BOND 50 THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH

2012 marks the 50th anniversary of James Bond on the big screen. To celebrate, SFX's Nick Setchfield revisits each and every 007 adventure in a week by week countdown to Skyfall ...

MISSION 19: THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999)

TALES FROM THE RIVERBANK The World Is Not Enough is frontloaded with one of the franchise’s most genuinely adrenalising action sequences. Launching Q’s prototype jet-boat like a sleek grey dart, Bond smashes into the cold Thames and sets off in pursuit of Cigar Girl’s Sunseeker, racing past Parliament, slicing past wharves, skimming backstreets, crashing through a fish market, ploughing into a restaurant and executing an immaculate 360 degree barrel roll before hurtling into the oh so topical shadow of the Millennium Dome. Brosnan even finds time to slyly adjust his tie. Underwater. For a British audience there’s a palpably patriotic rush in seeing Bond bring widescreen action beats to home shores, a victory lap for the dying days of Cool Britannia.

TRIV AND LET DIE:

Peter Jackson and Joe Dante were early contenders to direct this film.

The legendary Scott Walker recorded an end credits song, but it was ultimately dropped.

JAMES BOND WILL RETURN IN DIE ANOTHER DAY

Nick Setchfield
Editor-at-Large, SFX Magazine

Nick Setchfield is the Editor-at-Large for SFX Magazine, writing features, reviews, interviews, and more for the monthly issues. However, he is also a freelance journalist and author with Titan Books. His original novels are called The War in the Dark, and The Spider Dance. He's also written a book on James Bond called Mission Statements.