Gadgets, gimmicks, and glamor fill the screen in The World Is Not Enough, Pierce Brosnan’s latest outing as Agent 007. For the third time, this debonair actor plays James Bond as perfectly as he fits into 007’s elegant wardrobe. Tuxedoes and other fashionable men’s wear must have been invented just for him. The dashing Brosnan even seems to enjoy those grueling action sequences --- which overwhelm practically everything else in TWINE.

Although Brosnan’s performance can’t be faulted, the latest Bond adventure lacks a villain evil enough to match the likes of Oddjob, Goldfinger, and Dr. No, those classic bad guys from earlier 007 films. Fans have come to expect something much more in this area than what TWINE delivers. Robert Carlyle (The Full Monty) plays an almost sympathetic antagonist who feels no pain because of a bullet lodged in his brain. Of course, he keeps company with some pretty dastardly characters, but none provide the excitement of previous 007 foes.

No James Bond movie would be complete without numerous inventions that help him escape when in a tight spot. In this film, his jacket turns into a giant padded ball, an auto becomes a deadly missile launcher, and his glasses reveal hidden guns as well as women’s underwear. (No one worries about political correctness here.) Weapons used against Bond include huge electric saws hanging from helicopters, a torture chair equipped with neck screws, and scores of machine guns aimed at him from parachutes.

The women in Bond films are almost as important as villains, action, and gizmos. In TWINE, Sophie Marceau (Lost and Found) looks absolutely gorgeous as Elektra King, daughter of a powerful oil magnate. Playing the role seriously, this stunning actress is as convincing here as she would be in a Shakespearean drama. There’s nothing the least bit campy about her performance. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said about Denise Richards (Starship Troopers). Woefully miscast as nuclear physicist Christmas Jones, this lovely rising star doesn’t live up to the potential of her terrific comic turn in Drop Dead Gorgeous. Like a polar bear in the desert, she’s ridiculously out of place.

Does anyone care about the plot? If so, it concerns a diabolical plan to control oil pipelines. And guess who gets kidnapped in the process? None other than Bond’s boss, M (Judi Dench). Naturally, the intrepid 007 must save the day. Not many surprises are left for this nineteenth 007 movie. However, a most welcome one involves the appearance of funnyman John Cleese (Monty Python) as Q’s (Desmond Llewelyn) successor. Cleese may only be in a few scenes, but he adds his unique humor to the film, giving moviegoers something to look forward to in the next Bond adventure. You can bet a bundle there will be one!

(Released by MGM and rated "PG-13" for intense sequences of action violence, some sexuality and innuendo.)