By Steve Vivona

Pierce Brosnan's third outing as James Bond, "The World is Not Enough" proved to be the highest grossing Bond ever, and cemented his reputation as the preeminent Bond since Sean Connery.

In this installment Bond faces off against Renard (Robert Carlyle) a diabolical madman who is impervious to pain and hides a deadly secret. He is charged by "M" (Judi Dench) with protecting a beautiful heiress (Sophie Marceau) whose father was recently assassinated by Renard. Bond is suspicious of the entire situation and suspects "M" is not telling him the entire truth about this woman and her involvement with Renard.

In his search for Renard Bond encounters Dr. Christmas Jones (Denise Richards), a brilliant nuclear physicist who aides him in his search for the truth. Bond is unable to prevent Renard from stealing a nuvlear device, which he plans to detonate from a hijacked Russian sub thereby causing World War III. He chases Renard across several continents before their final confrontation aboard the sub.

"The World is Not Enough" succeeds in bringing the Bond character to a deeper level, and Brosnan is not afraid to show this iconic character as a man with human frailties. His Bond is the perfect blend of style, ruthlessness and wit.

Supporting cast members Marceau and Denise Richards are true Bond girls for the 21st century, with brains and beauty to match.
Sadly this was Desmond Llewelyn's final film as "Q," (he died in a car accident shortly after the film's release). Anticipating he might not be around for another installment, Llewelyn asked the producers to write an exit scene for him, which is a poignant moment in the film.

MGM has taken special care with the special editions of the Bond films, and this is no exception. The widescreen transfer is excellent, with vibrant colors and a razor-sharp image. The dolby digital sound only enhances the film's visceral appeal.

Supplements include a featurette with cast and crew interviews, an audio commentary from director Michael Apted and a sceond one featuring production designer Peter Lamont, second unit director Vic Armstrong and composer David Arnold. Also included is the music video of the theme song from Garbage, the theatrical trailer and The Secrets of OO7, which features alternate video options, truly utilizing the format's capabilites.

Both the film and the DVD come highly recommended. MGM will release the third and final wave of the Bond special editions in October.

Bond trivia: The World is Not Enough is the Bond family motto. During "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Bond's lineage is traced by a genealogist who shows him his family crest with the motto, "The World is Not Enough."