List of James Bond allies in Die Another Day

This is a list of James Bond allies in the film Die Another Day.

Contents

Recurring allies

Jinx

Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson
Character from the James Bond franchise
Affiliation National Security Agency
Portrayed by Halle Berry

Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson is an NSA agent who joins with Bond to spy on Zao and look into his ties with Gustav Graves. She is portrayed by American actress Halle Berry.

In discussing her character, Berry said Jinx is "fashion-forward modern and the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies."[1]

The scene where she emerges from the ocean in a bikini paid homage to the character of Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) from the first Bond film, Dr. No. Despite the bikini and location of Cuba in the film, the footage of the water and bar scene was shot in Cadiz and far from the warmth implied in the film; The location was reportedly very cold and windy, and footage has been released of Berry wrapped in thick towels in between takes to avoid catching a chill.[2]

According to an ITV news poll, Jinx has been voted the fourth toughest girl on screen of all time. Uma Thurman, the star of Quentin Tarantino`s samurai film Kill Bill was named as the winner.[3]

Speculation arose in 2003 of a spin-off film concentrating on the character which was scheduled for a November/December 2004 release. It was originally reported that MGM was keen to set up a franchise and to be a "winter olympics" alternative to 'James Bond,'. As early as the late 1990s, MGM had originally considered developing a spin-off film based on Michelle Yeoh's character, Wai Lin, in 1997's Tomorrow Never Dies. However, despite much speculation of an imminent movie, on October 26, 2003 , Variety reported that MGM had completely pulled the plug on this project, to the dismay of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson of Eon Entertainment, who were reported to be "clearly furious" about the decision [4]. MGM were keen to move on with the next film instead. Jinx was also the first black Bond Girl, hero or villain, in more than 17 years, since May Day (Grace Jones) in A View to a Kill, and the first black Bond Girl ever to play the heroine (principal Bond "good girl").


Mr. Chang

Mr. Chang
Character from the James Bond franchise
Affiliation Chinese People's External Security Force
Portrayed by Ho Yi

Mr Chang is a fictional character from the James Bond film Die Another Day. He is portrayed by Ho Yi.

Film biography

An agent of the Chinese People's External Security Force stationed at a hotel. Chang receives Bond in a sorry state after he escaped from a hospital ship, and allows him to stay. He sends an agent posing as a masseuse to spy on Bond, suspicious of his intentions. Bond foils the scheme, revealing that he has known for years that Chang is a secret agent. After things are cleared up, he supplies Bond with aeroplane tickets to Cuba, where Zao is located.

Peaceful Fountains of Desire

Peaceful Fountains
Character from the James Bond franchise
Affiliation Chinese People's External Security Force
Portrayed by Rachel Grant

Peaceful Fountains of Desire is a fictional character from the James Bond film Die Another Day. She is a secondary Bond Girl who is portrayed by Rachel Grant.

Film biography

Peaceful is a Chinese intelligence agent working for Mr Chang undercover as a masseuse at the hotel Bond is staying at. She introduces herself to Bond as coming with "compliments from the manager." Peaceful's actual intention is to find out as much as she can about Bond's mission and report back to Mr Chang. She orders Bond onto the bed, but he refuses, instead caressing her from behind. Peaceful explains that she is "not that kind of masseuse," to which Bond replies he is "not that kind of customer," removing her concealed gun from a strap on her leg and throwing an ashtray into the glass of one of the cupboards to reveal Mr Chang and two of his men filming (a reference to From Russia with Love). Mr Chang reveals his motivations, concern that Britain is trying to overstep its boundaries in Hong Kong, saying "Hong Kong's our turf now, Bond," and the two discuss a deal with about locating Zao. Bond tells Peaceful and Mr Chang to leave unless Peaceful wishes to stay, and Chang quickly dismisses her.


Raoul

Raoul
Character from the James Bond franchise
Portrayed by Emilio Echevarria

Raoul is a fictional character from the James Bond film Die Another Day. He is portrayed by Emilio Echevarria.

Film biography

The manager of a Havana cigar factory, and a British sleeper. Raoul helps Bond track down Zao in Cuba. In the audio commentary producer Michael G. Wilson said that Raoul is based somewhat on From Russia With Love's Kerim Bey.

Echevarría, a Mexican character actor who played Raoul, filmed with the first unit in Cadiz, Spain (which doubles for the Cuban capital Havana), and he took part in a month of filming in Pinewood studios [5]


Damian Falco

Damian Falco
Character from the James Bond franchise
Affiliation NSA
Portrayed by Michael Madsen

Damian Falco is a fictional character from the James Bond film Die Another Day. He is portrayed by Michael Madsen.

Film biography

Damian Falco is a high-ranking official in the National Security Agency and is the boss of Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson. He doesn’t approve of MI6. Falco is first seen when Bond is being traded for Zao in North Korea, which he says. "Look at him, you’d think he was some kind of a hero."

He is next seen talking to M about Bond blowing up a clinic in Cuba. Finally he is seen in a US Command Bunker, in South Korea, with M, Charles Robinson, Jinx, Bond and others. They brief Bond and Jinx, explaining what Gustav Graves is planning to do.

In a 2002 interview Madsen discussed his portrayal of Falco, remarking "It's not a big role but it's somewhat pivotal in that it introduces a new recurring character,. Most of my scenes are with Judi Dench (as M), who is a delightful human being." [6]

Following the production of Die Another Day, Madsen was confident the character would make a return saying "I will be back for Bond 21!" [7]. Despite this and with the change in the reinvention of the Bond film franchise which also saw Pierce Brosnan replaced, the character did not make an appearance in the following film, Casino Royale.


Verity

Verity
Character from the James Bond franchise
Portrayed by Madonna

Verity is a fictional character from the James Bond film Die Another Day. She was portrayed by Madonna.

After James Bond following Gustav Graves to Blades, a fencing club in London, Bond meets Verity who is waiting to give him his fencing lesson. She introduces Bond to Miranda Frost and Graves.

Madonna's involvement in Die Another Day was well publicised, and was the topic of many column inches in celebrity magazines and the tabloids in 2002 both for her cameo appearance and her soundtrack performance.[8]

General Moon

General Moon
Character from the James Bond franchise
Occupation Lieutenant General (Sangjang)
Affiliation Korean People's Army
Relatives Son: Tan-Sun Moon
Portrayed by Kenneth Tsang

General Moon is a fictional character in the James Bond film Die Another Day, played by Kenneth Tsang. Father to Colonel Moon, General Moon is a wise moderate man who assists in Bond's release back to the West. The North Korean general wishes for a peaceful reunification of Korea, whereas his son is bent on war.

When Bond seemingly assassinates Colonel Moon, the general, for his role as also a caring and devoted father, has him imprisoned and tortured for months to desperately find out who made his son turn traitor. He eventually releases him in exchange for the release of Zao, who had been captured by the West for terrorism.

Towards the end of the movie, he is to be accompanied by Gustav Graves as he demonstrated the power of the new Icarus heat-ray in Iceland. On Graves' giant plane, while he and his officers are having a conversation with Graves, Graves tries to convince the him that the General himself is his father by saying the General's personal memorized tactics. Now the General learns that Graves is actually the new identity of his still living son, Colonel Moon, hiding behind a new face thanks to gene therapy. Graves hoped his demonstration of power to break the Korean Demilitarized Zone in order to invade South Korea would impress his father, but instead Moon realizes that his son is insane and Bond was right about him all along and threatens to kill him with one of the officers' Makarov, saying that the plan will instead destroy themselves and his real son died long ago. Graves disarms his father and, stating his disappointment in him, shoots him in the chest, killing him as other officers seeing their comrade getting murdered by his own son. Graves then coldly removed his Medal of Honor, provoking Bond, who's enraged at seeing the death of the general who spared his life back in North Korea, to try and kill Graves on the spot.

References

  1. ^ "Halle's big year". Ebony,. Nov, 2002. "Of her character, Berry said: She's the next step in the evolution of women in the Bond movies. She's more modern and not the classic villain. She also said that Jinx is fashionable. She's fashion-forward, very sexy and takes fashion risks, and I love her for that." 
  2. ^ Die Another Day Special Edition DVD 2002, Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  3. ^ www.mi6.co.uk, Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  4. ^ Movies.yahoo.com, Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  5. ^ www.mi6.co.uk Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  6. ^ www.webcombat.com, Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  7. ^ www.mi6.co.uk, Retrieved on March 28, 2008
  8. ^ www.mi6.co.uk, Retrieved on March 28, 2008