Die Another Day is the 20th James Bond film in the franchise and the final one starring Pierce Brosnan as 007. The movie begins with Bond infiltrating a North Korean military base to investigate Colonel Moon, who is trading African conflict diamonds for weapons. Bond’s cover is blown by Moon’s right-hand man, Zao, leading to a high-octane hovercraft chase. The chase ends with Moon seemingly dying after his vehicle plunges over a waterfall. Bond is captured by North Korean forces and subjected to 14 months of brutal imprisonment and torture.
After his release in a prisoner exchange for Zao, Bond is stripped of his 00 status by MI6, as they suspect he leaked information under duress. Determined to clear his name, Bond escapes custody and begins his own investigation. His journey takes him to Cuba, where he tracks Zao to a gene therapy clinic that allows people to alter their appearances. Zao escapes, but Bond discovers a lead: a diamond connected to British billionaire Gustav Graves.
Bond travels to London, where he meets Graves, a flamboyant entrepreneur who has risen to fame with his discovery of a massive diamond mine. Graves invites Bond to Iceland for a demonstration of his new satellite, Icarus, which can focus sunlight to provide unlimited solar energy. Bond also meets Miranda Frost, Graves’ assistant and an MI6 agent. Meanwhile, Bond encounters Jinx, a mysterious NSA agent played by Halle Berry, who is also investigating Graves.
In Iceland, Bond uncovers the truth: Gustav Graves is actually Colonel Moon, who survived the hovercraft incident and underwent gene therapy to change his appearance. Graves plans to use the Icarus satellite as a weapon, capable of destroying targets with concentrated solar energy. Zao and Graves attempt to kill Bond and Jinx, but they escape after a series of action-packed confrontations, including a car chase on a melting ice field.
The climax takes place aboard a military cargo plane. Graves plans to use Icarus to destroy the Korean Demilitarized Zone, allowing North Korea to invade South Korea. Bond and Jinx infiltrate the plane, leading to a final showdown. Bond kills Graves by ejecting him from the plane mid-flight, while Jinx kills Zao by dropping a chandelier on him. The plane crashes, but Bond and Jinx escape with Graves’ diamonds.
The film ends with Bond and Jinx celebrating their victory, though the movie’s over-the-top action and reliance on CGI received mixed reviews. Despite its flaws, Die Another Day remains a memorable entry in the Bond franchise, marking the end of an era for Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal of 007.
