Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
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James Bond must stop a media tycoon from using a high-tech device to spark a global war.
The story
MI6 sends James Bond into the field to scout a terrorist arms bazaar on the Russian border. After a tense encounter involving a hijacked aircraft and a high-stakes pursuit, Bond discovers a plot involving a powerful media tycoon, Elliot Carver. Carver intends to use a sophisticated electronic device to manipulate global communications and provoke a conflict between major world powers. With the British government demanding immediate action to prevent a looming war, Bond must infiltrate Carver's vast media empire and uncover the truth behind the technology before it can be used to trigger a global catastrophe.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a dangerous mission on the Russian border where Bond must pilot a hijacked jet to escape a destroyed bazaar, he learns of a plot by media tycoon Elliot Carver. Carver plans to use a stolen GPS encoder to manipulate signals and provoke a war between China and the West. Bond travels to Hamburg to gather intelligence from Carver's wife, Paris, and infiltrates Carver's facilities. Along the way, he teams up with Chinese agent Wai Lin. The duo discovers Carver's plan to use a stolen missile to seize power in China and secure global broadcasting rights. In a final confrontation on Carver's stealth ship, Bond and Wai Lin fight through Carver's henchmen, including the formidable Stamper. Bond manages to sabotage the ship's systems and ultimately kills Carver, while the ship is destroyed in a massive explosion, successfully averting the global conflict.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 119
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Roger Spottiswoode
- Writers
- Bruce Feirstein · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Pierce Brosnan · James Bond; Jonathan Pryce · Elliot Carver; Michelle Yeoh · Wai Lin; Teri Hatcher · Paris Carver; Götz Otto · Richard Stamper; Ricky Jay · Henry Gupta; Joe Don Baker · Jack Wade; Vincent Schiavelli · Dr. Kaufman; Judi Dench · M; Desmond Llewelyn · Q; Samantha Bond · Miss Moneypenny; Colin Salmon · Charles Robinson
- Genres
- spy; action; thriller
- Themes
- media manipulation; global conflict; terrorism
- Tone and mood
- action-packed; tense
- Setting
- Various international locations including the Russian border, Hamburg, the South China Sea, and Saigon.
- Premise and plot tags
- spy thriller; technological warfare; media empire
- Source material / true-story basis
- Ian Fleming's James Bond series
- Franchise connections
- James Bond
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews upon release but has been praised in retrospect for its prescience regarding the dangers of fake news and media manipulation.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 57% · scale: percentage · review count: 93; Metacritic · score: 52 · scale: score · review count: 38
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · nomination · nomination; MPSE Golden Reel Award · Best Sound Editing – Foreign Feature · win
- Production trivia
- The title was inspired by the Beatles' song 'Tomorrow Never Knows'.; The film was the first Bond film to feature the Walther P99 as Bond's pistol.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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