Tomorrow Never Dies – 1997 | 117mins | Action, Thriller | Colour

Plot Synopsis

When a British ship, the Devonshire, is fired on by the Chinese and sunk, apparently in international waters, the only clue is a signal sent out secretly on the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) frequency from a satellite belonging to the Carver Media Group Network. Its head, Elliot Carver (Jonathon Pryce), is obsessed with gaining prime position in broadcasting, and the only place on Earth his stations cannot be received is China. Since James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) had had a relationship with the woman who is now Carver’s wife, Paris (Teri Hatcher), M assigns him to try to pump her for information.

Carver is responsible for the fake GPS Signal, thanks to a device controlled by a techno-terrorist, Gupta. Bond goes to the launch of Carver’s new network in Hamburg, and meets Paris, who is not overjoyed to see him. Carver is suspicious of Bond, and has him ‘made uncomfortable’. Bond escapes, and is surprised when Paris shows up at his door. She tells Bond about a secret installation in Carver’s printing works. Carver, meanwhile, has discovered her treachery. Bond breaks into the printers, and finds the GPS tracker. Wai Lin (Michelle Yeong), a Chinese woman whom Bond had encountered at Carver’s launch party, has also broken in, and attracted attention, although she gets away easily. Bond fights his way out and is driving back to his hotel when Carver rings, telling him he knows Bond has the tracker and Paris. Bond finds Paris dead, and her killer, Dr Kaufman, waiting for him. Bond turns the tables on Kaufman, kills him, and evades his henchmen.

Bond flies out to the South China Sea, where, with Jack Wade’s assistance, he makes a HALO (High Altitude, Low Opening) jump above the wreck of the Devonshire. Within the ship, he finds that a cruise missile has been taken – and Wai Lin also investigating. They are lucky to escape from the wreck, but then are captured by Carver’s chief henchman, Stamper, and taken to Carver’s Saigon headquarters, where they pass a Chinese general, Chang, whom Wai Lin recognises. The agents escape and, after a chase through the streets of Saigon, they eventually agree to team up. Wai Lin is investigating the theft of stealth materials, connected to General Chang, and they realise that Carver is using a stealth boat. They deduce where he is operating from, and manage to board the boat, with time running out before Carver manipulates a war during which he will fire the stolen cruise missile at Beijing.

In London, Bond and Wai Lin’s signals have been received, and reluctantly Admiral Roebuck orders the fleet to look for the stealth boat, which now becomes visible as Wai Lin sabotages the engines. However, Stamper captures her. Bond kills Carver, and is about to defuse the missile when Stamper reappears, dropping a chained Wai Lin into the water. Bond and Stamper fight, with Bond escaping to rescue Wai Lin while Stamper is incinerated by the missile’s abortive launch. War is averted.