Movie · 1999 · Adventure, Action, Thriller · 2h 8m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.7/10 (222K ratings)
As the countdown begins for the new millennium there is still one number you can always count on.
Overview
Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time that culminates in a dramatic submarine showdown, Bond works to defuse the international power struggle that has the world's oil supply hanging in the balance.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.7/10
IMDb: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 51%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 6.3/10
Director
Michael Apted
Production
EON Productions
Cast
Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards, Robbie Coltrane, Judi Dench, Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Samantha Bond, Michael Kitchen, Colin Salmon, Goldie, David Calder, Serena Scott Thomas, Ulrich Thomsen, John Seru, Claude-Oliver Rudolph, Patrick Malahide, Omid Djalili
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick, late-era Bond entry that works best as an entertaining spy thriller with strong set pieces, a charismatic lead, and a memorable villainess. It’s uneven in plotting and occasionally clunky, but the action, production polish, and emotional stakes make it worthwhile for Bond fans and viewers who enjoy glossy 90s espionage.
Best for
Bond fans looking for a more character-driven Brosnan outing
Viewers who enjoy late-90s action with practical stunt work and big set pieces
Fans of glamorous, high-gloss espionage with a pulpy edge
Viewers interested in Bond films that lean a little more into personal stakes
Skip if
You want tightly written plotting and airtight logic
You’re allergic to franchise cheese and dated gender politics
You prefer grounded spy thrillers over glossy blockbuster spectacle
You already dislike Brosnan-era Bond style and tone
Overview
The World Is Not Enough is one of those Bond films that feels better in motion than in memory. The story is overstuffed and sometimes awkward, but the movie has enough momentum, style, and old-school spy-movie confidence to carry its weaker stretches. Brosnan is comfortably in command, and the film gives him a little more emotional friction than many of his entries.
Worth noting
What lingers most is the sense of late-analog spectacle: ski chases, boat pursuits, and a submarine climax that still feels like a proper event. Sophie Marceau is the standout, bringing a sly, dangerous energy that gives the movie a sharper personality than its villain plot alone would suggest. Robert Carlyle is less memorable, but the film around him is rarely dull.
Bottom line
It’s also a Bond movie that feels transitional, straddling the franchise’s old glamour and the more self-aware, character-driven approach that would come later. That makes it uneven, but also interesting. If you like your espionage with polished surfaces, a little camp, and a few genuinely strong action beats, this one earns its keep.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Matt Singer (1.5★) · 875 likes
In retrospect, the world was probably enough.
adambolt (3★) · 805 likes
long running winner of the best closing line in cinematic history
matt lynch (3.5★) · 689 likes
Easily the best Brosnan entry, with superb late-analog setpieces (courtesy 2nd unit master Vic Armstrong), some welcome goofball jokes and, despite repeated half-assed attempts over the years, one of the few to lend Bond some genuine personal stakes (his pre-credits wounding, the contentious relationship with M, and the terrorist with a grudge against her all prefigure SKYFALL, another example in a long line of this franchise recycling and refining story ideas). It also directly addresses the series' intrinsic misogyny if… more Easily the best Brosnan entry, with superb late-analog setpieces (courtesy 2nd unit master Vic Armstrong), some welcome goofball jokes and, despite repeated half-assed attempts over the years, one of the few to lend Bond some genuine personal stakes (his pre-credits wounding, the contentious relationship with M, and the terrorist with a grudge against her all prefigure SKYFALL, another example in a long line of this franchise recycling and refining story ideas). It also directly addresses the series' intrinsic misogyny if… more
Matt_Samahl (3★) · 391 likes
Denise Richards is literally dressed as Lara Croft.
Calvin Dyson (5★) · 321 likes
When I was becoming a Bond fan in the late 90s this was the ‘new one’ for what felt like such a long time. I wasn’t old enough to see it in cinemas (I was 10/11 at the time) but I remember the video coming out, the PS1 game, my school mate Richard having a poster of Denise Richards on his wall because he thought she was the most beautiful thing to ever walk on Earth…
It’s two hours seeped… more
1998 · Action, Drama, Thriller · 2h 12m · R · Curator 4.8/10 (392.3K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
A paranoid thriller that captures the era’s tech anxiety and surveillance-driven tension.