Tomorrow Never Dies

PG-13

Released Dec 19, 1997

1 hr. 59 min.

Action

List

57%

93 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) wants his news empire to reach every country on the globe, but the Chinese government will not allow him to broadcast there. Carver doesn't take no for an answer and plans to use his media empire to fuel flames of war between the Western world and China. Thankfully, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is on to the insane news tycoon and travels to China to stop him with the help of Chinese secret agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh).

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Critics Consensus

A competent, if sometimes by-the-numbers entry to the 007 franchise, Tomorrow Never Dies may not boast the most original plot but its action sequences are genuinely thrilling.

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Rami A

It doesn't deserve the hate. It's certainly a lot better than most Bond films.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

Full Review

Ciaran S

Tomorrow Never Dies is an okay movie that can be predictable yet great at the same time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/27/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Over 25 years old this would be Pierce Brosnan's second outing as James Bond 007 in the 90's era Made $333 million and had twice the budget of Goldeneye I remember this was the first Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie I saw in theaters in the Adirondacks with my family My first introduction to Teri Hatcher, Michelle Yeoh, and Jonathan Pryce This one directed by Roger Spottiswoode takes a modern approach with its plot; the vessel called the HMS Devonshire has been sunk by unknown forces and the newspaper called Tomorrow somehow has all the information first claiming that the British sailors were murdered by Chinese Air Forces All of this is concocted by Elliot Carver of Carver Media Global Network, he's been known to topple governments with the biggest headlines but in reality he's manipulating all of it to potentially start WWIII This is where Bond comes in to find out who sent the ship off course via satellite and prevent war between England and China He also gets unexpected help from Wai Lin of Chinese Intelligence It's fascinating to watch this of a media mogul like Elliot Carver gone-mad, he could be a stand in for Rupert Murdoch Media empires have always had the power to manipulate the news and screenwriter Bruce Feirstein nails it albeit this storyline isn’t all that memorable It's a shame Teri Hatcher regretted her role since she and Pierce did not get along; he complained a few times about her showing up late on set and saying some things wishing he hadn't Maybe the writing could've done her better With Michelle Yeoh it gave more representation as far as Chinese actors in action since that was dominating Eastern cinema, the script thankfully treats Yeoh as an equal to Bond and feels closer to social sensibilities as opposed to previous outings This film puts her more in control of how to take down Carver's plan to take more broadcasting rights in China even by war Bond is more tongue-in-cheek here yet is still serviceable David Arnold adds some contemporary techno elements to the score I really like Sheryl Crow's number of the title making this one of the sexiest Bond pictures The action is absolutely spectacular particularly in Saigon on a motorcycle even if the rest of the movie is kinda shallow It was also the first Bond picture to use digital editing; it has good acting, shot well, and exciting despite being a step below Goldeneye and having a very troubled production Still one of my childhood favorites being a Bond fan

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/19/23

Full Review

Joshua E

Pierce Brosnan is a very good bond, he's been dealt a bad hand of cards. With all of his Bond movies there is something glaring that gives it an issue. Goldeneye are the supporting characters, the world is not enough is the plot itself and die another day is far too supernatural for a bond film. This one is clearly the girls, Michelle Yeoh and Terri Hatcher are far too old to be Bond Girls and there acting and overall characters are poor. I liked the plot, the villian of Carver and his motives and role. Four words are the only reason why it does not get 5 stars from me: Michele Yeoh Terri Hatcher

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/13/23

Full Review

Tony H

One of the best Bond films up to that point. Brosnan does great with what he's given, even though they should have given him lines that extend past one sentence. Yoah was incredible and makes me wish they'd given her her own spy series. Great action, typical plot. The villain could have been played better bit it was an adequate performance. I had a great time watching it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/15/23

Full Review

Scrypt K

"Tomorrow Never Dies" is a serviceable entry in the 007 franchise that excels in setting up an interesting scenario for James Bond to navigate; placing him in the crosshairs of a looming world war in opposition to an influencial madman. Though it stumbles a bit with a number of contrivances, the presentation as a whole draws in a fair measure of intrigue due largely in part to the on screen chemistry between the actors and the concise pacing of the story. Concerning the plot, the film introduces a curious angle wherein the main antagonist, Elliot Carver, weaponizes his news organization to spread misdirection and fallacies in the hopes of sparking a war between China and the Western world. With time running short before both sides are at each other's throats, Bond is tasked with gleaning information from Carver's wife; coincidentally an old flame of his. After her demise at the hands of Carver's henchmen, however, Bond must swiftly alter his plans to accommodate this film's "Bond Girl" Wai Lin, an agent of similar status within the Chinese government who crops up whenever the story decides that she should. After the two eventually team up to take down Carver and his lackeys aboard his formidable stealth ship, a final act occurs that is satisfactory overall. The greatest strength to the story overall is its palatable narrative and smooth pacing, as Bond's romantic flings are kept to a reasonable minimum with some logical merit within the story. The greatest weaknesses, however, are the aforementioned contrivances that riddle the plot. These primarily include the character of Wai Lin showing up inexplicably multiple times with no direct through line, and a lack of consistency with Bond's car's armor and performance, alongside it happening to contain some abstract gadgets that would have stopped the agent cold in their absence. Though they didn't destroy the tone completely, they were distracting nonetheless and begged further questions that could have been avoided with better writing. As for the characters, Pierce Brosnan's James Bond brought an enjoyable level of wit and humor alongside his debonair mannerisms that fit the role like a glove. Furthermore, this meshed well when placed against the eccentric and megalomaniacal tendencies of Jonathan Pryce's Elliot Carver, who managed to hold up an intimidating (albeit stereotypical) villainous presence whose greatest downfall stemmed from his penchant for monologueing. Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin was fun and competent in equal measure, though could have used a dose of polish to fully flesh out her role within plot, which goes the same for the head goon - Stamper - whose Schwarzenegger-esque performance was only undercut by his lack of backstory. As always, gadget maker "Q" was a treat in his brief appearance, and Bond's boss "M" was serviceable in her balance of intellect and responsibility for her position without appearing overreaching. In conclusion, "Tomorrow Never Dies" is a solid entry within the franchise that lends enough plausibility for its streamlined plot and dynamic action sequences to work well alongside each other. Though a tolerable degree of suspension of disbelief is required to enjoy the film for what it is, it doesn't detract too much from the experience being fulfilling for fans of series and newcomers alike.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/22/23

Full Review

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Roger Spottiswoode

Director

Pierce Brosnan

James Bond

Jonathan Pryce

Elliot Carver

Michelle Yeoh

Colonel Wai-Lin

Teri Hatcher

Paris Carver

Joe Don Baker

Jack Wade

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Ryan Gilbey

Independent (UK)

Despite the film's faults, David Arnold's score, which layers industrialised sounds over traditional orchestration, can make some sequences seem more exciting than they actually are.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 28, 2019

Full Review

Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

After weeks of media bombardment with Tomorrow Never Dies product tie-in commercials, it's clear that the studio and the film's producers have reinvented movie promotion. Now they need to focus their efforts on reinventing the Bond movies.

Rated: 2.5/4

Nov 1, 2015

Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

In Tomorrow Never Dies, the news is mostly good. And when it comes to movies, there's no news like good news.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 1, 2015

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast

Michelle Yeoh is our all-time favorite Bond girl.

Jan 17, 2023

Full Review

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

Tomorrow Never Dies brings non-stop action and thrills in a fun installment of the James Bond franchise.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 19, 2022

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

The series has reached the point where a Bond film’s simplest, most satisfying moment comes when good old Q breaks out his cool gadgets.

Rated: C

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) wants his news empire to reach every country on the globe, but the Chinese government will not allow him to broadcast there. Carver doesn't take no for an answer and plans to use his media empire to fuel flames of war between the Western world and China. Thankfully, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is on to the insane news tycoon and travels to China to stop him with the help of Chinese secret agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh).

Director: Roger Spottiswoode
Screenwriter: Bruce Feirstein
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: United Artists, Danjaq Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Scenes of Action|Innuendo|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1997, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $145.0M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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