Common Sense Media Review
Bond, James Bond. For mature eyes only.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Tomorrow Never Dies
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 2 parent reviews
Based on 21 kid reviews
Kids say that this movie is an entertaining and action-packed installment with Pierce Brosnan as Bond, featuring impressive musical scores and intense sequences. However, it contains significant violence and mature themes, making it more suitable for older audiences due to its PG-13 rating, which includes some brief nudity and strong language.
- action-packed
- mature themes
- intense violence
- PG-13 rating
- entertaining experience
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Hoping to give his new cable news network a considerable ratings boost, power-mad media tycoon Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) uses his expensive-looking Stealth boat to sink a British warship, then prepares to fire one of its nuclear warheads at China and start World War III. As luck -- or the law of averages --would have it, Carver's wife (Teri Hatcher) is a former lover of James Bond (Pierce Brosnan), who wastes no time renewing his acquaintance in order to gain information. Mrs. Carver's sudden death puts a damper on 007's lead and sets her husband's men after him in full force. Luckily for Bond, Chinese agent Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh) is also after Carver, and the two join forces to infiltrate his floating fortress and pull the plug on his media empire.
Is It Any Good?
At $100 million, this is the slickest, most gadget-happy 007 film to date. Pierce Brosnan is back in the driver's seat (of a rocket-spewing BMW 750) as dashing agent 007, out this time to stop a ratings-hungry media baron from instigating World War III. Michelle Yeoh adds plausible chemistry and spectacular stunts to this action-packed thriller full of wild chases and some very nifty spy gadgets. Bond seems most pleased with his fully loaded, remote-controlled BMW 750, a near-rival of his silver Aston Martin in Goldfinger.
A dramatic -- but not overzealous -- score puts Monty Norman's James Bond theme to good use. And Tomorrow Never Dies has something that the Bond movies have lacked since the cold war ended -- a worthy adversary. Not only does autocrat Elliot Carver like to create and write his own headlines (as well as certain obituaries), but he's also got some very capable cronies. Vincent Schiavelli's brief scene as a would-be torturer is the film's comedic high point. Nevertheless, this one's for mature eyes only.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about this movie's message. What point, if any, do you think the filmmaker was trying to get across? Does this movie have a message? Do action movies often have messages? Even if a movie has no message, can it still influence the thinking of its viewers?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 19, 1997
- On DVD or streaming : May 13, 1998
- Cast : Jonathan Pryce , Liam Aiken , Michelle Yeoh , Pierce Brosnan
- Director : Roger Spottiswood
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : MGM/UA
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of action violence, sexuality and innuendo
- Last updated : February 3, 2026
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