Bond never dies on 'Tomorrow' DVD

Courtesy of United Artists Pierce Brosnan is Bond. James Bond.

By Matthew Barrett
Daily Arts Writer

Bond. James Bond. Yes, Pierce Brosnan is back as the alcohol-swigging secret agent in "Tomorrow Never Dies." Bond is set against Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce), a media tycoon obsessed with making headlines for his various news outlets. Of course, no Bond film would be complete without the ladies, and the Bond girls appear in the form of Teri Hatcher as his ex-love and martial arts expert Michelle Yeoh as his partner.

The Special Edition DVD, which follows a normal edition, has numerous extras that should appeal to fans of the series. There's a "Secrets of 007" featurette that includes some history on the James Bond franchise and the interesting tidbit that Cary Grant was originally desired for the part of Bond.

Along with the trailer and a few other basic features, there are two commentary tracks, one with director Roger Spottiswoode and the other with the film's stunt director and producer.

The biggest thing to come out of the commentary tracks is the fact that world renowned sleight-of-hand artist Ricky Jay used playing cards as weapons in some scenes that didn't make the film's final cut. It's cruel to tease the audience with this info and never show it, but maybe the second special edition will have these sacred scenes.

By far, the best of the bonus material is the feature that allows viewers to play the storyboards for the film simultaneously with some of the action scenes. This provides a very worthwhile look into the construction of the scenes and how high octane sequences are first visualized.

With or without Jay's card antics, "Tomorrow Never Dies: Special Edition" is stocked with enough special features to make the DVD a must have for all fans of the Bond series.

01-22-99