Pierce Brosnan is easily one of the most iconic actors to play James Bond, and although his final appearance in Die Another Day was ravaged by critics and fans alike, this actually was not his final appearance as 007. Following the film’s release in 2002, Brosnan reprised the role of James Bond in the video game Everything or Nothing, produced by EA and released in 2004. Successful and popular Bond games were nothing new, but this particular iteration was truly something special.
The production value and popular faces in the James Bond video game Everything or Nothing was unbelievable for a video game at the time. The game was nearly on par with the quality of a feature film between the cast, plot, graphics and budget. Pierce Brosnan provided his looks and his voice acting for the game, as well as other James Bond cast regulars like John Cleese and Judi Dench. Actors who were never in 007 films also were brought in, with Willem Defoe playing villain Nikolai Diavolo and Heidi Klum playing Dr. Katya Nadanova. The plot is an insane narrative featuring a geologist, nanobots and Russian missile silos. The game truly feels like you’re playing a blockbuster action film and it is incredible.
This is not the first time Brosnan shared his likeness with a video game. He provided his face, but not his voice, for Goldeneye 007. The Nintendo 64 exclusive is regarded as one of the most acclaimed video games of all time, and is a huge part of the first-person-shooter genre’s history. The 1997 game is mostly known for its multiplayer game mode, as its plot was based on the Goldeneye film released in 1995. Everything or Nothing, however, featured a completely original plot and is the only Bond game Brosnan provided his voice for. The plot combined with the official Brosnan voice acting makes the game feel a lot closer to its own James Bond film compared to earlier games like Goldeneye.
Brosnan’s final Bond film was a massive box office success, but what doomed it above all else in the eyes of the critics were Die Another Day’s poorly done CGI effects. The pointless invisible car and the giant wave were glaring issues and impossible to miss. Halle Berry’s acting and delivery also provided plenty of cringe throughout the film. Given that this was Brosnan’s last go at Bond on the big screen, it’s a shame that he was given such a bizarre script to work with.
While Die Another Day was a disappointing final theatrical release, Brosnan has much to be proud of with successful and memorable Bond films like Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. What helps Brosnan’s legacy more than previous Bonds is that he was around at the perfect time for the surge of Bond video games. His likeness was involved in several classic turn of the century games like Goldeneye 007, Nightfire, Agent Under Fire and Everything or Nothing. Despite the failures of Die Another Day, the overall quality of the many James Bond projects he was involved in will preserve his 007 legacy forever, especially leaving on such a strong note with Everything or Nothing.
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- Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08