Don't die today. (Die Another Day) is a 2002 British-American spy action thriller film directed by Lee Tamahori from a screenplay by Ian Fleming (author of the novel), Neil Purvis, and Robert Wade. The film was released in the United States on 22 November 2002.
The film was released in November 2002, the 40th anniversary of the James Bond film series. It is the 20th film in the franchise and the last to star Pierce Brosnan. The project has a mission: to honor Bond's history by incorporating dozens of references to previous films — from "„Goldfinger“" to "„Moonraker“(1979), but at the same time modernizing it using the new CGI technologies that were in their infancy at the time. The result is a film that balances between retro homage and futuristic kitsch, between classic elegance and explosive fantasy.
The film begins with a mission in North Korea, where Bond (Pierce Brosnan) poses as an arms dealer. The operation fails - Bond is captured and tortured for 14 months, while MI6 considers him a traitor.
After being released in a prisoner exchange, M (Judi Dench) removes him from service. Dishonored but determined to find out who betrayed him, Bond sets out on the trail of Gustav Graves (Toby Stevens) — a mysterious British billionaire whose name is associated with an orbital weapon called Icarus.
The real plot: Graves is actually Colonel Tan-Sung Moon, a North Korean officer who has had his face altered through DNA technology. He plans to use Icarus to destroy the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Bond teams up with American agent Jinx Johnson (Halle Berry) to stop the global catastrophe.
The film is seen as the "swan song" of the classic Bond — eccentric, technological, hyper-stylized. After it comes a new era — the more realistic and brutal world of "„Casino Royale“" (2006). Therefore "„Don't die today.“" can be read as a farewell letter to the 007 icon — a film that explodes in brilliance before being reborn.
„"„Don't die today.“" is a film of contrasts — glitzy, over-the-top, but unforgettable. It serves as a final homage to the old Bond and a bridge to the modern one. He's not afraid to go overboard — and that's why he remains iconic.
