Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
63%RT Audience Score: 53%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 10 nominations
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
Tomorrow Never Dies may not be the best Bond movie out there, but it’s still a fun ride. The action sequences are thrilling and Michelle Yeoh proves to be a worthy counterpart to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond. Plus, David Arnold’s score adds an extra layer of excitement to the film. Sure, the plot may be forgettable and the villain may be plain, but sometimes you just want to sit back, relax, and watch Bond save the world from brand-name unawareness.
Production Company(ies)
Brandywine Productions,
Distributor
United Artists
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Altstadt, Hamburg-Mitte, Hamburg, Germany
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, sexuality and innuendo
Year of Release
1997
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS Dolby SDDS
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 59m
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Language(s):English, German, Danish, Mandarin, Cantonese
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1997 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 4, 2007
Genre(s)
Action
Keyword(s)
starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher, Joe Don Baker, Ricky Jay, directed by Roger Spottiswoode, written by Bruce Feirstein, action, PG-13, James Bond, media mogul, news empire, China, Western world, media coverage, box office, gross USA, budget, Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital, Barbara Broccoli, Michael G Wilson, reviewed by Ryan Gilbey, Steven Rea, Jay Boyar, Joe Morgenstern, Jami Bernard, Michael Wilmington, Matt Brunson, Jake Tropila, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, David Hogan, James Bond 007
Worldwide gross: $333,011,068
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $620,759,558
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 215
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 67,694,608
US/Canada gross: $125,304,276
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $233,577,303
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 286
US/Canada opening weekend: $25,143,007
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $46,868,598
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 259
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $110,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $205,048,895
Production budget ranking: 111
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $110,418,830
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $305,291,834
ROI to date (est.): 97%
ROI ranking: 950
Jonathan Pryce – Elliot Carver
Michelle Yeoh – Colonel Wai-Lin
Teri Hatcher – Paris Carver
Joe Don Baker – Jack Wade
Ricky Jay – Henry Gupta
Director – Roger Spottiswoode
Producers – Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson
Writer – Bruce Feirstein
Director(s)
Roger Spottiswoode
Writer(s)
Bruce Feirstein
Producer(s)
Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (89) | Top Critics (28) | Fresh (50) | Rotten (39)
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.
March 28, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Ryan Gilbey
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
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.
November 1, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
In Tomorrow Never Dies, the news is mostly good. And when it comes to movies, there’s no news like good news.
November 1, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
In the latest James Bond, our hero saves the world from brand-name unawareness. Tomorrow Never Dies is a dramatized trade show; imagine Comdex or the Geneva Automobile Salon with a plot.
November 1, 2015
Joe Morgenstern
Wall Street Journal
TOP CRITIC
Yeoh proves so much Bond’s equal that they wind up sharing steering privileges on a death-defying motorcycle, her hand on the clutch and his on the brake, their other arms twined around each other. It’s a pairing made in sequel heaven.
November 1, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
Jami Bernard
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Does this work? Is it worth the trouble? Not really.
November 1, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
Tomorrow Never Dies manages what always seemed impossible: It makes a Bond movie boring.
September 25, 2021 | Rating: 2/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
Tomorrow Never Die has its moments, but the film ultimately suffers from a lack of imagination, hastily going through the Bond motions without ever leaving much of an impact.
September 18, 2021
Jake Tropila
Film Inquiry
The action sequences are routinely stupendous, even if the storyline is enormously unmemorable.
September 25, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
How do you top Goldeneye? Unfortunately not with this effort.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Confessions From A Geek Mind
Tomorrow Never Dies falls more towards the average thanks to a thin plot and an entertaining but extremely plain villain. Not bad, not great, just… fine.
January 29, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
David Hogan
hoganreviews.co.uk
It’s really just a techno-action movie (and a crap one at that) paying lipservice to the conventions of the Bond movie.
October 31, 2019 | Rating: 1/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro…
Plot
Agent James Bond 007 (Pierce Brosnan) is on a mission which includes a media tycoon, his former lover and a Chinese Agent. Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) wants to complete his global media empire, but in order for this to work, he must achieve broadcasting rights in China. Carver wants to start up World War III by starting a confrontation over British and Chinese waters. Bond gains the help of Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) on his quest to stop him, but how will Bond feel when he meets up with his former lover, Paris (Teri Hatcher), who is now Carver’s wife.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Michelle Yeoh’s character, Colonel Wai Lin, is described as one of the better Bond girls the series has had.
Roger-Spottiswoode.jpg
