In retrospect, the world was probably enough.
Cinemas
Directed by Michael Apted
The World Is Not Enough
A spectacular adventure.
Adventure
Action
Thriller
1999
2h 8m
Greed, revenge, world dominance and high-tech terrorism – it's all in a day's work for Bond, who's on a mission to protect a beautiful oil heiress from a notorious terrorist. In a race against time that culminates in a dramatic submarine showdown, Bond works to defuse the international power struggle that has the world's oil supply hanging in the balance.
Where to watch
No showtimes for The World Is Not Enough in Los Angeles today.
The World Is Not Enough showtimes, refreshed every morning
Pick your cinema, get a nudge before it leaves screens.
Cast & crew
6What people say
long running winner of the best closing line in cinematic history
Easily the best Brosnan entry, with superb late-analog setpieces (courtesy 2nd unit master Vic Armstrong), some welcome goofball jokes and, despite repeated half-assed attempts over the years, one of the few to lend Bond some genuine personal stakes (his pre-credits wounding, the contentious relationship with M, and the terrorist with a grudge against her all prefigure SKYFALL, another example in a long line of this franchise recycling and refining story ideas). It also directly addresses the series' intrinsic misogyny if you're into that sort of thing, especially in a terrific scene where 007 mansplains Elektra's own sexual trauma to her and she responds by shaming him for basically recapitulating her assault for his own purposes (of course, in unpleasantly tantalizing fashion, he's "right": she's also the villain). One pet peeve of mine regarding this movie: nobody seems to be bothered when Barbara Bach plays Triple X, the Soviets' deadliest agent, nor do they mind model/oil fortune heiress Lois Chiles as astronaut Holly Goodhead, but Christmas Jones: Sexy Nuclear Physicist is apparently way too far. Even if you think the relative quality of these performances varies (I would argue they're roughly equally adequate), the ridiculousness of the character isn't without precedent, so maybe we can stop incredulously referring to this as "The Denise Richards one".
Common questions
What is The World Is Not Enough about?+
James Bond is tasked with protecting an oil heiress from a terrorist, leading him into an international conspiracy involving global energy supplies.
Who directed The World Is Not Enough?+
The film was directed by Michael Apted, a British filmmaker known for the Up documentary series and Coal Miner's Daughter.
Not feeling it?All films in Los Angeles
