Die Another Day Starring Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rick Yune, Judi Dench, Rosamund Pike and John Cleese Rated PG-13 for action violence, some language and sensuality Cinesight Rating * * *

Take a megalomaniac with a penchant for the overly dramatic; a memorably disfigured henchman; a stockpile of wild and impossibly hi-tech gadgets; a seductive and somewhat enigmatic partner and a cool-as-ice super spy who is never shaken or stirred and what do you get - one of the best Bond movies in a long time! After the traditional opening action sequence, filled with chasing hovercraft, explosions and general mayhem, Bond (Brosnan) discovers he has been set up. He returns to MI6 only be shown the door by his boss, M (Dench). To recover his 007 license and regain his reputation, he must track down the mole, then he can exact his revenge in true Bond fashion. The search takes him from London to Cuba, Iceland and North Korea. Along the way he runs into eccentric millionaire Gustav Graves (Stephens) and his 'associate' Zao (Yune), and ends up joining forces with a gutsy adventuress named Jinx (Berry). But before all of this Bond must pay a visit to Q's (Cleese) latest workshop in an abandoned underground train station. Over the past few years the producers seem to have lost sight of what makes a Bond movie unique - that magical 007 formula - a simple, high-paced story; lots of outrageous action; fast cars (and fast women); a dry, verging on corny wit; and of course, the gadgets. I'm glad to report they finally came to their senses for this 40th anniversary celebration of Bond on the big screen. And they picked the right director, Kiwi native Lee Tamahori ( ONCE WERE WARRIORS, MULHOLLAND FALLS ). Determined to pack as much as he can into the running time, he doesn't let up from beginning to end. They chose a somewhat risky opening title and credit sequence, which pushes the envelope for Bond. But I think the gamble paid off, adding some weight to 007's motivations in the movie. I'll say no more, but see what you think. The fun-filled script by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade combines a certain inventiveness while remaining true to the Bond universe. It also includes a number of homages to earlier films in the series, including DR. NO, THUNDERBALL, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. This time around, the film makers don't totally rely on unimaginative gun battles, but invent some action sequences and settings worthy of 007; a brisk fencing match that quickly turns serious; two gadget-laden cars going head-to-head on an ice field; a wacky snow palace and a showdown aboard a disintigrating jet plane to name a few. Brosnan finally seems to be having fun with the role, and the double-cross plot gives him some opportunities to stretch his acting muscles. And all the supporting characters are more than adequate - even Berry (who isn't one of my favorite actresses). The stunts are great and the effects are mostly adequate. The only complaint I have is with Madonna's title song; a strange, almost white noise concoction that hardly deserves to be called a song, and is certainly not worthy of a Bond movie. Having said that, the producers have proved that there's still life left in the old franchise! Until we meet again, Mr. Bond!