The 007 Project: The World is Not Enough

Synopsis in 3 sentences or less:

Bond is sent to protect an oil heiress whose father was murdered, but he discovered that she is not as innocent as she seems. 

Memorable Quote:
There's no point in living if you can't feel alive.  

Highlight:

The boat chase on the Thames, beginning with the moment where Bond gets in the boat and zooms out of MI6 headquarters.  For me it's the best scene of any Bond movie, in large part due to the majestic musical score which is just perfection. Throw in the London locale, the action, and the raw determination that Bond shows in never giving up and apprehending his target, and you have my favorite scene. 

Lowlight:

I generally don't like to critique actors too much, but it would be disingenuous of me not to mention Denise Richards's performance, aka the worst acting performance in a major motion picture that I've ever seen. Every time she opens her mouth, it's awkward and painful to watch. It's hard to even describe without just seeing it for yourself. 

Most interesting piece of IMDB trivia:

The title is the translation of the Latin motto, "Orbis non sufficit", given to George Lazenby's Bond, when he researches his own coat of arms, in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). The motto also appears in the original Ian Fleming novels. It was the motto of the Spanish King Felipe II.

Other thoughts, observations, and questions I didn’t ask when I was in fourth grade:

• When Bond jumps out the window with the rope tied to the other guy, he's lucky that the guy grabbed the table leg and slowed his fall, or else I think Bond would have splattered on the concrete. 
• Even if the boat/balloon lady is worried that Bond can't protect her from Renaud, at least she'd stand a chance of survival compared to blowing herself up, which gives her a 0% chance.  
• Another excellent title song -- our third straight super opening and title song. 
• 19:16 mark - I love how Bond flippantly tosses the x-ray aside. 
• 22:50 - Q's descent beneath the floor is the last we see of him in the series, as Desmond Llewelyn died in a car accident three weeks after the premiere of this movie. He had a unique role in the franchise given that his appearances went all the way back to From Russia With Love, and in this movie he gives Bond a sage piece of advice that always stuck with me: Never let them see you bleed. I love that. I've always thought about it in terms of keeping your cool and not showing frustration or getting upset if you're in a competitive situation (like a sporting event) or if you're being bullied, because your opponent wants to see you frustrated and upset. If you can stay calm, you don't give them the satisfaction of seeing you down and out. 
• Brosnan is starting to look a bit too old in this movie. It's kind of a shame that the Remington Steele contract prevented him from landing the role when he was younger. 
• 39:46 - Kind of a powerful moment where Bond and Elektra are trapped in the snow and Bond tells her to look in his eyes to calm her down when she starts freaking out. What a man, like how could Elektra do him dirty after how great he is for her there. 
• 1:03:51 - Once Renaud starts shooting in the underground area, if he were smart he'd go for Bond first instead of some random officers. 
• I like how Bond does the time/rate distance calculation in his head. "106 miles from the terminal going 70 miles an hour. We have 78 minutes." I actually calculated it myself and it should be 91 minutes -- still a fun moment, though. 
• Sweet blue and white outfit that Bond wears to the Russian safehouse. I'm not much of a fancy dresser, but I wouldn't mind having a suit combo like that. 
• Fantastic scene with Bond and Elektra where Bond is held in the torture chair. Sophie Marceau is excellent in this movie, and she shines in this scene in particular. 
• Famous last line about Christmas coming only once a year. 
• The end credits score is fabulous -- thankfully they use a traditional Bond medley rather than a random song like they did in the previous two movies. 

Final Analysis:

This movie has a bit of a cold, dark feel, and Denise Richards really brings it down considerably. However there are also many positives, including Brosnan (as always), the musical score (incredible), and the opening boat scene (the best scene of any Bond movie). Ranking it 5 out of 19.