Continuity mistake: Just after Bond and Christmas Jones climb out of the pipe, Bond is holding his shoulder and his blazer sleeves are up. In the next shot, his arms are by his side and his blazer is all neat. (01:20:05)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Directed by: Michael Apted
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, John Cleese, Judi Dench, Robert Carlyle, Desmond Llewelyn, Robbie Coltrane, Denise Richards, Colin Salmon, Sophie Marceau, Samantha Bond
Continuity mistake: When James is chasing the other boat in the beginning, he fires the top torpedo first. Then, when they show him fire the second torpedo, the bottom hole is empty, and he fires the same torpedo (the one on top) again... (00:12:35)
Factual error: At the beginning of the film, with the boat chase down the River Thames, Bond manages to get from the Vauxhall HQ of MI6 to Docklands in a remarkably short time. To travel the distance in the time that it takes him, you would need to be going at about 700 mph.
Trivia: The pre-credits sequence is 14 minutes long, making it the longest in the history of the series. The original intro was simply Bond's escape from the meeting, rappelling down to the ground, but audiences were underwhelmed by that leading straight into the credits. As such the boat chase was included too, leading to the long intro. It was eventually surpassed by No Time to Die in 2021.
Trivia: In the opening sequence, with the speedboat jetting through the boathouse and over the road, was filmed in Wapping, East London. It took a week to film that one sequence, as I saw them doing it. Also, for the matter of continuity, when the boat goes across the road, it goes into some sort of alley with an arch above it. In reality, it's actually a Group 4 building on the other side of that road.
Trivia: Apparently, there was a line at the end of the intro sequence which was cut from the final release. Among the people turning up to rescue Bond is M, who takes one look at him and says, "Well, at least the Millennium Dome has some use."
Christmas Jones: Doctor Jones. Christmas Jones. And, no jokes. I've heard them all.
James Bond: I don't know any doctor jokes.
James Bond: Construction isn't exactly my speciality.
M: Quite the opposite, in fact.
Elektra King: I could have given you the world.
James Bond: The world is not enough.
Elektra King: Foolish sentiment.
James Bond: Family motto.
Question: What are those blades (the ones used at the end on the caviar factory) used for in real life?
Question: When Bond first enters Zukovsky's casino, there's a tune playing on a saxophone in the background. Can anyone make out what tune it is? It sounds really familiar.
Answer: It's a variation on the "standard" James Bond theme.
Question: Why does that woman commit suicide at the beginning? Who is it she is scared of and why?
Answer: She's afraid of Renard. She's apparently of the opinion that, if she allowed herself to be captured, that he would still be able to get to her regardless and would undoubtedly be deeply unhappy that she had allowed herself to be caught. She apparently feels that suicide is a preferable option to whatever he might do to her.
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Chosen answer: We see them in the movie when Bond first arrives to meet Electra - they're used for cutting trees in a straight line. Google "helicopter tree trimmer" to see dozens of examples.
Jon Sandys ★