The World Is Not Enough starts off hot. Bond escapes a Swiss bank job gone wrong, chases an assassin along the River Thames in a tricked-out boat, crashes through a fish market, and then—just to top it off—uses the Millennium Dome as a parachute ramp. It’s a killer opening. Stylish, fast-paced, and very confident. You think, “Alright, we’re in for something special.”
But then the movie settles into its actual story, and things get… uneven. This one’s a 3 out of 5 for me. I liked it, but it’s messy. The action works, Brosnan is still solid, and there’s a real attempt at depth. But the execution? Wobbly. The villain dynamic is interesting in theory, undercooked in practice. And then there’s that whole Denise Richards situation.
Plot: Oil, Revenge, and One Major Twist
The plot centers on the murder of oil magnate Sir Robert King, which draws Bond into a tangled web involving King’s daughter Elektra, her past with terrorist Renard, and a plot to trigger a nuclear meltdown in the Bosporus, shifting oil trade routes in her favor.
Yes, it’s a lot. Corporate sabotage, Stockholm syndrome, nuclear physics, and tortured family dynamics—all crammed into one movie. It’s aiming for emotional depth, and occasionally it gets there. But more often, it’s straining under its own weight, unsure if it wants to be a psychological thriller or a big, loud action film.
Pierce Brosnan: Still Smooth, Slightly Tired
Brosnan continues to be the best thing about his era. He brings a more hardened edge to Bond here—less smirking, more haunted. There are moments where you can see the cracks in his armor, especially in his relationship with Elektra. He’s not just going through the motions; he’s trying to feel things, which is a rare look for this franchise.
But the movie doesn’t give him enough space to explore that. He gets a couple of strong moments—particularly when dealing with Elektra’s betrayal—but the emotional beats are often drowned out by explosions or gadgetry.
Elektra King: Almost Great
Sophie Marceau’s Elektra King is one of the most interesting female characters the franchise has attempted. She starts as a victim, becomes a manipulator, and ultimately reveals herself as the true villain. That twist is solid. The idea of Bond falling for someone who’s not just morally grey, but outright dangerous? That’s rich territory.
The problem is the script doesn’t fully commit to her complexity. Marceau plays her with grace and menace, but the character arc feels rushed. Her motivations are murky, her final confrontation with Bond abrupt. Still, she’s one of the more memorable players in the Brosnan era.
Renard: Wasted Potential
Then there’s Renard, the man who can’t feel pain because of a bullet in his brain slowly killing him. It’s a great hook for a Bond villain—someone who literally can’t feel fear or pleasure, making him unpredictable and unhinged. But he ends up being a bit of a red herring, sidelined by Elektra’s rise.
Robert Carlyle does what he can, but Renard goes from “terrifying concept” to “generic henchman with some eyeliner” way too quickly. He’s a cool idea that never gets the screen time to be more than a footnote.
Dr. Christmas Jones: Sigh
Let’s address the elephant in the lab coat. Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones is one of the most infamous misfires in the Bond canon. The casting feels like a studio decision born entirely from a Maxim cover shoot. Richards tries, but the role is underwritten, the performance flat, and the chemistry with Brosnan non-existent.
The fact that the movie builds to a pun about her name (“I thought Christmas only comes once a year”) as a final joke? Just twist the knife, why don’t you.
Action and Gadgets: Top-Tier Spectacle
The action is still strong. The skiing sequence with the paragliders, the escape from the avalanche shelter, and the underwater finale in a sinking submarine all deliver. This movie knows how to stage set pieces, even if they’re not always motivated by the plot.
Q’s gadgetry is on point—especially the X-ray glasses and the inflatable ski jacket. And this is Desmond Llewelyn’s last appearance as Q, which gives the film a little emotional resonance it didn’t quite earn elsewhere.
Final Verdict: Ambitious but Uneven
The World Is Not Enough wants to be a deeper Bond film, and it gets halfway there. Elektra is a fascinating character who deserved more time, and Brosnan is game to explore Bond’s darker side. But the tonal shifts, the underwhelming secondary villain, and the sheer awkwardness of Dr. Christmas drag it down.
It’s slick, often exciting, and never dull—but it’s also all over the place.