The World Is Not Enough (1999)
60%RT Audience Score: 49%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 12 nominations
Plagued by mediocre writing, uneven acting, and a fairly by-the-numbers plot, The World Is Not Enough is partially saved by some entertaining and truly Bond-worthy action sequences
The World is Not Enough” is a classic Bond film that has aged like a fine wine, according to critics. While some critics found the film lacking in originality and tension, others praised the strong performances of the villains and the farewell to Q. One critic even went so far as to say that the film owes its success more to loyalty and tradition than to quality, which is a bit harsh. But let’s be real, the real star of the film is Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones, who is so bad she’s good. Overall, “The World is Not Enough” is a fun and entertaining addition to the Bond franchise that’s worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Ferndale Films, Granada Television, Hell’s Kitchen Films,
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexuality and innuendo
Year of Release
1999
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital EX SDDS DTS-ES Dolby Digital DTS
-
Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 5m
-
Language(s):English, Russian, Spanish
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 1999 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2000
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, directed by Michael Apted, written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein, produced by Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson, action, PG-13, box office, budget, reviewed by Chris Stuckmann, Nathan Rabin, Peter Bradshaw, Carrie Rickey, Stephen Hunter, Joe Morgenstern, Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, Sophie Marceau as Elektra King, Robert Carlyle as Victor ‘Renard’ Zokas, Denise Richards as Dr Christmas Jones, Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky, Judi Dench as M, nuclear plot, oil supply, international power struggle, bullet lodged in brain, nuclear weapons expert, James Bond 007
Worldwide gross: $361,832,400
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $649,499,247
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 200
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 70,828,707
US/Canada gross: $126,943,684
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $227,867,452
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 298
US/Canada opening weekend: $35,519,007
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $63,757,608
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 158
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $135,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $242,328,764
Production budget ranking: 43
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $130,494,039
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $276,676,443
ROI to date (est.): 74%
ROI ranking: 1,043
Sophie Marceau – Elektra King
Robert Carlyle – Victor ‘Renard’ Zokas
Denise Richards – Dr. Christmas Jones
Robbie Coltrane – Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky
Judi Dench – M
Director(s)
Michael Apted
Writer(s)
Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Bruce Feirstein
Producer(s)
Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 12 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (145) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (75) | Rotten (70)
An attempt to go back to basics that’s aged much better than Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day.
April 6, 2020 | Rating: B-
Chris Stuckmann
ChrisStuckmann.com
TOP CRITIC
What do the James Bond series, the Chicago Cubs, and Master P’s No Limit empire have in common? All owe their considerable commercial success more to loyalty, marketing, and tradition than to quality.
November 2, 2015
Nathan Rabin
AV Club
TOP CRITIC
And what of the actresses who have taken the one-way ticket to career palookaville as the Bond girls? Well, here is the real gem: Sophie Marceau, as glamorous oil heiress Elektra King, is terrific.
November 2, 2015
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
So long as the Brits are sweeping obsolete institutions like the House of Lords into the dustpan of history, may we recommend the broom for James Bond?
November 2, 2015 | Rating: 1.5/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Worst of all is a ride through the pipeline in some kind of vague contrivance that looks like the pneumatic tubes from old-time newsrooms when they sent remakes down to composing in the last few minutes before deadline.
November 2, 2015
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
Most of all, though, I wondered how much longer people will pay to see a walking, running, driving, diving, punning, smirking, swimming, skiing, shooting, parachuting corpse.
November 2, 2015
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
Any goodwill evaporates when placed alongside the presence of Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
A pair of remarkable villains, a sizable role for M, a bittersweet goodbye for Q, a return of a formidable ally, a killer song, a competent director, and a showcase for what is arguably Brosnan’s best performance as 007 – it has a lot going for it.
September 18, 2021
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
It throws away good actors and sacrifices pace without providing any complexity in return
April 3, 2021 | Rating: 5/10
Grant Watson
Fiction Machine
The action scenes involve quite a bit of complexity and tricky choreography, but tend to simply happen without any sense of tenseness or originality.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 3/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
If Goldeneye is clearly Brosnan’s best film, then The World is Not Enough is probably his second best (although that is not a stretch).
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
It has a strong villain pairing and some good moments, but it also has a really weak performance from the Bond girl and some dull action scenes. A very mixed bag of a film.
February 11, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk…
Plot
James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is back. An oil tycoon is murdered in MI6, and Bond is sent to protect his daughter. Renard (Robert Carlyle), who has a bullet lodged in his brain from a previous Agent, is secretly planning the destruction of a pipeline. Bond gains a hand from research scientist Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards), who witnesses the action which happens when Bond meets up with Renard, but Bond becomes suspicious about Elektra King (Sophie Marceau), especially when Bond’s boss, M (Dame Judi Dench) goes missing. Bond must work quickly to prevent Renard from destroying Europe.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Denise Richards as a nuclear weapons expert named Dr. Christmas Jones.
Michael-Apted.jpg
