--- title: "Die Another Day" year: 2002 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/die-another-day" fi1m_score: 50 critics_score: 57 critics_reviews: 17 published: "2026-09-18T11:47:56.701277+00:00" updated: "2026-09-18T11:47:56.990689+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Die Another Day (2002) Directed by Lee Tamahori · 2h 13m · MPA PG-13 · Adventure, Action, Thriller **Fi1m score: 50** · Critics 57 from 17 reviews *In a sentence:* Brosnan does his best work in a beard and a cell; then someone hands him an invisible car > The twentieth Bond starts as the toughest of Brosnan’s four, with a beard, a cell and a grudge, and ends as a cartoon with an invisible car and a computer-drawn wave. The fencing duel is the reason to stay. ## Synopsis James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) surfs into North Korea posing as a dealer in African conflict diamonds, there to sell to Colonel Moon (Will Yun Lee), who trades the stones for weapons. His cover is blown, a hovercraft chase crosses a minefield, and Bond is taken by the colonel’s father, General Moon (Kenneth Tsang). Fourteen months of prison and torture follow before he is swapped for Zao (Rick Yune), Moon’s henchman, his face now studded with diamonds. M (Judi Dench) believes he talked and revokes his licence. Bond slips his guard and follows Zao to Havana, where a sleeper agent, Raoul (Emilio Echevarría), points him to a clinic, and where Jinx (Halle Berry), an American agent, walks out of the sea. The trail runs to London and a diamond magnate, Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens). ## Review *Die Another Day* is the twentieth James Bond film and it arrived forty years after the first, so it comes with a duty to celebrate. Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, back from [*The World Is Not Enough*](https://film.one/film/the-world-is-not-enough) (1999), have a better idea: hurt him. Their script sends Bond into North Korea, gets him caught and keeps him in a cell for fourteen months. For about forty minutes this is the hardest and most interesting of Pierce Brosnan’s four Bond films. Then somebody remembers the anniversary, the gadgets come out and the film turns into a cartoon of itself. It runs 133 minutes and the good part is the shortest. Lee Tamahori, who made [*Once Were Warriors*](https://film.one/film/once-were-warriors) (1994), directs the opening as if it were a war film. David Tattersall shoots North Korea in wet greys and browns, the hovercraft chase in dirt and spray rather than gloss, and when Bond is dragged into the prison the light shrinks to a single bulb. The credits are the boldest thing here: instead of dancing silhouettes we get Bond drowned, burned and stung, cut against Madonna’s title song, with David Arnold’s pulse underneath. Brosnan comes out bearded, thin and furious, and Judi Dench’s M looks at him as a liability. We sat up. It seemed, for once, that the series had decided to grow up, and we wanted to see what a Bond with a grudge and no licence would do. What he does is go to Cuba, and Cuba is still good. Tattersall turns the light gold, Emilio Echevarría’s Raoul runs a cigar factory as a front, and Halle Berry’s Jinx walks out of the sea in an orange bikini in a straight lift from Ursula Andress in [*Dr. No*](https://film.one/film/dr-no) (1962), the one anniversary joke that works because it is played as a joke on Bond. Back in London there is a fencing match at a gentlemen’s club between Bond and Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) that starts with foils and masks, escalates to sabres and then broadswords, and wrecks the hall. Christian Wagner cuts it clean and long, without tricks, so we can see both actors doing the work. It is the best sequence in the film and one of the best in Brosnan’s run. Stephens plays Graves as a rich brat who has learned charm from a manual, and it is the right choice: the character is a fraud and the performance keeps telling us so. Rosamund Pike gives Miranda Frost a chill that survives even the lines she is handed. Rick Yune’s Zao, diamonds set in his face, is a good idea for a henchman and gets one decent chase. John Cleese, as Q, is funny about the equipment. The equipment is the problem. The equipment includes a car that turns invisible. The script knows this is silly, has Bond say so, and then relies on it for a chase across a frozen lake. Peter Lamont has built an ice palace in Iceland, a real set of frozen walls and lit floors, and it looks magnificent right up until the computers take over and start melting it. The low point is a wave, computer-drawn, that no sea has ever produced, with Brosnan pasted onto the front of it. We laughed, and it was not the laugh the film wanted; then we felt sorry for everyone in the frame. Wagner, who trusted the fencing to play straight, starts speed-ramping and freeze-framing the later action as if the footage needed help, and Arnold’s score goes to drum loops. Berry, after that entrance, is given quips where a character should be, and Michael Madsen’s Falco has a desk and nothing to do at it. Brosnan is not the trouble. He has grown into the part, and his scenes in the cell and in front of M suggest a version of Bond worth a whole film. Purvis and Wade have the right instinct and drop it at the first sight of a gadget. [*GoldenEye*](https://film.one/film/goldeneye) (1995) managed to be knowing about the formula and still use it; this one apologises for the formula and then doubles it. See the first forty minutes and the fencing, and see them properly. The rest is fine at home, where the wave can be talked over and the invisible car is at least easier to ignore. It carries a 12A, which the torture only just earns. *Fi1m score 50, published 18 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews split almost evenly, roughly a third positive and rather more undecided. Where critics agree is on the opening: Bond’s captivity and the harder, more resentful man who comes out of it are singled out repeatedly as the film’s most promising stretch. Brosnan is praised by most for giving the part darker shadings than before, and the fencing duel is named by several as the best sequence. Halle Berry’s Jinx is more often welcomed than not. The reservations cluster in the second half. Most critics complain that the film abandons its gritty start for gadgets and digital effects, with the invisible car, a CGI windsurfing escape and Madonna’s cameo coming in for particular scorn. The spread is wide: The Guardian finds the dialogue cringe-making and The Times calls the whole thing a travesty, while later reappraisals at Den of Geek and Film Stories argue that its reputation as the worst Bond is a little harsh. ### Reviews we read (17) - **Total Film**, Total Film (85/100, inferred): The critic lauds the film as the best Bond outing in years for its mix of high-octane action, humor, sex appeal, and classic elements while embracing modern thrills, with strong turns from Brosnan and Halle Berry. It outshines rival spy films through sheer excitement and entertainment value. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/die-another-day-review/) - **Evening Standard**, Alexander Walker (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's blend of traditional Bond elements with a more gritty, human portrayal of the character, especially in the opening sequences and character shifts. Tamahori's direction and the anniversary references to past films are highlighted as strengths. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/licence-to-chill-7386417.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (80/100, inferred): The critic accepts Pierce Brosnan as Bond without reservation and praises the film for balancing absurd stunts with lean, tough action scenes. He singles out Halle Berry's competent and deadly Jinx character for benefiting from modern views of women in the series. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/die-another-day-2002) - **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (75/100, inferred): The review calls it perhaps the most satisfying Bond movie since The Spy Who Loved Me for pushing the story in interesting directions while staying in the formula. It praises the credit sequence's acknowledgment of Bond's vulnerability but criticizes the noisy, turgid ending and Tamahori's action direction in large-scale sequences. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/22/movies/film-review-bang-splat-kapow-must-be-that-007.html) - **Time Out**, JO'C (75/100, inferred): Praises Brosnan's surefooted performance and the film's playful pastiche and strong supporting cast, while noting pacing issues and over-the-top gadgets. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/die-another-day) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Highlights the action set pieces, casting of Berry, and marketing potential while acknowledging it is not vintage Bond and has some coherence and CGI issues. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/die-another-day/4011282.article) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (60/100, inferred): The review finds the film an intermittently entertaining but muddled patchwork that lacks restraint and clear execution in action scenes, though it praises strong moments like the fencing duel, sex appeal, and Brosnan's performance. It is seen as diverting but not the expected celebratory birthday outing. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/die-another-day-review/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Manohla Dargis (60/100, inferred): The critic finds the film only intermittently entertaining yet hard to resist due to nostalgia and its wittily self-knowing title, describing it as caught between self-parody and a desire to be taken seriously as action. She praises director Lee Tamahori's facility for pulp and a nimbly choreographed swordfight but notes it is trapped in a prolonged middle-aged crisis. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-22-et-dargis22-story.html) - **Radio Times**, Sloan Freer (3/5): Commends the pacing, locations, and Brosnan's performance but criticizes poor CGI and Madonna's contribution. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-uavgg7/die-another-day/) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (55/100, inferred): The review describes it as a midrange series entry with tasty scenes in the first half but faults the second half for pushing into CGI-driven quasi-sci-fi that betrays the franchise. It praises the extended fencing duel as the film's best sequence and Brosnan's dark shadings but criticizes the absurd CGI windsurfing escape and protracted fiery climax. [Read](https://variety.com/2002/film/awards/die-another-day-1200544820/) - **Sight and Sound** (50/100, inferred): The critic notes the film's nods to previous Bonds and Brosnan's deeper performance but questions the longevity of the formula amid heavy CGI reliance. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=80) - **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (40/100, inferred): The film starts with some promising formula-bending in its first hour but ultimately disappoints by reverting to predictable Bond tropes and overreliance on digital effects that make the action feel like a video game. Brosnan remains a capable but unremarkable Bond, and the director's involvement fails to elevate the material beyond the series' familiar limitations. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/die-another-day-1798198150) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film full of cringe-making, cheesy lines and treats it as if Austin Powers never happened. He singles out the naff invisible car gadget and Madonna's wooden cameo for complaint while noting Halle Berry's sexy entrance. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/nov/15/artsfeatures.jamesbond) - **The Times**, Cosmo Landesman (30/100, inferred): The critic views the film as a travesty compared to classic Bond entries and argues the formula has had its day. He singles out Brosnan's limited screen presence and the sagging, over-processed quality of the whole enterprise for complaint. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/film-the-spy-who-bores-me-wcm9853xqtj) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (25/100, inferred): The 20th Bond film recycles familiar gadgets, chases, and double entendres to the point of parody, with Halle Berry's role and Madonna's cameo adding little of substance. The relentless explosions and clichés suggest the franchise may have run its course. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/die-another-day/) - **Film Stories**, Simon Brew (50/100, inferred): The critic acknowledges that Die Another Day became one of the most critically lambasted Bond films, largely due to over-the-top gadgets like the invisible car, but argues that branding it the worst is a little harsh. They single out the film's gritty opening (Bond's captivity and resentment) for praise as a promising darker direction that was ultimately abandoned in favor of fantasy elements. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/die-another-day-and-how-the-invisible-car-helped-change-james-bond/) - **Den of Geek**, Max Williams (45/100, inferred): The film is not utterly irredeemable despite its reputation, though tonal inconsistency is its biggest flaw as a gritty first half gives way to ludicrous silliness. The opening third delivers a strong, hard-edged Bond adventure with an intriguing setup in North Korea. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/is-die-another-day-really-the-worst-james-bond-movie/) ## Details - **Director:** Lee Tamahori - **Director:** Lee Tamahori - **Screenplay:** Robert Wade, Neal Purvis - **Cinematography:** David Tattersall - **Editor:** Christian Wagner - **Music:** David Arnold - **Production design:** Peter Lamont - **Producer:** Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson - **Cast:** Pierce Brosnan as James Bond; Halle Berry as Jinx; Toby Stephens as Gustav Graves; Rosamund Pike as Miranda Frost; Rick Yune as Zao; Judi Dench as M; John Cleese as Q; Michael Madsen as Falco - **Runtime:** 2h 13m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 22 November 2002 - **Genres:** Adventure, Action, Thriller - **Budget:** $142 million - **Box office:** $432 million ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-18.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HU, ID, IE, IL, IT, JP, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Casino Royale* (2006), Fi1m 86: The wounded, licence-free Bond this film promised and then abandoned, done properly. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/casino-royale.md) - *Once Were Warriors* (1994), Fi1m 82: Tamahori before the gadgets: a hard, angry Auckland family drama with nothing digital in it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/once-were-warriors.md) - *The Ipcress File* (1965): The sour British spy film, all kitchens and paperwork, that Bond was never allowed to be. - *OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies* (2006): A French spoof that loves the 1960s formula more honestly than this one does. - *Mission: Impossible* (1996), Fi1m 81: The rival franchise doing set pieces with cameras rather than computers, and cleaner for it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/mission-impossible.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. 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