first used by one of Carver's henchmen during the car park BMW fight. At the stealth ship, similar M727+M203 combo is used by Stamper. |
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Calico M950A - used by Carver's guards at the Saigon tower. Bond acquires one and uses it to provide cover fire for his and Wai Lin's escape. |
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M60E3 Machine Gun - used by Stamper to massacre the survivors of HMS Devonshire. |
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M79 Grenade Launcher - used by one of Carver's henchmen during the car park BMW fight. |
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LAW 80 Rocket Launcher - used by one of Carver's henchmen during the car park BMW fight. He famously fires the rocket, only for the projectile to fly through the broken front and rear windows of Bond's BMW 750iL. |
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Speargun - used by Stamper to kill Wai Lin's collaborator onboard the fishing boat. |
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Gerber Mark 1 knife - A boot knife that Bond wears on his upper left chest as a backup. He stabs Mr. Stamper with it shortly before chaining him to the firing mechanism of the stealth boat's onboard missiles. |
Background/low presence firearms[]
- PKM (arms bazaar)
- DShK (arms bazaar)
- Browning Hi-Power (Royal Military Police)
- Browning BDM (Carver's Saigon Building guard)
- FAMAS F1 (Wai Lin's safehouse)
- AKS-74U (Wai Lin's safehouse)
- FN P90 (Wai Lin's safehouse)
Vehicles[]
Main articles: List of James Bond vehicles and Tomorrow Never Dies (film) Vehicles
Major vehicles[]
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Aston Martin DB5 - Bond's legendary DB5 makes a couple camoes early in the film. First seen at the Oxford university and Bond subsequently uses it to drive to the Ministry of Defence headquarters. |
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BMW 750iL - used in Germany, the car has a security system disallowing access without first being disarmed via the mobile telephone; the glove box security system is fingerprint-controlled. Armament includes sunroof rockets, deployable caltrops (out of the rear bumper), re-inflatable tyres, and a wire-cutter hidden under the BMW logo on the hood. The car may be remotely operated via Bond's mobile phone. The vehicle itself is actually a 740i model re-badged as a 750. |
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1987 Daimler Limousine - the car that passages M, Bond and Moneypenny at streets of London. |
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1985 Ford Scorpio Mark I - one of the cars used by Carver's henchmen at the Hamburg multistorey car park sequence. Gets exploded by the LAW-80 rocket launcher. |
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1986 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse (W126) - one of the cars used by Carver's henchmen at the Hamburg multistorey car park sequence. |
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1988 Opel Senator (B) - one of the cars used by Carver's henchmen at the Hamburg multistorey car park sequence. |
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1995 Land Rover Range Rover Series II / P38A - used by Carver's men to chase Bond and Wai Lin in Saigon. |
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BMW R1200C - stolen in Saigon, the BMW R1200 motorcycle was used in a chase sequence through the city and was ridden by both James Bond and Wai Lin of the People's Republic of China. |
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Aero L-39 Albatros - light attack jet at the arms bazaar that's carrying two Soviet SB-5 nuclear torpedoes. Bond hijacks it to get it out of the terrorist hands and prevent the incoming Royal Navy cruise missile from exploding the L-39's nuclear payload. |
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Shenyang J-8B ("Chinese MiG") – the Chinese fighter jets that appear to try force HMS Devonshire out of Chinese territorial waters. One of them gets shot down by Carver's Stealth Ship. |
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Fairchild C-123 Provider – US transport plane that brings Bond to the site of the sunken Devonshire, from which Bond performs a HALO jump to the location. |
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Eurocopter AS355 - used by Carver's men to extract Bond and Wai Lin from the site of the sunken Devonshire. Later used by them to chase Bond and Wai Lin escaping through Saigon. |
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Stealth Ship – almost undetectable ship owned by media mogul Elliot Carver, integral to his scheme to fire a missile at Beijing to force a regime change. |
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HMS Chester – Commanded by an unnamed captain, she was responsible for launching a Anglo-Russian cruise missile strike on an arms bazaar along the Russian border. |
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HMS Devonshire – British frigate that's scuttled by Carver's Stealth Ship at the start of the film. Used secure missiles to be used by the Stealth Ship to shoot at China to aid General Chang's coup. Bond and Wai Lin dive to investigate the wreckage of the ship. |
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HMS Bedford – British frigate that is present at Carver's attempt to shoot the missile to China. The HMS Bedford plays key part in destroying the stealth ship. |
Other notable vehicles[]
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UAZ-469 - appears at the Arms Bazaar. Used by Gupta and his escorts to flee the Arms Bazaar before the cruise missile hits. |
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ZiL 135 - truck carrying the "Chinese Long March" Missile, destroyed by a bomb planted by Bond. |
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1993 BMW K 75 RT – driven by the motorcade guarding M's Daimler Limousine. |
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1982 Ford F-350 |
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Hyster 400 - the forklift that almost hits Bond at the printing press factory. |
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1995 Ford Scorpio MkII - police car arriving to Atlantic Hotel. |
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1994 Jeep Cherokee |
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Eurocopter AS565 Panther – black-market attack helicopter at the arms bazaar, exploded by the L-39 commandeered by Bond. |
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Boeing 737 – used by Bond to arrive to Hamburg. |
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Sikorsky MH-53M Pave Low – helicopter that brings Bond to the US army base in Southeast Asia. |
Background vehicles[]
Land vehicles[]
- 1986 AM General HMMWV
- 1979 Audi 80 B2
- 1994 Audi A8 D2
- 1985 Austin Maestro
- 1975 BMW 5 [E12]
- 1983 BMW 320i [E30]
- 1987 BMW 7 [E32]
- 1987 Chevrolet Sprint
- 1978 Citroën GS
- 1983 Citroën BX
- Daihatsu Midget
- 1990 Daihatsu Applause
- 1993 Ferrari 456 GT
- 1987 Fiat Duna
- 1995 Ford Scorpio MkII
- 1997 Ford Mondeo MkII
- Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic
- Honda Tena
- 1984 Honda Civic
- 1993 Honda Nova Dash 125
- 1968 IFA W50 L
- Isuzu TXD
- 1995 Jaguar XJ6 [X300]
- 1985 LTI FX4S
- 1978 Mercedes-Benz Lang [W123]
- 1986 Mercedes-Benz SEC [C126]
- 1990 Mercedes-Benz [W124]
- 1992 Mercedes-Benz O 405 N
- 1995 Mercedes-Benz S-Klasse [W140]
- 1996 Mercedes-Benz SL [R129]
- 1987 Mitsubishi Colt
- 1989 Mitsubishi Montero
- 1996 Mitsubishi Carisma
- 1985 Opel Kadett [E]
- Oshkosh R-11
- 1983 Peugeot 305 Break
- 1983 Peugeot 505 Estate
- 1988 Peugeot 205
- 1990 Peugeot 309
- 1997 Porsche Boxster [986]
- 1989 Proton 1.3
- 1982 Renault 18
- 1982 Renault Fuego
- 1974 Robur LO 2002 A
- ROF Eager Beaver
- 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow I
- 1995 Rover 100 [R6]
- 1995 Rover 620 [SK1]
- 1988 Seat Ibiza
- Suzuki VS 800 Intruder
- Toyota Dyna
- 1978 Toyota Celica
- Ural 375 D
- 1995 Vauxhall Astravan MkIII
- 1982 Volkswagen Polo II [Typ 86C]
- Volvo 265
- 1991 Volvo 240
- Yamaha FZX 750 Fazer
- 1966 ZiL 131
Aircraft[]
- Eurocopter EC135
- British Aerospace BAe 125-400B
- British Aerospace BAe 146-200QC
- McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
Locations[]
| Country and region | Location | Real/shooting Location |
|---|---|---|
| Russia, unknown mountainous border region | Terrorist Arms Bazaar | Altiport de Peyresourde-Balestas, France (ICAO code: LFIP); currently known as Altiport 007.[9][10] |
| UK | Oxford University | Brasenose College of Oxford Holywell Street in front of New College |
| SIS Building, MI6 Headquarters | Somerset House in the Strand, London WC2 | |
| M's convoy | Prince's Street into Bank intersection with the Bank of England and Threadneedle Street 150 Aldersgate Street | |
| Germany, Hamburg | Hamburg Airport | Hamburg Airport Terminal Two (terminal itself); Stansted Airport, Essex (the hangar) |
| CMGN Hamburg Headquarters | IBM Building, Bedfont Lakes in Feltham, West London | |
| Hotel Atlantic Hamburg | Same (exterior); Stoke Poges Golf Club, Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire (Bond's suite) | |
| CMGN Hamburg Printing Factory | Harmsworth Quays Printing Limited (now supplanted by Printworks) Westferry Printing Works, Isle of Dogs, London East India Dock House (the former Financial Times Building) | |
| Hotel Atlantic Hamburg, multi-storey car park | Brent Cross Shopping Centre's multi-storey car park, London Borough of Barnet | |
| Japan, Okinawa | U.S. Airbase in South China Sea | RAF Lakenheath, USAF base in Suffolk |
| Vietnam territorial waters[11] | Underwater wreckage of HMS Devonshire | TBA |
| Vietnam, Saigon | CMGN Building Saigon | Sinn Sathorn Tower (exterior shots) (sometimes misidentified as Banyan Tree Bangkok, Sathorn) |
| Streets of Saigon | Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Wai Lin's safehouse | TBA | |
| South China Sea | Ha Long Bay | Phuket, Thailand |
| Sea Dolphin II (the Stealth Ship) | Fox Baja Studios, Mexico (exterior shots) Studio sets, miniature work |
| Shooting Locations |
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Map[]
Soundtrack[]
See: Tomorrow Never Dies (soundtrack)
Novelisation[]
See Tomorrow Never Dies (novelisation)
Reception and legacy[]
Tomorrow Never Dies is peculiar in that it's reception has improved over the years. Despite its solid box-office performance - especially as it was released on the same timeframe as the box-office smash hit Titanic, the film itself was received quite lukewarmly at release. Even though there were critics who found the satirical edge of Elliot Carver a refreshing addition, others found its media mogul villain too far-fetched. However, in the 2010s with the increased awareness of deceitful media practices and how information and disinformation travels in the internet, the once absurd Carver is now considered with new eyes of credibility; even if Carver's use of newspaper media being now considered somewhat dated.
Trivia[]
- Upon seeing a several stories-tall images of Elliot Carver adorning his skyscraper, Bond remarks that Carver, "...appears to have developed an edifice complex." This line makes a play on the well-known "Oedipus complex" phrase, but the proper diagnosis for someone like Carver would be having a Narcissus complex, an extreme personality disorder of which intense self-worship and undue self-esteem are the primary symptoms.
- The film was adapted into a video game released for the Sony PlayStation in 1999. Unlike the previous title GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64, it is a 3rd-Person Shooter game instead of 1st. It did not quite receive as much acclaim among fans.
- It has been suggested that the character of Elliot Carver is (very loosely) based on Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corporation exerts power across many continents, and to some degree, Charles Foster Kane (portrayed by Orson Welles) from Citizen Kane, not to mention media magnate Ted Turner.
- A business report from one of Carver's executives about "releasing software full of bugs which will force users to upgrade for years" is a shot against Microsoft and co-founder Bill Gates.
- During the Carver Satellite launching party scene, a jazz instrumental of the 1924 song "It Had to Be You" could be briefly heard. Coincidentally, the song's title corresponds with James Bond's reunion with Paris Carver after a long while.
- The film was originally titled Tomorrow Never Lies, a reference to Elliott Carver's newspaper Tomorrow. However, it was then the subject of a typo and the producers liked the alternate title so much they adopted it.
- This was the final Bond film-to-date to be released directly through United Artists; parent company Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer would assume co-production and distribution beginning with the next film.
- This is the first James Bond film of which both the title and the main storyline completely have no relations to the life and previous works of Bond creator Ian Fleming. The only link to previous Bond works in this film is, en route to the final battle, Bond and Wai Lin pass the Phang Nga Bay Island, which was previously set as the hideout of Francisco Scaramanga in The Man with the Golden Gun, but this location featured in none of Fleming's original novels or short stories.
- Several inconsistencies exist in the representation of the Royal Navy. Type 23 frigates do not carry land attack cruise missiles as depicted in the first moments of the film; the missile that is fired is fitted to Type 23s but is the Harpoon anti-shipping missile. The encounter with the stealth ship is also of poetic licence as lookouts would be posted on deck, in the real world an aircraft carrier would also have been present in the task group, and a wealth of options to engage the stealth ship would have been open to the task group commander. (This stems from only one ship model being built for the movie to save costs and time.) Rather than shelling the stealth ship, he could have also used a helicopter, both systems being carried by Type 23 frigates.
- The Harpoon launch footage described above was used again in Die Another Day as a supposed anti-satellite missile launch.
- This is the first Bond film where Bond switches to the newer Walther P99 until Daniel Craig appeared and reverted to the iconic Walther PPK in the pre-credit scenes.
- Paris Carver asks, "Tell me, James, do you still sleep with a gun under your pillow?" is a not to the original Casino Royale novel. This would be referenced again in Die Another Day, in which the same thing also gets Bond in trouble in that film.
- The Phang Nga filming location in Thailand was substituted for Ha Long Bay as named in the film. That location was previously film for The Man with the Golden Gun. Today, it is famously known as James Bond Island.
- The third and final Bond film to show Bond in his Royal Navy uniform. Here, he not only has his Commander stripes but the insignia of Fleet Air Arm Aviator (indicating he must have served in the FAA). He also has a Parachutist Badge with wings (which indicating that as a Royal Navy personnel he was awarded as part of a Special Forces parachutist course). Bond's decorations again differ from You Only Live Twice and The Spy Who Loved Me. Here they are: Order of the British Empire (OBE), Distinguish Service Cross, Campaign Service Medal (1962), UN Former Republic of Yugoslavia Medal, NATO medal for Former Yugoslavia and, Rhodesia medal. The second row medals could also be the United Nations Medal (UNTSO), South Atlantic Medal.
Videos[]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ Feutry, Clement (2024); page 1250-1256
- ↑ Feutry, Clement (2024); page 1257-1259
- ↑ Feutry, Clement (2024); page 1261-1262
- ↑ Feutry, Clement (2024); page 1263-1265
- ↑ Feutry, Clement (2024); page 1280-1285
- ↑ Larman, Alexander. "James Bond's China conflict: is Tomorrow Never Dies the most chaotic, prophetic 007 film so far?", 15 July 2017. (in en-GB)
- ↑ Daphne Deckers: 'Ik at sateetjes met James Bond' (nl) (27 October 2015).
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ MovieLocations.com Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- ↑ Wingly.io Excursion to Peyresourde altiport 007 (retrieved March 31, 2025)
- ↑ (When Bond is about to do a HALO jump)
Greenwalt: I, uh, just noticed something.
Wade: Yeah?
Greenwalt: Uh, this is where the ship thought it was.
Wade: Yeah?
Greenwalt: And this is where it really is. But see that island there?
Wade: Yeah?
Greenwalt: Well that means where he's uh, jumping between the British and Chinese fleets... well technically, there not Chinese territorial waters.
Wade: What!?
Greewalt: They belong to Vietnam.
Wade & Master Sergeant Sogle: VIETNAM!?
Greenwalt: Does he have any US Goverment markings on him?
Master Sergeant Sogle: The parachute, the wet suit, the fins.
Greenwalt: Geez, if the Vietnamese catch him, they are gonna go crazy.
External links[]
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| James Bond films |
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| Sean Connery Dr. No (1962) • From Russia with Love (1963) • Goldfinger (1964) • Thunderball (1965) • You Only Live Twice (1967) • Diamonds Are Forever (1971) |
| George Lazenby On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) |
| Roger Moore Live and Let Die (1973) • The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) • The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) • Moonraker (1979) • For Your Eyes Only (1981) • Octopussy (1983) • A View to a Kill (1985) |
| Timothy Dalton The Living Daylights (1987) • Licence to Kill (1989) |
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| Unofficial films Casino Royale (1954) • Casino Royale (1967) • Never Say Never Again (1983) |
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