---
title: "Die Another Day: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/die-another-day/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/die-another-day"
critics_score: 57
critics_reviews: 17
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): what the critics said

Critics' score 57 from 17 reviews: 6 positive, 7 mixed, 4 negative.

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.

## Total Film — Total Film

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/die-another-day-review/)

## Evening Standard — Alexander Walker

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/licence-to-chill-7386417.html)

## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/die-another-day-2002)

## The New York Times — A. O. Scott

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/22/movies/film-review-bang-splat-kapow-must-be-that-007.html)

## Time Out — JO'C

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. 

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 the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/die-another-day)

## Screen Daily

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.screendaily.com/die-another-day/4011282.article)

## Empire — Ian Nathan

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/die-another-day-review/)

## Los Angeles Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 22 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-nov-22-et-dargis22-story.html)

## Radio Times — Sloan Freer

Rating 3/5. 

Commends the pacing, locations, and Brosnan's performance but criticizes poor CGI and Madonna's contribution.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-uavgg7/die-another-day/)

## Variety — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://variety.com/2002/film/awards/die-another-day-1200544820/)

## Sight and Sound

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 

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 the review](http://old.bfi.org.uk/features/ultimatefilm/chart/details.php?ranking=80)

## The AV Club — Keith Phipps

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 18 December 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.avclub.com/die-another-day-1798198150)

## The Guardian — Peter Bradshaw

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2002/nov/15/artsfeatures.jamesbond)

## The Times — Cosmo Landesman

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 17 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/film-the-spy-who-bores-me-wcm9853xqtj)

## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez

Fi1m's normalised score 25/100 (inferred from the text). 18 November 2002. 

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 the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/die-another-day/)

## Film Stories — Simon Brew

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 3 March 2026. 

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 the review](https://filmstories.co.uk/features/die-another-day-and-how-the-invisible-car-helped-change-james-bond/)

## Den of Geek — Max Williams

Fi1m's normalised score 45/100 (inferred from the text). 20 November 2019. 

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 the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/is-die-another-day-really-the-worst-james-bond-movie/)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/die-another-day.md