This is Bond by the numbers, but after a summer of tired spoofs (Austin Powers in Goldmember) and lame imitations (XXX), its familiarity ironically felt
refreshing. Pierce Brosnan was still donning Bond’s tuxedo, and it still made for a nice fit. Adding to the fun is everything we’ve come to expect from the series: babes (including a game Halle Berry), exotic locales (primarily Iceland) and striking villains, namely an assassin (Rick Yune) with bits of diamonds embedded in his skin, making him look like Star Wars baddie Darth Maul after an accident at a body-piercing shop.
