There’s not a lot to say about this one. They played it really safe and relied on a lot of elements that worked in the past. You can clearly see the continuing evolution of the Brosnan era towards cheesier territory, which once again leads to diminishing returns here. The plot and filmmaking are uninteresting, there’s not a lot to chew on because the new characters don’t leave a mark, nor is the story all that compelling. It’s a very by the numbers Bond flick where its main appeal comes down to the references to the classics. It does lead to some inventive action (boat chase; the ski chase which ups the ante from _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service_), but so much of the exposition and character moments feel way too ordinary. The reliable elements are still entertaining as usual (Brosnan, Dench, Llewyn), however the new supporting cast they recruited kinda sucks (in particular Denise Richards, terrible performance). Overall, while it is forgettable and too devoid of risk, I’d still take this bland film over _Die Another Day_ any day of the week.

4/10